Setting up to teach a software class

[darrell_cordova]

I’m very interested in teaching a beginner software class. I’m familiar with logging in and accessing the software on the jump server at the makerspace. Is there someone that could give me a run through on getting a class session set up? Overhead, getting students set up, etc.

[dryad2b]

I could do that. When are you available to come down for some hands-on?

I’m here afternoons and evenings. This week I’m only here today through Wednesday. Next week, probably all week.

[bpamplin]

Here are some notes I posted a while back. Ignore the part about tours. We were smaller then.

Thoughts on developing and running a class

While helping several teachers-to-be develop electronics classes, I throw out quite a few suggestions. I’ve been asked to make a list which follows. Some items may be controversial. I look forward to your view. Let’s be civil and expand this thread into a list of additional things that we think is useful in developing and running a class. Much of this, like slide presentation info, may not apply to other areas. I hope some thoughts here may be helpful. When you are ready to submit a class…

Thanks and best wishes for your planned class. We always need more teachers.

[Raymond]

Somewhere… dunno where now that the Wiki was migrated… are some .ppt templates I posted to help folks with building slide decks for training classes.

[dryad2b]

But – you can’t load those to the Calendar, right? Or, if you could in the past, it’s Cake’d itself…

[darrell_cordova]

Great! Would 7pm on Monday next week be alright?

[bpamplin]

You can schedule a class any time a room is available. Classes requesting honorariums lock up the room but do not show on the calendar for up to 72 hours to give auditors a chance to reject it if it does not meet DMS criteria. This means that if a room does not show as busy on the calendar, it may be on hold for a class which is still under review. The only way I know to check a room is to try to submit a class. If the room. is being held, the submit will be rejected and you can try another room and time.

I really hope someone shows that I am wrong and that there is a way of checking if a room is on hold for another class!

[bpamplin]

The first few times (and maybe more) that you submit a class, the form can be quite intimidating. I suggest that well before you are ready to submit, pop up the form and examine all the blanks, pull downs, checkboxes,… that you will need to handle. Then you can cancel this and prepare notes for the real submission. I like to prepare a document with title, short description, and description ready for copy/paste.

The good news is the text fields can be updated after submission. On the other hand, time, room, max attendees and other fields cannot be edited.

There are some pains in running a class but you re helping many people and DMS by doing so! It’s worth it.

[jast]

@bpamplin

I really hope someone shows that I am wrong and that there is a way of checking if a room is on hold for another class!

Not yet, but if we get interested coders it could happen (well, I should say, that’s been on A backlog somewhere sometime…)

[jast]

also, here’s a walkthrough
https://talk.dallasmakerspace.org/t/unable-to-log-in-to-the-calendar-getting-cakephp-error-10-25-22/94607/9?u=jast
and here is a page with some info, including links to another walkthrough
https://dallasmakerspace.org/wiki/So_You_Want_to_Teach_A_Class
as well as links to other info like which room is what, how many patrons they can accommodate, etc.

And here’s raymond’s wiki entry with ppts
https://dallasmakerspace.org/wiki/Learn_to_teach

[simurghi]

I’d also be interested in teaching a class for programming. Would there be any issues with multiple classes by different teachers?

[jsnowfreedman]

No problem with that, in fact that can often be a good thing as it can take some pressure off of a single teacher if they get in high demand.

The only thing I would recommend is specifically calling out on the calendar item/ class that it is not necessarily the same exact class as the other instructor (unless you collaborate to actually teach the same agenda)

[darrell_cordova]

Can someone help me upload my W9? I believe the “upload files” on the class submission form is not working.

[dryad2b]

@Bizwacky @skyspook

I know that you’re supposed to email it to our bookkeepers, but I don’t remember that email. And – there was a glitch getting the Calendar to recognize that they had it???

[Vasha1829]

Im interested in taking the software class once yall figure out how to add it . Although free every weekday evening except mondays. Weekends usually afternoon and evenings

[Julie-Harris]

Please email [email protected] to start a ticket.

[simurghi]

I’ve gotten an issue when trying to upload my W9 to the event calendar, it has some weird PHP failure. Can I just drop it off in the mail drop chute by the front door instead?

[Julie-Harris]

This is the current rule (source.dallasmakerspace.org):

1. All persons wishing to collect honorarium in excess of $600 per year must provide a W-9 to DMS’ bookkeepers ([email protected]).

This is a calendar issue, not a W-9 issue. Send an email to [email protected] until we can fix the issue with the calendar.

[simurghi]

Okay. Is physically mailing of no longer an option? The event calendar gave that to me as an alternative.

[Julie-Harris]

No, just email it. If you mail it to DMS, it’s just going to sit in a mail box in the common room until someone finds it and emails it for you. You can use the copier in the common room or take a picture with your phone. The calendar hasn’t been updated for the new process.