"I Could Care Less About the Web"

According to the Toward Equality of Access report, 42% of Americans do not use the Internet. Why? Lack of interest. Phil Bradley states that the same thing is going on over in the UK.

However, what if one of these 42% needs to apply for a job and the company only accepts online applications? Or what if one of these 42% needs a tax form and the IRS has stopped providing paper copies of that form? Their interest greatly increases for the time being.

Yet, when they are finished completing the task, are they now converted Web users? Probably not. On the other hand, perhaps they now see the benefit. Once you assist them with their immediate need, you can mention the library's computer classes in case they would like to make the leap to the online world.

Online Tutorials

Here is a list of online resources for learning some of our favorite programs! This will be added to in the future so I will add a link to the sidebar for you to access this list in the future:

Access
BC Schools
Microsoft
Teach on the Net
Teacher Click

Excel
Baycon Group
BC Schools
Learn That
Microsoft
Nevada Learning Series
Peltier
Teacher Click
Tech On The Net
University Of Leeds

Library Databases
PowerSearch Handout
PowerSearch Tour
Rosetta Stone

Mousing
New User Tutorial
Dot to Dot
SeniorNet
Mouserobics or Mousercise

Outlook 2003
Microsoft

PowerPoint
7 Hills Media Group
Baycon Group
BC Schools
Florida Gulf Coast University
Microsoft
Staff Development
University of Rhode Island

Publisher (Whitehaven only location with Publisher)
BC Schools
Learn That
Microsoft

Typing
Peter's Online Typing Course
GoodTyping
TouchTyping
Letters (a game)
PowerTyping
TypingTest
SpeedTypingTest
Word Shoot

Web
Internet Tutorials
UC Berkeley

Word
American University of Beirut
Baycon Group
BC Schools
General Disarray
Internet 4 Classrooms
Learn That
Microsoft
Word Tips

Mouserobics in Other Languages

The Central Kansas Library System has the familiar Mouserobics or Mousercise program that I am sure you all have seen before (the one with the dancing mouse).

The great thing is that on top of this, they have this tool in several languages:

Danish
French
Hmong
Italian
Spanish
Tagalog

"How to Help Someone Use a Computer" Helpful Hints

Here is a link to a great article about helping beginners with computers.

http://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/pagre/how-to-help.html

I found this link in this article on Library Journal online.

"The Typing is the Reward" - Typist Proverb

A couple customers and a staff member have asked me about providing a typing class. Well, I took typing in high school for a semester and I know that you cannot "teach" someone how to type. You basically show them where to put your fingers and the rest is practice, practice, practice.

The real catch is knowing what to type. Well, the Web has plenty of free typing skills sites that you can use as a guide. Here they are. I attempted to place them in order of difficulty:

Peter's Online Typing Course: Excellent overall course on typing with lots of exercises.

GoodTyping: A good introductory test. This shows you how to place your fingers on the keyboard and such.

TouchTyping: Similar to GoodTyping, perhaps with better graphics.

Letters (a game): A different take on it. If you liked Space Invaders, you may enjoy this.

PowerTyping: Starts measuring mistakes and wpm (words per minute).

TypingTest: Similar to PowerTyping.

SpeedTypingTest: Another free test.

OK, this is enough for now. If you have others that you have used, let me know and I will add the link.

Gooey Mouse Skills Exercise!

The new Unicorn ILS will have a Graphic User Interface. What does that mean? Well, to compare, the DRA classic uses a Text User Interface. In other words, your screen consists of nothing but text. A graphic user interface uses objects on the screen that you interact with. You generally interact with these objects by using a mouse.

So, if you are uncomfortable with a "Gooey" (GUI) environment, then take these series of exercises.

This first exercise will focus on mouse skills. The mouse is the key to the Gooey environment. Following are links to various places on the Internet that have fun ways to interact with the mouse and objects on the screen.

New User Tutorial: Need to know how to hold the mouse. Follow this link for a reminder.

Dot to Dot: Did you like doing dot-to-dot drawings as a child? They were great because they taught you hand-eye coordination as well as counting. Plus, you were rewarded in the end because you had a wonderful picture. Well, here is the mouse version.

Mr. Picasso Head: Create art and learn how to click, drag, and interact with objects on the screen at the same time.

SeniorNet: This is a great site that will help you double-click and click and drag.

Mousercise: This is a classic that help you use a mouse as well as introduces several Gooey concepts like Radio Buttons, Check Boxes, Text Boxes, etc.