I would wager to guess most of you are fairly computer literate. If you know how to turn the computer on and where the monitor is you're good to go.
Recently I decided to teach older adults at a local community center how to use the computer, to give them a gateway to communicate with family, browse, shop, whatever their hearts desires. Maybe you don't remember those early days of opening and slamming through a labyrinth of windows, then you should. I know how difficult it was for me to learn, I learned through trial and error, in some ways I wouldn't recommend it, on the other hand…
If you're teaching by way of a PC I liken it to teaching some one to drive a stick shift maybe it would have been less painful through an automatic/Mac.
Starting from the ground up there's only one thing required----- patience, no matter what you're teaching, because without it, you've lost your student if you don't. Universally I heard how nervous family or friends with good intentions made them feel, rushed, and cajoled. It stops the flow of free thinking. It's counter productive.
I had one student who actually thanked me for the patience I had in teaching. It's good she didn't see me after class. I've learned a little about myself through this teaching process, I thought I had it altogether, I thought everyone would learn because I had all this patience. But one student had some issues I didn't foresee. Nonetheless, I've learned and updated and tomorrow when I walk into Part 2 of computers it will be a new day, or at least I hope so.
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| My Son and I at Disney World |
If you're teaching by way of a PC I liken it to teaching some one to drive a stick shift maybe it would have been less painful through an automatic/Mac.
Starting from the ground up there's only one thing required----- patience, no matter what you're teaching, because without it, you've lost your student if you don't. Universally I heard how nervous family or friends with good intentions made them feel, rushed, and cajoled. It stops the flow of free thinking. It's counter productive.
I had one student who actually thanked me for the patience I had in teaching. It's good she didn't see me after class. I've learned a little about myself through this teaching process, I thought I had it altogether, I thought everyone would learn because I had all this patience. But one student had some issues I didn't foresee. Nonetheless, I've learned and updated and tomorrow when I walk into Part 2 of computers it will be a new day, or at least I hope so.
