Seniors and computers
It's never too late to learn
By Marg McNeil
I am finally getting to do something I have wanted to do for six decades. I discovered the desire to be a writer in Grade 7. Yet I never took a typing course, and when computers came along, even as a teacher, I never learned more than I had to use. Yes, I email, sort of, and I learned to surf the net, but beyond that, the computer has been an enigma, where what I have just accessed disappears without me touching a key. If I'm in luck a kind soul retrieves my data.
In January, I joined a small writing group and lamented my lack of computer literacy. As I exited a session, a friend, Janet, said, "I took a really good course at the college. Because I had never taken any computer courses in school, the tuition was free."
In 2009, I had taken several ElderCollege courses and was impressed with the local Vancouver Island University campus. This year I even volunteered to teach a course. I made an appointment with a counsellor, Marie PichŽ, to find out about the Adult Basic Education program. She explained I was eligible for the Grade 11 equivalency computer course depending on an assessment of my English competency.
"You will have to pay a one-time application fee plus student fees. The library has the textbook for sale. Your timing is great as the next five-month semester is just starting. Classes are an hour and a half long, Monday to Thursday." Inwardly I groaned, already worrying about the time frame. I left the campus toting my six pound, 1,000-page textbook, wondering what I had gotten myself into. At home I read the first chapter. I was going to be preparedÑthough not much of it registered. For my first class I arrived a few minutes early and introduced myself to the instructor, Dawn McLean. Over half of the computers in the lab already had students working at them and they were decades younger than I.
"Welcome to the class," Dawn greeted me. "Let's get you started." In no time, I was logged on with a student number, was shown the typing program I was expected to practice, and had my textbook open to part way through the third chapter to start the first assignment, an advertisement flyer with the picture of a horse in the middle of it. I was to reproduce it. I knew right away I'd been smart to sit in front of Dawn's desk. I was going to need a lot of support. She added, "This is a self-paced course so when you get stuck, ask for help. Also, please turn off your cell phone."
Thus began my odyssey with Microsoft Office 2007. I stutter-stepped my way through the first chapters, having to ask the same basic questions over and over. My neighbour, Sam, a mother of two , completing her course work so she could do accounting at VIU in Nanaimo next year, would graciously answer my whispered, "I'm stuck again."
It began to make sense. I learned to read each instruction literally. I became familiar with the various ribbons of 2007 programs though I still had to do a lot of hunting. I steadily completed assignments. I reviewed at home what I did in class and practiced typing. Like many in the class, I came early and stayed late. I began to notice the class's sense of respect and support for each other which included me. Dawn had rules and they were honoured. One day my almost completed assignment disappeared from the screen. I said a nasty word out loud. First there was silence. "Who said that?" someone gasped from the back of the class. I didn't own up, and no one looked my way.
I loved my reversal of roles and was awed at the serious learning happening around me, knowing that for most, high school had not been a positive experience.
"I was a drop out," Kayla told me, "I came here from the Lower Mainland to get my GED as there are fewer distractions and I can focus better. I'll be finished next semester," she continued proudly.
Each day the configuration of the class changed although most of us were working on computer 11 or 12. Frequently a student would drop in to work with Dawn on a special assignment. We all patiently shared her expertise and assistance. Many of these young people are squeezing study into lives filled with jobs and raising families and most were succeeding at learning as never before in their lives. Jaymie is working on a diploma, online, from McMaster University. She completes essay after essay, E-mailing them back for evaluation. "What's a synonym forÉ," she'll ask. Several of us will answer to which she'll reply, "Thanks you guys. I love you." Dawn is her proof-reader and sounding board and when Jaymie is wrung out Dawn is there. Jaymie has promised her two kids she'll take July off.
I have made great progress on this journey. I moved steadily through Excel and Power Point was funÑlike kindergarten all over again. Now, I am finishing up my final assignment using both Word and Excel to put together a Power Point presentation. My typing has gone from hunt and peck to 25 words per minute, and I mostly don't peek. I had forgotten my passion for learning. I'm proud of my new proficiency and very grateful for the opportunity I've been given. Will I become a writer? This is a step towards that. I now have the tools and feel much more confident about reaching my goal.
