One of the greatest joys of teaching digital literacy is witnessing the confidence that grows with every new skill learned. During our Solano Connected Spanish digital literacy class, I had the privilege of working with R.T., whose determination and perseverance were truly inspiring.
When R.T. joined the program, she had little to no digital literacy experience. Despite feeling nervous on the first day, she arrived with something even more important than experience—a genuine desire to learn.
Like many first-time technology users, R.T. was afraid of damaging the tablet. She carefully held the device, worried that pressing the wrong button would break it. I reassured her that she could safely explore, make mistakes, and learn without fear. From that moment on, she approached every lesson with patience and determination.
Throughout the course, R.T. listened attentively, took detailed notes, asked thoughtful questions, and practiced every new skill we covered. Week after week, I watched her confidence grow as she became more comfortable navigating her tablet independently.
One moment that stood out was when R.T. shared that her daughter lives in Tijuana, Mexico. Excited about everything she was learning, she wanted to show her daughter that she was taking digital literacy classes. She asked if I could teach her how to take a screenshot so she could send a picture of her progress through a text message. After practicing together, she successfully shared the screenshot with her daughter.
The following class, R.T. happily told me that her daughter was proud of her and had become interested in learning digital skills herself. Their conversations began to include what R.T. was learning in class, creating a meaningful connection through technology.
Another significant milestone came during our email management lesson. Up until that point, R.T. had been using her husband’s email account whenever she needed to access online services. Together, we created her very own email address, giving her a new level of digital independence. I encouraged her to practice by sending an email to her daughter. When her daughter replied, we reviewed how to read, respond, and continue an email conversation. Seeing R.T. confidently sending and receiving her own emails was a proud moment for both of us.
By the end of the program, R.T. had gained much more than technical skills—she had gained confidence, independence, and new opportunities. She shared that her goal is to continue using her tablet to watch free English-learning videos on YouTube, access community resources, and improve her English so she can communicate more easily with others and with her healthcare providers.
R.T.’s journey is a powerful reminder that digital literacy is about much more than learning how to use a device. It is about creating opportunities, strengthening family connections, building independence, and empowering people to achieve their personal goals.
Watching R.T. transform from someone who was afraid to touch a tablet into someone confidently communicating with her daughter and embracing technology was an experience I will always remember. Her determination serves as an inspiration to everyone in our Solano Connected community.
Comments are closed.