CTO: How To Get Started

Summer Classroom Technology Officer and High School Intern Program

How To Get Started

Items Needed [now & forever]:

Needs Assessment: Does your school have more technology and needs than it has available and knowledgeable tech support?

One or more staff members interested in starting the program: This could also be a parent or local consultant, or any combination of the above. These coordinators/teachers must have some familiarity with both Mac and Wintel operating systems, common software applications, and hardware. Teachers must also be lifelong learners and be able to stay one step ahead of the class.

Community, staff, and site administrative support: This will pave the way to site and district level cooperation, as well as monetary assistance/support. This cannot be emphasized enough.

Money: This may come from school or district budgets, school PTA, or grant writing. Teacher[s]/Coordinators should not forget that their budget needs to include a salary for themselves, as well as miscellaneous expenses.

Students: Students should be both male and female, vary by grade level, and encompass the broad range of academic ability and technology interest. This includes those students who may not outwardly show interest, but who may be recommended by their teacher[s] because the experience may spark greater self-esteem and/or interest in learning in general. Class size should be limited to about 15, although if you are able to have at least one full-time assistant, you can stretch your number to 20. Due to space, equipment, etc., 20 participants is really the absolute maximum.

Site[s] with networked computers of both Mac and PC platforms: If a district only uses one platform, it may be necessary to arrange use of another facility that offers the missing platform. Such may be found at your local County Office of Education, local business, local high school [if you are in an elementary district], community/senior citizen center, etc.

Old equipment/cpus for practicing disassembly/reassembly and identification of parts: If it is possible to give students practice on both Mac and PC machines, this would be ideal. If not, one will suffice, since conceptually there are many similarities. In any case, machines should be the type where the monitor and cpu are separate, due to the electrical charge that monitors can retain. [Monitors are a specialized repair situation and should not be tampered with except by an industry qualified technician!]

Daily handouts covering the lesson for the day: Your handouts will possibly contain more information than you have time to cover in depth in class. Participants should be urged to read over the information and come with questions the next day.

Assistants: At least one [1] assistant for each workshop group. This can be a high school students, parent, or experienced upper elementary student. When you have a class of twenty students there will always be more questions than you can handle at the same time. Decreasing student wait time will allow you to achieve more in the lesson and alleviate student frustration/anxiety, especially for the less experienced participants.

Lists: Make a daily check-off/to-do list for yourself that covers not only the topics of instruction but all equipment needed for each activity. This should also include phone numbers of people to contact for facility use, who to call if you get locked out, etc.

Notes: Make notes on what goes well and what doesn't so you can change things for the next workshop.

Wrap-up: When the program ends, take time to think about and make notes on what went well and didn't. Be sure to send THANK YOU notes/messages to all involved!!!!