Workshops
Upcoming NCF Workshops
Thanks to funding from the City of Ottawa’s Community Economic Development Program, we are pleased to offer a bilingual handbook and series of free workshops that help people learn how to save money online while staying safe and protecting their privacy, respecting copyright, and understanding the trade-offs involved with many free services.
The workshops are being offered in partnership with Ottawa Public Library and we will confirm which library branches will offer which workshops soon. The workshops will also offer opportunities for people to get help one-on-one. At this time, the workshops are only being offered in English. Here’s an overview:
Wednesday, September 26th at 6:30pm: Hands-on help to apply online for government subsidies: Ontario Electricity Support Program and the Canada Learning Bond
Thursday, October 11th at 6:30pm: Internet Security Basics: using public wifi and other ways to feel safe online without spending a bundle
Wednesday, October 17th at 6:30pm: Free anti-virus and anti-malware programs and how to use them effectively
Tuesday, October 23rd at 6:30pm: Identifying spam, phishing emails and websites
Monday, November 5th at 6:30pm: Saving money on long-distance calling
Wednesday, November 14th at 6:30pm: Finding free entertainment online while respecting copyright
Wednesday, November 28th at 6:30pm: Open Source options: free robust operating systems and free software that can work on your existing system
Monday, December 3rd at 6:30pm: What free really means: understanding the privacy and personal data you're trading to save money
Wednesday, December 5th at 6:30pm: Finding and using online coupons, flyers, and promo codes!
Past NCF Workshops
Saved with a Click
Monday, September 10th at 6:30pm: How to shop for internet and computers
Saving money online starts with your internet connection and the computer or mobile device you want to connect. Megs vs gigs? Cable vs DSL? Ram vs processor? Desktop vs tablet? How do you buy what you need without getting oversold? Join us as we help you understand the basics.
Location: Ottawa Public Library, Nepean Centrepointe Branch
101 Centrepointe
Ottawa, Ontario K2G 5K7
613-580-2940 (Infoservice)
Public transit routes: 82,83,84,86,87,94,95,111,174
https://biblioottawalibrary.ca/en/branch/nepean-centrepointe
Other Workshops
We started offering workshops in partnership with the Ottawa PC Users' Group (http://opcug.ca/public/home.htm) in 2015. They continue to offer many of these workshops at Ottawa Public Library locations around the city, check them out!
Then in 2016 and 2017, thanks to funding from the New Horizons for Seniors Program from Economic and Social Development Canada, we ran "WiseNet" a hands-on 16-workshop series targeting those 55 years and older. Thanks to Pinecrest-Queensway Employment Services Centre for use of their space.
We also offer occasional workshops by NCF staff and volunteers on areas of interest to NCF members, including copyright and maximizing wifi.
Windows 10 — the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly:
Windows 10 represents a considerable change from Windows 7 and an evolutionary refinement from Windows 8.1. Chris Taylor, President of the Ottawa PC Users™ Group, will talk about some of the important changes both visible and under the hood. If you find Windows 10 confusing, or just want to know more about what's hidden, this session is for you.
Computer Basics:
This workshop includes content on the basics of your computer, from connecting your mouse and keyboard, to types of memory, installing a new program, creating short-cuts, to how to turn on your wi-fi, use a USB port and more!
Office suites/word processing:
This workshop includes the basics on different office suites (MS Office vs. LibreOffice), how to start a document, save it, and retrieve it. As well as different file types, and how to change font size, page alignment, numbering, margins etc.
Basic internet/web browsing:
This workshop includes an overview of different browsers, bookmarking, how to optimize your search results, and some basics on safe web-surfing.
Basics of computer and internet security:
This workshop digs into malware, how to create strong passwords, how to set-up secure wi-fi, and anti-virus programs.
Email:
This workshop covers browser-based email vs using a mail client, IMAP vs POP, attaching documents and images, and a detailed exploration of spam/spoofing/phishing and how to avoid them.
Communications:
This workshop includes an overview of Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) telephone services, as well as Skype and similar programs.