Here’s a little intergenerational learning activity that can be based around this.  Pair an adolescent and her/his mobile phone, preferably a smart phone or other device that can be linked with Wi-Fi or has a data plan with an elderly partner with a similar phone.  Give or lend one if you must.

The adolescent will be the teacher and will select one interesting function on the phone that she/he is familiar with such as accessing YouTube or even texting and instruct the older partners in how to use that aspect of their phone.  Once this has been successfully accomplished and the older partner is comfortable and confident in using the particular function, the older partner is now assigned a task and that is, to learn a feature of their phone that the adolescent is least likely to know about.  These can be found in a serious investigation of Apps and functions on the phone. Once learned, it is then their job to instruct the younger partner in that aspect of the phone. The younger partner must then learn an unfamiliar or less familiar function of the phone, learn it and instruct the older partner.

This exchange should continue until both partners have a thorough knowledge of the features their phone or device has to offer.

This could be done on an individual partnership of on a group level. It would be an excellent esteem builder for certain groups of special needs youth and, of course, for the older partners who might be somewhat confined and lacking in independence.

If you decide to give it a try please let us know how it works out.

Mike at learn4life@themic21.com.