Computer Learning Month at Pennswood Village
October was Computer Learning Month, a month to celebrate how to learn, use, and integrate computers and technology into everyday life.
With over 100 GB of data travelling over our campus-wide WiFi system every day, and up to 300 devices logged-on daily, residents at Pennswood Village take their technology seriously. They are ever eager to learn how to use their technology better, and how to incorporate new technology into their daily lives.
Ten years ago, two residents, Jo Gross and Barbara Sellers, came together to begin a help group for learning about technology. As a result, Pennswood Village’s resident-run Tech Center was created!
The Tech Center is a meeting space for residents to gather and help one another learn more about computers, iPads, iPhones, PCs, Macs, and much more. Once a week on Thursday afternoons, residents meet to teach one another about iPad use, and to troubleshoot computer problems. Outside experts regularly visit the Tech Center, and offer classes and seminars about specific topics.
Some of the most popular experts to visit Pennswood are the sixth grade class members from the neighboring Newtown Friends School. Periodically during the school year, residents are invited to bring their devices to the Tech Center to learn tips, tricks, and shortcuts from young experts who grew up with this technology.
After Jo and Barbara recruited several other residents to help, the center became a popular place to learn about technology.
“It started with the idea that we can help each other, and that is still the idea today,” says Jo. “People at Pennswood are very much into the 21st century. We’re a very active group of people who are interested in using computers. This is a computer world.”
Residents at Pennswood mainly use their iPads and computers to email, share photos, keep notes, and participate in social media. Email is especially important for communication among committee and club members. Committee members frequently use their iPads to easily email one another about meetings and activities.
Some residents say they prefer to use iPads over computers because they are lighter and easier to transport, double as a portable camera, and are easy to use for keeping notes and researching during meetings. Many residents receive computers and iPads from relatives as gifts, and the Tech Center gives those residents the opportunity to learn how to use these devices to their advantage.
Nick Weingarten, a Pennswood resident who is heavily involved in teaching at the Tech Center, said he learned how to use computers while he was working as a clinical social worker and family therapist. While he still works part-time, he spends time each week at the center helping residents troubleshoot and learn more about their devices.
“I got into computers like most people do, when we use them at work,” Nick says. As a manager in the office, he often found himself teaching those around him how to use and fix computers. Most of what he has learned about computers has been self-taught over the years. When he came to Pennswood Village about 3 years ago, he brought along with him his joy for helping others learn about technology.
In addition to peer troubleshooting and teaching at the Tech Center, Pennswood Village offers residents access to its professional IT Department for computer set up and fixes.
Because we live in a computer driven world, it’s a significant benefit for residents to have the resources to learn more about them. The Tech Center gives residents the opportunity to learn these skills from their peers, in hands-on, real-world situations. Residents can easily look up information during conversations, send vacation photos to family members, and stay connected to family and friends through social media, all thanks to those at The Tech Center.
For more information about technology at Pennswood Village, or to schedule a time to visit, call us today at 866-740-4977.