Besides working full-time, I also help out part-time as a volunteer adult-ed instructor for a local United Way funded program for adult learning. I'm focused on teaching basic adult computer skills. Tonight's class was on Excel.

We're looking for ideas to expand the program...more programs, more participants = more funding for the program. So far we've got basic classes--fundamental stuff with Word, Excel, and Powerpoint.

If you required or wanted new computer skills for your job or for your life, what would they be? What is of interest to adult learners? We do NOT accept anyone in the program who is under 18 and the majority of our students are women who are finding they need to either seriously upgrade job skills to get ahead (make more $$) or are re-entering the workforce after a long absence. Also what kind of help or materials would you like to see that would be good for you to practice with or for reference?

I'm curious because adults of our generation didn't grow up with computers like our kids did. If you could take any computer class for free or very little cost (even those who pay never pay more than $20, this is a sliding scale type of thing), what would it be? What would you expect out of it? What would you expect of the instructor? Are there needs that a learner of our generation might have that say a high-school kid or college kid wouldn't have? I say that seriously...for me...I would like good visuals because I have truly bad eyesight and a picture is often easier for me to quickly comprehend than a mountain of small text!!! I'm sure there are other needs for learners our age.

If I were a participant and seeking to return to work after a long hiatus, I'd look into whether your programme is geared towards a positive outcome, i.e. employment, at the end of a course. Does your programme have any links with employers who can offer work placements whereby your participants can perform a range of varied work activities to present evidence of competence from training?

I would NOT have a mixed class where non computer literate starters felt overwhelmed as others appeared to be competant.
I WOULD have strongly supported classed for the first few classes.
Manage any show off people (they always appear) by having them do a project which means they can present exactly what they know.Many use the classroom as a place to diminish others.
Women can be put off due to the historic patriatical claiming of technology.So a computer programme of education should also include confidence building and exploration into womens'rights and reasons why women can be non performers
Mountain ash

Keyholes, I am pretty god on the computer but can always learn more I'm sure BUT the one thing I want to learn badly is how to add pictures. So many of the women here add such fun stuff. I got instructions from Lola which I printerd out and am fooling around with. But adding pictures etc, would be on my list of things to teach...

For job skills I think it is important to have a good understanding of how to figure problems out on your own. So many changes, daily! For example, how to access help and then read what the help is saying. How to find support and how to ask the right questions.

Another issue with employees that I often hear is writing skills. Not everyone is a great writer, but mispeillings (not here, of course ) and grammer problems come to be a problem for many employers. Knowing how to access spell check, grammer check, etc, is important.

Sorry for all the errors in this post, by the way.

For fun, how to do a good search and alternative searches to Google and Yahoo. Yes, they are the best, but sometimes it's fun to try alternatives.

For me, it's having learned both platforms (Mac and Windows) that has been a HUGE plus. We have Mac at home and most workplaces have Windows-based programs.

Thankfully, Word and Excel are compatible to both platforms.

Whenever I'd gone on interviews (before I started working at home), interviewers were impressed that I knew both. Being well-rounded in today's computer atmosphere is important, I think.

DH and his son, as an example, have gone round and round (in a fun, father/son manner) about them. His son has been Windows. He now purchased a Mac laptop due to more need for the graphics side.

As far as what I'd want to learn more: I've take a short 2-hour course on how to use Word for my labels. It was a WONDERFUL $20 spent. I learned so much.

In Excel, I'd like to learn more about worksheet associationa regarding formulas. Sometime I'll learn that.

Anyway, there's my 3 cents!

Think about what YOU use daily. The basic stuff. And then again, if some of these people are thinking of opening their own biz at home, then they need to know what basic programs? Teach them those. Also, I can't tell you how many adults I talk to that do NOT have computers and when I try to explain EMAIL to them, their eyes glaze over. I could be MY explanations, but it could be that the concept is just so foreign to them, they can't "get" it without a visual. So I would say teaching them EMAIL and the skills that go along with it, would be great. Also, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, teach them how to use it and how NOT to send people that work from home useless emails! Ackkkkkkkkkk! Computer manners!

Quick Books is always a winner...I don't know how to use it! Sounds like a great program...wish we had more classes here!

Personally, I only use Excel. I don't buy programs like Quicken etc.....if one can learn Excel thoroughly, you would not need the programs. They just cost money to make it easier. But Excel is MORE than enough!

You may want to do some basics on getting around the internet in general. It is surprising how many women are not really savvy about using the internet. We, here on the forum take it for granted. Using the internet as a tool would be helpful in helping them to find job postings. Plus they will need to learn how to submit a resume on line, using attachments etc.