Disoriented
Today marked the beginning of new student orientation at my college. For a commuter school, they go all out--the students have three full days of this stuff, and there's a full day of parent orientation as well, although I'm not sure how well attended that is, since it's on a Wednesday.
Here is a timeline of my orientation experience:
Several weeks ago: The official schedule goes. I am presenting to half the students on Tuesday (they're divided up into groups and follow different itineraries) and the other half on Thursday. The interesting part was that the presentations are supposed to take place in the library, which is roughly the size of my living room/dining room. (Did I mention each group is around 50 students?) And the library doesn't have a screen or projector, although I have been told to prepare a PowerPoint. My game plan is to stand on my desk and point at things, which honestly I am actually pretty okay with.
Last Tuesday or Wednesday: I am notified that the schedule has been modified and I will now be giving my presentation on Monday, to three different groups rather than two, and in classrooms with the appropriate technology. I cancel my registration for the meeting I had planned to attend that day, put together a PowerPoint, and make up a handout. I also am able to get into the classrooms and test the projector, etc., so I won't have technical difficulties. I am not able to check the setup in the gallery.
7:30 this morning: I arrive and am told that one of the three group leaders is out because her son is sick, so instead I will be giving my presentation to two groups, one small (in a classroom) and one large (in our gallery).
8:30 a.m.: I drag my boss to the gallery because he had promised to show me how to use the projector and still hasn't. It is a pretty straightforward setup except that what is on the laptop is not showing up on the screen. My boss says not to worry about this trivial fact; the presenters before me will be using the laptop/projector combo and everything will be in working order when I arrive. I also visit the classroom for a second time when I discover that the group leader is using her own laptop instead of the classroom laptop I tested last week.
9:00 a.m.: I print out a copy of my handout but don't want to waste my desktop printer/copier ink on another 100 copies. The bulk copier in the library requires money or a bypass card. I go to the facilities manager for a card. The cards are locked in his desk drawer, the key for which is in the pants he wore on Friday, which are at his house.
9:30 a.m.: I attempt to make copies on the admin office copier, but despite the fact that the machine appears to be making copies, no actual copies emerge. I consult the registrar, who also can't figure out the problem. I mention this to the facilities manager, who immediately picks up the phone and makes an emergency service call.
11:00 a.m.: Still without handouts, I get the career services coordinator to let me use her copier. It jams when I try to make double-sided copies, so I do them single-sided instead. We chat while the copies were being made, and she mentions the code that was required to make copies in the admin office. This is news to me. I make a hasty retreat to the facilities manager to let him know that the emergency service call may have been a bit premature.
11:45 a.m.: Presentation #1 (classroom). I launch into my PowerPoint like a pro. Then I go to click to the next slide and realize that the wireless mouse used for this purpose (because the laptop cart is conveniently located across the room) does not communicate with the group leader's laptop. So I talk and she clicks through the slides, which is not as disjointed as it could be.
12:05 p.m.: Presentation #2 (gallery). I get set up on the laptop easily and turn to the screen. Still not recognizing the laptop. Quoth the group leader, "I know nothing about technology stuff." Luckily I have notes and just gave the entire presentation five minutes ago. I stand next to the podium, in front of the blank screen, and rattle off the contents of my slides. No one visibly falls asleep.
And this was just orientation. I'm afraid to see what kind of technical difficulties the actual semester may bring. Next time, though, I'm making my copies a week in advance.
Here is a timeline of my orientation experience:
Several weeks ago: The official schedule goes. I am presenting to half the students on Tuesday (they're divided up into groups and follow different itineraries) and the other half on Thursday. The interesting part was that the presentations are supposed to take place in the library, which is roughly the size of my living room/dining room. (Did I mention each group is around 50 students?) And the library doesn't have a screen or projector, although I have been told to prepare a PowerPoint. My game plan is to stand on my desk and point at things, which honestly I am actually pretty okay with.
Last Tuesday or Wednesday: I am notified that the schedule has been modified and I will now be giving my presentation on Monday, to three different groups rather than two, and in classrooms with the appropriate technology. I cancel my registration for the meeting I had planned to attend that day, put together a PowerPoint, and make up a handout. I also am able to get into the classrooms and test the projector, etc., so I won't have technical difficulties. I am not able to check the setup in the gallery.
7:30 this morning: I arrive and am told that one of the three group leaders is out because her son is sick, so instead I will be giving my presentation to two groups, one small (in a classroom) and one large (in our gallery).
8:30 a.m.: I drag my boss to the gallery because he had promised to show me how to use the projector and still hasn't. It is a pretty straightforward setup except that what is on the laptop is not showing up on the screen. My boss says not to worry about this trivial fact; the presenters before me will be using the laptop/projector combo and everything will be in working order when I arrive. I also visit the classroom for a second time when I discover that the group leader is using her own laptop instead of the classroom laptop I tested last week.
9:00 a.m.: I print out a copy of my handout but don't want to waste my desktop printer/copier ink on another 100 copies. The bulk copier in the library requires money or a bypass card. I go to the facilities manager for a card. The cards are locked in his desk drawer, the key for which is in the pants he wore on Friday, which are at his house.
9:30 a.m.: I attempt to make copies on the admin office copier, but despite the fact that the machine appears to be making copies, no actual copies emerge. I consult the registrar, who also can't figure out the problem. I mention this to the facilities manager, who immediately picks up the phone and makes an emergency service call.
11:00 a.m.: Still without handouts, I get the career services coordinator to let me use her copier. It jams when I try to make double-sided copies, so I do them single-sided instead. We chat while the copies were being made, and she mentions the code that was required to make copies in the admin office. This is news to me. I make a hasty retreat to the facilities manager to let him know that the emergency service call may have been a bit premature.
11:45 a.m.: Presentation #1 (classroom). I launch into my PowerPoint like a pro. Then I go to click to the next slide and realize that the wireless mouse used for this purpose (because the laptop cart is conveniently located across the room) does not communicate with the group leader's laptop. So I talk and she clicks through the slides, which is not as disjointed as it could be.
12:05 p.m.: Presentation #2 (gallery). I get set up on the laptop easily and turn to the screen. Still not recognizing the laptop. Quoth the group leader, "I know nothing about technology stuff." Luckily I have notes and just gave the entire presentation five minutes ago. I stand next to the podium, in front of the blank screen, and rattle off the contents of my slides. No one visibly falls asleep.
And this was just orientation. I'm afraid to see what kind of technical difficulties the actual semester may bring. Next time, though, I'm making my copies a week in advance.
posted by Madame Defarge at 4:25 PM
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