Now is the time to get your name on the Open list.  With payment of the $20 class fee you will be among the first to be called when the class is scheduled.  If you cannot make it at that time, your name will remain on the Open list until the next time the course is offered or your fee may be refunded. 

These c_o_u_r_s_e_s cover a variety of selected topics which might be briefly covered in our basic classes, but which lend themselves to more in-depth instruction.  This approach allows students to utilize the a_pp_lic_atio_ns in their daily needs.  The topics are chosen from areas that generate a considerable interest or questions in our classes and programs.  The basic c_o_u_r_s_e_s or familiarity with the basic software is usually required in addtion to our other course preqrquisites.  Special topics are currently offered for photo editing and word processing.

This basic course is for students with little or no prior experience with computers, terminology or the Windows Operating System.  This includes people who have worked with computers for years but only learned to do their specific work related tasks.  Topics covered include computer basics, terminology, basic hardware and software use, and the Windows Operating System features.  The student will become familiar with both the Operating System, some application programs and how to use them.  Saving and retrieving files is emphasized.  This course is the first of two that are pre-requisites for all of our other c_o_u_r_s_e_s.

This basic course teaches students how to manage files, folders, disks and drives.  Topics covered include terminology, file types, maintenance, and opening/saving files in various programs.  There is extensive work with Windows Explorer to copy, b_a_c_k_u_p, move, open, save, and delete files/folders.  My Computer and Recycle Bin are also covered.  Bring a USB flash drive to class.  This c_o_u_r_s_e is the second of the two c_o_u_r_s_e_s that are prereqisites for all of our other c_o_u_r_s_e_s.

Every student MUST take the Basic Computer Literacy and this files and Folders course before taking any of the advanced courses listed below.  Exceptions are made when prospective students feel that they are past the "beginners and intermediate" stage and have discussed this with an advanced level instructor and obtained a waiver.  Additional prerequisites are noted for specific classes.

Prerequisites: Current HAL-PC membership, Basic Computer Literacy and Files & Folders.

The Windows 7 course is an introduction to the Windows 7 Operating System and is designed for experienced computer users who have recently purchased or are considering the purchase of a new computer with Windows 7 OS installed.  For those using Vista, the transition to Windows 7 may not be as difficult as for those who are still using XP.  This course will demonstrate various Windows 7 features, with comments on differences between Win 7, XP and Vista.

Prerequisites:  Students must have internet access with an e-mail account.

This course includes lectures and computer laboratory experience accessing known websites, searching for people and businesses, general searching, surfing, drilling down, and shopping.  Students are encouraged to bring in examples of specific problems for class discussions.

Prerequisites:  An Email Account, Home Internet Access and the Files and Folders Class or permission of the instructor.

If you have been wondering what happened to Outlook Express, or how to get the most out of your web mail program, then this updated and revised Email Class may have the answers. The class will use Windows Live Mail  as an example of a computer based program  and G-Mail as an example of Web-Based Mail. Both of these programs are are free and the classroom instruction applies to other email programs.  Windows Live Mail must be downloaded from Microsoft since it is not a part of the Vista or Windows 7 Operating System. Class material covers downloading and installing email programs; understanding the email server; transferring contact lists; organizing your mail using contacts, groups and folders; emailing photos; and customizing an email program to fit your needs.

This course includes lectures and computer laboratory experience.   Students may bring in problems and concerns for class discussion.  This is a revised class on email.  The newer operating systems such as Windows Vista and Windows 7 have presented some new e-mail challenges.  Outlook Express has become part of the past!  Topics will include:

1.      Using Web Mail such as Microsoft Live Mail

2.      Cloud Computing

3.      Using an email program on your computer such as Windows Mail

4.      Privacy Issues – Staying ahead of the game

5.      Creating files to help keep your topics organized

6.      Address books and importing info

7.      Attachments/inserts

8.      Take care what you write

Students may bring in problems and concerns for class discussion.

Download links:

Prerequisites:  Depending on the student's experience, a prerequisite or a waiver from the instructor is required.

Word Processing programs allow users to develop a wide range of documents such as letters, memos, résumés, and reports.  Microsoft Word is a powerful tool that allows users to create professional looking documents quickly and easily.

This class is targeted at beginning users and is intended to provide the basics to creat tasks like invitations, scheduling family events or tracking a budget and creating letters, reports, newsletters, brochures and other text documents.

Word 2003 as well as Word 2007 and 2010 will be covered.  Topics will include editing and formatting text, borders and shading, inserting artwork and photos in documents, using text boxes, formatting columns, and page layout headers and footers.

Prerequisites:  Basic Computer Literacy and Files and Folders, or permission of the instructor.

This course teaches students how to create spreadsheets for personal use using the Microsoft Office 2007/2010 Excel spreadsheet program.  The material will also apply to Office 2003, if you are using that version of Excel.  Although spreadsheets are primarily useful when dealing with numbers, they are excellent for organizing many day-to-day activities such as tracking health issues, making telephone lists, and home inventories.  Example files are used to examine and evaluate typical uses of spreadsheets which will provide exercises for practice at home.  The course includes discussion of Works and/or Excel templates and introduces students to four types of cell entries:  Text, Numbers Formulas, and Functions.  Tips on formatting cells as well as building and printing the spreadsheet are discussed.  The Excel Ribbon will be covered.

Bring out the best in your photos! This course will teach students to recognize and correct common photo problems using basic photo editing tools in Microsoft Windows Live Essentials Photo Gallery, which must be downloaded from the Microsoft website to get the current version:.

  The tools and topics presented will transfer well to a variety of free software as well as popular retail image editing programs. Topics covered include workflow, terminology, evaluation, and application. 

Class time includes guided practice in the computer lab. Students must have taken our two prerequisite courses, Basic Computer Literacy and Files and Folders (or the two predecessors of these courses, Beginners and File Management) or receive permission of the instructor. Students should also be familiar with taking digital photos and viewing them in the computer.

Prerequisite:  Word Processing Experience.  The class will be taught using Word 2007 with references to other versions.

Just in time for Holiday Newsletters, this Special Topics course will teach you to use your word processor to create an attractive photo layout or to insert photos and clip art into your word processing projects.  You will learn the basic tools needed to combine words and graphics to give your documents an interesting and attractive appearance.  Sometimes pictures can replace the thousands of words needed to describe important events in our lives.  You will learn to combine several photos on one page, or to place photos and graphics in documents with text neatly wrapped around the pictures.  This is a fun way to share photos with friends and family or to incorporate graphics into your personal projects.  There will be hands on practice in our computer lab.  Participants may bring their own photos on a flash drive.

Share and display your memorable photos in a creative way.  Learn to arrange your photos on a page and print them for a high-quality result.  You may display them in a simple format, using captions, borders, frames and a nice background, or you can embellish your page “scrapbook style” choosing from a large variety of elements and designs that will help communicate the message of your page.  Either way, your projects will be much easier using dedicated page design software.  Although there are several choices, for this class we will be using Serif's Craft Artist Platinum.  Download the Craft Artist Compact starter version at (http://www.serif.com/FreeDownloads/) now and get a head start.

Note:  This is a new class, new topic, and new software.  Come and help us “pilot test” it!

Prerequisites:  Basic Computer Literacy and Files and Folders (or the two predecessors of these courses, Beginners and File Management) or permission of the instructor. 

If you spent the summer taking photos, and now you aren’t quite sure what to do with them, we can help!

This Special Topic Course (short but intense!) will cover memory cards; transferring, organizing, and retrieving your photos; adding descriptive notes to your photo files; and hints for emailing and printing photos.  The class material will work with Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7.  We will also use Microsoft Windows Live Essentials Photo Gallery , which is FREE and must be downloaded from the Microsoft website to get the current version.  The format is lecture with some lab practice.

(http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-live/photo-gallery-get-started)

How to create a web page using Mozilla's Web Authoring program called Composer.  The course begins with the basics necessary to create a page with text and a few simple features, such as text formatting., hyperlinks, and horizontal lines.  Slightly more complex features, such as images, lists, and tables, are then covered.  Finally, students will learn how to publish their page to their web account.  Once comfortable with the basic idea of web-authoring, students can freely revise and update their page and add additional features if desired.

Note:  This will not be a class on HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language); in fact, it will only  be covered briefly.  There will be no instruction on any of the web creation software which is sold for a fee (such as Microsoft Front Page) or any other of the free software that is available except a file transfer package.  Subject material will not include scripting, Java code, Flash, or form templates.  A CD will be provided containing the class software.

Prerequisite:  Students must have taken the File Management Course.

This course teaches how to use the scanner as a copier, scan documents as editable text using OCR (Optical Character Recognition) software, scan pictures, scan 35 mm slides (5 at a time) to get pictures, and scan negative strips to get pictures.  Scanned image organization and output will also be discussed.  The class will be taught using the HP scanning software that came with the scanner, but the knowledge gained should transfer to other scanners an their respective software.

This class will be lecture and demo only, but will include some suggested projects
for you to practice at home.

This course will teach you how to make your own movies and slideshows from your video clips and still pictures using the free Windows XP-Movie Maker (V2.1) program.  We will cover capturing the content with your camera, editing the content, laying out the content in the Movie Maker program, enhancing your video and then, rendering the project into a video or slideshow.  We will make a slideshow first and then a video.  We will also cover getting help from the Internet and using your computer for multimedia.  Other topics will also be offered for discussion.

OPEN STAGE AND FORUM - We will deal with questions about cameras, software, how-to's, show-and-tells, web sites, personal tricks, rip-offs, good magazine articles, great shopping sites and much more.