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First time user experiences Fearless, June Tomastick, 65, sat at the communal computer at the Bloomington Adult Community Center navigating around the Web. She searched on IU’s events Web page looking for the free movies and programs for the week.
After receiving a master’s degree in vocals and another in theater history at IU, post retirement Tomastick decided to head back to campus to audit a couple of classes. It was during a French music class in 1998 where Tomastick used the computer for the first time. “I’m not the best typist,” Tomastick admitted. “After writing a paper or two for the French music class, I decided I wasn’t going to type anymore papers.” Tomastick has no desire to take any keyboarding class. She said she was happy just being able to type the couple of things she wants in e-mails as well as navigating around the Web. If Tomastick decided she wanted to enroll in computer classes, she would be able to do it through the Bloomington Adult Community Center where Diana Hoffman is the adult computer instructor. During the day, Hoffman is the technology training manager for City of Bloomington. Where she is in charge of keeping all city employees up to date with the computer systems used, in addition to educating them on ways they can use new computer skills to be more productive at their job.
Hoffman uses many teaching styles similar to Novak who teaches at the Broadview Living and Learning Center. “I try to make learning as easy as possible,” Hoffman said. “I make sure that I never do it for them.” Hoffman also realizes the importance of patience and repetition. She explains how the desktop on the computer imitates one’s office at home. It has functions such as folders and menus to organize information, just like in an office, Hoffman said. Hoffman has taught many of her adult computer classes at night. Recently, she has had trouble filling her classes and she believes it’s because her adult students prefer to drive during the day rather than at night. The Pew Research report found seniors are also more likely than any other age group to be living with some kind of disability, which could hinder their capacity to get to a computer training center or read the small type on many Web sites.
“Many of my adult students’ eye sight is not as strong as it used to be,” Hoffman said. “Even in class, sometimes I have to brighten screens or enlarge text so it’s easier for them.” On the flip side Former student to Diane Hoffman in 2000, Dianne Wilson, 59, is a secretary at the Bloomington Adult Community Center. There Hoffman trains Wilson and other Bloomington Adult Community Center employees on how to be more efficient when using the computer.
Wilson has been working with computers ever since she began her job at Bloomington Hospital in 1979. There, she transcribed orders for doctors as well as filled out Kordex cards for other departments to reference through a computer system. Wilson is comfortable keyboarding and navigating the Web each day. She said she believes it has been easier to learn more advanced computer techniques because she’s been doing it for so long. “The generation that has grown up with the computer has it that much easier than me,” Wilson said. “They can learn things on the computer in minutes that I don’t think these adults could maybe even ever learn.” At the Bloomington Adult Community Center, a group of women have found the computer to be useful for e-mail, but their talents shine in another area.
Tabor checks her e-mail every morning before she starts her day, which usually involves a visit to the Bloomington Adult Community Center where she enjoys talking and playing games with other visitors. “You and your friends should come play,” Tabor joked. “We can teach you a thing or two.” Page 1 | Page 2| Further Information
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