Assistant Teacher - CommTech workshops

The Alliance for Community Services and Humanize Long Term Care campaign are looking for volunteers to support our “Resident Empowerment” workshops for residents in long-term care facilities like nursing homes.

Our CommTech workshops offer residents the opportunity to learn and engage with technology in a structured environment designed for classes of 10 people. These workshops introduce residents, many with no prior tech experience, to computers: what they are, what they can do, and how to work them. Since each class is at a different nursing home and with different students, our curriculum takes a flexible approach to identify and meet the needs of students involved.

Typically, the flow of the workshop is as follows:

1. We talk with the students to understand their background using technology and what they would like to get out of the class.
2. If necessary, we start with the basics: what are the pieces of a computer, and what do they do?
3. We help students to log into their email, or, more likely, we help them setup an email address to use.
4. Once students are proficient in emailing, we then show the students how to use Zoom to setup calls, talk to other people, and join meetings.

We are seeking a “Teacher’s Assistant” to support us while we offer these classes. Responsibilities for this role include:

• Addressing student questions during teaching
• Supporting residents in using computers independently: helping to setup accessibility settings that meet the students' needs, reminding students about how to use the keyboard or trackpad
• Provide one-on-one support to students
• Traveling to nursing homes on the southside of the city (typically in the neighborhoods of South Shore, Avalon Park, Beverly)

Future classes may differ, but usually each class runs Monday-Thursday, from 2:00-4:00pm, for 2 weeks.

Our next workshop is expected to go from Monday, June 1st – Thursday, June 11th in Morgan Park on the southside of Chicago. Other class dates/locations TBD.