What happens when you try and teach Facebook?

The answer: You have a great evening with the community.


Last night was our first TechKnight at our school (as an aside Knights are our mascot and we were working with technology, I just didn't want you to think I couldn't spell).




My objective for these TechKnights:

• To communicate and develop strategies to enrich the Kirkwood community in technology skills and resources.

The Lesson

I worked with my wife to develop what we thought we would cover and what were the key features of Facebook.  We opened up the lesson plan for people to comment through twitter and found some other resources through my google reader.


My lesson is a google doc, please feel free to use it, add to it, and share some comments.


The Set up

• Gain administrative support.
• Reserve space ( I used the middle school library)
• Ensure we can unblock Facebook within the district for a period of time.
• Ensure the doors can be unlocked to the school
• Write lesson (above)
• A flipcamera to document the presentation (which I forgot to use)
• Create flipchart of questions and reflection
• Secure activvotes for voting
• Secure laptop cart for those who don't bring a laptop.
• Advertise for 1 week over school announcements and at Mother/Grandmother breakfast.
• Warning to all Facebook friends that we will be viewing "the Wall" so alert them to be careful what they say...

• Have a partner to troubleshoot at the site while the group is instructed by the other person.
• Coffee for the morning after because it's going to be a late night.

Evidence of learning

• At the end of the lesson I assessed whether or not attendees wanted another session of TechKnight
• Participants voted on lesson choices.

What will I do differently next time

• Our district has a difficult security setting where we have to type the letter "s" after the http in order for the page to load properly.  This made for a difficult night.
• The session needed to be divided into beginners, intermediate, and advanced users on three separate nights, or in three separate rooms....
• Have specific objectives for each event.
• Have more publicity and utilize the signboard outside of the school and the district webpage.
• Have a mixture of PCs and Mac's for everyone to work on their native system.
• have people bring their own laptops.
• Communicate objectives over the techKnights more clearly to get the attendees necessary to complete the objective.

Reflection:


It was outstanding!  Everything I wanted it to be and more.  


I've been having this vision of monthly technology lessons publicized to the community for the community with topics chosen by the community.  I figure one hour a month, plus some set up time, is a great investment.  We are communicating values in how our school views the use of technology and creating a technology literate community which may benefit us in the long run of the district.  


I always felt we are in customer service in the education field and felt there is a need.  I'd rather the community come into our buildings, build relationships with us, learn with us, than learn about us and learn somewhere else.


I'll wrap this up with a video that just makes me smile...