We had the launch this Monday with 70 seniors attending. The Kiosk started in operation since mid-October. We have 16 volunteer tutors providing a total of 26 hours per week of one-on-one support to inexperienced learners. All sessions in November are booked out. Many positive feedback received.

Regina   6/11/09

 

We are still in the promotional phase so haven't really got going yet, but so far we have been delighted and surprised on just how easy NEC have made everything to set up and get operational, many of the residents here at our retirement village are very keen to get started and feel much more confident about having a 'go' knowing it is one on one and with tutors they know and its right on their door step. We are looking forward to keeping you posted.

Cheers Sally   9/11/09

 

The Broadband for Seniors is going extremely well for us here in Bulahdelah. We have built up a large number of users. Many of them are doing the On-Line Courses provided on the Home Page, and all report what a wonderful concept the whole program is. Some of our users thought they were well informed regarding Computer use and applications, but after completing the On-Line Courses, they realised that they had a lot to learn, and were very excited about the new skills they have learnt through the program.

First time users have been able to set up their E-Mail Accounts for the very first time and learn all of the basic skills needed to get started, and we have had great comments about our patience and training skills.

Regards Malcolm   11/11/09

 

The provision of the kiosk has proved to be an exciting, timely benefit to my life in our retirement village.

Having easy access to a computer has taken away all the excuses! I'm now ready to make the most of the technology provided.....having an email address has been wonderful. My children are ensuring there is a regular stream of messages and various connections to keep me uptodate!! The various groups I belong to are also grateful because I am now on their automatic mailing list, keeping me in touch with any changes and additional information I might need. Although this is still early days for me I can already see the benefits and I am very grateful to all concerned for making this available. 

Resident   17/11/09

 

Since opening the free Broadband for Seniors Kiosk in the Mungindi Community and Technology Centre, local seniors are slowly but surely forgetting their fear of using computers. The local Seniors Scrapbooking ladies are using this free facility more and more and a couple of seniors who would always shy away from learning to use a computer, came to play Solitaire, on the new computers. The Centre strives to teach the Mungindi Community how to be Technology savvy and the Broadband for Seniors initiative makes it so much easier to reach our goal.

Seniors travelling through Mungindi on their journeys to see Australia are pleasantly surprised on finding these up-to-date facilities in a remote town, such as Mungindi.

Regards, Elrene   19/11/09

 

The kiosk is fantastic. The online lessons are very simple and easy for seniors to follow. I am very impressed by the whole program and delighted to be able to offer this service.

Rosetta   19/11/09

 

Our kiosk started operating almost from the moment it was set up. Our warm-up advertising was noted by the Cleveland Library and they started referring people to us. Not wanting to disappoint, we accepted those early birds and have had a constant stream.

We had our kiosk officially opened on Tuesday 10 November by Andrew Laming MP, Member for Bowman. The publicity from that brought fresh enquiries and we are moving along at quite a steady pace.

Our post-tutorial surveys, completed by seniors, have been quite supportive. They include such statements as: “Great start. Very interesting but much more for me to learn. Most enjoyable”; “Most rewarding. Very Interesting. Many thanks to my tutor.”; “Learnt a lot”; “Very helpful”; Tutor was very patient with me.  Can’t absorb a lot at once. I need to practice more”.

We have bookings through to our Christmas closure and by then will probably have some for 2010. 

Tony, Redlands Fifty Plus   23/11/09

 

The seniors who have attended our kiosk are delighted and amazed at the self paced interactive training available from the computers and software of the Broadband for Seniors program. Our computer club is also pleased that seniors who register at our kiosk and have computers and broadband access at home can continue to learn in their own home. This frees up the kiosk for more seniors to train on site. The following stories are typical;

Joy W, was nervous using a computer, she now enjoys playing poker, & is starting to write short stories on the computer.

Bev A, considered herself a computer illiterate and is now a registered user and increasing her skills with confidence from her home computer.

George R, after a few lessons is buying a laptop today to keep in touch with his brother in law in Cumbria.

We are also seeing more examples of interaction between seniors using the kiosk.

Regards, Tony   30/11/09

 

V H bought a laptop about 12 months ago, but after repeated instruction, written and verbal did not progress at all. A friend tried to get him to go to tutoring classes to no avail. He doesn't like to show his ignorance in front of others. Yesterday, a friend took him up to the Kiosk got him signed up and logged on and showed him how to go through the lessons.

After this he and the tutor went to V's home and logged on to BFS. V is quite amazed and pleased that he is able to learn at home at his own pace. This is going to give him much needed confidence and I now fully appreciate the benefits BFS will be to seniors taking their first steps into new technology to them and the www." 

A Tutor   30/11/09