If
you've been on the library's website recently or inside one of our library
branches, it is likely you've heard of our FREE One-on-One Tech Help
program.
This program is aimed at adults
who need help with technology (such as laptops and tablets) and would like to
learn more; interested clients can make appointments with the library to meet
with the branch's CAP (Community Access Program) Youth Intern, who will engage
in a one-on-one session to answer any question clients may have.
As with any time one is meeting with a
stranger to discuss something one may not be comfortable with, it is not
surprising or in any way unreasonable to be concerned about not knowing what to
expect.
Will the instructor be easy to
talk to? What if I can't understand any of what they're saying? So, to help
sooth your fears, here are my top five tips for People Attending One-on-Ones.
1. Have Your Questions Ready
Before You Go
Before
arriving at your session, make a list of the questions you'd like to ask or
subjects you'd like to go over. This
not only insures that you won't forget what you wanted to ask, it also helps
the instructor make sure that your time together is used in the most productive
and helpful way. You may want to tell
the instructor “I know nothing, just tell me everything” or asking them “what
are all the important things I need to know?”.
Although these statements may be how you feel, they do not help an
instructor to know where to begin.
2. Remember that Instructors Want to Teach as
Much as You Want to Learn.
The
instructors are there because they want to help, and all instructors had to be
vetted through an interview process with library staff. Remember: not everyone can know everything,
so sometimes you will be learning together.
Instructors may not always realize that what seems obvious to them may
not be so clear to someone who didn't grew up in such a hyper-technological
culture; in most cases, just letting them know that you don't understand will
help to provide some direction.
3. Instructors Can Not Read Your
Mind.
If
you find that you are struggling with a certain program, or you can't keep up
because the instructor is going too fast, you need to let the instructor know. I fully understand why it often feels easier
to just stay quiet and hope everything will just suddenly make sense. The truth though, is that this method is not
productive or helpful, and could end in mutual frustration. Instructors want to
aid you in understanding technology but they can't do that unless you are
willing to communicate with them. Just
ask them to slow down or go over an explanation again – instructors are there
to support you.
4. Instructors Are Not Computer
Technicians
Instructors
are trained in helping clients with doing many basic computing tasks, such as
using the Internet, setting up a tablet, or downloading ebooks and audio books. They will likely not be able to help you if
you bring in your tablet because it is making a funny whirring noise, or your
laptop has a virus. These are beyond the
scope of what the one-on-one sessions are designed to achieve. Before making an appointment, make sure your
problem is one that a CAP Youth can help you with. If you're not sure, it is perfectly okay to
call the library and ask.
And last, but certainly not
least...
5. Have Fun!
In this highly technological age,
it is very easy to become overwhelmed with all the new gadgets coming out
constantly. But for all that, it's a
little scary, it's really pretty amazing too!
Thanks to technology we can now talk face to face with friends and
family half way around the world, download hundreds of books and movies onto
one easily transportable device, learn about quite literally anything you can
think of with the click of a button, and so much more. There are so many
incredible things that can be done with technology, and with the skills you'll
learn through one-on-ones, you'll take your first step towards them. Good luck!
-
Shania Taylor, CAP Youth Intern Bridgetown/Lawrencetown