Does Not Compute

The Get Digital programme is enhancing digital inclusion and literacy in sheltered housing schemes.  As such we are contributing to a wider movement enabling the growth of the the UK online population.  This population has increased by almost 2 million this year, with the majority of web newbies aged over 50.  See here for more information:
http://letsgetdigital.org.uk/2010/07/01/digital-inclusion-news/

I always get asked about how to explain Twitter to people who have heard about it but have no idea what it is. I usually struggle because nothing seems to use plain english or explain things in practical examples of how it can be used – until now!

Over at BeGrand.com there are a growing number of tutorials and they have a new one all about Twitter for Grandparents so take a look and see what you think.

Let me know what you think of the tutorial and if your have not used Twitter before give it a try – Apart from Andy Murray you can also follow Digital Unite here:

http://twitter.com/digitalunite

The first successful schemes in Wave 1 of Get Digital are planning their programmes and starting to get to grips with their new computers.  Have a look at  here to see what some of our partners and learners have to say about the project.

Now we are busy planning Wave 2.  The application packs should be ready to download from our website in the second half of July.  In the meantime, why not book a place at one of 4 free Regional Events being held in London, Bristol, York and Birmingham, to help you to learn more about the project and how to apply?  More information is on the website and please email info@getdigital.org.uk to secure your place.

If you are interested in new research that has just been released about use of technology in people over 55 then this online article may be of interest:

The ranks of silver surfers are growing, but they aren’t mobilising

The research was carried out “to understand these older internet users: the devices they own, their use of the web, and their attitudes to computers and mobile phones” and it has some interesting details.

More than 50% spend two hours or more a day online; a quarter more than three hours. This isn’t casual browsing: 91% have bought goods online, 68% have booked travel and 60% have watched TV catch-up services. But it’s not just functional activities that are popular: 40% of this audience are regular Facebook users (45% for the 55-59 age group).

After the great success of the Health and Wellbeing resources on Silver Surfers’ Day, and to mark National Carers Week this month (12-19th June 2010), we’re showcasing some great examples of how carers can use digital technology to support and resource their caring.

Computers for Carers – A window to the world

Pete Taylor from Knowle West cares full-time for his son who has a limiting health condition

Leicestershire CareOnline

For more examples of using the Internet to explore Health and Wellbeing issues with older learners, have a look at our updated resources here as well http://www.silversurfersday.org.uk/health-caring/
If you know of any other video resources for carers or learning resources please comment on this blog post with your favourites we would love to know.

Judith Taylor who was a Silver Surfer of the Year runner-up in 2008, would never have guessed that she would become a website developer in her 80s!  I asked her to tell us how she had found the experience:

When I was asked to lead a small team to commission a website for my older women’s network, I had no idea how huge a challenge it would be.  We had first to learn enough about websites and designers to pick the right company for us.  Then we had to learn the jargon, understand how websites are constructed, commission a logo, choose a colour scheme, collect photographs, and provide all the necessary information, including bringing much of it up to date!  By launch day I was exhausted! Read the rest of this entry »

[Original Article: http://www.wilsonsschool.sutton.sch.uk/news/news.html

Friday 21 May was Silver Surfers Day in the UK. At Wilson’s we held an event to celebrate this. Working with Age Concern Sutton we ran an IT session for 25 older local residents (the Silver Surfers) introducing them to the world of computers and the internet.

Each Silver Surfer was paired up with one of our best IT students from year 10. Our students then guided them through what a mouse was and how to use it, how to access website and navigate around them and also how to “google”. When they arrived, many of the Silver Surfers were quite nervous but our students soon put them at their ease and before long they were really getting to grips with using a computer and really enjoyed seeing what the internet could do for them.

The event was an enormous success and this was due to the patience and enthusiasm of our students. The Silver Surfers could not praise them enough for the help they gave and we hope to be able to repeat such sessions in the future. We are immensely proud of the year 10 boys who volunteered . They really made a difference to someone last Friday. Well done.

With the school holidays fast approaching would you like to win a week at a summer day camp worth £130 for your grandchild?

Click here to enter the competition on our sister site Begrand.net but hurry because the closing date is Monday 7th June.

Just in case you’re not successful, they also have some special discount offers.

Good luck!

We have been gathering in all the feedback from this years Silver Surfers’ Day and will be linking on the blog some of the stories that we get back that have been posted online by the varied organisations and individuals who took part this year running the events.

One of these is Coastline Housing in Cornwall who ran a project with Camborne Science and Community College you can read about their event here: Everybody is going surfing …

[ Original Article: http://raceonline2012.wordpress.com/2010/05/27/silver-surfers-take-gold-at-st-lukes-community-center/ ]

Race Online 2012’s very own programme manager Judith Graham  pulled together an event in her neighbourhood, at St Luke’s Community Centre in central London.

People streamed in, long before the advertised start, all of them with different reasons to give it a go. Ivy summed up the mood though, saying:

‘The internet – it’s amazing! You can go anywhere in the world!’

Cathy, who just happened to be walking past, saw the balloons and posters and so had decided to give the web a whirl on the spot, had quite specific ideas of where she wanted to go: egged on by her holiday Down Under, she scrolled through snaps of Sydney, and checked out the latest news and weather on the BBC.

Judith helped Al dig out some online guitar lessons, and had a laugh about people from the past you might find again on Facebook. Ophelia looked up local dance classes printed out their timetables and contact details. Gerardo, who was already a dab-hand at emailing and browsing, went online to try out online shopping and physiotherapy site. Rashida was curious about flights to Dhaka, learning more written English and really taking this internet thing further. The flyer she’d got through her letterbox had given her just the impetus she needed to come and try it out. ‘I’m going to go on a course and practise on my daughter’s computer from now on,’ she said. Margaret was looking for a job, so we searched online, found one, and downloaded the application form for her.

Jason, business development manager at St Luke’s, which is a UK Online Centre, said:

‘This is the first step in a process for people. The centre is now running weekly drop-in sessions so that they can take it further, one step at a time’.

Judith was inspired by her day as a volunteer computer tutor: ‘I suddenly really grasped what it’s like for people to try this out, by sitting right there with them. I learned a lot from it, and it was really satisfying. I’ll definitely be doing this again.’ Watch video of the day below.