All courses, including the Help sessions covered in the Timetable below are for Members only and require confirmation from the Tutor - Help sessions only, are exempt this confirmation. Not a Member - see the Join Now page. The timetables are updated on a regular basis and the search box makes your class dates and time easy to find.

SeniorNet is a community learning network that supports and motivates mature people to enjoy and use technology in their everyday lives, join in the fun and learn how to do everything from understanding how to use your computer, working with basic documents, searching the internet, working with photographs, researching your ancestry, maintaining your computer plus much more. All courses are held in our Learning Centre, 12 Ben Lomond Crescent, Pakuranga. They are run in 2 hour sessions and some will consist of just the one 2 hour session while others will have several sessions and usually have a maximum of 8 students. In small, friendly and stress-free classes, you will gain the skills and confidence you need to get the most out of Information Technology. When considering and choosing courses it is important to think about what interests you and what you hope to achieve. Help is available from our experienced team if you are unsure how to proceed. To participate in the courses you must be a member of SeniorNet Pakuranga at an annual fee of $30 per member.  An additional fee of $5.00 per course day is then payable for each course. Course materials are included in the cost either in booklet form, or electronic format. All members are asked to wear their membership badge to all functions as a courtesy to others. At our learning centre, retired volunteers from all walks of life provide a wide range of courses across a range of computer platforms, so there will be a course available to you which will assist you in obtaining full benefit from your device. We also provide Help days 3 or 4 times each month for our members having computer problems or queries. We look forward to seeing you.

Confirmed bookings are required to attend courses.  

If you wish to make a booking,  go to the "Course Detail"  tab and

email or telephone the tutor.

Help Sessions - no bookings are required.

All columns can be sorted - click on the heading and use the search box.

Start DateTimeCourseDate Sorter
03 Dec (Tue)10:00 AMHelp Session (No Booking Reqd.)241203AM
03 Dec (Tue)2:00 PMSmart Phones/Tablets241203PM
04 Dec (Wed)1:00 PMClosed for Maintenance of Equipment241204PM
05 Dec (Thu)1:00 PMWindows 10 (Part 2 of 2)241205PM
06 Dec (Fri)10:00 AMMonthly Meeting241206AM
10 Dec (Tue)2:00 PMWindows Video Editing241210PM
11 Dec (Wed)10:00 AMHelp Session (No Booking Reqd.)241211AM

Below - course details - content and booking information. Fees help cover overheads and course notes. Click on the headings below to expand into the range of courses that interest you.
All Course bookings require confirmation by your tutor. Confirmation is NOT required to attend Help Sessions.

Mac Computers — The Basics
1 Session of 2 hrs Course Fee $5
The course is designed to give you an introduction to MAC computers and what’s under the hood of the case and keyboard. It will introduce the basic operation system Mac OS X which is the operating system of the Mac. It’s the basic system that enables your Mac to work. All the files, folders and programs are handled by Mac OS X as well as internet connectivity, battery consumption and more.
Tutor: Keith Erikson - keith@senpak.nz
 
Taking the Plunge
3 Sessions of 2 hrs Course Fee $15
This course should be taken by all beginners, even if you used a computer in a work environment. This is Step 1 in getting to know and use a computer, with confidence. Know your way around a computer; point and click with a mouse; find, open and close programs and much more. How some settings are changed to suit your requirements. Look at anti-virus and anti-malware requirements (including explanation of some of the words used in ‘Computer Speak’).
Tutor: Brian Erikson - brian@senpak.nz
 
CD/DVD Burning & Flash Drives
1 session of 2 hrs Course fee $5.00
Come along and learn how to save your videos and files to a CD or DVD using a free download of Ashampoo software. Ashampoo also enables music CD “ripping” from you CD collection and format conversion to MP3 for that type of music player. If you have downloaded MP3 type files Ashampoo enables the creation of music CD’s both from MP3 and ripped CD’s sources. This course also covers the use Flash Drives as storage devices.
Tutor: Brian Erikson - brian@senpak.nz
Genealogy - Getting Started
2 Sessions of 2 hrs Course Fee $10
Getting started using the award-winning software, RootsMagic. This course focuses on getting you set up so that you can start to record your family history for your family and future generations. If you have a laptop computer with Wi-Fi capability, please bring it with you. Don't worry if you haven't got one, we will lend you a memory stick so you can transfer your genealogy information to your home computer at the end of the course.
Tutor: Graeme FitzGerald - graeme@senpak.nz
 
Genealogy Research Group
1 Session of 2 hrs Course Fee Gold Coin Donation

Come along and do your genealogy research in your Learning Centre where you can get free access to Ancestry.com and many other useful websites on the internet.

Learn and share your knowledge with other members.

Tutor: Graeme FitzGerald - graeme@senpak.nz
Google Docs and Drive
1 Session of 2hrs Course Fees $5
Explore Google Docs and Google Drive.

Docs is an easy to use application in which we write, insert and edit documents online. Your documents and articles are saved automatically. Find out how to share and collaborate with others. Learn how Google Drive allows us to upload and download files to and from your computer and saves to folders which you create. Drive can also convert file types such as .doc, .docx and PDF.

Tutor: Robin Tukey - robin.t@senpak.nz

Google Mail
1 Session of 2hrs Course Fees $5
Here we explore Google’s Gmail and Google Contacts.Gmail makes email easy. With 2000 megabytes of free storage, you never need to throw messages away. Unclutter your Inbox using labels. Search for what you want. You'll not only find the message you have in mind, but all the other messages that are part of the same conversation. Save your contact profiles and download attachments.

Tutor: Brian Erikson - brian@senpak.nz

Google Sheets (Spreadsheets) Workshop
1 Session of 2hrs Course Fees $5
This workshop is for beginners to spreadsheets who want to record data in a chart format. Google sheets is a Web-based application that allows users to create, update and modify spread sheets and share the data live online. Sheets use typical spreadsheet features such as ability to add and delete rows and columns.

Your sheets are automatically saved to Google Drive and can be uploaded and downloaded in various formats with your computer.

Tutor: Robin Tuckey - robin.t@senpak.nz
Help Session
1 Session of 2hrs

A gold coin donation is appreciated.

Needing Help?

Bring your problems to a help session where one of your fellow SeniorNet members will help you. (NO BOOKING REQUIRED)

Co-Ordinator: Michael Empson - help@senpak.nz
Windows 10
2 Sessions of 2 hrs Course Fee $10
An introduction to Windows 10. Learn about the new features in this new operating system. You will learn to arrange your new desktop, moving the Icons and adding / removing Icons on the desktop. Arrange / rearrange the new Start menu, look at privacy settings to limit your exposure to reporting and advertising. Also included is Windows file Management System and how to navigate, create folders and move these folders.
Tutor: Dick Harris - dick@senpak.nz
 
Essentials - MS Word
2 Sessions of 2 hrs Course Fee $10
A two session course entitled "Some Essential Word" and "More Essential Word" which will allow the demonstration of simple, basic features of Microsoft Word as well as allowing practice so participants will gain sufficient knowledge and begin to use the application with confidence.
Tutor: Janet Gardner - janet@senpak.nz
Windows Photos
1 Session of 2hrs Course Fees $5
This course shows you how to use the tools built in to Windows.

Organise and browse your photos, enhance your photos and create a slide show.

A full set of notes will be available.

Tutor: Graeme FitzGerald - graeme@senpak.nz
Smartphones/Tablets (Beginners)
1 Session of 2 hrs Course Fee $5
Bring your Android Smartphone and tablets to this workshop. The course covers a vast range of devices from many manufacturers that use versions of the Android operating system. We have prepared notes for you and these are more extensive than can be covered in the 2 hours.
Tutor: Brian Erikson - brian@senpak.nz
 
Smartphones/Tablets (Advanced)
1 Session of 2 hrs Course Fee $5
Bring your Android Smartphone and tablets to this workshop. The course covers more Advanced features for a range of devices from many manufacturers that use versions of the Android operating system. We have prepared notes for you and these are more extensive than can be covered in the 2 hours.
Tutor: Brian Erikson - brian@senpak.nz
 
Apple iPads
1 Session of 2 hrs Course Fee $5
Bring your own iPad or iPhone and learn what it can do. Find out how to do what you want at your speed. The iPad and iPhone is a capable tool for those who are in a hurry or looking for some downtime. Use the amazing camera, play your music, read books, use the diary, email - the list goes on and on. Be sure to bring your iPad or iPhone along to this class.
Tutor: Dick Harris - dick@senpak.nz
Facebook, an Introduction
1 Session of 2 hrs Course Fee $5
Facebook - The social networking website for posting comments, sharing photographs, links to news or other content on the internet, chat live, watch short-form video.
Tutor: Diane McGregor - diane@senpak.nz
 
Smart TV
1 Session of 2hrs Course Fees $5

This Popup will cover what today's technology is capable of, from what a Smart TV is, the basics of where you start, what you need, how to use it, what you can watch, what apps to use to some of the hardware you can connect to the TV.

No Smart TV? This Workshop will also give you an understanding of what your options are when you connect a Laptop, Chromecast or Apple to your existing TV.

Tutor: Dick Harris - dick@senpak.nz
 
Tips and Tricks
1 Session of 2hrs Course Fees $5
This Popup will include some of those things that we all know, but need reminding about along with some of those that we do not know and wonder why we never thought of them. Copying Text and changing Fonts and Font sizes, open a Second/Third Instance of an application and snap it to the window. Adjust the Start Menu, The Hidden Start Menu, Create Borders and Dividers, The Curse of the Missing Ribbon, Install New Fonts, Fixing the mess made when you insert a picture and much more.
Tutor: Dick Harris - dick@senpak.nz