“ Thırd Age and New Tech “
Our
foundation was accepted to the TANT Project in 19 th july 2010.The first
meeting was held in Poland between 8 th – 10 th February in 2010 just after the
contracts were signed. The owners of the projects met and introduced their
foundation at the meeting. After the first meeting the Project was divided into
two groups. The spanish and French partners were asked to teach basic computer
skills and basic english to the seniors and the other two partners, Turkey and
Poland, were asked to teach basic computer skills. 
They
were also asked to follow the improvement of the courses and to convey their
opinion about the process. The host organization determined to form an new web
site about the TANT Project. After the meeting the historical and cultural
places and the important tuorist attractions of the city ( odra rıver, st.
elızzabeth church, rynek architecture museum ) were visited.
After
we came back to Turkey 21 seniors who want to attend to the computer course
from the Hatay Nursing and Rehabilitation Center for Old People which is our
brother foundation as a member of the Project were established. The computer
teacher started the preparations.
Paris
for the second meeting between 23 th - 26 th May 2010
We
went to Paris for the second meeting between 23 th - 26 th May 2010. After a
general assessment in that meeting we evaluated the Works that had been done
and the methods used until that time and if there had been any lacks. ( whether
the study was successfull and the seniors adaptation ) Our trip ended after we
visited the historical places of france ( Eiffel tower, sen river and shanselize
).
Madrid
between 24 th – 28 th october 2012
At
the meeting that hold in Madrid between 24 th – 28 th october 2012 our main
topics were the present situation of the Project, the success of the Project
till that time and the reasons of the failures. We tried to find the solutions
to take away the current problems. We organized cultural and historical trips
in Madrid ( toledo antic city, plasa major, prado museum, palacio real ).
17 th
– 19 th april 2012 Antakya - HATAY
At
the meeting that hold in Hatay between 17 th – 19 th april 2012 we evaluated the
nagative parts of the Project, what we gained during that Project and what our
plans were about future of the Project.
We
discussed the culturel, social and economic situations of the seniors who stay
in Hatay Nursing and Rehabilitation Center for Old People and the Works that
had been done so far were illustrated with a slide show. We guided our guests
to see the historical and culturel places in Hatay ( the arceology museum, catholic
and Ortodoks churces, Habib bin neccar mosque, the waterfall in harbiye ).
MOTIVATION
The need for new
methods of learning and teaching for seniors.
The need for
learning about other cultures.
The need to
encourage elderly people ( at risk of tecnological marginalization ) to
activate and motivate them to communicate via the internet in English.
Objectıves and strategy
The goal of the
partnershıp is to organize
computer and language courses ( based on ICT ) for seniors. by these means we
want to achieve such aims as:
Teaching seniors
skills necessary to use the modern communication media ( internet, e-mail, it
means from 0 levelou to self study )
Preventing elderly
people from social exclusion
Engaging seniors in
virtual communities
Helping seniors in
communicating their own culture in a common language and in learning of other
europan values
SUMMARY
The goal of
the partnership is to organize experimental computer courses in ICT or in
English ( depends on the participating organization ) for seniors in the
2011/2012 academic year. The program of the course will consist of learning
basic computer skills ( from turning the computer on and using Windows up to
using the possibilities of the internet such as web portals, e-mail, etc.) or
of basic English.
Our
goal is that elderly students, who do not know how to use computers or
who do not speak English well enough to communicate, could be able to achieve
quite good computer or language skills, so that they would be able to continue
learning without a tutor and break psychological barriers, with the help of
younger instructors.
When
the courses are completed, we will do research on the senior education process
and will organize a focus group in each organization and a final
conference in Wroclaw for all the tutors, who ran courses using the
formerly established teaching methods and another focus group for the seniors,
so they can share their impressions with us. The information acquired during
the research will be subsequently compiled by us and published as a coursebook
or methodological files.
The
project will have an intergenerational dimension as well, because instructors
and researchers will be from the younger generation. During the meetings
we intend to learn much more about the host organization, the culture of
the country and the city visited.
Europen added value
Comparing learning
processes dependent on cultural factors.
Meeting ‘’living’’
cultures in everyday life situations
Establishing strong
international contact, which will be useful in other projects in the future.
Impact
Exchange of ideas,
thoughts, experience
Learning about other
european cultures
Improving the use of
english for communication of own culture
Recognizing new
methods of work with seniors
Finding new methods
of learning for adults, especially senior citizens.
Learning new ways to
present oneself
A critical view of
‘’ virtual life ‘’
‘’ infecting ‘’ with
interest, presenting one’s interests
İmproving
cooperation skills
Lesson form:
Computer workshops.
Working individually as well as in groups or pairs.
Participants profil :
Age: 60+ 1st group 11 and 2nd group 10
Pre-requirements :
Not having a social
network account or using it to a limited extent.
Number of meeting :
8 meetings once a week.
2x40 minutes.
TEN
TIPS FOR TEACHING BASIC COMPUTER SKILLS TO SENIORS
There
are unique obstacles to teaching technology to a generation that not only
wasn’t born with a computer mouse in their hand, but clearly remembers when
telephones were rotary dial. Anyone can learn to use a computer with gentle,
patient, and creative guidance.
There
are three motivating factors that inspire most silver surfers to take on the
challenge of the computer – the Internet, e-mail, and a desire to not be left
behind. Keeping those three objectives in mind, here are 10 tips on how to
successfully bring the computer fearful onboard and, hopefully, enjoy the
experience the computer and Internet have to offer:
1) Watch
Your Language. We are aware of
the words we chose. We know we’ll lose someone in the first 5 minutes if we
speak computer jargon. They don’t need to know computer terms in order to use
the computer, so we avoid tech talk unless absolutely necessary.
2) What
Turns Them On? Before
sitting down in front of the computer we ask our student what interests them. We
want to be able to dazzle them what the Internet has to offer specific to their
needs and interests. What questions would they like answered? What are their
hobbies? What is their family into that they would like to know more about?
3) Slow
And Steady Wins The Race. Most
seniors are not in a rush – we aren’t either. We assume that we are always
going too fast. We take our cues not
from the agenda we’ve set for the lesson, but instead the look in the eyes of our
student. Eyebrows raised in surprise are good. A furrowed brow and a glazed
look are bad. When we see the latter, we need to back up and figure out where
we lost our student and start again from there.
4) Shake
It Up. Before we even
turn on the computer have our student put both hands on the monitor and shake
it a little. We take the mouse in our hands and swing it by its tail. It
reassures the fearful to know that the computer is just a big plastic box and
nothing more. A little levity, with the intimidated, goes a long way.
5) Play
Wingman. Our student
should start in the driver’s seat from the get go. They do all the hands-on
controlling of the experience starting with turning the computer on. We think
basic, basic, basic and assume they don’t know anything, but can learn
everything.
6) Conquer
The Mouse. Any
activity on the computer can be broken down into step-by-step instructions to
be practiced until the steps become habitual. But, until the mouse is
conquered, a newbie can’t practice the steps. Our first teaching session may
just be about hand position, single-clicking, double-clicking, and clicking and
dragging. The best way to practice all of these skills is by playing Solitaire.
( I kid you not ) Be patient, reassuring, and sing their praises when they get
it right.
7) Take
A Break. There’s
a limit to how much anyone can absorb. No matter how far we’ve gotten, we stop
after 45 minutes. We use a 15 minute break to talk about the importance of good
posture while on the computer, what websites we find fun, or chat about the
weather. we’ll know we can return to the lesson as we see our student relax.
8) A
3-Step Method. Repetition
helps us remember. We do everything three times. The first time they do it is
hands on. The second time they do it is to take notes. The third time they do
it is to follow their notes to be sure the notes are clear without we guiding
them.
Example: To access the Internet and visit
a new website: With their hand on the mouse we instruct them to
1) double click on the icon to
access the Internet. Next have them
2) single click in the website
address box to highlight and
3) type in a website address.
Lastly they should
4) depress and release the
Enter/Return key. Four simple steps. Do it, write it, and do it again.
9) It’s
Not Their Fault. When
the time comes, and it will, that a website is hard to navigate, place blame
where it belongs. Shame on web designers and computer manufacturers. This could
all be much easier if those who designed the computer and the Internet took
into consideration user issues. We relieve our student from feeling inadequate
by pointing out the flaws in design and usability.
10) Give
homework. We inspire our student to get on the
computer for just 15 minutes a day to practice what we’ve worked on together.
It is through short, daily visits to the computer that they will be able to
conquer the beast.
Memory
Improvement Techniques
Avoid
frustrating memory loss. Retain and recall more information.
It's a
classic situation - you meet someone new, and then moments later you've
forgotten their name! Names, passwords, pin and telephone numbers... the list
is endless - with so much to memorize is it really possible to improve how much
you can remember?
The
good news is "yes"! Just like every muscle in your body, the adage
"use it or lose it" applies, so the more you exercise your brain, the
more you will remember.
Mnemonics
“
Mnemonic “ is another word for memory tool. Mnemonics are techniques for
remembering information that is otherwise quite difficult to recall: A very
simple example is the ‘30 days hath September’ rhyme for remembering the number
of days in each calendar month.
The idea behind using
mnemonics is to encode difficult-to-remember information in a way that is much
easier to remember.
Our brains evolved to
code and interpret complex stimuli such as images, colors, structures, sounds,
smells, tastes, touch, positions, emotions and language. We use these to make
sophisticated models of the world we live in. Our memories store all of these
very effectively.
Unfortunately,
a lot of the information we have to remember in modern life is presented
differently – as words printed on a page. While writing is a rich and
sophisticated medium for conveying complex arguments, our brains do not easily
encode written information, making it difficult to remember.
Using Our Whole Mind to
Remember
The key
idea is that by coding information using vivid mental images, you can reliably
code both information and the structure of information. And because the images
are vivid, they are easy to recall when you need them.
The techniques explained
later on in this section show you how to code information vividly, using
stories, strong mental images, familiar journeys, and so on.
You can
do the following things to make your mnemonics more memorable:
·
Use
positive, pleasant images. Your brain often blocks out unpleasant ones.
·
Use
vivid, colorful, sense-laden images – these are easier to remember than drab
ones.
·
Use all
your senses to code information or dress up an image. Remember that your
mnemonic can contain sounds, smells, tastes, touch, movements and feelings as
well as pictures.
·
Give
your image three dimensions, movement and space to make it more vivid. You can
use movement either to maintain the flow of association, or to help you to
remember actions.
·
Exaggerate
the size of important parts of the image.
·
Use
humor! Funny or peculiar things are easier to remember than normal ones.
·
Similarly,
rude rhymes are very difficult to forget!
·
Symbols
( red traffic lights, pointing fingers, road signs, etc.) can code quite
complex messages quickly and effectively.
Designing Mnemonics:
Imagination, Association and Location
The three fundamental
principles underlying the use of mnemonics are imagination, association and
location. Working together, you can use these principles to generate powerful
mnemonic systems.
Imagination: is
what you use to create and strengthen the associations needed to create
effective mnemonics. Your imagination is what you use to create mnemonics that
are potent for you. The more strongly you imagine and visualize a situation,
the more effectively it will stick in your mind for later recall. The imagery
you use in your mnemonics can be as violent, vivid, or sensual as you like, as
long as it helps you to remember.
Association: this
is the method by which you link a thing to be remembered to a way of
remembering it. You can create associations by:
·
Placing
things on top of each other.
·
Crashing
things together.
·
Merging
images together.
·
Wrapping
them around each other.
·
Rotating
them around each other or having them dancing together.
·
Linking
them using the same color, smell, shape, or feeling.
As an example, you might
link the number 1 with a goldfish by visualizing a 1-shaped spear being used to
spear it.
Location: gives
you two things: a coherent context into which you can place information so that
it hangs together, and a way of separating one mnemonic from another. By
setting one mnemonic in a particular town, I can separate it from a similar
mnemonic set in a city. For example, by setting one in Wimbledon and another
similar mnemonic with images of Manhattan, we can separate them with no danger
of confusion. You can build the flavors and atmosphere of these places into
your mnemonics to strengthen the feeling of location.
RESULT
İn
the frame of our projects ‘ thırd age and new tech ’ that is within the
scope of grundvig program, a part of life long learning Project we have a
partner organization, Hatay nursing and rehabilitation center of old people
within this scope 21 old people about 60 years old and more, living in the
center, were trained on computer skills and held some courses. Old people wre
divided to groups, formed about 10 - 11 people.
For
the first group normal techiniques on computer skills training were applied. For
the second froup mnemonic techniques were applied. As a result the first group
learned just how to turn on and off the computer and materials functions. On
the other hand the second group learned how to surf on internet, use social
Networks, connect with e-mails. During the process of second group two main
activities were applied.
1-Imagination
2-Connotation
techniques were applied.
Imagination
and memory-ımages made by functıonal magnetıc resonance
ımagınıng technology show that remembering and imagining sends
blood tı indentical of the brain.
Imagınation
helps provide meaning to experience and understanding to knowledge, it is a
fundamental faculty through which people make sense of the world, and it also
plays key role in the learning process.
İn
psyhology associations are relations between conceptual entities. They are
relationships between objects,feelings and ideas.the human brain is composed of
a largeneural network,this network is a basis out of which multiple models of
memory function have been proposed.Memory appears to be sutructured as on
associative network that serves the purpose of informing about relationships
between diffrent things.
While
we were carrying out our Project we met with some obstacles; the different
background of the seniors and their social and economic backwardness. They came
from a agricultural society and so they never used technology so we had
problems during our courses. However; some of the participants became
successful and that helped them to create a new point of view.