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Lancashire County Council

I have really enjoyed taking part in this computer course at Fleetwood High School for the past five weeks. We have a family computer at home which was used by all the family apart from myself, that is until I started this course and became keen to use it myself. I was rather intimidated by the computer and was afraid to use it in case I did something wrong and didn’t know how to put things right. This course has given me new confidence to use the computer and not to panic if I make a mistake. I have also been encouraged to try new activities such as using the internet, which I wouldn’t have thought of using before I started the course. I have three sons, all at College who use the computer for assignments, and I have always felt unable to help if they have any problems and as if they spoke a different language when discussing the computer. Although the work I have done on the computer is very basic, I have gained the confidence and desire to progress and learn as much as I can about using computers. I have always enjoyed typing and had previously worked in jobs which involved this but had never made the transition from using a typewriter to using the computer with confidence until now. It has been great fun learning along side with other people with similar aims and abilities and the enthusiasm of our teacher was inspiring.

Marion King

Hello my name is Sandra Johnstone. I started a computer course five weeks ago at a school called Fleetwood High School. I have found this course very interesting and useful. Previously to this course I did not know even how to switch on a computer. I’m hoping now it will open a new window to my life. I have two girls who also use a computer at school and come home telling me what wonderful things they have both done. My whole family has just been given a computer and so hopefully we can all learn a few things.

With the course I do hope I can progress on to further things and won’t be frightened to use a computer again.

I would like to say I have found the course educational, entertaining and great fun- a very rewarding six weeks.

Sandra Johnstone

My name is S Helsby and I heard about this IT course through my daughters school. Before I came on this curse I was scared of computers. Since working at the school I am now feeling much more confident about using computers. After Christmas we are now going to get our own computer and I am really looking forward to it. My confidence on the computer has led me to find out more and because of this we are going to build our own computer. I will most certainly carry on with what I have learned and improve my knowledge.

I must congratulate Fleetwood High School for being so trusting and letting us loose on their computers as in the beginning we didn’t have a clue. After this I am now going to help some of the kids at school with a newsletter and I am really looking forward to it as at the same time I hope to learn something from the kids and then I will really be able to show off to my kids at home.

So hey kids, mum is not so daft after all.

S Helsby

COMPUTERS FOR THE TERRIFIED well that describes me. Shall I? Shall I not? Go on you have to learn sometime. Easier said than done, (or so I thought five weeks ago). My children encouraged me and said you can do it mum!

The first week I sat at the machine and wondered, what had I done? I could not even switch the machine on let alone do anything with it. By the end of my first lesson I was quite proud of myself. I could not only switch the machine on, I drew a Christmas Tree, well it resembled a Christmas Tree. Mind you I did have a sore arm as I was forever asking for HELP! I have been on the World Wide Web, looked at encyclopaedia’s changed fonts on work, drawn pretty pictures (well pretty for a beginner), learnt how to display my work and done word-processing and how to use a calculator.

I have done things on the computer that I never thought of doing and thought impossible to do. I have amazed myself and my family. I know how my children have set out lovely pieces of work, beautiful pictures and work with no spelling mistakes. How! Well! It is easy! Yes I can say that now, something I thought I never would be able to say. Anne and everyone else has been so helpful.

I cannot wait until Christmas until my children get a computer. I know there will be trouble with them fighting to get on it, only I thought I never would be there with them, but now I will be first in the queue.

I am really interested in computers and would like to further my education, the 5 week course has been brilliant.

A big THANK YOU to everyone, I am so proud of myself.

D Thompson

Computers for the terrified! Well that said it all. The letter from Fleetwood High School invited those of us who are totally computer illiterate to come and learn. Go on my said my Vikki, have a go. So I duly signed up and here I am. The first week it sat there: a blank screen, no sound and no lights, absolutely nothing. Right said Anne, we’ll learn how to switch it on. Don’t be frightened you can’t break it! Press this button, and that and see what happens. It’s whirring and unbelievably is now ready for my instructions! HELP! What next? Oh, no I’m sure Anne said to switch it OFF. You guessed it, my next task was to switch it on again. Amazingly it did just that. Already I’d learnt something.

How to type on the screen next, along with how to use a calculator. Back to my day’s at the local Grammar School then we were told to paint on a screen. No cans of Dulux or brushes, it was all inside this clever machine. I drew a Christmas Tree, yes that effort was really a Christmas Tree, I spray painted and filled it in, wiped the screen and then produced an abstract pattern.

The next week we learnt about floppy discs, why asked some bright spark are they square and not round. Anne then proceeded to open up the disc and prove that inside the square casing there was in fact a round disc. After typing a piece of prose onto the screen we were then instructed to alter various thing including moving towards the left or the right, moving whole phrases, underlining and using bold and italic type. Absolutely wonderful, those instructions worked to my amazement it actually did what it was told. I think I’m going to quite enjoy this little machine, I’m beginning to understand why it is classed as "user friendly". We then had to find a given phrase within our prose and replace it with something different, again those instructions worked. The machine saved my piece of work, and proceeded to save four pieces in total for me. Then, it did what it was told and printed out my completed prose. I could take this home to my daughter and show her what I had done.

We were given the opportunity to spend one session with headphones following an instructive CD, which was also loaded onto my computer, on how to use the internet. This was in four sections and to my great surprise I actually managed to complete it.

Our forth week began with a slight hiccup as the machine was having a bad day and did not want to load Encarta! The problem was overcome by using the encyclopaedia already on the machine’s memory. I played on various topics and it was unbelievable what I could do. Our final week has given us the chance to try out a digital camera, some of the pupils have had a chance to come and look at this as well. We had to take each others photo’s- how embarrassing! Hopefully our lovely user friendly computer will let us reduce those wrinkles, please!

The five week introduction has well been worth the time. No longer am I apprehensive about wanting my own machine, my daughter may well get her laptop now I know it can do no harm. For me, I will be happy with a replica of this machine I am using now. If I have time I will write to Santa on the wonderful Email system.

I would recommend any parent to sign up for a place on this course in the future as they cannot fail to learn basic skills in a very informal, friendly environment.

Jill Murfin

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