Tutor Resources 

Page updated 25 November 2003

As a tutor, you are free to direct your students to this site or use the materials you find here - but, please, abide by the following conditions:

1. E-mail the webmaster with the following information:

   • How you found the site and what aspects of the site you like best. (So the site can be better promoted and improved.)

   • Any changes that you make to the text or images in the material that you download from the site.

   • Anything you can offer to help improve the site and make it more useful for your students. (Please, don't go sending large (>100kb) files without notice. The site is run at the webmaster's personal expense, not through some corporate freebie, and I frequently make my internet connection via mobile phone!)

2. Keep the site URL and logo graphic on any file, or version of it that you produce.

As you can see, these conditions are there to help improve and promote the site. Please adhere to them. They also reassure the webmaster that the site is considered worthwhile by someone!

Downloading the Files

The links, on this page, to templates, handouts and assignments are to raw, unarchived, MS WORD 2000 (*.doc) files. They are, therefore, not intended to be viewed directly in the browser. Instead use the links to save the target to disk, for local customisation.

The pages in the Students section of the site do not necessarily reflect exactly the corresponding WORD file available from the links on this page. This is because the files here are intended to be edited by tutors and, because they are quite large, updated versions do not appear with every change to the student pages.

(In case you're wondering, it isn't planned to use PDF files as it's considered important for tutors to be able to customise the material on the site. Neither are ZIP files likely to be used. Not all teaching venues have access to unZIPping facilities! Encourage the webmaster to keep it that way, by sending your materials to add to the site.)

Templates

To help make it easier for you to offer material for the site, you might like to consider using the templates. After downloading them, copy them straight to your templates folder. The Handout Template is quite straight forward. There are notes on the way it is intended to use the various paragraph styles included in the Assignment Template. You may prefer to delete the comments from your working version of the template.

Handout Template   Assignment Template

Handouts

The handout files have 4, 6 or 8 pages and, after printing, are designed to be photocopied onto A3 paper and folded, to produce A4 booklets. The six page files obviously require a single A4 sheet in the middle.

They can also be used as on-screen help! WORD's paragraph style facility has been used extensively in producing them. Have students open WORD's View menu and turn on the Document Map. Students can then click the appropriate heading in the panel on the left and jump instantly to the topic they need help with! (Much the same method as on the web site.)

Unit 1 - Using a Computer (673kb) Notepad

Unit 1 - Using a Computer (607kb) Word

Unit 2 - Word Processing (215kb) - Word

Unit 3 - Electronic Communication (261kb) - Outlook Express/Internet Explorer

Unit 4 - Spreadsheets (188kb) - Excel

Unit 5 - Databases (196kb) - Access

Unit 6 - Desktop Publishing (284kb) - Word

Unit 6 - Desktop Publishing (268kb) - Publisher

Unit 7 - Graphs and Charts (284kb) - Excel

Unit 8 - Computer Art (Under Construction!)

Unit 9 - Web Publishing (338kb) - Word

Unit 10 - Presentation Graphics (Under construction!)

Sample Assignments

Additional Support for Tutors

In addition to the material available direct from this site, any tutor employed in Adult Education may join either or both of the mail lists associated with this site to discuss issues related to their work as an IT Tutor.

NOTE:  Associated with the ittutors list, described below, is a growing number of files uploaded by subscribers. These include material for pre-CLAIT courses, New CLAIT, CLAIT Plus, ECDL, and for other more advanced work.

ittutors

This is a business-like list, with a strict code for posting messages that is actively enforced by the moderator. Think of it as a formal committee meeting. It was set up like this to distinguish it from other lists with a more relaxed approach. This list is designed to keep use of bandwidth to a minimum, so is ideal for those with slow internet connections, (e.g. via mobile phone) or minimal mailbox storage capacity (e.g. those using certain web-mail services or PDAs), but should not exclude others. The precise rules for posting are explained in a "New Members" file sent when the subscription application is accepted.

ittutors2

This list intended to be a free-for-all! Think of it as a gathering in the pub after a hard day at work. There are no rules for for how or what to post, beyond that it should be on-topic. Currently it's members have decided to allow attachments, though this and other decisions on how the list is managed is determined by the views expressed by the subscribers themselves.

How to join

To join either of these mail lists involves a three stage process:

1. Send a blank message to the special YahooGroups address for the list you wish to join:

   ittutors - ittutors-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
   ittutors2 - ittutors2-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

2. Respond to the automated reply that comes from YahooGroups, in response to Step 1.

   The purpose of the automated reply is to check that you haven't been enrolled maliciously by someone else. You must reply to this or I cannot approve the application, as I do not receive, from YahooGroups, confirmation that you wish to join, and cannot pair up the support e-mail, required in the next step.

3. Within a couple of hours of Step 2, send a separate e-mail to support each of your applications including the information specified below. Indicate in the subject line of each message, which list you wish to join. (i.e. if you wish to join both lists, two supporting e-mails are required, one to pair with each application.

   Extracts from these e-mails will be added to a file, held at the YahooGroups site and available only to each list's subscribers. This enables you to find out a little background about the others who may be reading and posting messages to the list.

The messages in Step 3 should include:

• Your name
• How you discovered the list/site
  (ideally, naming any search engine and search terms used)
• The town/village where you teach
• The subjects/courses you teach
• The college/school/AdEd service/Company by whom you are employed
• Any comments on the material on the CLAIT Help web site
• Anything else you'd like to share or ask existing mail list members.

If using a conventional mail client the links below will normally generate appropriate addresses and subject lines. If using web-based mail you may need to generate the messages manually.

Supporting e-mail for ittutors

The link above will generate a message to greg@claithelp.fsworld.co.uk with the subject line: Application to join IT TUTORS

Supporting e-mail for ittutors2

The link above will generate a message to greg@claithelp.fsworld.co.uk with the subject line: Application to join IT TUTORS2