Paige Desmond
For youths who have grown up in the information age, using computers, digital cameras, and other technology comes as naturally as breathing.
But the same is not true for previous generations, who were not born into a world where Internet in schools and iPods were the norm.
Seniors find themselves in a totally different world—and mastering these new skills can be an intimidating task.
Fortunately, a variety of computer classes for seniors, taught by Cathy Tysz, are available at Confederation College here.
“It’s been very successful,” she enthused about the class.
It all started 10 years ago when the college began running a general introductory course. Tysz arrived to find half the students were seniors whose needs were different than those addressed in the course.
As she went along, Tysz developed her idea of what was needed for seniors who wanted basic computer skills for things like using the Internet, sending e-mail, and using MSN Messenger. She also wanted to run the class during the day to better accommodate that demographic.
The class initially ran from 9 a.m.-noon over 10 weeks. But after 10 weeks of attending school the students were hungry for more.
“When the first group was finished their 10 weeks, they said, ‘What are we going to do now?’” Tysz recalled.
So she went back to the drawing board and created “Next Step,” which taught loading photos from a digital camera onto the computer, photo editing, as well as how to do things like produce homemade jam jar labels.
The classes have proven a hit. In fact, there is a waiting list for every new offering, Tysz noted.
“They just keep coming back,” she said of her students,.
As well, the computer lessons were about more than just learning. “It’s a social event for them,” Tysz remarked.
“My whole class would be sitting at A&W having coffee waiting for school to start,” she laughed.
But while the classes have proven successful, some students admit it wasn’t easy.
“I had never touched a keyboard in my entire life,” laughed Carole Mackintosh.
Mackintosh credited Tysz’s sense of humour and teaching style for how much she enjoyed going to school.
“Cathy is a fantastic teacher,” she lauded.
“I really enjoyed the way she made us not feel stupid,” Mackintosh added, saying her classmates were all “medium-aged.”
“I was a beginner, a senior, of course,” echoed Dixie Badiuk. “I just learned the basic computer [skills].”
For Badiuk, the biggest frustration was remembering what she learned in the classroom and then doing it at home.
Tysz agreed one of the biggest challenges for seniors in her class was to recall all the necessary step,adding the hand agility needed for typing and fear about the technology also are challenges.
Still, both Badiuk and Mackintosh recommend other seniors overcome their fear and sign up for a class.
“I would absolutely recommend going and taking the class,” Badiuk stressed.
“It was great to actually feel I was part of the 21st century,” noted Mackintosh. “If you don’t learn at least some of those basics, you are going to find yourself a little bit isolated.”
Tysz noted the next course won’t take place until late spring.
