Absolute Beginners

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Just as there is no such thing as an 'average' person, there is no such thing as an average beginner.

One of the biggest stumbling blocks faced by mature adults attempting to learn computer skills is that they know less than this mythical average beginner.

At Awaba we recognize this problem. For us, an absolute beginner is someone who doesn't even know how to turn the computer on and off. If this description fits you then relax because we will not have any false expectations and we will teach you everything you need to know to be capable of achieving all the computer related goals you set for yourself. In a word, to become a competent user.

If you are a little more advanced than this then congratulations, you are already on your way. It is our job to find the gaps in your knowledge and fill them so that you too can become a competent user.

Although most of the benefits described here relate to the internet, there are many more we could have mentioned, like - word processing for those who like to write, spreadsheets and accounts packages for keeping track of finances, graphics packages for artwork and photos, databases for cataloguing books or music - the list is almost endless.

If we failed to mention the area you are specifically interested in - please just ask.

Communication

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Ill health or infirmity can isolate people but with a computer and internet access physical limitations cease to matter because you never have to leave the comfort of your own home.

The table below shows some of the ways you can communicate on the internet :

Emails	- allow you to send and receive electronic 'letters' the same day.
Instant Messenger	- services such as MSN, AIM or ICQ allow friends to have conversations by typing responses to each other in real time [meaning instantaneously].
Internet forums	- provide specialist meeting places where you can ask for expert advice or just discuss topics of interest.
Chatrooms	- allow instant conversations with many people, all at once.

Companionship

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Friendship and a sense of belonging are vital at any age. This is why the internet's ability to connect people is its greatest feature. It connects you to friends and family. It can also connect you to new friends by bringing together people who have the same interests. Please explore the links below :

National Seniors		National Seniors is "the largest organisation representing Australians aged 50 years and over."
SilverSurfers		SilverSurfers is a UK site dedicated to the over 50's.
U3A Online		U3A Online brings the University of the 3rd Age to the internet

Confidence

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There is a commonly accepted myth that the over 50's are too old to become computer literate. It goes hand in hand with the myth that the over 50's are too old to be productive employees. Believe one myth and it's easy to let yourself believe the other. Self confidence is eroded and the myths become self-fulfilling prophecies.

Although gaining computer literacy is not the whole answer, it is a beginning because it rebuilds confidence. When the over 50's debunk the computer myth we may all have a chance to debunk the other age related myths.

COTA

COTA - Council on the Ageing (Australia). This is a link to a comprehensive report on issues related to ageing and recommendations for change. Well worth reading.

Convenience

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One of the most convenient innovations brought about by the information technology explosion is Internet Banking. Every major bank offers it and every version is much the same beneath the cosmetic differences.

There are many features but the most commonly used ones include funds transfer between accounts, BPay and Pay Anyone. Apart from the convenience of not having to write and post cheques, my favourite feature is the automatic tracking function. All payments are recorded so if a payment is ever queried it only takes a moment to search the record and provide proof of payment in the form of an acknowledgement number. This is a real boon.

Bendigo Bank

To explore the online demonstration, follow the link to the bank, click the 'Logon' button then click 'online demo' from the list of options on the left hand side of the popup. No need to enter a userid or password.

Freedom

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The loss of mobility can often result in a loss of independence. The internet cannot replace the ability to physically go where you want, when you want, but it can provide a mental and spiritual freedom.

Whatever your interests in real life there are bound to be hundreds of sites [locations] on the internet where you can explore your favourite hobbies or interests. If you have expertise in an area perhaps you could share that knowledge. The choice is yours.

Bonsai Club		Kusamura Bonsai club. Not everyone's cup of tea but fascinating nonetheless.
Old Aeroplanes		This is an Australia site. Beautiful old planes and the fascinating stories that go with them
Aussie Line Dancing		For a bit of fun some line dancing sites

Grandchildren

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What do the internet, smsing and the Playstation all have in common? They all use some form of computer technology and teenagers are obsessed with them.

You may never share your grandchildrens' obsessions but knowing something about them creates common ground. Being comfortable with the internet is a great beginning.

SquareSoft

SquareSoft is a Japanese company famous for its Playstation games. Site in English

Advanced

Competent vs Power Users

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By definition, a competent user is someone who can use one or more computer applications to achieve their goals. Unfortunately, for many competent users this is where their knowledge ends.

What happens when something goes wrong?
When should you call for help?
Why is the computer so slow?
Where on earth has that file gone?

Power users know enough to be able to answer all these questions. They are not computer technicians, nor are they programmers. They are simply people who know how to get the best out of their computers. This knowledge saves them time, frustration and lots of money. Who would you rather be?

Power User Skills

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The following lists only the most basic power user skills :

Files and Folders		How to create, move, copy and delete them.
Backup		Backing up data is essential yet it is so often ignored.
Basic Maintenance		'DiskClean' and 'Defrag' [short for 'defragment'] are system tools which keep Windows functioning efficiently.
Basic Troubleshooting		Even if you can't fix the problem yourself, being able to diagnose what's wrong can help save you money.
Security		Knowing how to install and update antivirus software is not hard but it is essential.

Backing up Data

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If your house burns down the insurance will make it possible to build or buy a new one. But what about the kids' baby photos? Unless you have copies somewhere else those photos are lost for good.

When you backup the data on your computer you are ensuring that there will be copies if disaster strikes.

There are many ways to backup data, including :

Copying critical files to CD or disk or zip disk.
Using the Windows backup function
Taking an 'image' of a folder, partition or drive

Amongst all the alternatives one has to be right for you!

Basic Maintenance

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There are many simple jobs that anyone can do to ensure that their computer runs efficiently. All that is required is a basic understanding of how, over time, small problems can build up like fat in the arteries. Every so often they need to be cleared out.

DiskClean		DiskClean is a systems function which gets rid of unnecessary temporary files etc which simply take up precious storage space.
Defrag		Defrag - short for defragment - is another system function which rearranges the haphazard storage of data into sequential segments on the disk. Defrag works at the level of disk sectors not at the level of files and folders!

Neither job is difficult but there are tricks which can save frustration for the uninitiated!

Files & Folders

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Unless you tell it otherwise, Windows will save all text type files in My Documents; graphics in My Pictures and music files in My Music. So long as you don't have very many files this is convenient.

But what happens when you have 50, or 100, or 1000? And what about those programs which don't automatically save to My Documents?

If you work with computers a lot, inevitably there will come a time when My Documents will become a liability, forcing you to waste time looking for files. A more efficient way of working is to organize your files into categories. Each category gets its own folder and each folder is given a name which is meaningful and an aid to memory.

This type of organization also makes backing up much easier!

Icons or Lists

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Once you take control of your files and folders you may need to rethink how you look at/for your files. When you go into My Computer, all files and folders are represented by named icons [pictures]. Again, this is fine so long as there are not too many of them.

If you find you are scrolling up and down looking for a file or folder then it is probably time to change your VIEW option to 'Lists' or, preferably 'Details'. The 'Lists' option displays files and folders as text. They take up less room this way so you can find what you are looking for . . . faster!

My preferred option is 'Details' because it lists files and folders, shows their type, size and the date they were created [you can also add comments if you wish]. Specific graphics files are easier to find if you can sort them by type - e.g. all bmps, all gifs, all jpgs etc. [see 'File Types']

File Types

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Just as humans are given first names and family names, for identification purposes, so too are computer files. Computers recognize different files by their filenames. Each filename has a user specified part and a functional part called an extension.

Let's say there is a file called 'mydog.jpg'. It is a picture file of my pet pooch. The 'mydog' part was supplied by me while the extension - the '.jpg' part - was supplied by the program which created it. This 'jpg' extension is very important as it tells the computer what sort of file it is. The computer then knows how to handle it because it knows how to handle all files ending in '.jpg'. Word users should be familiar with filenames ending in '.doc'. Excel users should recognize filenames ending in '.xls'. All '.doc' files are word processing files. All '.xls' files are spreadsheet files. If you accidentally saved a Word '.doc' file as a '.txt' file you would lose all your formatting.

When you view your files with 'Details' you can make use of these extensions [endings] to sort long lists into groups. For example, all '.doc' files, or '.jpg' files or '.bmp' files etc. Categories and groupings make finding files easier.

Navigation

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Later versions of Windows have tried to make Windows Explorer obsolete by giving us My Computer on the Desktop.

As with every other skill I have mentioned, there comes a point where you need efficiency more than you need convenience. When you have lots of files organized into many folders and sub-folders you need a clear way of finding your way around. Windows Explorer provides this clear navigation by displaying everything in what's called a 'tree-structure'. Trees have branches and so do your folders. Windows Explorer allows you to see where you are going as well as where you have come from.

Windows Explorer gives you control and saves you time.

Why Awaba

Whether you are an absolute beginner or a competent user, Awaba understands your needs and has the experience to make learning a cost effective experience.

The Fear Factor

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Age is not a barrier to learning . . . but fear is.

	Fear of wrecking the computer
	Fear of looking stupid or slow
	Fear of being the only one who "doesn't get it"
	Fear of truly not being able to learn

Because we understand these fears we support you every step of the way, in the privacy and familiarity of your own home. We know that everything will be alien to you so we don't assume that you will know all the 'little things'. We ease you into the computerspeak and we use real life examples, lots of them, to make each new skill truly relevant...to you.

In most cases, by the end of the first lesson you should feel confident enough to start practising on your own!

Experience

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Although Awaba is a young company I am not. At 50, with almost 20 years experience in computing I know most of the pitfalls because I've been in them. More importantly, I know how to get out of them!

I have been a secondary school teacher, a tech support person, a technical writer, a 'n00b' [netspeak for someone who's a 'newbie' at something] and now, a teacher again. Less than a year ago I embarked on website design and development. This was a completely new area to me so I have recent memories of fearing I had taken on more than I could chew - at my age! I know the frustration of not knowing something that was 'obvious' to everyone else . . . but me. I also know the sheer joy of finally "getting it" and realising that I wasn't too old to learn new tricks.

This is the kind of experience and conviction which I pass on to my clients, who range in age from 40-somethings to 70-somethings. In the beginning they were all scared. Now all of them are achieving the goals which they set. More importantly, all of them are proud of themselves and they are enjoying the world which has opened up for them.

Time is Money

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There are many excellent books and courses available which can help you become a power user but what if you do not have the time to teach yourself or to attend classes?

When time really is money, Awaba can offer cost effective 'spot learning'.

'Spot learning' means we focus our lessons on only those advanced skills you are interested in. We may need to include some basic knowledge that is a pre-requisite for the particular skill you want but this is still faster and more cost effective than having to sit through a whole course just to learn one skill. Furthermore, you will never be paying for 'waiting time' as every minute of each lesson is dedicated only to you. As we come to you, you will also be saving travelling time.

As an added incentive we offer all our clients an obligation free, no cost demonstration lesson plus various discounts. For further information please contact us by email at or by going to the contact page.

Cost	Back to Contents

Awaba charges an hourly rate of $40 for one-on-one training. This is significantly lower than the average.

You can 'pay as you go'; you can receive a monthly account; or you can pay for a month in advance and receive a 5% discount. There are no cancellation fees and you can stop taking lessons whenever you wish.

We provide a free, demonstration lesson to everyone. There are no conditions and no obligation to commit to further lessons. We also offer a 10% discount to National Seniors Members. This discount can be taken in conjunction with the 5% discount offered for Advance payments.

For further information please contact us by email at or by going to the contact page.