User:Jwmh

Hello, FG World! This is Joseph Herbert's personal user page.

I started volunteering with classes in November/December of 2012. (Many years ago, perhaps in ~2005, I had volunteered in the Build program.) Currently I am teaching the "Getting Started w/ your [FG CPU]" class.

I was fortunate enough to be born & raised here in P-town, and enjoy the outdoors (especially the mountains, forest).

My professional interests and passions go beyond strict technology, to include high-level Systems-thinking (e.g. infrastructure, whether people or things), and methods/processes for improvement. I also enjoy informal education, and facilitating the learning process (of course).

I am also working on developing new curriculum -- Darren suggested the great title, "Living in a Technology World." Essentially, this refers to aptitudes, or broad mindsets, of how to go about being proficient with technology. There's a lot of content and directions this could go! If you're interested, and have an aptitude for either education / human psychology / learning process, or tech, I would love to sit down over tea w/ you to help shape the course(s).

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teacher notes (getting started / adoption class)

CLASS FLOW IMPROVEMENTS

Delegate, delegate, delegate!

• Often, the teacher at the front is more aware of students getting "lost" -- faster than other instructors/assistant helpers in back of the class.
• ... So... if a student has a problem / is getting lost... Delegate to an assistant instructor! E.g., "Hey Alex, could you help Robin with his/her problem / question? Thanks!!"

Personal Feedback:

• Turning around more / facing class
• Checking in, interacting w/ students
• Glance at their monitors periodically -- ensure they're following along, and know how to do what you're demonstrating! (e.g. vs facebook)

Walk students thru useful 'projects':

• e.g., spellcheck in Writer -- misspell a word, etc.
• e.g., the "lifecycle" of a file: Creating in Writer -> Saving -> Closing -> Finding / Locating (use multiple methods to demonstrate this, incl. Catfish) -> Deleting -> Recovering from Trash -> Deleting & permanently removing...
• .... Talk about how it will continue to take up HDD space -- until permanently deleted from Trash.

Ubuntu Software Center

• Probably need a few examples of these
• Applications: Searching for / Installing / Finding & Opening
  • e.g. Application Finder -- helps you locate!!
• Demonstrate this, e.g. with WINE

At every opportunity, mention a class related to X!

• Terminal / Command Line 1 (and 2)
• GiMP
• WINE

else?

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ISSUES TO FIX (verify?):

• Default for .ODF in Xubuntu 12.04 is Abiword?

--> needs to change Filetype association to LibreOffice

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QUESTIONS TO EXPLORE:

How to ensure students' questions are all, 100% answered / addressed? OR, redirecting & 'delegating', e.g. to assistant instructor, or to tech support, or as appropriate.

How to manage flow...

• papers / supplies, and where they're located

-> meta: location -> classroom layout, meta page for this?

• • Hand papers / pens to students:
    • e.g. ask students to write down their questions? if there are lots of students / newbies / questions....

.... it can be very easy for the class-flow to get sidelined / railroaded... and how do you keep it on track?

• • • Talking / side conversations during class -- getting off track, distracted...
    • need more ideas + TOOLS for this -- managing flow.

Tech / hardware problems

• How to mark & record problems that come up -- as they occur (rather than trying to remember / mark everything after class)