Day 2 was a hard day, but today we made some real progress. On the first day Ken Rosen and I explained the MCT Program, unpacking all the acronyms and benefits; MOC, MOAC, CPLS, ITA, MCP, MCTS, CWDL, MTM and many more! By the end of the day everyone was excited and hungry for more but we knew that the first day would be the easiest, and that the hard work would start on Tuesday!
Day 2 starting at 8am, brought the topic of classroom preparation and management. Downloading 30-40Gb of courseware content per average MOC course, posed a big problem – how could they manage such a bandwidth requirement – normally this would take several hours on a good connection, but in Haiti we faced glitches to the network, and the frequent power outages brought some real challenges to not only downloads, but also to deploying the classroom using my favorite tool – Windows Deployment Services (WDS).
Next topic was Hyper-V (all new MOC courses are now delivered using Server 2008 R2 and Hyper-V) Only 2 of the class members had used Hyper-v before, and most of the class struggled with the concept of using this platform to deliver a Windows 7 class. Once I demonstrated the functionality of snapshots, dynamic memory (using sp1) and how to host an XP, Vista, Windows 7 and Domain Controller on the same physical classroom PC they eventually “got it”!
Today we moved on to trainer readiness – unpacking the 70-680 Windows 7 Configuration course – highlighting areas of the courseware and focusing on the key topics such as IPv6, deployment, NTFS and VHD native boot capabilities. We even had some time to encourage the “trainees” to deliver short impromptu, 2-3 minute “learning snacks” on concepts such as DHCP, DNS, NAT and Diskpart, as we came across them in the modules. I was very encouraged by the willingness and ability they showed to “have a go” with minimal preparation. It was also a great way to give them feedback and encouragement in readiness for tomorrows “teach backs” which will be assessed as part of the “train the trainer” boot camp.
As an end note, I have developed a “love/hate” relationship with the projector – this little beast is struggling to keep up with the random power cuts, and continues to scorch me as I deliver in temperatures which are soaring above 35 degrees. The air-conditioning is hopeless – not at all helped by the classroom door being constantly left open…Grrrr J
Well done Ken and Andrew! Keep up the good work. You do realise those issues are there to challenge you. No one said it was going to be easy - but it is worthwhile, and there will be some great MCT's by the end of the programme. Oh, and didn't you pack your UPS in your suitcase? :-)
I recognize those lunch packs! and the lemonade that students were fighting over. Looks like the conditions haven't changed much, but you do feel great at the end, don't you? and that cold shower back at the house is great. Keep up the good work, Andrew!
Way to go Andrew! Given all the hardship, I do believe that you're ready for ANY job that Microsoft Learning may have open (Ken; hint, hint, hint!).
BTW, what's up with posting the food pic without explaining it? Is that a local dish? What is it?
DaveF
Hi Andrew and Ken, please keep the updates coming. As an idea, maybe MSL could help out the MCTs and training centres by providing some 2TB USB hard drives pre-loaded with most of the classroom setup files they might need? Drink lots of water and persevere, it's such a worthwhile thing you're doing. Keep up the good work!
Today marks the 8th day of the NetHope Academy Boot Camp in Haiti. It’s really been an eye opener to see how absolutely dedicated the intern candidates are and the obstacles they work to overcome.
For those that don’t know the story, NetHope and the world’s largest humanitarian organizations are working together to provide internships for computer science grads (and near grads) in Haiti. It’s an age old story. How do you get that first job when just about every organization wants to hire someone with work experience? So NetHope and organizations like World Vision, Save the Children, International Rescue Committee and others are opening their doors to provide meaningful six month work experience opportunities in their IT departments.