Teaching others to use technology can be a very rewarding experience. Simply being able to use a computer can provide a person with opportunities to e-mail friends and relatives who live in other places, browse the latest news, or do research to learn new things.
Whenever you are teaching someone to use a computer, remember to go slowly and keep in mind that the person you are instructing probably doesn’t know many of the technological concepts that seem to come naturally to you. A little patience will go a long way. Try to ask your student if there are any skills or concepts that they are most interested in learning so that you can tailor your lesson plans to attend to those needs. Additionally, ask the person about what they already know. This will make it so that you’re not being redundant in your teachings.
Once you have successfully taught a new skill, don’t forget to periodically revisit it so that the student won’t forget what they’ve learned. Also, since the best way to become comfortable with a new skill is to practice it often, encourage your students to use what they’ve learned, even when you’re not around to provide guidance.
Finally, even if your knowledge primarily extends to the computer, see if there are other ways that you can provide technological assistance such as learning how to use a blackberry smartphone or program a DVD player. People who have grown up with these items often think of them as second nature and can do much to provide assistance to people who are from another generation or did not previously have access to these technologies.
