Digital literacy program reaches into the future
Digital literacy and agriculture may seem like strange bedfellows, but like all of its programs, the computer and internet assistance program offered by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Rensselaer County fulfills an essential community need.
“It’s only been around for four years, so the program is still pretty new, but it does encompass a lot of different things,” said Sarah McFadden, resource educator for Cooperative Extension’s Digital Literacy Program. “It’s education and support for anything, whether the individual wants to use eBay, find a job or build a website. Sometimes, it’s people who know they need to become familiar with computers so they can start using it for something like filing taxes. … We can start with the basics, but we can help anyone of any background or computer experience.”
Free classes are held at local libraries, since much of the service area supports communities underserved by broadband Internte access.
“These are great spaces where people already go,” McFadden said. “They are tremendous partners.”
To say that the digi- tal literacy class is limited to desktop computers would be misleading. Drop-in classes also offer support for laptops, tablets or smartphones. Program participants can receive one- on- one help with email, Facebook, word processing, online searching and more. For residents unable to travel, the Cooperative Extension website offers free online tutorials.
“The technology changes so quickly, and I’ve been surprised more than once about who has shown up,” said McFadden. “I try to tell people that these tools are not set up to be an obstacle. Some of this is not going to be superobvious for people who don’t use them each day.
McFadden says she measures success through something as simple as connecting family mem- bers who are separated by distance.
“I’ve talked to a lot of people who are in that situation who have told me they found it useful, comforting that a support is in place,” she explained. “For me, that is a reality
check. I am glad that we are able to help simplify the process.”