Ideas for a lesson.

[Samedy]

Eek. I need ideas for a lesson tomorrow.

 

Monday - Thursday I told my class we will learn about a Microsoft product, but on Friday I told them, we would take it easy, and learn something more fun.

 

For the first class I figure we will go over email and some basic functions. I also have a movie we can watch about the History of the Internet.

 

But my second class is more advanced. There is no way they don't understand email. I figure I can show them how to create a signature on Gmail, but that is about it. There really is no other hidden functions.

 

Any ideas what I can get them to do?

 

I have been trying to think of different areas I can get them to research, using the Internet, and then report back their findings.. But I can't think of many interesting topics (computer related)..or topics that would take them 2.5 hours to do.

 

The only other thing I can think of to get them to do is create a "web site" using Google Sites.

 

 

Any ideas would be GREAT

[sidehop]

Hmmmm...something like:

 

- Keyboard shortcuts

- Basic internet security and safe surfing

- Using the computer/internet to benefit their daily life (calendars, maps, etc)

- Share each other's favorite sites and why they like it

- Basic program install/uninstall

- Basic troubleshooting

- Google tricks like calculation, conversion, etc

- Treasure hunt; pick an unusual picture of an item most people wouldn't know what it is and let them crawl through the web to find the answer

 

I don't know how far/advanced you want to get with them but assuming it's fairly basic?

[Samedy]

It's really a mixed bag. I have some people in my class who hold engineer and law degrees. While I have other students who are fairly new to the Internet.. At least on a professional level.

 

I like the hunt idea... What kind of stuff could they look for?

[sidehop]

Something so random they would need to sort of describe the object in colors, shapes, etc. Maybe a type of bird or something alive even.

[Anthropic]

You could do a lot of stuff with teaching google search, all sorts of advanced search techniques and tricks. I've found many technologically savvy people have no clue how to fully take advantage of google's search. It is insanely powerful once you know a few tricks.

 

A neat exercise could be to get everyone to setup their own igoogle page. Setting up igoogle has completely changed my web experience for the better.