RPCC Volunteer of the Month
Dan Roe Makes Learning Easy
The Rogers Park Community Council October “Volunteer of the
Month” is Dan Roe, owner of ComputeRoe Consulting. For nearly a year, Roe has provided weekly
computer tutoring to local resident Bob Peters.
Roe attended Northland College in Ashland, Wisconsin with
every intention to eventually teach English. However, fate—in the form of a lengthy term
paper —changed his career course forever. On a typewriter, the term paper took 12 to 14
hours to complete, but with an Apple 2E, Roe learned he could complete his work
in two hours. With that discovery, he
switched his major from English to Computer Information Systems.
Roe made two other discoveries while he lived in Appleton,
Wisconsin. One, he still had the innate talent
and desire to teach. Two, he held a
strong belief in the value of volunteer work and community involvement. In Appleton, he participated in Walking Books,
a program that brought books to homebound clients. One of those clients—an elderly woman and
former entrepreneur—told him that she wanted to learn computer skills and get
on the Internet. So Roe helped her to
get up-to-speed on the latest computer developments. Her willingness to leave her comfort zone and
learn new technology impressed him.
When Roe relocated to Rogers Park a few years ago, he decided
to continue his volunteer service and so came to the Rogers Park Community
Council (RPCC) where he began one-on-one tutoring with senior clients. Although Roe has since moved further west, he
continues to commute to Rogers Park to work with local resident Bob Peters, a
retired attorney who enjoys playing fantasy football.
Roe recently assisted Peters with his first laptop purchase. “We researched laptops a month beforehand,” notes
Peters. “I never would have been able to
choose the right one without his help.”
Roe points out that teaching someone to use his or her own
computer means that the knowledge doesn’t get lost in translation when he’s not
around. For instance, while Peters has
used Windows XP at the public library and at RPCC, he also learned to use Vista
on his own computer.
The strength of ComputeRoe Consulting lies in several areas. Services include on-site computer repairs, hardware
and software installation, upgrades, virus removal, data recovery, networking
and wireless configuration, troubleshooting connection issues, emergency
repairs, new PC and laptop consultation, and one-on-one tutoring. Roe’s flexibility and willingness to travel
to client locations means that he can teach in the comfort of their own homes
with their own equipment.
Roe works well with people of various aptitudes, and training
sessions can cover a wide breadth of skill sets. “I don’t have a set formula for teaching,” Roe
explains. “I like to let people guide me
in what they want to learn. It’s all
about helping them feel comfortable using technology—and once people start
playing with a computer, their intuition usually takes over.” Roe’s one-on-one training services focus on
just about any subject: web browsers, email, software applications, hardware
and much more.
“I’m able to keep up with the latest technology developments
because I work with a wide variety of people with diverse service requests,”
comments Roe. For instance, Peters often
asks him illuminating questions that he can also answer for other clients. Particularly, trouble-shooting computer repair
with patches, software, and operating systems means he’s always searching for
solutions for his clients. In addition,
Roe reads industry literature and interacts with an online network of industry colleagues,
meeting up with those colleagues regularly to share information.
Roe realizes the benefits of his volunteer work with RPCC and
of maintaining a presence in the community. “I do it just because I want to,” says Roe,
who also enjoys providing a service that empowers people. “I like to help people feel confident in what
they’re doing.”
For information about ComputeRoe Consulting services and
rates, contact Dan Roe at 312.238.9392 or dan@computeroe.com. For information about free computer training
for residents 60-plus at RPCC, call Cathie Bazzon at 773.338.7722, x11 or email
cathie@rogerspark.org.
(Written by Lee McQueen, a
professional researcher and business writer.)
|
