"I Can Teach Myself!  Learning the Computer" is a computer-based training (CBT) program that allows students to learn about computers at their own pace, with minimal teacher supervision.  The Beginning and Intermediate lessons include theory, practical, review and testing. The Advanced lessons include theory and practical.

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Yes, you can!  "I Can Teach Myself!  Learning the Computer" is designed for students to use alone or in groups, at their own pace.  If you are brand new to computers with no experience at all, you will need someone with more experience to get you started.  After the first few Beginning lessons, you will need help only if you have questions or problems.  If you already have some experience with computers, you can use the lessons to learn more about computers and to gain more practice with them.

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"I Can Teach Myself!  Learning the Computer" has 22 Beginning lessons and 20 Intermediate lessons.  The Beginning lessons also have 5 PowerPoint Shows, 3 handouts, and 7 posters to emphasize important lessons.  The Intermediate lessons have one handout.  There may also be additional practice files included such as a "Fun with Word" exercise.

The Advanced lessons are divided into four main topics: Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint and Microsoft Access, with 16-24 lessons per application.

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"I Can Teach Myself!  Learning the Computer" requires a desktop computer with a CD/DVD drive; Windows 95/98/2000/NT, ME or XP; and Internet Explorer 4.0 or later, Netscape Navigator 4.0 or later, or any browser that supports frames and forms. (Please note that these lessons have only been tested on Internet Explorer. Also, although these lessons will work with Windows 95, some features explained in the lessons may not work with that version of Windows. WINDOWS VISTA IS NOT COVERED IN THIS VERSION OF THIS PROGRAM.) The handouts are in Rich Text Format and they should be able to be opened by any text editor except Notepad. The posters are in Microsoft Word format and will require either Microsoft Word or other word processing software that can read Word documents. A printer is needed to print the handouts and posters.

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The entire lesson program can be run from the CD or other storage device, or it can be copied onto the computer hard drive.

• To Copy the Program onto the Computer Hard Drive:

  Follow these steps to place a copy of the program on the computer:

  1. Right-click over the "Learning the Computer" folder. A menu will appear.
  2. Select "Copy" from the menu by left-clicking on it once.
  3. Go to the place on the computer where you want to place the program (inside the "My Documents" folder is recommended) and left-click once.
  4. Right-click in that empty spot (not over a folder) and select "Paste" from the menu that appears.

  It may take a few minutes for the program to finish copying.

• To Place a Shortcut on the Desktop for Easier Access to the Program:

  Follow these steps to place a shortcut on the desktop:

  1. Open the "Learning the Computer" folder by double-clicking on it.
  2. Right-click over the icon (picture) for the "Learning the Computer" (or "Learning the Computer.html") file. A menu will appear.
  3. Slide the mouse pointer over the words "Send To" on the menu and then select "Desktop (create shortcut)" by left-clicking on it.
• To Use the Lessons:

  If you placed a shortcut on the desktop, double-click on the shortcut to open the main lesson program.

  If you did not place a shortcut on the desktop, open the "Learning the Computer" folder and then double-click on the icon (picture) for the file called "Learning the Computer" (or "Learning the Computer.html").

• To Run the PowerPoint Shows:

  To run the PowerPoint shows that are included with the lesson program, open the "Learning the Computer" folder, then the "Extras" folder, the "PowerPoint Shows" folder, and the "Beginning Lessons PowerPoint Shows" folder. Double-click on the show that you want to run and it will start. (If the show does not begin when you double-click on it, your computer may not have the ability to view PowerPoint shows. The main lesson program covers the same material shown in the PowerPoint shows, however.)

• To Use the Posters:

  There are posters available for the Beginning lessons which can be used for hanging on classroom walls or for handing out to students. To use the posters, you must be able to open Microsoft Word documents. Open the "Learning the Computer" folder and then the "Extras" folder, the "Posters" folder, the "Beginning Lessons Posters" folder, and the "Microsoft Word" folder. Double-click on a poster to open it, view it and print it.

• To Use the Handouts:

  To use the Handouts, you do not need Microsoft Word. The handouts are in Rich Text Format, so any word processing application except Notepad should be able to open and print them. Open the "Learning the Computer" folder and then the "Extras" folder and the "Handouts" folder. Next, open the folder for the handouts for either the Beginning lessons or the Intermediate lessons. Double-click on a handout to open it, view it and print it.

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No Internet connection is required for this lesson program.  The lessons are in web page format and need a web browser application to run, but the files are located on the computer or CD (not on the Internet).

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After you have gone through all 22 lessons in the Beginning part of the program and feel comfortable that you understand them, you can move on to the Intermediate lessons.  If you start the Intermediate lessons and feel lost or confused, it is recommended that you return to the Beginning lessons and review them until you feel you are ready for the Intermediate lessons. The same holds true for the Advanced lessons.

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Yes, it's really free!  The reason it is free is because a US Peace Corps Volunteer developed it.  All work created by Peace Corps Volunteers is considered to be in the "public domain," which means there can be no cost associated with it.  However, fees may be charged for storage media such as CDs and for postage.

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Yes, please do give copies to as many people as possible!  It was designed to help low-income students learn about computers and the author hopes as many people as possible will take advantage of this free program.

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For experienced computer teachers, this lesson program can be an additional aid in the classroom.  You can pick and choose which lessons the students use, or you can use the whole lesson program in place of your regular lecture and computer lab time.  You might also find the handouts, PowerPoint shows, and posters helpful.

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Sit down and review the lesson program yourself first, to familiarize yourself with it.  Then follow the "Order of Lessons" listed in the "ReadMe" file while teaching, or choose your own order.  For example, for new students you can show the "Parts of the Computer" PowerPoint presentation to the entire class (or an individual), and then have them review the "Using the Mouse" presentation on their own.  When they finish, open the main lesson program, show the students how to move around on the lesson pages and how to go from page to page, then start them on "Lesson 1:  Parts of the Computer."  Have them go all the way through each lesson before going on to the next.

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If possible, break the class in half and have each group come in separately.  For example, if it is a 3-hour class with 40 students and 5 computers, break the class into two 1-1/2 hour classes of 20 students each.  Then place 4 students on each computer and have them take turns doing each practice before going on to the next section in each lesson.

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Sure!  If the child is old enough to read (English), he or she can use the lesson program.  You may need to give him or her a little more guidance than an older student might need, however.

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This lesson program can be used with laptop computers, as long as the user is aware that the keyboard keys and mouse are different.  The first three Beginning lessons, for example, will not be exactly the same for laptop computers ("Parts of the Computer," "Using the Mouse," and "Keyboard Keys").

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Yes, as long as the web browser can support forms and frames.  If in doubt, try it.  If you try a certain web browser and it doesn't work, please email the author with the name and version number of that web browser so that she knows and can possibly make changes to future versions of the program.

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In the lessons that use Microsoft Word in the practice sections, you can try using another word processing software application instead.  However, keep in mind that it may not be the same as the information described in the lesson.  (It will probably be somewhat similar, though.)

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If none of the shows starts when you double-click on it, your computer may not be able to view PowerPoint shows.  Use the lesson program instead, as each PowerPoint show is also a complete lesson in the program.

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"I Can Teach Myself!  Learning the Computer" is in English because its purpose is to familiarize students with computers in the English-speaking workplace.  It was felt that to have the lesson program in another language would not give the students enough practice using English computer terms, terms they would need to know while using a computer at work.  At the present time, the lesson program does not come in any language other than English.  However, please email the author if a grant is available to have the program translated to another language for a certain purpose.

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Please email the author at londontheresa @ yahoo.com (no spaces).  All feedback is welcome!

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There are several different versions of Microsoft Windows - and several different versions of each Microsoft application program - and they do not all look alike.  In addition, many computer settings can be changed and another person may have previously changed the settings on your computer, or perhaps not all of the colors can be shown on the computer’s monitor.  In any case, don't be discouraged!  Look for something on your computer that is similar to the picture, if not exactly like it.

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At the present time, "I Can Teach Myself!  Learning the Computer" is only available on CD.  However, please feel free to contact the author to see if this has changed.

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Either ask the person or organization from which you received the program or contact the author at londontheresa @ yahoo.com (no spaces).

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It's possible. Please contact the author at londontheresa @ yahoo.com (no spaces) to discuss it further. 

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Via email at londontheresa @ yahoo.com (no spaces). 

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Visit the US Peace Corps website at http://www.peacecorps.gov/. 

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