About SilverBear Consulting
This is SilverBear Consulting
Everyone is welcome here, but our services are most focused on the Capital Regional District on Southern Vancouver Island.
Our Story – Techie Stuff, Changes and Problem Solving
Once upon a time the world was populated with things that worked in a way that was reasonably intuitive to the end user. People who were born and raised during that time are now faced with things that could just as easily work by magic as by technology. The successful approach to coping in this new world is the same as the successful approach to problem-solving and coping with change. After the crying, yelling or whatever other outburst is done, we need to accept that over our lifetimes we have successfully and repeatedly learned new things. If we can take our brains as far back into out childhoods as we can manage we can access that part of our lives when learning was our first and foremost task and the joy of our lives.
If we can remember that time and bring as much youthful enthusiasm and wonder as we can muster, the tasks of learning how this digital world works become easier. It is not the world we envisioned as we were growing up, but it’s the one we have and we need to learn to succeed in it to some degree or another. When we were children we learned by playing, trying and failing over and over until we finally succeeded. Sometimes it came quickly and sometimes slowly. The same is true of using our technology. It is more like learning to ride a bicycle than it is like learning a set of steps.
SilverBear Consulting – Techie Division was founded to help digital muggles learn to become comfortable with the new world in which they find themselves. Having worked through and supported learners through the digital transition during our work life, we have decided to continue this support during retirement.
If there is a rush, to simply fix a problem and get on with business, we’ll help with that too.
Our Approach to Learning
SilverBear Consulting is first and foremost an individual educational endeavour, although group events are also available. All of our services are presented in a way that is designed to help our clients become independent and confident users of their technology. We believe that all users can become more comfortable with life in the digital age. Generally our services are aimed at digital immigrants, those for whom the language and culture of the digital homeland is foreign and challenging to learn.
We believe that a project-based approach is more effective than an overview approach so we will always try to attach your learning to something that is important for you to accomplish.
Our Approach to Fixing
SilverBear Consulting does not usually repair hardware issues, in general those are best left to vendors and repair shops. Exceptions to this include routine cleaning and memory and hard drive upgrading. We will help install new equipment or software, solve printing issues and fix software problems. We also assist with security issues and give sage advice on organizing files, backing up etc. We will also help with purchase and installation of appropriate new equipment. As mentioned above, our services are more geared toward the over 50 crowd, although we do have lots of experience helping younger folk as well.
Meet the Bear
Ken Foster, acquired the nickname “Fozzie Bear” from a student during his early teaching days when the TV character was popular and before Ken’s hair had turned to its current colour. When the time came to establish this enterprise, the change to SilverBear had already taken place. Ken has been helping people use and become comfortable with their technology since the advent of the first PCs. His expertise in teaching and his own experience with digital devices gives him a patience and a way of supporting that works very well with those who are not native to the technological landscape.
Ken is also a talented amateur photographer whose images are displayed at SilverBear-Studios.ca.