At 72 Joe's leading Netspeak discussions and regularly practices Tai Chi

Joe N. is no stranger to technology. He worked as a trainer for Radio Shack in the early 1980s. He also spent 25 years as an adjunct professor at Columbia College in Chicago teaching introduction to the computer.

“I can really resonate with Wade as he’s teaching technology. I pick up tips from Wade and Scott to incorporate into my computer club. I know I start in the middle of tech explanations and the folks at GetSetUp assume there is no knowledge base. That’s a good thing because usually there are folks who need help to get to the right point.”

Joe has worked training adults on basic computer concepts for over 30 years. He's been semi-retired since 2012, but he stays busy. Now at 72, he is a member of the computer club, teaches Tai Chi to private students in the park, and even tried a GetSetUp class Tai Chi class in Mandarine. Joe averages about 2 GetSetUp classes a day. Plus he’s taking on a new role as an interest group leader on the topic of Netspeak - Tricks for Using the Internet. As an active social media user on platforms like Facebook, Joe knows the importance of separating truths from fiction.

“When someone says something I don’t just accept it. If I see something that’s really strange I’ll go out and research.”

Joe credits his inquisitive nature and the need to fact-check to one of his teachers who used to fact-check all the students’ research paper references at the library back before there were computers. Joe plans to help teach people how to differentiate between what’s real or not to facilitate their use of the internet. He thinks that being able to tell real news from fake news is essential. He believes learning to fact check is an essential skill that should be taught in school especially since not everything on the internet is trustworthy. With his tips for navigating the internet not only will learners understand how to source quality information, but they will also learn the latest internet resources and uses.