TECH SAVVY

Seniors Learn To Get Comfortable With The Latest Technology

and save photos. Others are interested in using email and Facebook, in addition to Facetime or Skype, to stay in touch with their families, especially their young grandchildren.

That’s not all, of course. “They’re really open to any services that can make their lives easier, like a GPS to help them navigate on the road, or the Internet to search for information, check bank statements and enjoy the convenience of online shopping,” she explained.

Ratliff said that she was inspired to start the organization in 2011, when helping her mother learn how to use her new iPad. The tablet was a birthday gift from Jane’s brother. He’d hoped their mother would use the iPad to keep in touch with family members all around the country, but it was going to take basic, step-by-step instruction for her to become comfortable with it since she’d had no previous computer experience.

Ratliff’s patience and persistence paid off. She reported that, five years later, her mother, now 91, uses her iPad every day. “She stays connected with her family and friends through Facebook and regularly checks her bank statement. She also plays Words with Friends with five people, including me.”

That’s not the end of the story, by any means. Through her mother’s experience, Ratliff realized that, these days, everyone needs technological skills. She founded Bluehair Technology to fulfill that purpose, specifically focusing on the senior population. It was formed as a non-profit so it could serve a wide range of seniors, through grants, sponsorships and other forms of funding.

“People won’t be able to function in the future unless they can use the latest technology,” she said. “Americans of every age and income level need to have basic technological skills in today’s society, and it will only become more true in the future.”

Karen Keeter, Instructor and Social Media Associate with Bluehair Technology, said that it can be challenging to teach a class where there are wide differences in the levels of knowledge between students. She makes sure everyone stays focused so they stay on track and cover the entire curriculum.

After retiring from IBM three years ago, Keeter looked for opportunities to stay involved in the latest technology. She explained that she always enjoyed working with seniors—in fact, she also volunteers time at the Jewish Home—so becoming an instructor with Bluehair Technology was a perfect fit.

Bluehair Technology relies on its teachers and volunteers to keep offering their services. Ratliff said that instructors should not only have teaching skills and be willing to adapt to the curriculum, they must also be patient, have a clear voice and be able to control a room.

“We’re always looking for volunteers and teachers, specifically skilled, patient teachers like Karen,” she said. “Many of our instructors are retired teachers, while others work in technological fields and donate part of their weekends to teaching.”

This fall, Keeter has been teaching a class of seniors how to use their iPhones. The fourweek class meets on Saturday mornings at Saint Jude the Apostle Catholic Church in Sandy Springs. Throughout the class, Keeter and the other