Day #130 Writing Through COVID-19: Great Grandpa Learns to ZOOM

I'm teaching my dad how to participate in the video chat application ZOOM from his laptop. When he and my mom return to Friendship Haven next week, they'll be quarantined for two weeks. To attend Sunday School, they'll have to run ZOOM without assistance.

As with all learning, my dad needs to work through four stages of acquiring a new skill:

1) AWARE: In this case, his awareness began when in April I introduced him to the application for Sunday School. He knew it existed.

2) AWKWARD: This is the phase when a learner tries the skill but fails frequently. Unfortunately, we often rush students in this phase. In my classroom, I like to say "Let's celebrate awkward!" as we give ourselves permission to make mistakes during new learning.

3) SKILLFUL: At this point, a learner can, if concentrating, demonstrate the new learning with frequent success. I tell kids this is when you're driving with the driver's ed teacher. You have to really pay attention, but you're doing it!

4) INTEGRATED: The final stage of learning is when a skill becomes automatic and the learner performs well consistently. This is like the person who no longer has to stop and think if it's "the bell has rang" or "the bell has rung" (FYI, the bell has rung).

Since I began nudging my dad from aware to awkward with ZOOM earlier this week, we've had multiple practice sessions. He took detailed--albeit shakily unreadable--notes for each step:

• opening his email
• finding the link
• clicking the link
• turning on his camera 
• unmuting the microphone 

We also practiced what to do when he invariably hits a wrong button and his screen disappears, how to change from speaker view to gallery view, and how to position the computer so that both he and Mom appear on the screen.

In other words, we've been celebrating the AWKWARD stage of learning!
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Yesterday, when we held his birthday party via zoom, I still had to run down to the basement twice to help him with the multi-part sequence.

But today marks a milestone: I was at my mother-in-law's (we're learning a new polka, definitely AWKWARD), when my sister called Dad and told him to open his email and log onto ZOOM.

He did it! With just a few pointers from my sister over the phone, he was able to get on ZOOM and enjoy a face-to-face conversation!

When he told me about it, you'd think he'd just maneuvered a level five whitewater.

My son Harrison (red helmet) guiding whitewater rafters
in Colorado a few years ago. I'll guess this was a level 2.

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At 91, my dad felt the surge of joy that comes from learning a new skill.

Tomorrow he'll log onto Sunday School ZOOM without my assistance. I'll be upstairs if he needs my help.  We'll keep practicing this throughout the week, with the hope that he'll be solidly positioned in the SKILLFUL zone by the time he returns to Ft. Dodge.
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I enjoyed more Bridge with my parents this afternoon. I'd like to think I'm inching toward SKILLFUL, but I'm not opposed to celebrating AWKWARD.

Enough.
Be well.
Write.

Allison

We are on day four of our all-sweetcorn summer diet!
My daughter's business is Corn for a Cause. For every dozen
purchased, the non-profit donates a dozen to the Iowa Food Bank
or local food pantries.  💛💛

Captured during a video chat today: Andrea's thumb (left), Max's hand
on baby's forehead, Grandma Oooohing in the corner, and
Wolf looking calm and wise at two weeks old.