Want to be a Digital Champion as part of Race Online?

As part of the Race Online, I am helping my dad with the internet.

Already registered with hotmail.

Our next step is sending emails, in order for him to communicate with the suppliers in his personal business.

I am proud of him and his progress.

Best of luck everyone

Rami

 I helped my dad use his computer to communicate via email, browse and order books online and access radio programme information and additional resources. As part of Race Online I'll be helping other family members to get online and use email to keep in touch and share photos.

As part of race online I am teaching my children how to correctly and responsibly use the internet and social forums such as facebook. in addition I shall support my local sunday school with their online activities and encourage the use of digital communication from my Church to the parishoners.

I am helping my grandparents to use the internet for a wider range of purposes. My grandfather only knows how to surf the internet looking at general sites at the moment. I have set up a Skype account for them where they could make video calls to other family members around the country and to Australia where we have some family but they aren't confident enough yet to use it by themselves. Once I have taught them how to use Skype and make video calls I plan to teach them how to use online shopping as they can't go far due to transportation issues.

Hy everyone,

I am glad that someone encourege the use of internet not only for bussines needs but also for learning new things . So i hope i am helping someone with a few words i'm writing.

Good luck!

Rodin

As part of Race online, I'm going to help carers and workers working with disabled children accross the UK access all the resources and support available online.

I work for a charity providing help and support short break carers of disabled children, many of which do so in theri spare time for free alongside working and having children of their own. we have just set up a social networking site for them to get connected, meet new people, share good practice and access free resources.

After seeing this and realising how many people are still to access the internet, i would like to make an effort to get in touch with people who are yet to get connected and could be missing out on the support they desperatly need. I am going to offer email and internet tutorials to the network of 800 carers we have to make sure no one is missing out!!!
Trudi

I'm helping a computer phobic friend (60) get to grips with her iPad (a birthday present which she wasn't at first overjoyed with). By getting her used to this user friendly tablet she is now more ready to actually use a computer for the first time.

I fully support the idea of getting everyone online but the campaign should be to provide everybody access to a broadband service. Some of us live in rural areas that only get dial-up. For those of you who can't remember the bad old days where you waited six hours to download a photograph to view, never mind actually edit, then dail-up is the broken phonebox at the end of the village compared to the iphone. 3G? I can't even get a phone signal half the time!

If this country wants to be part of the digital revolution it should invest in the infrastructure otherwise we will be sadly left far behind.

Norway, land of ice, mountains, fjords and wilderness, has pledged to provide broadband to every citizen, regardless of how remote they are, whilst in this country we do....... well...... absolutely nothing...... try teaching someone to send an e-mail when it takes half an hour to send and then crashes several times, it kind of makes it hard for them to see the point when the Royal Mail is nearly as quick!

As part of race online 2012 I am teaching my parents to use their laptop, however difficult that might be.  I will also encourage anyone else I come accross that is not already online to have a go and support them in doing this.

I think the easiest way and best place to start is within the family. I'm constantly helping my mum with the internet and she's coming on leaps and bounds!!

I also help my client (I work as an academic support worker) get to grips with the internet in order to help him with his studies, communication and general browsing.

I volunteer at the Citizens Advice Bureau and know that there are a lot of people without access to the internet or the knowledge to access it. As everything is done online these days, it is very difficult for those who don't use the internet to keep up, sometimes to their disadvantage. We start by offering some basic advice on how to get started, where in the area can provide free basic training and how to access the CAB website. We also encourage people to ask friends and family to get the started on the internet. It's changing everything!!

My family all know how to use a computer and access the internet. so I've been helping my little sister whos only 4 years old. As im going into teaching with the OU, it has made me understand the importance of I.T in young children's learning. So basically I have been helping her and encouraging her to use sites such as cbeebies and allowing to use resourses available such as games etc and other age appropriate sites too. I have been working with her for two weeks and I really can see the progression. I'm so happy at the mo!!!

Hi,

I think this is great idea, I became a bit of an internet addict when I came to the UK in 2001 and it helped me enormously in finding new friends here and made me feel less isolated.

I want to get my family olnline properly, because the contact by telephone is not enough, Skype is better, they would be so pleased about seeing my childrens faces at least once a week.

Lenka

I run ICT clinics at the school I work at for members of staff who are lacking in confidence in their IT skills, I have now managed to get many of them on Facebook, emailing, using skype to talk to relatives in Australia and Canada.  By making it fun and achieveable in very small steps anyone can learn to use computers and the internet. 

My 4 year old is a very keen learner and is gaining significant confidence on using a computer and can now navigate his way around a few educational websites I have saved on the computer for him.

I help my mother(72) order things online, check for information and print and store photos on the computer, i also help my sister look up information online as well as fixing any problems with their computers

I'm an ICT Technician for a Primary School. I have recently devised an introductory workshop for colleagues who say they feel less confident about using spreadsheets particularly when spreadsheet software has such potential for supporting classroom activities.  I have also offered to run computer literacy workshops for parents of children who attend the School.  Because of the School's catchment area being in a relatively wealthy part of the country, the parent profile does not necessarily match the nine million of those who have regular and unrestricted access to the Internet. My ultimate aspiration as I begin teacher training in September 2011 is to be working at a School in a capacity where I am supporting the use of ICT throughout the School curriculum as well as being able to address the training needs of colleagues and parents.

 I have helped my mum surf the web and also facebook . Yes she wanted to have an account lol , i am also helping my dad use photoshop so am quite busy at the moment .  

James .

 I have helped my mum surf the web and also facebook . Yes she wanted to have an account lol , i am also helping my dad use photoshop so am quite busy at the moment .  

James .

Creating an internet culture is very important and crucial in the world we live in.  As part of my job, I encourage British nationals to use our online system for registration purposes.  When people go on holiday, it is important for themn to register because if anything goes wrong, the local consulates have their details and may well be able to assist.  I am part of a project that creates this awareness and by simply registering your details online, you can save yourself a whole load of hassle, if things go wrong on your holiday !!!

Just try to imagine a not so old man living on the edge of "civilisation" unable to communicate with his family; at least with a great part of it. And yes, I am speaking for my own father. He is rather stubborn, as a mule, when it comes to new technological advances and he feels discouraged when in the first attempt to "connect" he fails. I have tried so many times to make him believe that email and Skype like software (or the hardware itself) are ways to make our lives much easier. I have shown him dozens of times how to type, but still he is reluctant and he refuses to learn, but without even admitting it - even to himself. I will not give up trying, though. his would be my contribution to Race Online...

To start off my helping duties with the Race Online I will be teaching my Grandmother how to use a computer and how to navigate the internet, she is a complete beginner so I imagine it will be quite a task. She is becoming quite housebound so I feel the PC skills will benefit her greatly specially with her shopping.

I am always promoting online communciations; I work with my son, nieces and nephew to share our combined knowledge with the rest of the family, parents and grandparents.  Its been great to now have online social contact with family living many miles away, especially my 76-year old uncle who is just loving facebook!  

I have been helping my 88 year old mother to use a laptop, send and read emails, use the Internet and submit her electricity readings, just one small step at a time.

I also lead a U3A computer group to help older (retired) users get the most out of their computers, introducing them to word processing and spreadsheets and showing them how to make PowerPoint presentations. We also tackle issues such as backup and security and members phone me for advice. We are fortunate that out local secondary school gives us access to their facilities.

I regularly help my parents with internet access.  Whenever they have a problem with their email accounts, or their ISP I am called on to sort the problem out.  It's good experience and it's great to see them both enjoying surfing the net

 As a manager, I continually educate team members and colleagues on various IT skills, from minor tips to major process changes. This is all towards making our entire processes electronic and paperless. I am really proud of my team and the effort they put in, their keeness to learn the new skills.

Best of luck all the partners....

Vijaya

I have already been helping many friends and neighbours to get online and sort out their email accounts etc.  We're now moving into Skype!

 As part of the race im helping myself to get to grips with the internet fully by completing online courses and studying towards a degree using the open university.!

This is a great idea. I've been helping my elderly next door neighbour to get to grips with how to translate site text from English to Polish to aid his access to shopping, utility and benefit resources, as he finds it easier to read in his first language.

Any programme that promotes internet access and the wealth of information within is of huge benefit to all.

I am not a whizz with IT, but at least I have taught my husband how to join and use Facebook, and how to use search engines to find information.  Our next task is to find out how to download photos from his phone ...

I'm training NHS staff in the fundamentals of IT and Microsoft Office to help get people online and confident in using computers at work and in the home life.

I have been contacted to help many people with computer issues, friends, neighbours and ex-students.

As an ex-primary school teacher and member of the computer promotion group in the 80s I help get the BBC machines into schools, and then went through all the stresses I had seen in others when I switched to PCs! I spent the first summer holidays with a PC that came so close to leaving by the window during that six weeks.

However, perseverence played its part, and after retiring from primary education I began working with adults in basic computing, and this has continued since I stopped doing the job. A wide circle of friends and acquaintances know I am able to teach computing and often call on me. Although numbers are reducing, there is still a need for those who can take people further when the need arises, as this in my opinion seems to be the best motivator for learning.

I'm happy to continue with this as long as there is a need - and yes, it is a selfish act as the satisfaction I get from helping people achieve a goal is a great reward.

I think the Race Online 2012 campaign is hugely important as computer literacy is becoming essential and will only become more and more important as our reliance on technology increases. Its important people dont get left behind in the digital age.

As well as helping my parents i assist the elederly in sheltered housing use computers and their applications as part of my job working for a housing association. With so many families now dispersed around the Country/World this can help many old people from feeling isolated as they discover that they can use email, skype etc to keep in touch with family wherever they are and find new ways to reconnect with friends and the community. 

It's encouraging to see from the comments above that there are so many real digital champions out there whoever wins the official title, good luck everybody!

 My contribution to the Race Online is to make a difference to people who are experiencing mental health problems.

As a Cognitive Behavioural Therapist I tend to see people on a 1:1 basis or in groups.  I am finding that using IT can help my patients in between sessions and after therapy has finished.  Helping people access their own individualised treatment plan, offering top on online sessions/advise online  can make a huge difference.  I am looking developing apps to support treatment.

Good luck to everyone with their great projects.

Sarah

As an IT professional I take it being on-line as granted, but you can miss out if you are not on-line. For example you can save money by having an on-line account for your energy. My father is almost 90 and is not on-line so maybe I can get him using the Internet !!

I've helped my mother-in-law in the past.

My contribution is to offer support to users of the local library to get online.  I will offer a series of free afternoon and evening workshops where people can come and find out what advantages there are to being online and what practical steps need to be taken, what it costs.  The idea is that it runs as an exploration and advice forum within a supportive, non-threatening environment.  I will encourage local people who are online to attend the workshops and offer their support to those who are not.  This will help build up a local support community.

I hope to be able to teach my son how to use the internet soon, although he's only 5 at the moment it's never too soon to learn the basics! I hope that it is a skill that will help him in school and beyond.

 I run a small business that provides basic computer instruction as just one of many services. I will provide free instruction to disadvantaged, or elderly people not having the means to pay. I also regularly find myself dumping old computers. In future, I will donate any that are still serviceable and internet connectable, to any disadvantaged person needing one. 

People over 60 tend to be marginalised by society and left behind by technology so this campaign is vitally important.

Older people are fitter and still have much to contribute, yet we so oftne ignore them.  Bringing more and more of them 'online' will allow them to not only keep in touch wth their families more (as I've been teaching my grandma how to do!) but will allow them to contribute to society as a whole.

Everyone get your grandparents or elderly neighbours online today!

I worked in IT for 30 years prior to taking redundancy 2 years ago, so I have both the experience and (now) the time to help others. Also, while at work I acted as a ‘buddy’ to a number of primary school children which involved encouraging their use of email. It’s amazing how few people of my age make use of email and/or the internet both of which are great ways of keeping people informed and engaging them in debate.

I have helped a lot of people get onto facebook and now they have more friends online than i do. I think this is a great idea because all most people need is a friendly person to help them make that first move and show them how it works. Once they see just how much they can accomplish by being internet savvy, they wonder what took them so long. Being 54 I think a lot of people my age are catching on fast and I'd like to be an encourager.

I'm helping my 71 year old 'technophobe' mum to gain confidence in exploring the internet.  She's slowly getting there and has so far spent a few evenings surfing the web on her own so I'm very proud of her

Jo

Both of my parents live overseas so helping them get on the internet has been important in being able to keep in touch with them.

Hi

Showed my folks the benefit of the internet -

1) Recently found a replacement part for broken letter box on my folks front door online, instead of buying a whole unit from a DIY store and saved a fortune.

2) My mother is now able to email relatives abroad.

The internet offers a wealth of knowledge and oppurtunities.

Alistair

Brilliant initiative.. Glad to support, encouraging people to use and learn what can be acheived through digital environment.. I am more than happy to help, assist people where I can in my daily life and through work .

I am glad to have under taken a computing course with the OU, since it has helped me increase my basic knowledge of computers and ultimately I have learnt to use the internet effectively.

As a result, I have been able to help numerous family members. For instance, I taught them how to do online banking, joining social networking sites and just recently I bought a computer for my sister. Helping others use the internet has given me great satisfaction and where possible, I continue helping them use the internet in a way that makes life much more easy for them.

Overall, I think its crucial everyone learns the basics of using the internet. Only then will they truly appreciate the internet with its countless benefits.