A special grant is making it possible for the Shiloh School District to offer a variety of free computer classes at the Newman Grade School.
The classes are divided for the general public, students and technology training for teachers.
General Public Classes
- Computer Maintenance and Repair includes a free, basic computer for those who complete the four-week course that meets from 7 to 9 p.m. June 15, 22, 29 and July 5. The class covers how computers work and basic maintenance.Participants will need to bring a regular Phillips screw driver but all other material will be provided. The class moves progressively from installing simple hardware components, to putting in an operating system and finishes by covering recommended routine maintenance.
- Computer Clinic, 6 to 8 p.m., June 16, provides information about cleaning viruses and worms from a home computer.
- Home Wireless Networking, 6 to 8 p.m., June 23, is about understanding and securing a home wireless network.
- Job Skills Search, 6 to 8 p.m., June 30, is an orientation to the Illinois Worknet resource for finding and applying for jobs.
- Open computer lab, from 5 to 7 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The school’s computers and high speed Internet access may be used for online classes, completing homework, learning computer applications or using resources available at the lab for exploring careers and doing job searches.Help is also available for learning to use the Internet and Microsoft Office software. The lab is monitored by a school district staff member.
Students
A morning computer camp for third through eighth grade students runs from June 1 to June 23. Sessions are 9 to 11 a.m. Monday through Wednesday. Students may attend one or all sessions, however, space is limited to 15 per session. Some of the topics covered include, working with digital cameras, podcasting, digital story telling, video editing, game programming, learning to search smarter and the basics of using Office Productivity software.
Technology for Teachers
The weekly sessions are open to all Illinois school teachers. Each session is from 7 to 9 p.m. and teachers earn two CPDUs per session.
- June 10 – SMART Board introduction for beginners.
- June 17 – Intermediate SMART Board for moving beyond the basics to building lesson plans.
- June 24 – Harvesting the Internet, 10 free search tools you did not know.
- July 1 – Using Google Docs in the classroom.
Teachers may attend any or all sessions that are of interest. Advanced registration is recommended, but walk-ins are welcome if there is space.
Registration for the teacher training is via e-mail to Terrence Sullivan, sullivant@shiloh1.us. The e-mail communication should provide the teacher’s name, school and a list of sessions the teacher wants to attend.
All of the above classes and services are provided without charge through an Eliminating the Digital Divide grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. According to the DCEO website, the goal of the Digital Divide Grant is to increase access to computers, telecommunication technologies and related training for populations residing in low-income communities.
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