Mouse Clix

By: Hobie Lunin

Teaching the basics

Some of you readers must be getting good at operating your computer and other people may be suggesting that you teach them. My advice is to go right to it. There is no better way to learn the computer than to teach it! This is because a wider range of questions will reach you than will come up around the operations you normally do. Of course, sometimes you will have to do some research to answer a question. Then you will be getting to the place where you will learn more by teaching, than by exploring.

Well, how exactly do you get started? First thing is to find out where the student is in skill level. Let us start with beginners, someone who has never used a computer. The basics would include showing the student how to turn the computer on and off and indicating the difference between the monitor and the computer itself and pointing out where the keyboard differs from a typewriter keyboard (If the student has ever used one).

Next is showing your student how to hold the mouse. I suggest holding it like a bar of soap and for right handers, having the left edge of their pointing finger even with the left edge of the mouse. Start reminding the student early on not to allow their fingers to press either of the “clickers” (right or left) unless that it is done intentionally.

Next, have the student turn on the computer following your directions. When you are at the desktop, allow them to move the cursor around on the desktop. Have them point to several of the icons so you can start the process of getting the eye hand coordination required to operate the system easily. Explain the four main functions of the mouse: pointing, clicking, double clicking and dragging. Have them point to some icons on the taskbar so they can see the pop-up message that relates the function of the program represented by the icon.

At your direction have them click on Start, point to programs then point to accessories and move down to games and point, then point to solitaire and then click. Have them try it again without your directions. Have them point to the upper right corner of the solitaire screen and let them point to minimize /maximize as you explain the purpose of the buttons.

Start the game of solitaire. If the person does not know how to play it, just play the game yourself, but have them make the moves at your direction. After a while, they will probably be able to play it themselves. Clicking to turn cards over and dragging to move the cards must be done at first with your instruction but shortly they will be able to do it themselves. Have them double click the aces and any card that will go in those 4 card piles. My experience is that people have the most trouble with double clicking so that you want to see them get lots of practice at it. Continue playing for an hour and then call the lesson over. I think in the beginning no more than an hour’s length for a class is plenty and learning the 4 functions of the mouse and practicing them is enough for starters. Find out if the student can practice solitaire during the time before the next class. This is essential.

Next class should start with at least a partial game of solitaire to see how the mouse skills are going. See if they can start the computer themselves and find the solitaire game from the start menu. Let them play a half game or so to get warmed up. Have them exit/close the game and then go to Word pad from the start menu. This is the same as going to Games but now the cursor will go to the bottom of the Accessories list to click on WordPad.

Explain that the flashing black vertical line they will see at the top left of the blank area is the “insertion point” and that wherever that is on the page, that is where the letters will appear when you type. Have them type a sentence. Show them how to erase by back spacing, show them that the left pointing arrow on the lower right of the keyboard moves the insertion point to the left but does not erase as it goes.

Show them how to highlight any word in the sentence (by double clicking on it). Then let them make changes in the font and font size by clicking on the tools on the lower tool bar. Then move on to having them select words to make bold, italics and underlined.

Show them the difference between left align (for normal typing) and center align (when you want to make a headline, e.g.). Keep on going through all the buttons on the visible tool bar explaining and showing them the function.

Be sure to cover Cut, Copy and Paste and let the student try this by themselves. These three buttons really show beginners some of the great advantages of typing and editing on a PC. Practice these operations yourself such that you can teach it without having to figure it out on the job, so-to speak. This will be enough for lesson two. Have the student bring an e-mail address for their next lesson.

Lesson three will be a lesson on sending e-mail using your computer. Let the student get familiar with finding the e-mail in your computer whether or not you go on-line to write it. Have them enter the address they brought, type a short letter, and then send the mail.

Remember, if there are any parts of the lessons that you are not sure of, practice them yourself such that you can do them smoothly before trying to teach.

Hobie Lunin is a Computer Instructor and Consultant. He can be reached at mouseclix2@yahoo.com