Computers and Technology

Computers are all the rage these days, and it seems that just about nothing can be accomplished without the aid of computers. The dramatic growth of the computer industry has led to an ever increasing demand for trained, qualified computer professionals. This demand has, in turn, led to the mushrooming of an enormous number of computer centers that offer computer education.

Various computer centers focus on different needs, with some centers offering general computer education for beginners and novices while others teach advanced computing courses for skilled professionals. Still others teach courses that focus on a particular programming language or operating system, with the intention of making the student an expert in that specific programming language or operating system.

General computer courses teach basic skills relating to various operating systems like Windows, Mac, Linux or Unix, and also a few important pieces of software such as Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Internet Explorer, Netscape, etc. Some examples of advanced courses are those that deal with database administration, security specialization, systems administration, network administration, graphics designing, advanced programming languages, etc.

Computer education centers vary in size, quality and teaching methods. There are centers that have facilities which allow them to cater only to a few students while others are capable of handling hundreds of students at once. It's important to remember that the larger size of a computer education center does not automatically translate into better quality. In fact, centers with a few computers are able to provide their students with the sort of personalized attention that larger centers cannot. Most computer education centers focus on "hands-on" training, with the emphasis being on practical work rather than classroom teaching.

When hunting around for a computer education center, it is wise to pick one that has been certified by leading companies in the computer industry, like Microsoft, IBM, Cisco, Oracle, Intel, Apple, etc. Each of these companies provides specific computer education centers with certification, which is basically permission to operate courses that relate to products released by them. Such certification is provided only after the credentials of the center have been thoroughly verified, so joining a certified center is a safe bet that one will have access to the best of facilities and instruction.