This assignment started off by watching 2 videos and reading 2 articles about different age groups connecting through technology. Following this, I spent one hour teaching someone older than 60 years old how to do something new on the internet (How to use FaceTime). Finally, I had to make a discussion board post, explaining how old the older adult is, what I taught them, what they learned, what from the articles and videos inspired my training session, and what guided the training session. A photo that documented the training session had to be included at the end of the post.
The first article and the first video explained a “Speaking exchange”, where Brazilian youth trying to improve their english would video chat with US elders who wanted someone to talk to. It explained how it benefitted both parties, and generally resulted in really positive experiences!
There was also a holiday commercial in which it showed a father dancing to the same song when his child was a baby, a little child, a teenager, and young adult. Later in life, when the child was older and with the father, he broke out the same dance to the song, and the two shared a great moment. It was a touching commercial.
There was also an article that explained 10 ways to help older people use the internet. It explained how it can be intimidating for older people and recommended tips to help them through the process. Some of these include that touch screens are easier, that they don’t usually want to ask for help, and that changing basic settings can be advantageous.
As for the actual teaching experience, below I have included most of the information from my discussion board post, because it explains the process well.
The older adult I decided to teach was my Grandma from my mom’s side of the family. If I remember correctly, she is 73 years of age.
I taught my grandma how to use the iPhone app called FaceTime! I explained how to call someone, how to accept a call, how to mute or unmute your voice, how to flip which camera you are using, how to end a call, and explained the concept of adding effects, such as drawing on the screen or playing a game during the call. I also talked about how to look through people you have Facetime’d previously, and where to find the time, date, and duration of the call.
In terms of what she learned, essentially it is everything I listed that I taught. I would introduce a concept to her, ask if she understands it, and if it was something she could do during the call, I had her try it. For example, I had her try flipping the camera and muting her voice during the call. As for things that could not be done during the call, I just explained it until she told me she understood, and she told me she would try them out later.
Nudd’s (2014) article and CNA’s (2014) video covered the topic of the speaking exchange, where young Brazilians learning English would video chat American elders who wanted someone to talk to. I was inspired by the idea of having multiple sides benefit from the process, and applied it to my own life through this assignment. For example, I know my grandma can get lonely since she lives alone, and likes having people to talk to. For me, chatting with family makes me happy in the first place, and it is also necessary for this assignment, so it is a double bonus. So, these ideas from the video and article applied to me and inspired me in this assignment.
The Bouygues’s (2018) commercial inspired my training session because it just reinforced the importance of family. Seeing the boy in the video grow up and bond with his father was very touching, and reminded me how important it is to connect with family. We have limited time on this earth, so we have to take advantage of it, and this assignment allowed me to experience a good moment with an older family member.
From Kazimi’s (2014) article, a principle that guided me was that “The open culture of the Internet can be confusing”. When I initially asked my grandma about this, she said she would try to buy and download the FaceTime app. She assumed that it would cost money to use, when really it is just a free app that comes on every iPhone. But, I was prepared for this, and was patient and just informed her that she would likely already have the app and that it is free!
Also, the fact that they don’t want to ask for help is something that guided me. Instead of waiting for her to ask about each thing, I was proactive and explained the different features and steps of FaceTime, and asked her if she understood, instead of waiting for her to say if she is confused.
Below is a photo that documents my training session with my grandma. It is a selfie/screenshot of us chatting while I was explaining one of the details of FaceTime. I made sure that the photo was “not simply a phone log showing that you called or a screenshot of other preparatory work”, but was a screenshot of us while the actual explaining was actually going on. I don’t really know of any other way I could have a photo that properly documents the training session, so this should be adequate!
Reflecting on this assignment, the thing that stuck out most was that it was different. We usually are just learning material, but this required us to teach someone else. This made sure that we really understood the process ourselves, because you cannot teach something properly if you have not mastered it yet. It was cool to flip the script and apply my knowledge in this different way.
Not only that, but we had to teach someone from a much different age group than us! This can be a very different experience, since here in college, I am usually interacting with people my age, and the occasional professor or other middle-aged adult. Luckily, I was able to teach my grandma, who I love very much, so I enjoyed the process! I have not had the opportunity to talk to her for awhile, so this game me a great reason to!
Additionally, I really liked the articles and videos we watched. The video chats between the Brazilian youth and American elders were very heartwarming. The virtual hugs, “I love you”s and happiness from both parties made me happy. And the commercial made me smile, and appealed to my emotions and reminded me of how much I love my family.
This assignment took me quite a long time, but it was unique, was enjoyable, and appealed to my emotions. I definitely think it was one of the more worthwhile assignments we have completed throughout this semester! I hope they keep this in the curriculum in future years, because I think people can give and take a lot from it!
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