About Leigh Ishikawa Expertise I can answer questions about certifications, technical skills, and realistic job opportunities.
Experience My speciality is QA, but I have been involved in development, release engineering, configuration management, technical publication as well as human factors aspects of software development. I've done some offshore management in UK, and recruting non-residents in USA, but I am not expert in off-shore recruting efforts.
NOTE: College/Highschool student are always welcomed to ask questions!
Expert: Leigh Ishikawa Date: 8/10/2007 Subject: Software training advice
Question Hi,
I am interested to train people at Microsoft Streets & Trips as an extra income. Can you give me any advice on becoming a trainer in general, or training the Streets & Trips program specifically? Thanks,
Evan
Answer This is indeed an interesting question...
Let's talk about teaching:
1. Set a goal for the course, define what the person will achieve in the words they can understand in non technical terms.
2. Break the course into several sessions. Describe goals for each session and how it relates to the course. Break into 1. What are you going to learn. 2. Teach them how to do it. 3. Go over what you taught them in terms of #1.
Pointers about talking about technical things:
Remember to keep the tone of each session as "how you can achieve x.". Keep the tone as non-technical as possible. Start off with basics, and building up to advanced tasks. But remember to keep a positive tone, create exercises to measure person's performance, as well as build their confidence. And lastly, remember to help build their confidence with words of praise such as "that's an excellent point" and "Great job!". Remember that you are helping them to learn, and not to demonstrate how much you know.
Examples:
Course Description:
This course will enable you to do everything from making siple trips to creating a vacation plan with all the site seeings in the areas you are staying. By the end of the course, you will create a cross-country trip across US, all with places to sleep, things to eat, and things to see/do.
Course 1:
Get to know the basics of Streets & Trips and get to work and come back home!
Build up each course work with achievement. Start with "You are going to learn"... "Now you are doing a,b,c", and conclude you lesson by review by stating what they learned such as "Now you are able to do 1,2,3. Key things to remember are a.b.c.".
