[mdlug] how would you teach a class?

[Garry Stahl]

Robert Citek wrote:
> Along the same lines, part of knowing your target audience is knowing
> what problems they want to solve, how they currently solve those
> problems, and how your class is going to help them.
>   

This is what a class syllabus is for.  To define what the class will
accomplish.  Since you generally plan a class without knowing who will
sign up it behooves one to decide what you want to teach and make that
plain in the class description.  No point in conducting a master level
scripting class, and trying to attract bunch of just getting started
end-users.

I would say that a class for Windows uses looking to Defenestrate Bill
should concentrate on the useful aspects of the Linux system and how to
get it to work for you. People want their videos and sound working, they
want the wireless card to function.  Teach them the ways and means to do
that.  Be honest and up front about which brands and models work best
with Linux. 

There is little reason to "teach" the woes of windows, those are known. 
They would not be in a Linux class if they were happy with windows.  I
suppose if the class has enough sessions in it covering the whole free
as in speaking beer thing would be moderately informative, but that
never got the 3D acceleration working on anyone's video card.

The work Ray just did for me is a perfect example.  There was no
1920x1080 resolution in the driver list.  He had to create it and create
it he did. Ray, I;m loving this thing.

I am not a politically motivated Linux user.  I am a control freak.  I
live on the computing principle that if I cannot fuck it up beyond
belief it is NOT my computer.  If the data is not on my hard drive it is
not my data.  By "my hard drive" I mean a drive I have total control
over.  A drive I can add to or move things off of at will.

Windows has been stripping that away from some time.  That is why I am a
Linux user; control.

-- 
Garry  AKA  --Phoenix--  Rising above the Flames.

Si hoc legere scis nimium eruditionis habes
Star Trek mort. Viva la Star Trek admiraetur
The Olde Phoenix Inn http://phoenixinn.iwarp.com
Metro Detroit Linux Users Group http://www.mdlug.org