Session II- Return for the New Year

The beginning classes for the new year where started late because several students and the instructor had bouts with the flu and several along with the instructor’s assistant had other health issues. It was decided to suspend class until later in the year to give everyone time to recuperate. So, our first class began today.

The plan for the new season’s lessons are to have keyboarding practice using Mavis Beacon’s typing practice for the first thirty minutes of instruction.  Then move into the planned computer lessons. A survey was made thru Google to determine student interest in different types of computer skills that they would be interested in learning and usage of smart phones and tablets. We have enough laptops to allow for seven students plus two students purchased their own personal laptops over the Christmas holidays. We expect to have additional students joining the class because we can now accommodate more.

The instructor purchased a mobile digital “hot spot” so we can have internet capabilities no matter where they house the class. The device can connect 25 devices to the internet. A new dry erase board was purchased because the old one was torn and had sharp edges that might hurt someone while trying to use it. A large surge protector power strip was purchased so that all the laptops can be connected at one place which would eliminate having to worry about enough wall plugs for the classroom site.

Our plan is to increase the number of resident participants; purchase more laptops later; create opportunities to have fund raisers by putting together a resident cookbook and having a bake sale.  We still have more things that need to be purchased to make our program complete.  Needed is Microsoft 365 and an antivirus software to protect the machines.