Tech Buddy Project Reflection Paper

Tech Buddy Project
The goal of this assignment is for you to help older adults enhance tech literacy by coaching, mentoring, and supporting them as they use technology. This year we will partner with Front Porch Center for Innovation and Wellbeing (Front Porch Center for Innovation and Wellbeing | (fpciw.org) to help its residents learn technology. Front Porch is one of Southern California’s largest non-profit providers of retirement living communities and affordable housing. For the past several decades, FPCIW has been at the forefront of incorporating innovative technology into the lives of older adults to enhace their well-being.

Select one older adult around you who are aged 65 or older (e.g., parents, grandparents, relatives, neighbors, clients, etc.), explore their needs or problems and how the needs or problems can be solved using technology, set up an achievable goal with your mentee, design a 5-week technical assistance or training program, and deliver one-on-one assistance or training as a tech buddy. Make sure that you design the program based on your mentee’s interest levels and circumstances. Be flexible (e.g., time per session, topic areas, how often you will meet, etc.) and think of ways to foster the mentee’s curiosity and motivation.
Examples of the competencies that you can help them learn include:
– How to use a laptop, smartphone, tablet, or another device
– How to navigate the Internet
– How to do Google searches
– How to use email
– How to video chat with family and friends
– Computer safety and security
– What is social media
– Etc.

Based on your experience on Tech Buddy Project, you will write a brief paper about what you have accomplished through the project and your reflections on it. The paper may include
1) a brief description about your mentee and his/her technical needs or problems,
2) project goal and technical assistance or training provided,
3) measures used to assess whether your mentee achieved the goal,
4) your reflection on the project experience (e.g., new awareness, discovery, lessons, etc.), and
5) discussion on how the project and what you’ve learned in the course altogether informed your views on gerontechnology or your future career.

The paper should be no longer than 5 pages，double-spaced, with a 1-inch margin on all sides and 12pt font size.

Pay special attention to point five, discussing how the project and what you learned in the course together can affect your views on eldertech or your future career. I will upload the Powerpoint of the recent course below.

Last Completed Projects