I have a friend who is in Iraq and her mom uses the computer as a soul means of communicating. The only problem is the mom has no clue. I have written down step by step instructions and she still gets lost and ends up deleting things that shouldn't be deleted. I don't mind going out there and helping, but the mom tells my friend that I have deleted stuff that was not deleted and when she can't do something it is all my fault. How do I teach this woman enough to get the job done? Just a little more info, she has dial up instead of an always connected. I think this is a large part of the problem.
2007-10-12 05:55:19 · 6 answers · asked by ? 4 in Computers & Internet ➔ Other - Computers
Patience is one thing but, it takes me an hour to get out to her house. So time is more of an issue. The dial-up is only an issue because she gets confused trying to connect.
2007-10-12 06:21:32 · update #1
blaze....
i teach computers to all ages and anyone past the age of 6 you NEED to have extreme patience.
the first problem you will encounter is that eye-hand coordination is developed by age 6 and that is what we have for the rest of our lives....so your first obstacle is going to be to get her to look at the screen while her hand is moving the mouse.
Again, patience patience patience.
Ignore what she tells your friend...ALL computer Users blame somebody else for their computer ignorance or loss of data....she is just learning and does not even know the correct verbage. patience.
yes...a cable modem (like cox) would be great...so she would be "on" all the time....but some places do not have access to this. you need to show her what is on and what is off....again patience.
Writing it down may not help....some people do not learn by writing instructions. there are those who learn by hearing, those who learn by doing and those who learn by observation....we all have different learning techniques.
I, personally, rely on notes all the time.....others do not.
at 76 she does not need to know the inner workings of the computer....ram, hard disk etc...and she may not even need to know word or excel right now....just concentrate on turning on and off the computer and working with email.....do not include any attachments until you feel she is comfortable with email....attachments are an abstract idea and it is hard for some people to grasp.
good luck :)
2007-10-12 06:08:14 · answer #1 · answered by Blue October 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I agree; patience is a virtue teaching this lady, but I also suggest the following:
1. Teach the keyboard, particularly the Enter key, backspace, delete, Alt and Control.
2. Emphasize the need to read the instructions before clicking on something.
3. Review often.
I have dial-up Internet, which is terrible to work with, but I can still get the job done eventually.
Good luck
2007-10-12 13:06:59 · answer #2 · answered by Guitarpicker 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, it's not a matter of patience and being willing to help. I am 76 years old, but I've been TEACHING seniors for years how to use computers, specifically email. And I've had some who simply refused to listen, or learn. That's what this sounds like. And dial-up doesn't really have anything to do with it. She simply doesn't want to listen. If she were in one of my classes I could get tough with her and the rest of the students would shame her into listening. But she isn't in one of my classes, and I don't know if you can get tough with her.
You can say, in all honesty, "If you don't want to listen to me and you don't want to learn, then I can't help you and I'll tell my friend that." Then do just that. If the friend is in the military, she's probably aware her mother is old and stuck in her tracks, so be as honest and polite as possible, but stick to your point. You can't help someone who doesn't want to be helped. Unfortunately, some older people simply don't want to admit there is either something they don't know, or something wrong with what they are doing.
Either way, friend, I don't envy you!
2007-10-12 13:05:51 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Bobby L is right. You'll need plenty of patience to do this. I'm teaching my mom how to use a computer, and she still asks the same question which I already taught her. Just tell them they need constant practice in front of a computer. Nobody taught me yet I learned everything by making mistakes.
2007-10-12 13:01:00 · answer #4 · answered by Lode Runner 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
you gave her the list and you've done the same several times in front of her. If she's english language native, windows is very easy for her to learn. May be she just doesn't want to listen.
2007-10-12 13:19:24 · answer #5 · answered by hunga bunga 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
patience and be willing to help
2007-10-12 12:58:18 · answer #6 · answered by Bobby L 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋