 Introduction
to Internet use
Several
members have got on-line for the first time over the last few months
through pilot sessions aimed at demystifying the internet for people
who had never used a computer before so we hope we can build on that
start.
We
aren't planning a series of lectures but this Group could provide an
opportunity to share experience, learning from others to help you to
cut living costs by an average of £500 pa, to develop hobbies, to
expand social frontiers and exercise your mind.
You
won't need your own computer as free internet access is available at
all public libraries, paid-for in part by your own council tax, with
staff available to help when you want.
But
librarians don't have the time to give hours of one-to-one support to
start you from scratch - which is where Mansfield U3A could help.
Some of the topics this Group might like to discuss include:
- What is the internet? (The Word Wide Web and
emails are just some aspects.)
- How to create your own email address.
- How
can it help you? (Save money and time buying products and services
on-line at big discounts relative to shop prices, develop hobbies by
exploring reference sources, join on-line groups to play chess, bridge
and other games, store and share photographs with friends and family … )
- Basic terminology in simple terms.
- Web sites and how search engines help you find
what you want.
- Browsing web sites and pages. (How to open them
and find them again quickly.)
- (Hyper)-links. (How pages and sites connect and
how they make it easy to find what you want.)
- On-line
ordering. (Price comparisons, legal protection, how to place secure
orders using your credit card and how to get confirmation .)
- Hands-on: Using a mouse and keyboards and how
to navigate around popular websites.
Where and when
The group has
access to a modern community computer suite at Albert Street, Stanton
Hill on the first
Wednesday morning of every month by courtesy of long-time member Terry
Whitehead who is also chairman of the Notts CC-backed New Opportunities
for Stanton Hill (NOSH).
Costs
Room
hire, including exclusive use of ten modern computers would cost £16
per 2-hour session. Thus a minimum of six participants contributing £3
per session is the minimum for this to be viable.
(Five of the
computers are also available to us free of charge every
Wednesday afternoon from 1 - 3 but these are during public drop-in
sessions when mentoring is difficult because we wouldn't want to
distract other users - nor to be distracted.)
Leadership/co-ordination
The
group will need a team of volunteers to mentor members on a maximum of
a one-to-two basis so that everyone can learn at their own pace,
exploring particular topics of interest.
Group
Leaders and/or a bookings secretary will also be needed to ensure that
sessions are not overcrowded and that enough mentors are always
available.
(I will do what I
can to help from time to time but I could not commit to a regular role,
even if anyone wanted me to!)
David Ling
Elaine
Richardson and Eileen Wass learning happily!
Phone: 626991
email: terence@whiteheaduk.plus.com
Meeting
venue: Stanton Hill Baptist
Church, Albert Street
When: Contact Terry.
Cost: £3 for room hire, with a minimum of 6
participants; £2 for 8 or more; per session.
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