Cracking the Cyber Code – Learning As A Lifestyle

Last week, I spent a day teaching Computers for Seniors and one of the students asked me what “wi-fi” meant. Well, I didn’t know. I thought it meant Wireless Frequency but that did not account for the “fi.” While putting the catalog together I spend a lot of surf time looking for interesting topics and potential classes so I was sure there must be a potential class in Computer Jargon, and I was going to look for it.

Turns out, there is way too much out there when it comes to computer jargon. Dictionary.com says “Wi-Fi, also spelled Wifi or WiFi, is a popular technology that allows an electronic device to exchange data or connect to the internet wirelessly using radio waves.” Being a stickler, I thought that was telling me what wi-fi does, not what it is.

TechTerms.com says wi-fi is short for “Wireless Fidelity.” Wi-Fi refers to wireless networking technology that allows computers and other devices to communicate over a wireless signal. That made more sense, and told me what the “fi” was. But then….

Before I knew what was happening, I was looking up terms for autoresponder, baud rate, cookies, firewalls and flash. I had to stop before my brain exploded.

Each week, I get emails about things that are happening in the business world. Maybe we should make classes out of some of those emails. This morning there was an article from Andy Kinsey that said “Are men from Goggle+ and women from Twitter? Are women from Pinterest and men from LinkedIn? Not entirely. But there are trends in social media use that depend on gender. This infographic gives the lay of the land.” That sounds like interesting demographic information – but then I am probably the only one who likes demographics.

There was another article from Sarah Duis, USA TODAY Collegiate Correspondent, with the headline – How to make the most of your senior year (and then get hired). Her opening remark caught my eye. She said, “Don’t assume mom and dad will want (or be able) to welcome you back home with open arms while you job hunt.” Now that is a class opportunity. What should seniors do to be prepared to get hired? It is more than a Resume.

Class opportunities abound. The fall catalog at the Center for Lifelong Learning is coming out in just a few days. The copy of the catalog should be on our web site by Friday. Check it out – www.athens.edu/CLL.

If you have a class idea, or if you want to teach, please call us at 256-233-8260. Right now I am looking for people who are interested in tutoring youth or working with children. You can email me at CLL@athens.edu or fill out an application on our instructor link.
By: Wanda Campbell