HOLDEN — Technology can be a good thing. But for those who did not grow up with it, high tech can take some getting used to.
Those who grew up with rotary dial telephones and cords keeping them tied to heavy phones have adapted to new tech, but mastering the capabilities beyond what a telephone was traditionally used for takes a little tender loving teaching. Cell phones do not not come with manuals, and things the younger generation find intuitive are not necessarily so for senior citizens.
For many senior citizens, Wachusett Regional High School students have come to the rescue, taking on the teaching role.
“They do a great job explaining things,” Jackie Butler said as students recently went through advice on navigating the internet, including things to do — and not do — and then providing hands-on assistance in the final of six classes.
The classes at the Holden Senior Center started almost by accident, but have proved to be popular.
“Twenty-six seniors signed up for the first six-week session, which was held each Wednesday,” outreach director Dale Hayden said, referring to the first classes held in April of 2022, after drop-in sessions in 2021.
“Ten WRHS students arrived to help with the training. The students walked to the Senior Center each week from the high school. At times there were 14 students providing assistance.”
A few weeks ago, students completed the fourth six-week session.
“The students who began in 2021 as WRHS sophomores will be graduating this spring, and we are going to miss them very much,” Hayden said.
The senior center “students” may also miss the high school students.
But the Wachusett students indicated they will do drop-in sessions to continue offering advice, even as some prepare for college.
“It’s been really good,” “student” Anne Queenan said of the help she got, from putting a screensaver on to using the WAZE app.
“It (Using the phone) was a lot easier than I thought,” Queenan said, with the personalized instruction. “I just got the phone, and no one showed me how to use it.” But, she said, the students turned the phone into more than a phone, although she admits she uses it mainly for calls and voicemail.
“I really like them. They are very good at presenting things,” Queenan said, noting she likes the programs at the senior center.
The group of Holden high school seniors answered questions and sat down to show how specific aspects of the phones worked.
“These kids are great,” Martha Barbernitz said. “They are so helpful.” She said she had been afraid of “pushing buttons” before they helped her.
“They answer every question and sit down with you,” Barbernitz said. With children living out of town, “I can zoom with them and Facetime,” adding she loves seeing her family, which gets together on Zoom weekly.
“It is going well,” WRHS student Sophia Mellen said. “There were some challenges with having to explain things. But once we got past that, it went well.”
WRHS student Lilly Mastrototoro noted that “Your phone is a tool. It’s good to be tech literate.”
She said her “students” were good learners. “They did a great job.”
“It’s very diverse what they teach,” Nancy Benoit said of what she learned in the class. “I learned a lot of things I didn’t know before. I’m glad I was able to learn.”
Benoit added, “The girls do such as wonderful job. They get an A-plus.”
The Wachusett students did drop-in classes the first year, and then students Allison Deskins, Lauren Hazelwood and Elina Lindberg designed a curriculum for a six-week course.
Lindberg said one key was patience as they explained new tech.
As a bonus, “We learned empathy for our teachers at school,” she said.
“We realized how complicated tech is,” Hazelwood said. “We grew up with it.”
Teaching the classes, she said, “Makes us feel better about ourselves.”
Hazelwood said she helped one woman contact her daughter in Oklahoma, so they can connect by email after helping her set up her iPad. Another bonus, she said, is that the “students” have interesting stories to share.
“It is also a way to have some socialization,” she said.
Mastrototoro said as the classes progressed, “they are becoming more self sufficient” with technology that grows so fast.
Initially, “I had no idea how to do anything,” “student” Ritva Makela said. “I learned quite a bit. They come in asking if they can help. They show you how to do it,” which is something most of the older students said they never had and appreciated.
The graduating WRHS students are planning drop-in opportunities every other week to answer questions, Lindberg said.
The WRHS students are trying to get people to take it over since all the current students are seniors.
The classes began several years ago, Hayden said, when she had a phone request from a WRHS student asking if any senior residents in Holden could use a dog walker.
“The student explained that she needed to do so many volunteer hours to be considered for the National Honor Society,” Hayden said. Having no seniors needing dog walkers, she said there were many seniors needing assistance figuring out how to use their cell phones.
“I asked the student if she would be willing to come to the Senior Center after school for a drop-in cell phone support session with our senior residents. I suggested that any student needing volunteer hours would be welcome and greatly appreciated,” Hayden said.
“The drop-in program was a huge success, with three to five students each week assisting our seniors.”
