Senior citizens

explore Internet

CHS students, teachers volunteer time to teach

Internet course

By RACHEL WEDDIG

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- Area senior citizens received training on computers and the Internet through a class taught by volunteer teachers and students from Cathedral High School.

"The students helped out with the class as part of their service project," said CHS technology instructor Mary Dengerud. "We thought of this idea as a department and felt it would be a good service project for the students, since they are so good at it. It was easy for them to help out with it."

During the five class sessions, which ended Wednesday, senior citizens learned more about the Internet, using it to research topics such as health, travel and genealogy. The instructors also told the senior citizens where they could find community and area parish websites.

Because of the success of the class and its limited size, CHS will offer it next spring. There is no charge for the classes.

"The senior citizens came in at various levels with their computer skills," Dengerud said. "So we taught them the basics during the early sessions, and these last two sessions were open to help them with anything specific they wanted to learn."

Dengerud and CHS Technology Coordinator Cris Olson saw the class as a way for students to connect with the older members of their parishes and for the senior citizens to learn more about computers. Participants learned how to use e-mail, and open attachments and pictures by having her keyboarding students send each of them an e-mail message.

"If they learned one thing, whether it was e-mail or ways to look at family trees, that was our goal," Dengerud said. "We stressed to them that they needed to go home and practice, just like with anything else."

Rose Nachreiner of New Ulm felt the class was very valuable.

"The classes helped me out with my e-mail, and I learned about different websites," Nachreiner said. "Before this class, I was kind of afraid of computers. I have one at home, but never knew how to use it."

Students felt good about donating their time to help the senior citizens.

"I thought it was a fun class because it was a new thing for the senior citizens, and it gave them a chance to learn more about the different ways to use the Internet," said CHS sophomore Ed Haubrich. "I helped with the class because I had the time and thought it would be a neat thing to participate in."

Realizing how much they helped out the senior citizens was a reward for some of the students.

"The senior citizens reacted really nicely to the class," said CHS student Mary Hazuka. "I realized how a little time can go a long way. Seeing how much the class meant to the senior citizens, meant a lot to me."

Alice Manderfeld, of rural New Ulm, used the class to learn more ways to search for family trees.

"I've had a computer at home for several years, but never knew anything about the Internet," Manderfeld said. "I like to search for family history and have learned how to use e-mail to contact family members."

Since the students have basically grown up learning about computers, they were happy to teach the senior citizens.

"I think I was surprised at how little the senior citizens knew about computers compared to us," said CHS freshman Matt Soukup. "It gave me a good feeling knowing we've helped them out."