[senit] Re: [sld-forum] auditing staff skills in Clicker, WWS, Powerpoint

A slightly different way of looking at training is to consider what you're staff need to use a program in your particular circumstances.

I would agree wholeheartedly with Richard.
Often, school staff only want to learn and use this kind of software if they can see the point of it for THEIR pupil(s). This leads to the challenging training situation of trying to get across (in one afternoon!) what you call 'advanced level' skills in, say PowerPoint, to people who've barely used any software ever before, let alone manipulated graphics, symbols, sounds and animation.......  and to come out with useable and personalized materials at the end!

I've found that the single most useful thing you can do before you start training on any software is to go over how to make new folders and how to rename and move around files and folders.
Good Luck!
Sally
******

>A  slightly different way of looking at training is to consider what you're staff need to use a program in your particular circumstances.
>What they want to achieve from its use, and how best to enable them to do so.
>
>It does get you out of a rather mechanistic list of procedures or skills which really only relate to the internal operation of the program itself.
>
>It is difficult to list a hierarchy of skills unless you know the purpose for which it's being used,
>for example in my setting it is  important to be able to add sounds and pictures to symbolic documents so these would be in the starting skills list.
>
>So with PowerPoint I have been more successful in training for a purpose (talking books/ animation/music) rather than going through a task analysis type checklist. I also find it rather more exciting.
>
>There are also some common procedures that need to be familiar with operating the computer (loading, saving, filling and finding things on your hard disc and so on) that are operational and not program specific, yet are essential for working with computers.
>
>Widgit and Crick have both produced useful training guides on their software that you could use.
>
>Richard Walter
>Meldreth Manor School

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Sally Millar FRCSLT, M.Ed,
Senior Research Fellow / Joint Coordinator
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