Week Two

Alright, so Mike Bachrodt reviewed the tablet training with me during my tech. duty time, to not only ensure I knew the different portions, but also how to record when I trained different teachers, so that we all were on the same page, literally (the log). I did field some questions about "break downs", web page updating, and such. Finally, I spent 45 minutes creating a hand made (high tech, eh?) poster on Tablet Training to hang in my department as a simple reminder and clarifier for the tablet use. It's cool. I can't believe it took me 45 minutes to cut, paste, color, draw, write, design.....but it works.

The rest of week 1

To say "busy" is to be redundant. Mike showed us tech. coaches how to utilize the tablet training log and refreshed with us any bits of which we were unsure. Training and questions gobbled up the tech. time plus most other almost 'free' time, which really is wonderful and shows how much the faculty not only is willing, but, wants, to learn more.
I credit the small group training, plus the "if you want a tablet, come get it, and get the training or lose the tablet" set up. It really isn't the threat of losing the tablet, but the offering of training on individual's schedules, rather than the large group, scheduled for everyone already that makes the difference. Heck, we try to empower the students the same way into making educational choices for what they want/need to learn, rather than just shoving it down their throats. Of course, there are always those who are hungry enough to have it shoved down their throats (I think they call them 'tech. coaches'.).
Surely, training is the priority for now. "I have a quick question..." will be the mantra I hear in my dreams, just as I heard it each day as I walked into the office door, bag still on my shoulder. Of course, I don't help myself with time management limiting help time to tech. duty time when I spy someone attempting a tech. task and I spit out, "You know, there's a faster/easier/better way...if you have five minutes, I can show you...". Angenette commented about the lag time in copying files to her SD card and to her jump drive to be able to take them home from her H drive to work on (and then copy back to the H drive). I showed her SyncToy. She smiled.
Those moments start easily, and typically end with more questions and ideas from the individual, or others around the moment. It's great to have colleagues really asking questions about how to do more or what more they can do; that's the same part I love in the classroom, too.

First day fun

On the first day of school, I probably spent over an hour on tech. coach duties. After school I made a few necessary updates to the department page and design, which with computer lag time did drift into 30 or so minutes. Otherwise, numerous quick question came to me like blind robins landing in a nest. Some were answered or assisted, while others had to wait as class duties superseded (although lunch did not). The tablets are a great hit with the department users, and even though lingering troubles with mainframe issues exist, the tech-a-tude remains positive!