Syllabus

• Week 1: What Is Free Software
• Week 2: Acquiring Free Software
• Week 3: Asking For Help
• Week 4: Free Software in the Browser
• Week 5: Playing & Manipulating Media
• Week 6: Office Software
• Week 7: Creative Software
• Week 8: Social Software

Week 1: What Is Free Software

Summary

What is free software? Course roadmap, learner input, account setup & questions

Agenda

1. Introduce Ourselves
2. Learning Circle Policies 
   1. Safer Spaces Policy
   2. Safer In-Person Gatherings
   3. Discuss and modify as needed
3. Break
4. Facilitator Presentation: What Is Free Software? 
   
5. Course Roadmap Draft
   1. Learning Circle Input 
      
6. Break
7. Bookstack Account Setup

At Home Activity 

During the next week, note the proprietary software you use and what you use it for. Think about software you would like to have but don't have a good reason to pay for a license. Bring this to the next class. 

Week 2: Acquiring Free Software

Summary 

Acquiring Software & Using the wiki

Agenda

1. Presentation: Finding Free Software
2. Workshop: Installing OnlyOffice
   
3. Presentation: Using BookStack & Taking Notes for Yourself 
   
4. Workshop: Using OnlyOffice
5. Collaboratively Edit Notes

At Home Activity

During the next week, write down questions you encounter with free software you use. 

Week 3: Asking For Help

Summary 

Asking for help, becoming your own IT person, and developing the means to build out a network of trusted community and resources so that you have the freedom to delegate your technology concerns to groups and people who you trust and who respect you. 

Agenda

1. Presentation: Getting Help 
   1. Search
   2. Documentation 
      
   3. Forums
   4. Forges
      
2. Workshop: Formulating Questions for Internet Strangers

Week 4: Free Software in the Browser

Summary 

During this week we will go over web browsers, useful extensions to improve web browsing, and password managers. 

Agenda

Week 5: Playing & Manipulating Media

Summary

This week we will look at how to get media files to play back to us and simple tools for basic file manipulation. 

Agenda

Week 6: Office Software

Summary

We return to office software and work with PDFs & Spreadsheets

Agenda

Week 7: Creative Software

Summary

We look at alternatives to for photo editing, illustration, flyer design, and video processing 

Agenda

Week 8: Social Software

Summary 

This week looks at social software and discusess the future of Free Computer Club.

Agenda