Computer basics for beginners. Useful books in electronic form on computer topics

Cost of computer courses for pensioners:

Start dates

PC course program for beginners

1 lesson. Microsoft Windows operating system.
1.1.Basic concepts (file, folder, desktop, taskbar, shortcut, window).
1.2.Desktop.
1.3.Structure of a Windows window.
1.4. Units of information
1.5.Using the help system.

Lesson 2. Program "Explorer", "This Computer".
2.1.Creating folders; movement.
2.2.Deleting and copying a file and group of files
2.3. Working with USB flash drives.
2.4.Creating a shortcut on the desktop.
2.5.Setting up the mouse, keyboard, date and time, monitor.
2.6.Installation and removal of programs.

Lesson 3. Microsoft Office Word program.
3.1.Structure of the Word program window.
3.2.Text input.
3.3.Selecting text
3.4.Editing text
3.5.Working with fonts.

Lesson 4. Microsoft Office Word program. (Continuation)
4.1.Saving, opening, creating a new document
4.2.Paragraph formatting
4.3.Text alignment.
4.4.Setting page parameters.
4.5.Preview of the document.
4.6.Print a document.

Lesson 5. Microsoft Office Word program. (Continuation)
5.1.Creating a frame and background.
5.2.Inserting pictures
5.3.Inserting shapes
5.4. Spell check.
5.5.Auto-change.
5.6.Upper and lower indices.
5.7.Page numbering.
5.8.Creating headers and footers.
5.9.Inserting symbols.
5.10.Changing the case of text.

Lesson 6. Microsoft Office Excel program.
6.1.Program interface
6.2.Entering data and editing cell contents.
6.3.Formatting cells (borders, fill, data format).
6.4.Setting page parameters.
6.5.Preview.
6.6.Print a document.
6.7.Creating number sequences.
6.8.Creating formulas.
6.9.Copying formulas. 6.10.Using autosum.
6.11.Creating formulas using the Function Wizard.
6.12.Working with sheets (inserting, renaming, deleting, moving, copying).

Lesson 7. Internet and email.
7.1.Basic terminology of the Internet.
7.2.Connecting to the Internet.
7.3. Browser programs Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome.
7.4.Methods of viewing and searching information
7.5.Saving information on your computer.
7.6.Saving photos, music, videos on your computer.

Lesson 8. Working with email.
8.1. Create your own mailbox.
8.2. Receiving and sending letters using the mailbox.
8.3. Processing letters (changing encoding, sorting, deleting, saving attachments).
8.4.Using and filling out the address book.
8.5.Adding attachments to letters as a file.
8.6.Indicating the importance of the message.
8.7. Purpose of the magazine and favorites folder.
8.8.Introduction to email clients.

Test. Interview.

HOW TO LEARN TO WORK ON A COMPUTER IN TWO HOURS

Can an average person master a computer in two hours? Surely the majority will answer this question in the negative. I have a different opinion. If children begin to play with a computer as soon as they can walk, then why do many middle-aged and older people have difficulty mastering this complex household tool? I believe that the reason for this is the lack of a professional approach to the computer training system.

Ordinary people from post-Soviet powers, whose knowledge was laid back in Soviet times, are simply accustomed to thinking in other categories. Their consciousness has a different terminology, they are used to thinking by other criteria (more precisely, by other templates). What happens when they pick up any book on computers? The first thing they encounter is obscure terms that mean even less clear categories. Interface, modem, processor, controller, etc. - all this scares away and discourages anyone from taking up computer skills. And sometimes these terms even have multiple meanings (for example, the word “processor” as such, and the same word in the phrase “word processor” already have different meanings). Are children really learning computers with the help of these tedious technical books and memorizing these incomprehensible terms? Yes, of course not. For them, a computer is a toy that needs to be played with according to certain rules (the word algorithm is still unclear to many of them).

Let me start with the fact that I needed to teach my father, who is 87 years old, to play chess on his own with a computer. To do this, I wrote instructions that formed the basis of this article. In addition, I have a friend who is afraid of the computer like fire, and any suggestion to use the computer triggers a defensive reaction in him, and he immediately declares, “I don’t need that.” Therefore, I decided to post on the website the instructions that I wrote for my 87-year-old father, and with which he could easily use my computer.

The purpose of this article is to help middle-aged and older people, and possibly children, master this incomprehensible thing - a computer in a few hours. I say again, if you have reached my site, then you do not need this article. But on the other hand, your younger brother, father or friend, for whom you naturally do not have time, may need it.

To learn how to use a computer (as they say now, to master a computer at the level of a novice user), you need to learn to do four things:

1. Turn on the computer.

2. Launch the program you need (it’s best to start with a simple game). In most cases, application programs installed on your computer are indicated by a small image (pictogram or icon) that is reflected (highlighted, you can call it whatever you want) on the computer desktop (you will find the concept of this term below, but don’t get too hung up on it for now) .

3. Turn off the program you are running. This operation is called “close the program”.

4. Turn off the computer.

First, let's look at a few concepts. Apparently, I also can’t do without theory; this is probably how we, people of the older generation, are structured. But I assure you, the theory will not take more than five minutes and, perhaps, will help some people master the computer faster. What is a computer? This is a thing that usually consists of a small box (it's called a system unit) and a screen (it's called a monitor). It happens that both the system unit and the monitor are combined with each other. Then such a computer, depending on its size, can be called a laptop, netbook, tablet, smartphone, communicator, or something else. The image that appears on the monitor screen after turning on the computer and after all transient processes have completed is called the desktop (see Fig. 1). everything that is shown in Fig. 1 is the desktop. Of course, the desktop images may differ for each computer.

Elements of Fig. 1 that are necessary for the first lesson: 1 - pictograms (icons) of programs; 2 - Solitaire game icon; 3 - Start button.

Any computer can only work with programs. Roughly speaking, programs are the rules by which a computer operates. If there are no rules, the computer will not work. Programs, in general, can be divided into two types. The first type is the operating system - this is the main program that is “put into” the computer so that it can work. The job of the operating system is to manage all other programs. The second type is application programs (roughly they can be called auxiliary programs), with the help of these programs specific tasks are performed on the computer (watching movies, photos, listening to music, playing various games, etc.). Well, that’s probably all, the theory is over for today. Let's move on to practice.

In order to use the computer, you first need to turn it on. To do this, on any computer, as well as on any household appliance or any electronic toy, there is a special power button. Usually this button is located on the system unit. For your specific computer, you will find the location of this button in its operating instructions (description), or ask a more experienced friend, but be sure to remember where it is located, otherwise you will not be able to turn on your computer again.

After you turn on your computer, a cursor will appear on its screen (usually a small inclined arrow, but it can also be something else - a cross or a vertical line). Owners of tablets or smartphones do not have a cursor; its task is performed by your finger or a stylus (a special plastic stick). The cursor is controlled using the so-called mouse, moving which along a flat surface leads to the movement of the cursor on the desktop. The program you need is launched by hovering the cursor over the icon of this program and double-clicking (clicking or clicking) the left mouse button (LMB) while holding the cursor on the icon of the program you have chosen. The image that appears on the monitor after the completion of transient processes when starting a program is called the program window. In our case, I launched the Solitaire game, using the corresponding icon (see 2 Fig. 1), selecting it from many other icons (see 1 Fig. 1) and received the Solitaire program window Fig. 2. How to work with a specific program is another question, and perhaps in my other lessons for beginners, I will try to describe this process for the most popular programs. In order to launch a program, owners of tablets (smartphones, etc.) need to touch the icon of the required program with a stylus (or finger).

So, in the screenshot of Fig. 2 (by the way, the screenshot is taken using a special program designed specifically for this purpose) shows the popular game “solitaire”, which you can learn to play by consulting with a computer user of any level, at least with your neighbor as a boy. Why do I recommend starting to learn a computer with a game? Yes, because it will not be so tedious, you will quickly learn how to operate the mouse and will be able to master the first basics of the process of communicating with a computer.

To turn off the computer, just move the cursor to the “Start” button on the desktop and press the left mouse button once while holding the cursor on this button. The “Start” button is a small picture in the lower left corner (see 3 Fig. 1), it can have the shape of a circle, like mine, or a rectangle. It depends on the operating system that is on your computer. After you click the start button (left-click with the cursor hovering over the “Start” button), depending on your computer, you will see a small window (Fig. 3), in which you must select “Shut down” (or “Turn off the computer”) (see 1 Fig. 3). If you move the cursor over it (on this inscription) and press the left mouse button, the computer will turn off after a while. Please note that on your computer the image in Fig. 3 may differ from mine, but you still need to look for the words “Shut down” or “Turn off the computer”. I also want to draw your attention to the fact that the “Start” button is not the button with which you turned on the computer, that button is real and is called the power button, and this drawn one is called the “Start” button. It would probably be more correct to call this button the Power Off button (although it has other purposes).

If you did all this on your own, congratulations, you can already be classified as a novice user.

I intentionally missed one point in these instructions. This is shutting down the program you are running. For most programs this is not necessary, but there are programs in which it is necessary to save the current settings so as not to start the work (game) all over again. But the order in which parameters are saved is individual for each program, and the order in which this operation is performed must be considered when studying a particular program. And to turn off (end) a program, it is usually enough (this applies to most, but still not all programs) to point at the white cross in the red rectangle, which is located in the upper right corner of the program window (see 1 Fig. 2) and press the left mouse button. And it would be nice if the user made it a habit to close all programs he was running, although, I repeat, this is not necessary.

Itsenko Alexander Ivanovich

This article belongs to the series of articles “ Computer training " or " Master a computer in two hours " Other articles from this series:

As a rule, pensioners have to devote more time to master new concepts and phenomena - the principle of intuitive clarity, on which the curriculum for people who own any modern gadgets is based, is not so effective in this case. Therefore, teaching computer literacy to older people requires a special approach. For example, a deep dive into the technical aspects of a PC will be unnecessary, but more attention needs to be paid to the functional purpose of each element, program or device that you will encounter when using a computer.

What you need to know to work effectively on a PC:

• Key components of a computer or laptop and their purpose;
• What is an operating system (OS) and why is it needed?
• Basic control elements (menus, buttons, scroll bar, cursor), places and principles of organizing files and folders on a PC (desktop, control panel, system drives);
• Input/output devices (keyboard, mouse, printer) and data storage (disks, flash drives);
• Turning the PC on and off, opening, closing and saving files and folders;
• Built-in programs and applications in the Windows operating system;
• Internet access, browsers, email registration;
• Principles of information retrieval in search engines;
• Addresses of useful sites and portals for various tasks;
• Social networks: registration and search for contacts;
• Registering and making calls in Skype/

As you can see, the list is not so extensive - after just a few weeks of careful and consistent study, you will be able to perform all the necessary operations yourself. Don’t give up if something doesn’t work out: the path from ignorance to knowledge goes through practice. By performing the same operation several times, you will develop a skill that will become natural to you over time. Spend a couple of hours a day learning and you will see how easy it is!

It is important for older people to pay attention to eye protection when working with a PC. Ask your family or computer literacy teachers to teach you how to set a comfortable font size and icons on the screen, periodically look away from the monitor and do simple eye exercises. You can also order special glasses for working with a PC - they will help relieve eye strain.

Another important point is information security when using the Internet. Reasonable caution when communicating with strangers on the Internet will never be superfluous. Do not tell anyone passwords for your accounts and personal accounts, as well as passwords and bank card information. You should not share personal details and details of financial affairs, especially on public online platforms and when communicating with virtual acquaintances. Computer literacy courses will teach you safe online shopping procedures and other ways to stay safe while online.

When teaching computer literacy, you need a systematic approach and the opportunity to get answers and clarifications on unclear points. Therefore, self-study of computers by pensioners is much less effective than courses developed taking into account the peculiarities of perception of older people and taught by experienced and friendly teachers.

The SCDP regularly recruits for PC courses for pensioners in Moscow. Training takes place in equipped classrooms near the metro, and prices are affordable for absolutely everyone - only 2900 rubles for 12 classes!

Jan 19

How to master a computer quickly and easily?! It's actually quite simple!

Greetings, dear blog visitors. Dmitry Smirnov is in touch with you as always, and in this article I would like to address our dear old people, grandparents, parents who cannot understand how to master a computer on their own! Ugh, how much extra literature our bookstores can provide you with, but all of this is not necessary, you just have to follow some tips that will help you master the computer for free!

In the last article I wrote about how maybe this information will also be extremely useful to you! In fact, information on the topic “learning a computer for free” is very popular, and now I will tell you about the main failures of those who are trying to master a computer!

1. Afraid of breaking something!
2. Reluctance, because these are like toys!
3. There is no point in mastering a computer, because why do you need it?!

These are the three most terrible misconceptions of everyone, especially older people, but the answers to these questions can be found in the following lines, namely:

1. No need to be afraid of breaking anything! Computers have long become high-quality and powerful enough, whether desktop PCs, laptops or tablets! This used to be in the 2000s, back in our days of the groups Ruki Vvverh, Akula, Sveta, Kraski and all the rest, when computers were really like machines, they constantly broke down, and repairs were very, very expensive! Everyone discouraged children from buying a computer with phrases, namely: “Why do you need it, you’ll break something and that’s it!” Nowadays computers are of very high quality, and the most you can break is deleting some shortcut or program; you simply won’t be able to do anything serious!
2. If you have no desire to learn a computer, then no one can force you to learn a computer! Remember, the computer is no longer a toy, but since 2010 it has become a real source of income! There are many ways, even for schoolchildren, to earn hundreds of thousands of rubles and millions on a computer without leaving home! I have examples where children at the age of 13 already earn 300,000 rubles a month! Even a pensioner can master a computer and benefit from it!
3. There is no need to be mistaken and think that you will not need a computer! Tell me, how many times have you wanted to communicate with a close relative? How many times do you want to go to the post office or spend money on calling relatives? Having a computer and even simple access to the network for 200 rubles, you get unlimited communication, and you can even see live through a web camera your relative who lives 10,000 kilometers from you and all this is completely free!

1. Just sit down and break! You need to learn from mistakes! Everyone makes mistakes, even advanced programmers! Just learn to work with a mouse, understand what the keyboard is for, where any buttons are located!
2. Learn to type with a keyboard simulator! You don't need to buy anything, it's just a program that will teach you how to type quickly and easily! You can easily and easily start typing using just the keyboard!
3. Do you like to read? Then the book “Computer for Dummies” is for you, or start taking courses using the same Youtube

These are the only ways to learn how to use a computer! There are no special courses or anything else! Of course, the best option for you will be paid courses, and live ones! It is in such courses that you will be taught how to work on a computer, but even if you do not want to pay money to charlotans, you can buy a book on learning a computer, or just go to YouTube, where you can find many detailed videos!

I'm glad you decided to take the initial video course - Computer Basics. This course is a textbook, which many who have completed it already call – Computer for Dummies.

If you want to start learning it right away, then first watch the video lesson about how to complete this tutorial, you can watch the video lesson (click on the word “here” once with the left mouse button), and then return here (it will tell you how), scroll down to the content of the video course, and start studying. Well, those who want to read the preface to the textbook are welcome.

A computer for dummies, or what is a computer and what do you eat it with?

For many people who are just starting to use a computer, this “usage” is a real problem. After all, this ill-fated PC (personal computer, means the same thing as just the word “computer”, so don’t be alarmed), has a huge number of functions, and as I already wrote on, after a person finds the answer to one question, fifteen more immediately appear in its place.

One day, while teaching my mother and aunt, I realized that if a person is taught certain, basic computer knowledge, then after such training, all other knowledge will be easily applied. But how can we determine this database, where can we find such words in order to present information to novice users in such a way that computer for dummies became clear.

I decided to take on this matter and wanted to create computer courses for beginners, so that they would learn from the simplest to the most complex. You will say that everyone does this. But no. Before making my course, I read three thick textbooks on teaching computers for dummies, looked at a bunch of sites with video lessons and articles, and noticed this thing - literally from the first lesson, beginners are told what a registry is, etc. But these “teachers” forget about one thing, that sometimes a person doesn’t know how to turn on a computer, and they already start telling him what a registry is, a terribly scary word for a “dummie” (By the way, if you get interested later, you can then read it, but only after completing the textbook).

My computer courses for beginners.

Let me tell you how my first course differs from others (I also have a second course, but I strongly recommend that you take it after completing the first). And it differs in that in the very first lesson (the first video is an Introduction, but it is not considered a lesson), we will learn, yes, exactly how to work with a mouse. Believe me, knowing this will save you from a lot of problems, one of which is when to click the mouse button once, and when to click twice (sometimes even the “old people” get confused). By mouse you will work the most, however, other “teachers” sometimes don’t even mention the mouse, but it’s what you’ll be “fidgeting” with the whole time you’re sitting at the computer.

After which there will be a deeper study of what is located on the desktop, because it is the one that opens in front of you after turning on the computer. We will talk in great detail about, which for many beginners is a rattling forest. After watching this tutorial, you will understand that the Start menu is one of the the most convenient tools, for quick work with programs.

In the next step, we will go through the tab (sometimes it is also called “My Computer”) and everything that is in it. More precisely, not everything, but what you need, since it is there some files and folders, into which even good masters “get into” due to a very urgent need. By the way, a couple of incomprehensible words slipped through - , and you will also be told about them in detail.

After which we once again back to the mouse, only now to, because it requires special attention and it is imperative to know how to work with it.

After we have mastered everything I talked about above, we will move on to more complex things such as: and. Do you think this is difficult and scary? But no, after completing the first five lessons, you will lose this very fear, which used to slow down your learning. Here another feeling will awaken - interest. This is exactly what we need. After all, what is interesting to learn will always encourage you to learn something new, and in the end, before you even blink an eye, you will understand the PC at a good level.

Well, in conclusion, I will show you how to write down anything. I believe that you need to know this because learning how to write information to disk, with recording to a flash drive, you will not have any problems at all. A flash drive is a very necessary thing, and you need to know how to handle it.

Well, here is a brief overview of the textbook, its meaning is very simple:

1. At the beginning, we study what is the basis of the basics (mouse, desktop)
2. After which, the environment in which we will work (My Computer, Start)
3. Working with the program (Installation, and actually the work itself (using Word, Excel as an example))

As you understand, we are moving from simple to complex.

Well, all I have to do is wish you successful completion of this tutorial! To understand how to watch video lessons correctly, be sure to study this short article - (click once, left mouse button). And then you can start going through the tutorial. Good luck!