Learning Nintendo in the golden years

Sherborn classes draw young, old

The Ambos family, Scott, 11 (left), his grandfather Bob, and his father, Douglas (right), all of Sherborn, taught attendees some home technology basics recently at Sherborn Town Hall. (Robert E. Klein for The Boston Globe)

SHERBORN - Until recently, Christine Cooney, 61, was far from tech-savvy. She'd never even used that button on the TV remote that recalls the last channel viewed.

"I'd ask my college-age kids how, and they'd just push a bunch of buttons and hand it back to me in disgust. For me, and I think it is true of so many people, I just wouldn't have otherwise taken an hour to figure it out," Cooney said.

Then she met three generations of Ambos men, ranging in ages from preteen to mid-70s.

Bob, the town veterans agent, his son Doug, an engineer, and Doug's son, Scott, a sixth-grader, gave Cooney a tutorial on the remote control. Then they taught her how to take photos with her cellphone, and even how to bowl on the Nintendo Wii.

And they did it by patiently teaching eight students, including Cooney, how to better use everything from a cellphone to TiVo to an iPod in a two-part class that ended earlier this month called "Demystifying Everyday Technology."

It was one in a string of classes offered through the Sherborn Council on Aging's new Lifetime Learning Series, which kicked off earlier this month. The all-ages program aims to integrate seniors with the town's younger demographic in classes offered right in town.

The educational program began the week of Oct. 7 and runs through November, with classes ranging in price from $15 to $32. The classes are open to anyone 18 or older. Sponsored by the Council on Aging with assistance from the Sherborn Friends of the Council on Aging, the classes cover a wide range of subjects, including historical and cultural study, and creative and artistic development, said Karen Juhl, director of the Sherborn Council on Aging.

"We began the lifetime learning series to promote intergenerational learning," Juhl said. "It presents all adults in the community with an opportunity to meet people of all ages and spend time learning interesting and different subjects, ranging from the fine arts to science and philosophy. Participants can stay right in Sherborn and enroll in a form of casual education, which will increase their knowledge and interest without having to travel."

Sherborn modeled its program after one in Sudbury called Lifelong Learning, which was launched three years ago.

"We also offer a variety of classes and courses," said Kristin Kiesel, director of the Sudbury Senior Center. "Ours is in collaboration with Framingham State College." Last year Sudbury's total enrollment of the program hovered around 200, Kiesel said.

"We've been talking to Sherborn and providing them with technical assistance," Kiesel said. "One of Sherborn's big challenges is they don't have a room for the classes in the Senior Center. They have to borrow space. We've been able to hold classes in consistent place, and it's helped brand the program."

Sherborn's Lifetime Learning Series, which is held at Woodhaven elderly housing community room and in the selectmen's meeting room in the Town Meeting House, has about 60 people signed up so far, a turnout that persuaded the Council on Aging to continue the series into the winter and spring, though no later classes have been scheduled.

In addition to the Ambos's technology-made-easy class, this fall's classes include Introduction to Drawing, with local artist Jeanne Given, and a philosophy class called "Living a Life That Matters" taught by Maud Chaplin, a retired Wellesley College philosophy professor.

For a class dubbed "What's Happening in Our Oceans?" the Council on Aging has partnered with the New England Aquarium. The class, taught by aquarium staff, explores life cycles of the seas and asks questions that include "Who are the canaries of the ocean that relay valuable information on impending problems before these conditions become apparent?" and "What did the aquarium scientists find in the Pacific Ocean, 2,000 miles from land?"

Also, Marie Craig has been teaching about 20 people, ranging in age from 50 to 80, how to use a digital camera. In her effort to sharpen her digital skills, Cooney took the digital photography class, which was scheduled to end last Tuesday.

"There are a lot of people my age who have things they don't know how to use," said Cooney. "Here's a chance for us to learn."

Anyone interested in taking a class should contact the Council on Aging at 508-651-7858.