Seniors surfing the 'Net
Published on June 18th, 2003
STONEHAM, MA - In a twist of their everyday academic life, a class of third graders played teacher for a few hours and taught a computer crash-course to a handful of the town's senior citizens.
Meeting for the fourth and last time this recently in the new Central School's computer lab, students from teacher Angela Lipson's third-grade class concluded the intergenerational partnership by navigating the Internet with nine computer-chsllenged seniors.
Coordinated between Jane Lavender, the Director of Stoneham's Senior Center and Marie Funk, the Stoneham Public School's Director of Elementary Curriculum, the primary objectives of the mini-course were to teach senior citizens basic computer skills and to promote more interaction between the two generations.
"I think this is just wonderful and I can't say enough about the students. It's just amazing what they know at eight or nine years," remarked Stoneham resident Ellen Conner, who before the class only knew how to use word processing programs. "I write down what they tell me and now I can go home and go on Yahoo," she added with an approving nod to her young teacher.
For his part, Conner's third-grade assistant, Doug (whose last name is left out at the request of school officials), said he was more than happy to help.
"I think it's fun, and I think it's really cool showing seniors how to work on the computers, because they need our help. That's what our job is," Doug remarked.
Meeting for about forty-five minutes a session, the seniors spent the first two classes learning how to operate Microsoft Word. For the second two weeks, the students aided the group in learning how to surf the Internet and write emails. Integrating the course with the third-graders' curriculum, the seniors helped type up a poem the students wrote in class and visited the Tsongas Industrial Center web page, where students will travel to on a field trip next week.
While some of the elder participants struggled with the course, Stoneham resident Glenn Conner, who took the class with his wife Ellen, testified to the patient and straightforward teaching style of the third-graders.
"These children are marvelous teachers because they have a lot more patience than people like myself. The language in those manuals gets difficult to comprehend. Now, every time I go onto the unit at home in conjunction with these classes, I feel a lot more confident. I'll come back if they offer the project again," Conner said.
Validating Conner's praise, several youngsters exhibited their carefree patience with their computer-impaired elders. One student, Marissa, reassured her frustrated partner as she slowly worked to find the Tsongas Industrial Center website.
"Oh no, now something's wrong," Stoneham resident Julia Symes cried out, throwing her hands up into the air and nestling her head in her hands.
"No, it just takes a while for it to come up," responded Marissa as photographs and text boxes appeared on the computer screen.
"She helps me," said Symes, taking her head out of her hands with a reenergizing chuckle and grasping Marissa's shoulders with a grandmotherly embrace.
While the class' participants all boasted of the help they received from the elementary students, they also showered an equal amount of applause upon the program's adult teacher, Central School's media specialist, Alyce Mallaghan.
"Our teacher is wonderful. She's patient, especially with senior citizens. I just think it's a wonderful idea that the town is making available," commented Stoneham resident Ann Mackay, a retired Fleet Bank employee. "I'm determined now. I'm coming back next year. I hope they run it," she added.
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