Question about teaching new classes

DMS General
#1

Is seems like a lot of people at the Space are like me and have a background in I.T., so this might be well-traveled territory. I was wondering if there might be room for me to teach some basic computer classes for people who don’t have an extensive background and experience with techie stuff. I keep talking to people who’ve had their identity stolen, and it seems like some basics could go a long way in preventing at least some of that. Like a class with tips on strong passwords, VPNs, password vaults, antivirus options, private/incognito web browsing, etc. There are others who seem to struggle with technology in general, so a 21st Century mobile technology class could be helpful. Or one with tips and tricks on all the things you didn’t know your smartphone could do. Or a beginner’s guide to videoconferencing. Or one on finding/organizing/maximizing online storage accounts. Seems like the possibilities are endless.

Maybe it’s been tried before and there wasn’t enough interest? Part of the reason I ask is I have a background in public speaking I love to teach. I’d probably charge a reasonable fee ($30 or less) and would just need one of the classrooms. Advice? Thoughts? Anyone want to throw tomatoes?

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#2

I’d be interested. I’m very tech savvy but would love to hear pointers I may not be aware for safety and anything that could help me in my professional role.

#3

This is a good way to test the waters. At some point it becomes “offer it and see if they will come.” I’d post a candidate topic outline for comments before you dive in.

Even though the wiki is deprecated, there are a couple of good links at the bottom of this page:
https://dallasmakerspace.org/wiki/Training_Development_SIG

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#4

Lots of good info there, thank you. Sorry to be obtuse, but where should I post the candidate topic outline? In skimming over the wiki I didn’t see that part.

#5

I’m the same way – there’s always more to learn. I still watch “hidden features” videos on YouTube and once in a while I find a gem even if it’s a topic I thought I knew inside and out.

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#6

Here and the Discord (Different audiences to some degree.)

#7

I started to suggest an area, but I think General will probably be best. It sounds like you’re trying to reach the average person, so I don’t think that Electronics or Science would be the best bet.

I get the impression that some folks limit their reading to topics that they’re interested in.

#8

Thanks for the help. Attached is an abbreviated outline of the topics I’d like to cover. It’s probably too much for one session, so it might need to be broken into a Part 1 and Part 2 class, especially when accounting for Q&A, which I think is really important. I would use a combination of a slide deck, screenshots, some live demonstrations, and some handouts. Since the material can be dry, I’d keep it entertaining with some humor, funny examples of obvious spam, toss out some bite-size candy bars for right answers, etc. Comments and suggestions are welcome!

Cybersecurity for Beginners.pdf (50.1 KB)

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#9

Not really sure this is practical with your outline, but maybe a 60-90 Min top level survey class that hits the hot issues in the major topics and then more detail in later offerings.

#10

Some feedback on the outline.

For links, I don’t recommend hovering over them. Either just ignore them or right click → inspect element and navigate down the page elements (more advanced).

For browsers, I strongly recommend an adblocker like uBlock Origin. The modern internet is just unusable without it, as so many pages load up ads that potentially lead to malware. Just better to block it entirely. I use noScript on my personal devices, but that is a really advanced option that breaks many websites.

VPNs can be a bit tricky, as you’re forwarding your internet traffic from your ISP to some third party. Thus, you really want to find a trustworthy provider, and most aren’t. It requires a lot of research rather than finding some random article on CNET or something.

For antivirus, I’d maybe point out that it’s a mostly Windows specific issue. Unix-based devices like MacOS or Linux variants generally don’t need to run antivirus (unless you’re doing an email server or something). Not to say that there is no malware on those operating systems, but the threat vector is minuscule in comparison.

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#11

And if the VPN is ‘free’ - you are not the customer, you are the product. No such thing as free on the internet - just the question of: who pays?

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#12

I feel like this is a test… opening a random pdf from a stranger… hmmmm.

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#15

Thank you for the feedback. Sorry for the confusion, it’s hard to give context in an abbreviated outline. I was referring to emails with hyperlinks – instead of trusting them, students can hover over them and see if they’re really pointing where they say they are.

Yeah, that’s one of those areas where opinions vary greatly. I’m primarily a Mac user by choice but I supported and used Windows on a daily basis for a long time. Also dabbled in Linux occasionally. Antivirus goes on all of them if it’s up to me. Even if 'nix-based systems have less problem by comparison, I feel safer keeping the doors locked. But for the same reason there is less threat for those systems, there will be more people in the class that don’t use them – less market share.

Agreed. I generally avoid free services altogether. If it’s otherwise a paid product, and it’s donated to something like a nonprofit, that’s different. But if it’s ad-supported by nature, it’s generally better to avoid it. Like you said, somebody is paying the bills.

Good catch. That’s the kind of thing I plan to do during the class. :wink: "What? Do you just randomly trust anonymous QR codes posted on the wall??"

#16

I LOVE this type of stuff. I found a guy named DAS GEEK on youtube and went into a 2 week blackhole with all sorts of changes made to my phone and computer lol

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#17

I can completely relate! Some of those kinds of things can be overkill, but I have no room to talk. I’d lock my car doors if I parked in the middle of a grassy field a hundred miles from the nearest town. I scan every email attachment and downloaded file for viruses, no matter what the source. Where we each draw the line on how safe is “too safe” is a matter of opinion. I figure it’s just good to have the knowledge and make up our own minds for our own circumstances.

#18

Thanks for all the feedback. I posted it in the “Interest Check” category. I don’t mean to double-post, I just figure this one was more about “How do I get this started / has this been done?” Thought it would be a good idea to make it a more formal interest check in the other category. If I’m wrong, let me know and I’ll delete it. I try not to break the rules intentionally – I do it enough by accident already.