DIGITAL LEARNING CLUB FOR GOREY
An information evening aimed at people looking to improve their digital skills in a friendly environment will be held in Gorey Library this month.
Mayte McGuinness of MediasKool will host the evening on Tuesday, October 9, at 7 p.m., where members of the public can find out more about the new Digital Learning Club.
The Digital Learning Club is a new initiative to come to Gorey that will help tackle the digital divide. The aim is to encourage people to learn and share digital knowledge, enhance skills and practise using devices such as a smartphone, tablet, laptop or personal computer in a friendly environment.
According to the 2018 Digital Economy and Society Index, half of Irish adults lack at least basic digital skills. There is now a ‘digital divide’ where many people feel like they are being left out with the pace of change in technology and the widespread adoption of digital services.
‘There is a demographic that would like to improve their digital literacy skills but do not want a digital course or training that is heavily structured,’ said Mayte, who is the founder and director of MediasKool. ‘They want to ask questions and get the answers quickly in a more informal environment.’
The Digital Learning Club is free and will help people to learn and practise using technologies informally at their own pace in a safe and non-judgemental way.
Mayte said people can learn what is relevant to them and build knowledge in small blocks from texting to blogging, to learning about security issues, to doing basic computer programming. She has been facilitating one-to-one digital skills training in Gorey and the wider community since 2014.
Mayte, who has over 10 years experience, is an advocate for helping people to embrace digital technologies and to use them to enhance their life.
Venue and dates for the Digital Learning Club in Gorey are yet to be confirmed and anyone interested will be asked for their contact details on the information night. For more details, call Gorey Library on 053 94 21481.