[CCCNFBW] The Columbian: Seniors work on tech skills, confidence in class with help from high school students

[Merribeth Greenberg]

Since this is a senior topic that could relate to blindness, too, I thought
I would share this article from the Columbian.

Seniors work on tech skills, confidence in class with help from high school
students
Partnership bolsters students’ understanding of importance of empathy and
understanding for others, superintendent says
By Doug Flanagan, Columbian Staff Writer
Published: February 28, 2026, 6:07am
Updated: March 2, 2026, 7:56am
Seniors work on tech skills, confidence in class with help from high school
students - The Columbian
<https://www.columbian.com/news/2026/feb/28/__trashed-332/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=Morning+Briefing>

BATTLE GROUND — Sharon Wodtke is adamant about her feelings for modern-day
technology. When it comes to phones, for example, the 80-year-old Battle
Ground resident longs for the days when she could use one with a 10-hole
finger wheel, a handset and a coiled cord instead of one with dozens of
apps, a high-resolution touchscreen and a camera.

“My phone wants to be a computer and I just want it to be a phone,” she
said. “I don’t want (Siri) talking back to me all the time. I don’t want to
mess with Facebook and all that stuff. I just want to dial a number, get an
answer and move on.”

Wodtke, the president of the Battle Ground Senior Citizens Inc. nonprofit
organization, may not want to become a technology expert, but she
acknowledges that she, like many other senior citizens, should learn how to
use phones, tablets, computers and other devices to better navigate a world
that is increasingly making digital literacy a requirement.
https://www.columbian.com/news/2026/feb/14/technology-often-a-barrier-to-seniors-seeking-essential-services/

That’s why she sat at a table in the Battle Ground Senior Center next to
Battle Ground High School freshman Genevive Caseday, phone in hand, on Feb.
23 as part of a technology class offered by Battle Ground Senior Citizens
Inc. with assistance from local school districts.
https://www.columbian.com/news/2026/feb/28/__trashed-332/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=Morning+Briefing#:~:text=That%E2%80%99s%20why%20she%20sat%20at%20a%20table%20in%20the%20Battle%20Ground%20Senior%20Center%20next%20to%20Battle%20Ground%20High%20School%20freshman%20Genevive%20Caseday%2C%20phone%20in%20hand%2C%20on%20Feb.%2023%20as%20part%20of%20a%20technology%20class%20offered%20by%20Battle%20Ground%20Senior%20Citizens%20Inc.%20with%20assistance%20from%20local%20school%20districts
.

The classes — from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the last Monday of the month at the
Battle Ground Senior Center — have received positive feedback from both
students and seniors.
https://www.cityofbg.org/259/Battle-Ground-Senior-Center

“We often hear comments like, ‘I finally understand what my phone is
doing,’ or ‘I am not afraid to press the wrong button anymore,’ ” said
Megan Anderson, a Battle Ground Senior Citizens Inc. board member. “One of
the most rewarding parts is watching seniors learn from each other. When
one person asks a question, others often jump in to share what they have
learned, which builds confidence across the room.”

The concept for the classes originated in early 2025, when some of the
seniors expressed a need for help with their phones and tablets.

“They’d say, ‘These phones are so confusing. They’re always doing updates.
I kind of start to learn it, and then it updates, and I don’t know what I’m
doing, and I am afraid I’m going to delete (something important),’ ” said
Lori Lindberg, a Battle Ground Senior Citizens Inc. board adviser.

Lindberg, figuring that kids would be the most qualified people to provide
the requested assistance, began reaching out to local school districts and
eventually struck agreements with Seton Catholic High School, which began
sending students to the senior center in March, and Battle Ground Public
Schools, which joined in January.

The partnership bolsters the students’ understanding of the importance of
empathy and understanding for others, Battle Ground Public Schools
Superintendent Shelly Whitten said.

“Kids are naturally enthusiastic when they hear about it,” Whitten said. “I
have a feeling as they talk to friends, (the participation) will continue
to grow. I’m getting the impression that it’s making a difference for the
students, and that they feel needed, and which is great for them.”

The classes are informal, with students answering seniors’ questions and
guiding them through tasks, aiming to help seniors feel more confident with
their devices and reducing their fear of committing errors.

“The classes are building relationships as well as education on both
sides,” Lindberg said. “There’s so much more to it than just learning the
technology. But (the technology part) is so important because everything’s
going that way, and seniors are getting left behind.”
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