You’re never too old to learn something new, even technology!

Smiling seniors holding a robotic ball

Seniors and technology are not as lopsided as you might imagine. The Park South Family YMCA held a senior technology exhibition. Dr. Tonjia Grimble, Imagine Science Senior Project Manager, started off the class by reviewing emails, how to avoid dangerous spam emails, the importance of spotting them, and what they may contain. Seniors reviewed the most common passwords used and also found other ways to strengthen their passwords for future purposes. Those in attendance were very excited to learn new things especially those who were familiar with the internet. The advice Dr. Grimble provided was very valuable to the participants. It included things like:

  • Email platforms: Best email platforms to use which included Gmail & AOL and the advantages of each.
  • Junk mail: They not only talked about characteristics of received junk email, but the instructor also spoke about physical junk mail sent to your home and how to unsubscribe to both.
  • Common habits of hackers: The common habits of hackers were expressed, corresponding the with habits of the common person, such as using lastname1234 as a password.

The class then transitioned to more of a hands-on approach with the attendees working with the Sphero robots, which are programmable robots to help people learn fundamental STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) concepts through play-based learning and educational STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) activities. You can use Sphero robots to play games, create programs, or complete challenges. While working with the robots the participants learned many things from coding to hand-eye coordination. On the final day of the technology workshop, seniors showed their familiarity with the robots. They were able to refresh and sharpen the skills they learned the previous two days. Staying connected as a senior through technology and taking full advantage of it gives seniors the ability to enhance their daily routine. Technology plays a crucial role in all our lives nowadays so seniors cannot be excluded.

 

 

 

Written By:

James Fleming

Digital Media Intern

Park South YMCA