THE ever changing world of computers and technology could put even the most computer savvy person to the test but for mature students heading back to school, the challenge of hitting the key board again can be intimidating.
Jacqui Jones-Cox teaches computer classes at the Lynn Valley Main library and much of her time is spent putting students at ease.
"A lot of my students are seniors and new immigrants and for the most part they are afraid of touching a computer," says Jones-Cox. "It's just getting them comfortable. They can't mess up and if they do then it's easily fixable. The best way to learn is to practise, play and experiment."
She says some basic tips for those getting reacquainted with computers are to save documents regularly, write down passwords and altogether not be afraid of breaking the machine. For going back to school, Jones-Cox advises that certain devices are more convenient than others.
"A laptop is much more useful than an iPad because of the simple thing that you can't print anything," she says, unless you go to Cloud or Dropbox. "A laptop is that much more simpler and probably more user friendly for people going back to school that need word processingtype tools-Excel, Powerpoint-that sort of thing, whereas a tablet is much more useful for social stuff, so watching a movie or downloading a magazine."
Smartphones may not be necessary for those returning to the classroom either.
"If they have other forms, like an iPad or a tablet of some sort, they probably don't need a smartphone per se," says Jones-Cox, though, she adds, "it's probably very handy to have in your pocket."
Certain programs, including Powerpoint and even Skype, can be beneficial too. "Any of those tools that make your life easier within the working world," she says. "Skype definitely is one of those ones these days."
Basic Internet is important as well as email, whether it be Hotmail, Gmail, or Yahoo, and even social networking sites. Jones-Cox says realizing that technology is constantly changing is an important point to keep in mind, especially for those wanting to upgrade their skills.
"That's one thing we have to tell them all the time is just because it looks like this today, doesn't mean to say its going to look like this tomorrow," she says. "That's one big learning curve for them, that things are going to change and people don't like change. Its evolving and changing all the time, they have to be prepared for that."
