TechMedics

Classes are held every month except December.
Click on a Class Name to view the Class Description.

Friday evening classes will resume in April.
Look for new class topics starting in April and May!

Class Descriptions

Believe it or not, not everyone grew up with computers. Unfortunately, most of the manuals out there today forget this simple fact and skip over many topics they think "everyone should already know". In this class, we cover what the manuals ignore.

This class is designed for anyone who is afraid of their computer, has never used one, or would like to be more comfortable with them. More advanced users should see Intermediate Windows.

Topics we will cover include:

• Left click vs. Right click
• The Windows Interface
• Creating, Editing, and Deleting Files
• Copying Files from CD
• How to Use the Recycle Bin
• Basic Printing

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This class covers the basics of using the Internet and email.

Topics we will cover include:

• Navigating the Internet
• Using Search Engines Effectively
• Composing and Sending Email
• Working with Attachments

For the purposes of the class, we will be creating or using established email accounts on Yahoo! Internet Mail. The core concepts will be transferable to any email service.

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This class covers the basics of editing digital pictures. More advanced users should see Pictures II.

Topics we will cover include:

• Cropping (keeping only the part of the picture you want)
• Changing Brightness/Contrast and Hue/Saturation
• Removing Red Eye
• Resizing for Emailing or Posting on the Internet
• Changing Color Pictures to Black & White

For the purposes of the class, we will be using a free program called Paint.NET (Windows only) available at http://www.getpaint.net.

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Microsoft Word is a document editing program in the Microsoft Office package. You can use it to type letters, create fliers, make handouts, or just about any kind of document you can think of. This class is an introduction to Word and is designed for anyone who has never used it before, or for people who would like to discover new ways to use it. More advanced users should see Word II.

Topics we will cover include:

• Playing with Text (Bold, Italicize, Underline, Changing Fonts and Sizes)
• Inserting Pictures and Clip Art
• Bulleted and Numbered Lists
• Working with Templates

* All Microsoft Office classes use Microsoft Office 2007 Home & Student Edition *

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Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet program in the Microsoft Office package. It is used to make lists, create graphs from data, and perform calculations. This class is an introduction to Excel and is designed for anyone who has never used it before.

Topics we will cover include:

• Working with Cells
• Sorting Groups of Data
• Creating Graphs
• Basic Formulas

* All Microsoft Office classes use Microsoft Office 2007 Home & Student Edition *

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Microsoft PowerPoint is a slideshow presentation program in the Microsoft Office package. It is useful for creating presentations for many audiences - classrooms, church groups, family reunions, etc. This class is an introduction to PowerPoint and is designed for anyone who has never used it before.

Topics we will cover include:

• Creating a Slideshow from Scratch
• Adding and Removing Slides
• Slide Templates
• Adding Pictures and Clip Art
• Slide Transitions

* All Microsoft Office classes use Microsoft Office 2007 Home & Student Edition *

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This class is the next step up from Introduction to Windows. It is designed for people who have taken the Intro class or are somewhat comfortable using Microsoft Windows.

Topics we will cover include:

• Changing Folder Views
• Changing Desktop Background & Size
• Saving Files to Different Folders
• Renaming Files
• Printers
• Disk Cleanup

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This class is the next step up from the basic Working with Pictures class. It is designed for people who have already taken the Working with Pictures class and are somewhat comfortable with basic picture editing skills.

Topics we will cover include:

• Layers
• Spot Coloring
• Sepia Tone
• Playing with Effects

For the purposes of the class, we will be using a free program called Paint.NET (Windows only) available at http://www.getpaint.net.

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This class is designed for adults who would like to learn how to keep themselves and their information safe on the Internet.

Topics we will cover include:

• Trojans, Viruses, and Spyware
• Internet Shopping
• Protecting your Computer
• Social Networking Sites (MySpace, Facebook, etc)
• File Sharing Networks (Limewire, Bearshare, Kazaa, etc)

This class is a lecture-style class and can hold up to 15 people. This is not a hands-on class.

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If you've ever stood in front of that long wall of computers and been completely confused by what you should buy, this is the class for you.

Topics we will cover include:

• Buying Based on Your Needs
• XP vs Vista vs Mac vs Linux
• What Do All Those Numbers Mean?
• Manufacturers
• Software (What they include and what they don't)

This class is a lecture-style class and can hold up to 15 people. This is not a hands-on class.

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