RE Training Committee
Much of that could be housed under Classroom, which i see as Education. @JayJohnson600, the chair of Digital Media, and I, chair of Classroom, are in favor of recording classes and special interest videos. These could be used as the source of training for some tools, like the MIT videos for the metal lathe and bridgeport, or as supplements/reminders for those tools that require physical confirmation of training delivered.
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Re: Training Committee discussion
At the risk of being a total ass (yet again)…
Maybe the place to start is, as has been done in the case of Machine Shop, gathering some existing videos and compiling some recommended watching. There are welding videos out there by the buckets, for example; some pretty good.
I have no idea on the other committee areas, but I’m willing to bet there are probably some good ones out there, too.
Gathering the good stuff together into a “recommended watching” list might be a good start.
Obviously, replacing them with our own as we can would be a great project, but “making a training video” is NOT trivial (as evidenced, in part, by this having been kicked around repeatedly, with no videos being produced).
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For the 3D scanner, I don’t think we’ve decided on official training classes for it. It’s not designated for training but neither are the Polyprinters. It’s something @axeonos and I would probably figure out.
There is documentation and videos on for the Nextengine scanner on the 3D fab committee share drive folder (I can probably tell you where but my work decided to block the jump server). It’s a tedious machine to use though so I would still like to have classes.
Until I could make a living doing training classes ($2000/mo in honorariums plus private insurance isn’t really plausible at the makerspace), I’m just exhausted most of the time to teach classes or have a backwards sleep schedule from most people. Having 1 day (Saturdays usually) to teach 3 classes at 1-2 hours each is a lot to ask of a volunteer, I have stayed out of teaching laser classes because they’re probably the hardest classes to teach in the current format. @talkers has done an amazing job on his curriculum for it.
If we have no training, tests, or lock downs I feel like we’ll fall into the trap of most makerspaces where it’s total anarchy, and we’ll discourage the volunteers that maintain the equipment from volunteering.
I think the honorarium system is great but I think it can incentive people from locking down equipment just so they have to teach the training classes to make money instead of just self-learning material.
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Hello. If you need someone to do a class for the 3d scanner I would be happy to volunteer to do so. I own a next engine scanner and did a demo for the Rockler CNC group over a year ago at DMS. I probably still have all the slides for the demo. If you have a more immediate need just contact me. I’m available evenings Thur-Sunday and I’ll be happy to meet you at DMS.
Nick
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That would be awesome. As you know, it takes a lot of trial and error to get good results. I’ll PM you about it.
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This is just a suggestion—could we develop a list of folks that would be willing to give private lessons? They could even set a charge for them, even higher than a class.
Someone having problems making a class could contact them and arrange a private class? Some folks would be more comfortable with someone to ‘handhold’ them. I have never done any larger scale metal work so I look over at the tool shop and wonder what all I am missing.
When I went to school, girls were not allowed in any shop classes—that seemed unfair to me—I knew how to sew and cook, I wanted shop instead!
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Classes on video can be useful as refreshers even for those already trained.
We seem to always find ourselves on the verge of having classes on video.
Most recently, Mark was putting together a painless way to video a class in the Lecture Hall until he got himself banned.
Before that, Abel Ramirez was hot on the trail to recording classes until he burnt out and disappeared.
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I think I could develop the 3D training class video for the Polyprinters but I’d want to know if we have a standard format for how we make sure people have watched the video, like a test or something. It’d be easier for me to take like 5-10 at a time and do a hands on test than to just lecture. I don’t know if that would work for other committees.
I am in support of a train committee. And I am going to rain on your parade, just a bit.
Developing courseware is a pain. The general measure is 2 to 8 hours of development for each hour taught.
A 3 hour class will generally take 6 to 24 hours of development. (I was a computer classroom instructor and wrote courses are too.)
A training committee can certainly help with a standard DMS course format so it has a “look and feel” across different training classes and committees. Be the spark to get classes recorded, edited and posted.
The training committee CANNOT write courseware, unless, they have the knowledge. We have all experienced the training where “Pressing the 1 key inputs 1 into the computer”. They are bubblegum classes with no content.
Content knowledge is the killer. Being effective in putting that into courses
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@theMitch22 I was just thinking about the 3D print class. I would like to help document the curriculum, both for live teacher and for video.
I’ll help with a video training for the laser, but we need a better on-camera person 
Generally agree with Diplomat here, but let me expound the intent (I think) of the suggestion.
Right now we have folks who know how to use stuff.
And we have folks who know how to develop materials.
The point would be to get them together, the overwhelmed volunteers who can’t scrape together a course curriculum, but know how to use stuff with folks who maybe don’t know how to use stuff well enough to teach (or aren’t comfortable teaching), but can lay out curricula in general. It’s the sweet spot of the knowledge of the tools and the knowledge of putting together coursework that would be most beneficial, and where I think this suggestion was trying to go.
The standard setup for classes would be using a webcam for the close up stuff, the camera on the tripod, a lavelier mic for the instructor and using OBS to capture the screen with the application on it. I thought Digital Media got approved some money to buy a good HDMI capture card but I haven’t heard about it, that would help with screen capturing from space computers without installing software (or taxing resources with OBS)
@ admins
It’d probably be lovely to break some of this out into their own threads…
@LisaSelk @AndrewLeCody
Sorry, drawing a blank on others.
@rolbrey
Sorry we have now COMPLETELY jacked your thread.
I have enjoyed the discussion. My 2 cents:
This applies to equipment classes, not jewelry making type classes.
I fear that a fancy, thought out, well done training video production will not get completed.
How about the next time there is a laser class, there will be a next time, right, someone just record it with a phone.
Ask for a moment of quiet in the shop. Talk loudly.
Boom. Training video, just like being in class. Almost.
Then, maybe, tie it into the accounts that you have to play it to get access.
Or, get a cheap TV, glue it to the wall, put the video on a usb stick, and run it on a loop above the lasers.
Forever.
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I’m with you.
However, most folks involved here are…passionate about what they do, and tend to get bogged down in “that’s not good enough” rather than sucking it up and posting what they get, getting what they can, and using what’s out there.
Thank you for being gracious and patient with us…
It will likely be a horrible video.
It will repeat forever.
The only way to make it go away is to make a better one.
Incentive enough.
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there should be a lot of footage. a couple dozen folks have recorded parts of my classes, as well as taken photos of the screen.
@Corbimos and his wife are new members. According to @JayJohnson600, they do teach and do video production for a living. Great folks to have volunteering to help.
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I have also taught computer cert classes as well as new hire training for tech support orgs. I have also developed training material and that is why I offered to help. I think we are headed on the right track, we just need a meeting of the minds to get an outline together and get to work. I think that is where the training/classroom committees are vital.
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One more quick thing. If we could get a separate section in the wiki for “training materials” and post all training videos and manuals (and links) there, it might help out. I know I am having trouble finding things why I think they should be. But that may just be me. I would be happy to work with someone who know where all that stuff is to organize it and setup the new section.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not short circuiting anybody’s efforts to make a good training video. It is just that we could have a completed video in as long as it takes to teach the next class, up and running 5 minutes after the class, to start working down the backlog of people wanting this training.
The next, better, video would always be welcome.
It is just that we can’t as a makerspace keep signing up new people, when there is a 100 day wait to use many of the tools, especially when the tool availability is not the restriction.
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