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PHIL MOSIER
Above: Louise Hatcher gets assistance from volunteer Tom Starling.
Below: Instructor Karen Keeter explains iPhone
basics as Harriet Horton listens intently.
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 four-
week class meets on Saturday
mornings at Saint Jude the
Apostle Catholic Church in
Sandy Springs. Throughout
the class, Keeter and the other
( A
At the Top of His Tech
Of course, plenty of older adults have been interested and involved
in computers and digital technology for a long time. Programmers,
computer specialists and software designers include people of all ages.
One example is Gene Rubel (pictured right.)
After retiring from a successful career in
business and financial management, he
began to think about what to do next.
“Computers have been a hobby of mine for
the last 50 years,” he explained. “During
that time I’ve helped hundreds of people
with their computers, and once I retired, I
thought maybe I could turn my hobby into
a business.”
That business is Digital Device Doctor. It’s
been keeping Rubel busy, and his clients sane, since
he started it two years ago. While Rubel is happy to work with anyone
of any age, he does prefer to limit his focus to Windows-based operating
systems, as well as Apple and Android devices. “These days, the only Mac
I work on is my wife’s!” he added.
According to Rubel, a lot of his clients are older folks who can get
overwhelmed by their computers and devices, and who haven’t been
able to keep up with the latest technology. That’s where his extensive
experience and knowledge of the latest advances really pays off.
“I work a lot with networking issues, figuring out if a slow computer
is due to a glitch in the computer itself or in the network connection.
Sometimes the computers and devices have trouble syncing up. Often,
it’s a security issue and I need to remove malware or ransomware,” Rubel
explained. “But these are all solvable problems.”
Along with solving all those problems, Rubel also offers consultations
to clients on their purchases, including new computers, devices and any
necessary equipment. He guides them on everything from password
management to sorting and storing their digital photos. There’s even a
weekly Digital Device Doctor newsletter.
While all this keeps Rubel busy, that’s just fine with him. “I really like
working with people. I don’t get frustrated, and I’m happy to take the
time and answer their questions. There’s just one problem working with
seniors,” Rubel said with a chuckle. “My biggest competitors are their
volunteers see students’ eyes
light up when discovering some
of the things their phones can do.
“It’s rewarding when you see
those ‘ah-ha moments’ where
your students figure out how
something works,” Keeter said.
“I remember the first time one
of my groups sent their first
text messages, with selhes, to
their kids and grandkids. There
were big smiles all around, me
included!” ■
kids and grandkids!” i
Where to go to learn more...
Bluehair Technology
Workshops and classes that
focus on various tech topics are
held throughout the Atlanta
metro area. Examples of October
offerings include iPhone Basics
at Saint Jude the Apostle Catholic
Church in Sandy Springs,
Windows 10 Basics at Second
Ponce de Leon Baptist Church’s
Family Life Center in Atlanta and
Cyber Sunday at the St. George
Village Activity Center in Roswell.
Visit bluehairtech.org to learn
V,
more. Anyone interested in donating
or volunteering is also invited to visit
the site.
Local Libraries
Many libraries in the area offer
technology classes that are not
necessarily senior-based. The best
Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System: afpls.org
advice is to call or drop in at your
local library and see what they have
scheduled. You can, of course, check
their websites, but be warned—some
library sites are challenging to
navigate. Still, you can find library
phone numbers on the sites.
Cobb County Public Library System: cobbcat.org
DeKalb County Public Library System: dekalblibrary.org
Gwinnett County Public Library System: gwinnettpl.org
Sequoyah Regional Library System (Cherokee, Pickens, Gilmer):
sequoyahregionallibrary.org
OCTOBER 2016 I ATLANTASENIORLIFE.COM
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