Bytes Oct 2016 news bulletin

Learn, work, grow! Marian Vincent, BFS WA Networker, gives the volunteers at Worklink Albany a tour around the Broadband for Seniors resources and some ideas for the future.

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Editorial Welcome to the October edition of Bytes. We know that the Internet is an important tool for social inclusion and to participate in the online economy. But it is also important to understand that for seniors to remain in or re-enter the workforce, they need to be able to use new technologies. Older people are often more interested in acquiring skills than qualifications so participating in skills-based BFS tutoring that focusses on digital literacy and, of course, the joy of learning go a long way to meeting these needs. BFS kiosks have the capacity to help seniors stay in the workplace longer or find new careers. This edition we look at a BFS kiosk located in an organisation that is focussed on helping people, including seniors, find and keep jobs. Improving the online lessons We have been busy looking at ways we can improve our online tutorials for seniors. Over the coming months, you will see some additions to the online lessons that will be designed to help BFS tutors work with their seniors and for senior to work their way through the lessons at their own pace. This will take some time and we would be happy to get some feedback that we can use to help us with this task.

Catherine Devlin

BFS on Facebook Have you joined our Broadband for Seniors Facebook page yet. It is a growing community of seniors, tutors and interested parties sharing information and having some fun! We’d love it if you would Like our BFS Page and participate in our community for a chat, to collaborate, to share or just to have a laugh every now and then: https://www.facebook.com/BFSeniors/

YouTube fun facts YouTube has over a billion users, or over a third of the entire population of the Internet. It started as a dating site. At 833,698,293 plays, the Charlie Bit My Finger is the most popular video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OBlgSz8sSM

The average session time is 40 minutes.

Time to finalise your BFS agreement Yes, we are still nagging about this! Most are in but ... if you haven’t yet returned your signed agreement to us at [email protected]. au, can you please help us out by making this a priority. We need to finalise this process.

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ssisting people to seek and secure employment does not only provide them with an income, it also contributes to their sense of themselves and to their wellbeing. Increasing the employment participation of older people offers a lot of benefits in terms of retaining skills and knowledge, and also helps to address some of the issues associated with Australia’s ageing population. Many people, including seniors, face complex barriers to employment that can severely impact their daily lives. They may become socially isolated, their health may suffer – they may even end up homeless. Supporting people of all ages Worklink Albany in Western Australia is a not-for profit organisation that has been assisting people across age groups with training and to find and secure employment since 1988. Worklink’s goal is to help people to Learn, Work and Grow.

Worklink has been involved with Broadband for Seniors since its inception. ‘We help people with their job skills such as preparing resumes, job applications, and generally getting them ready for work’, says Emmah Marwick. Emmah is the Broadband for Seniors Host Contact at Worklink. Worklink attracts a broad range of people, some of whom are referred

from employment agencies because they are not quite ready to enter the workforce. Some may have lost jobs or have been unemployed for a long time. Other may be looking to change careers. A commitment to community Part of Worklink’s commitment to their community is the Broadband for Seniors kiosk. ‘Some seniors want assistance with job skills but many just want to use the computers to chat with family or improve their general knowledge’, says Emmah. ‘We book a one-on-one session with them, usually for an hour. Our kiosk is appointment based. We find out when the best time is for seniors and then fit in with them and what they want to know.’ ‘My main focus is putting them first’, says Emmah. ‘We want to make sure they’re happy.’ Bringing people together The BFS volunteers are vital to the organisation. Marian Vincent, the BFS Networkers for WA, recently attended Worklink to help the volunteers identify and locate useful resources and to give staff and BFS volunteers some some fresh ideas for the future of the Kiosk. Marian met with staff members, the CEO Barbara and some of the current volunteer tutors, Pam and David. Pam is the resident guru for tablets and

David is the main go to for assistance with PC related tasks. Pam and David are matched with seniors who need assistance in their fields of expertise, which ensures the seniors are getting the best possible training. The value of morning tea Worklink often have morning teas to bring all the staff and volunteers together to talk about Broadband for Seniors and to work together in providing the best environment possible to deliver the program.

What does the research tell us? The number of seniors in Australia is increasing. Seniors are healthier, more active and some are more than willing to continue on in the workforce. Often older people in the workplace are viewed in a negative way but scientists are now studying traits that actually improve with age, and could be a real asset in the workplace. According to the Princeton University psychology professor Susan Fiske, older people: •

tend to be more knowledgeable

•

have more experience

•

have greater emotional stability

•

are better able to stand back and see the big picture.

But wait there’s more good news ... The Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin conducted an investigation that included testing over 200 younger (ages 20–31) and older (ages 65– 80) adults on 12 different tasks. This investigation revealed significant differences between age groups. The investigation tasks tested perceptual speed, episodic memory and working memory. The tasks were repeated across 100 days, which allowed the researchers to assess improvements and daily fluctuations. What this investigation showed was that the cognitive performance of seniors was more consistent across days. It also indicated that older adults showed more consistency in terms of using the strategies they’d learn to solve tasks. Older adults had consistently high levels of motivation and maintained a balanced daily routine and stable mood. So on balance, older employees are more productive and more reliability than their younger coworkers.

(Source: Association for Sociological Science www.psychologicalscience.org)

Mysteries of communication Rolf Rekort from U3A Online explains modern communication in a simple and straightforward way Communicating through time The modern generation, who have grown up with radio, TV, computers, mobile phones and tablets, is presumably unaware of the amazing variety of distant communication methods employed in previous centuries. In terms of the proximity of the message sender and receiver, we can identify three scenarios: 1. They cannot see but hear each other. 2. They cannot hear but see each other. 3. They cannot see and hear each other. A few examples for each scenario are described below. Cannot see but hear The previous Byte article mentioned already in passing ‘yodeling’, the transmission of a message in a mountainous area via the human voice. Then there is the fog horn by which ships warned each other of their approaches in thick fog. The ringing of church bells and the muezzins of

a Muslim crier from a minaret invite believers to a service and prayer. The siren of a police car, ambulance or fire engine warns from a distance of their approach. A starter gun, which is positioned next and slightly behind the starting blocks of runners, is used in athletic competitions. In more recent times the loudspeaker technology allows the human voice to be carried over larger distances. Cannot hear but see Maretime signal flags are a good example. The basics of this method of communication were already introduced in 1653 when the Royal Navy had issued instructions by which an admiral could signal various orders by hoisting flags in various locations of his ship. Modern use of naval code signaling began with the invention of maritime signal flags in the mid 17th century. In the late 19th century signal lamps, using Morse code, were added as an additional

means to establish communication between ships. And finally, three other visual communication methods fall into this scenario, that is, the light house for ships, the traffic lights for motorists, and the airport landing lights and wind socks for planes. The reader may have noticed that the last three examples are somewhat different to all previously discussed examples in terms of the question: Who is communicating with whom? The last three examples represent communication between a ‘Device and Human’. All other so far mentioned examples deal with communication from ‘Human to Human’. There is a third answer to the above question, that is, communication from ‘Device to Device’. The latter we encounter in so-called control circuits devised by humans, for example, the thermostat in a house which communicates, without human intervention, with the air-conditioning unit to keep the temperature at a level preset by a human. Cannot see or hear In this scenario parties are most likely apart from each other over a long distance. The smoke signal is the oldest form of visual distance communication (in the previous article we also mentioned the similar role of fire beacons). Smoke signals have been used to transmit news, alert to danger or gather people in a prior agreed upon location. In ancient China soldiers stationed along the Great Wall would alert each other of impending enemy attack by signaling with smoke from tower to tower. And we all know from

our story books that the native North American Indian tribes used smoke signals. Even nowadays smoke signals remain in use to convey a message. This is the case when in Rome the College of Cardinals indicates the selection of a new Pope. Advancing technology The discovery of electricity combined with the invention of the electrical telegraph, and later the telephone, made all the difference to the methods employed for really long-distance communication. Way back in 1836, Samuel F. B. Morse, along with Joseph Henry and Alfred Vail, invented the electrical telegraph system. Before telephones were invented, this system could send messages over long distances by using pulses of electricity to signal to a machine in a distant location to make marks (dots and dashes representing Morse code) on a moving paper tape. The famous SOS Morse code signal is shown as . . . __ __ __ . . . And from thereon solutions in the field of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) were developed faster and faster up to to-days extraordinary facilities. But that is a story for the next issue.

The Internet of things What is it?

W

e keep hearing about the Internet of Things but have you ever wondered just what it really is all about. I went online to look it up and found this really good description:

The Internet of Things is the network of physical objects that contain embedded technology to communicate and sense or interact with the internal states or the external environment.

Breaking it down a little more, it is technology that allows devices, systems and services to be able to communicate and connect with one another in an advanced way. Lots of devices, systems and services are already able to do this and the number is increasing rapidly. Most are found in business, health care and factories with a fewer number of connected devices in our homes. I am convinced that soon we will be using the Internet of Things in our homes and taking it as quite a normal process. Tracking parcels, GPS navigators and cars that park themselves all amaze us and fit into the new world of the Internet of Things.

Meet George Jetson I keep thinking of the comics we read as youngsters, ever early television shows, and realise the creative minds of their creators foreshadowed some of the marvels of today. I think of the Dick Tracey watch, even that jet pack, in …. what’s the name of that show? How could we forget The Jetsons? I visited a smart houses project in Ireland a few years ago and saw a home set up with discreetly placed cameras and sensors that enabled the resident to be monitored for their well being. They were fully aware of the cameras and sensors so it was being done quite openly. The monitoring provided great care for the resident because the findings were being analysed and changes in the patterns of their everyday activities were observed as indicators of health and lifestyle challenges. There is a connected version of a cof-

fee making machine It is so easy to setup and schedule brewing; it even knows when its time to order more capsules. You can purchase products that let you monitor and control everything from the thermostat on your wall to the crockpot on the kitchen counter -- right from your smartphone. There are all in one home security systems that include an HD video camera and sensors for air quality, motion, sound, temperature and vibration. Hey use machine learning to determine what constitutes normal activity in your home. Technology is amazing! Nan Bosler www.ascca.org.au

Noticeboard Upcoming BFS webinars 2016 Please note Daylight Savings times. Stay safe online Date: 11 November 2016 at 1.00 pm AEDT Presenter: Richard Pascoe

Self-paced tutorials Did you know? There are self-paced online tutorials for seniors freely available at: http://bfseniors.com.au/online-training

Google Keep – your thoughts wherever you are ... Date: 18 November 2016 at 1.00 pm AEDT Presenter: Robert Page To register and for more full event details, go to http://bfseniors.com.au/events/

Get the help you need Helpful resources We are adding to these resources regularly. In particular http://bfseniors.com.au/for-kiosks/training-resources/ Upcoming and recorded webinars http://bfseniors.com.au/events/ http://bfseniors.com.au/events/?tribe_event_display=past BFS Google Group and wikispace http://groups.google.com.au/group/bfsvolunteer/ http://bfsv.wikispaces.com/ BFS support http://bfseniors.com.au/for-kiosks/support/

We’d love your feedback! Are your tutors keen for professional development webinars on a particular topic? If so, feel free to let us know. We are happy to tailor our webinar events to meet the needs of your volunteers tutors or seniors in your communities. Call us on 1300 795 897 or email [email protected].

GEMs for enquiring minds If you are looking for ways to encourage seniors to surf the Net then look no further. GEMs includes interesting health and lifestyle snippets; fun links and technical bits and pieces. Here is a small selection from the free U3AOnline GEMs newsletter which is mailed directly to subscribers’ in-boxes on the first of every month. Read previous editions and subscribe here for your free personalised edition – http://www. u3aonline.org.au/content/gems

Research **Mortality and cardiovascular disease: You don’t have to be an Olympic athlete to reduce the many risk factors https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/10/161021120425.htm ** The importance of the amount of physical activity on the risk of developing type 2 diabetes https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/10/161021123123.htm Little evidence that brain-training games yield real-world benefits https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/10/161003113427.htm Exercise may help ward off memory decline https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/10/161019162748.htm Minimal exercise can prevent disease, weight gain in menopausal women https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/10/161017142931.htm More information on how cancer and sugar-sweetened beverages are linked https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/10/161003114046.htm How even our brains get ‘slacker’ as we age https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/10/161024161648.htm

Information A stroke is medical emergency and every minute counts. The longer blood flow is cut off to the brain, the greater the damage. Quick treatment can save your or another person’s life and enhance the chances for successful recovery.Do this right away if you think you or someone else is having a stroke. https://nihseniorhealth.gov/stroke/faq/faq6.html

If you’re caring for someone with Alzheimer’s, it’s important to encourage healthy eating, whether the person with you or lives alone. https://nihseniorhealth.gov/alzheimerscare/faq/faq10.html Older men cling to 1950’s, ‘60’s blueprint of masculinity https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/10/161019110902.htm

Fun All would-be blues song writers can become overnight sensations with this How to Write a Blues Song primer (Thanks Blind Phil McBride, Australia) http://www.greatstoryteller.com/greatstoryteller-blog/how-to-write-a-blues-song-funny In line with the above blues theme you might like to read the lyrics to Nobel Laureate Bob Dylan’s “Working Man’s Blues # 2” (Thank’s Mel Head, NZ) http://www.songlyrics.com/bob-dylan/working-man-s-blues-2-lyrics/ Harnessing nature’s hidden superpowers. A 13 minute TED talk explaining some amazing new materials. (Thanks Phil McBride, Australia) http://www.ted.com/talks/oded_shoseyov_how_we_re_harnessing_nature_s_hidden_superpowers?

Technical Disposing Of A PC? Nuke The Drive First http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/disposing-pc-nuke-drive-first.htm Keep This Free Bootable Rescue CD To Hand for an Emergency http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/keep-free-bootable-rescue-cd-hand.htm Doxware - A Devilish Improvement to Ransomware http://askbobrankin.com/doxware_a_devilish_improvement_to_ransomware.html?awt_l=DpMUM&awt Do I Have A Virus? http://askbobrankin.com/do_i_have_a_virus.html?awt_l=DpMUM&awt_m=InhbBwZh0eP6SL

Rick Swindell U3A Online