User:Jwmh

ABOUT THIS 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).

Scratchpad (Jwmh notes & ideas for improvement)

Finding & Editing Subpages

My Subpages (from Jwmh -> below)
http://wiki.freegeek.org/index.php?title=Special%3APrefixIndex&from=Jwmh&namespace=2

[references:
* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Subpages#Finding_subpages
* http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Subpages
]

Headers' layout

• http://wiki.freegeek.org/index.php/Help:Editing#Wiki_markup
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Section#Creation_and_numbering_of_sections
• http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Formatting

Cheatsheet:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Cheatsheet

Adding / Creating pages:

• http://wiki.freegeek.org/index.php/Help:Basic_Navigation#Adding_pages
  • http://wiki.freegeek.org/index.php/Wiki_Tutorial

Making Flowcharts

This text is commented out; see edit source for example.

Class Proposal: "Living in a Technology World"

This is a draft proposal for the class, "Living in a Technology World" (title suggested by Darren - User:Dheiber).

The idea for this class came from me, Joseph Herbert (User:Jwmh).

The basic premises are as follows: - What separates a "computer person" from a "non-computer person"? (note: these are usually self-identified)

IDEAS

Classroom Partition -- rarely is all the space used; usually only half (or less).

• to split class up -- beginners/adoption class, to allow for newbies (complete beginners) to be in their own separate class.

Class Teaching meta: Create a system for the following scenario:

• When a user has a question, the screen that they are viewing may be:

routed to the projector, and viewed on the main screen / overhead. AND/OR

• • viewable on everyone's computers in a separate window, via a server service which makes others' screens available -- viz. creating a "meeting" or "class" session, under which the session creator (instructor) may use admin credentials to control the [optional] visibility of users' screens on others' screens....

System for presentations + asking questions

• e.g. web app / SaaS -- local or hosted
• chat / IRC?
• user (teachers') requirements? e.g., timeline of q's asked, for metrics & tracking
  • when do students / classes tend to have the most issues?

Cable organization (for lab PCs)

• • overhead, drop-down cables (rather than run along floor)?
  • would improve / prolong life of cables; ease of use...

Classroom meta wiki?

• locations of supplies, cables, etc.
• where things are kept

Teachers' meeting re: Class layout / performance / suggestions for improvement

• emailed Darren to setup

What is the instructor-computer (podium) login + pw to use?

• if multiple are available, which ones? What are the differences b/w those user accts?
• option for 'default' admin profile -- which gets reset to 'stock / OOB' each time, so has same options as students'? same appearance?
  • maybe setup a VM?
  • maybe talk to Ben?

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.

Add to Wiki

Where students' PCs are kept, if they can't take them home same-day

• back of classroom on table
  • should have First + Last name written on bag/box, etc.
• if they need a bag / cardboard box to carry in, they can ask at Receiving / Warehouse?
  • need to ask/double-check with these groups if that's true.

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?

Issues to Fix (verify?):

Default for .ODF in Xubuntu 12.04 is Abiword?

• --> needs to change Filetype association to LibreOffice

"Prepare for shipping to end-user" WIPES OEM PROFILE DATA

• ASK IF student has prior-owned this PC -- ESPECIALLY LAPTOPS!
  • ADD WARNING TO WIKI (?!)

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.

ANSWERS: Flow control:

• http://wiki.freegeek.org/index.php/Teacher/Education_Resources
  • Todays Meet - Instant disposable chat room
  • Soap Box - Instant polls, quizzes and "confusion barometer" (signup required)

More Q's:

• Time spent on details
  • what's crucial VS. what to sacrifice
  • OR, in order of priority
  • Need to document this (in syllabus wiki) for teachers

Tech / hardware problems

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