Caol children become the hi-tech teachers
PRIMARY seven pupils at Caol have been taking a turn at being the teachers ... by helping older members of the community get to grips with computings.
This inter-generational project, a six-week block of IT lessons, began when Care Lochaber contacted the school, looking to get help for some of the older people they work with so they could learn to use computers.
Care Lochaber is a service designed to enable older residents, as well as those with ill health, mobility issues or isolation, to remain independent through schemes such as the computer skills workshops and also a community car scheme.
The workshops are supported by NHS Highland Community Management Self Development Fund and the aim is to give older people a chance to be sociable and ease loneliness while learning new skills.
Caol head teacher Steven Hamilton said the pupils were ‘happy to help’ with the initiative and primary seven set time aside every Tuesday to teach a computing course.
The children teach IT skills, including how to use the internet, Google maps and such like.
They even finish off each lesson with a cup of tea and, of course, some well- earned biscuits, which the children bake themselves.
Mr Hamilton said: ‘It’s a great way of getting the children to be teachers and let- ting them see how different people learn.’ He added that it demonstrates to the children that we are always learning, even beyond our school years, and that both the children and adults are enjoying the project and the classes. ‘It’s a good confidence booster for the children’ he said.
As well as the educational benefits of the popular project, Mr Hamilton noted that it had also provided the school with extra resources, saying: ‘Care Lochaber kindly donated three laptops to the school for the classes.’