Setting up a training room for a course

For 2023 (and 2024 ...) - we are now fully retired from IT training.
We have made many, many friends over 25 years of teaching about Python, Tcl, Perl, PHP, Lua, Java, C and C++ - and MySQL, Linux and Solaris/SunOS too. Our training notes are now very much out of date, but due to upward compatability most of our examples remain operational and even relevant ad you are welcome to make us if them "as seen" and at your own risk.

Lisa and I (Graham) now live in what was our training centre in Melksham - happy to meet with former delegates here - but do check ahead before coming round. We are far from inactive - rather, enjoying the times that we are retired but still healthy enough in mind and body to be active!

I am also active in many other area and still look after a lot of web sites - you can find an index ((here))

"Just provide a room and the students, and we'll do the rest" So we say in our marketing material, and we mean it; we have the facilities and equipment to set up in a wide variety of venues and run proffessional courses there. In the last few days, I've set up in three different venues taking about 45 minutes in each for a network of around 10 machines.

Setting up a training course is rather like taking over a paint job that's already been started. Sometimes, you can just drop your systems into place but at other times a certain amount of reorganisation is needed. What are the factors I consider as I do the setup?

* Give all the trainees plenty of space - not only for computers but also for notes, notepads, etc
* Arrange the room so that all trainees can see the projector screen, whiteboard and other aids, preferably at the same time as their computer screen
* Allow somewhere for the tutor to sit or stand (prefereable both) so that he does not block the students views

* Give the tutor plenty of space too, and a seat where he can type during a demo.
* Set up so that the tutor can interact with the students - good eye contact, etc
* Leave enough aisle space for the tutor to visit each student to help during practicals

* Lay out the reference books so that students are encouraged to use them during the course
* Clear excess chairs, but leave one or two so that the tutor can pull up a seat beside student he's stopping to chat with.
* Set up cabling so that all the students can get to their seats without stepping over cables
* Set up cables so that students don't run over them as they roll their chairs back
* Don't use a cable that's JUST long enough unless you have to; allow a little slack so that things won't pull if
a student moves a laptop by a few inches.

* If running a multi-operating system course, ensure that the systems are mixed around the room so that trainees who are using Linux can look across to the person beside them with Windows, and vice versa
* Learn the lighting of the room so that you can dim when you're projecting
* Adjust the tilt and swivel and zoom of the projector. Use a smaller display size if the lighting can't easily be reduced.
* Have a spare machine at hand "just in case" - preferable quietly on the network
* Check all machines are up and networked via our tkpingle script

All of this is second nature to us; it's the first time I've formally written it up and I hadn't realised just how many things I do automatically!

(written 2005-01-27, updated 2006-06-05)

Associated topics are indexed as below, or enter http://melksh.am/nnnn for individual articles

G401 - Well House Consultants - On Site courses
  [139] Just provide a room and the students - (2004-12-03)
  [213] Off to Munich - (2005-02-13)
  [241] Dress for training - (2005-03-10)
  [382] Central London Courses - Perl, PHP, Python, Tcl, MySQL - (2005-07-18)
  [438] Fair system for travel and accommodation expenses - (2005-09-07)
  [439] You cant - (2005-09-08)
  [1027] Cue the music, I'm happy. - (2007-01-09)
  [1465] Perl, PHP, Python, Tcl, Linux, MySQL, Ruby courses ... - (2007-12-09)
  [1600] Cambidge - Tcl, Expect and Perl courses - (2008-04-04)
  [1781] Reception - (2008-09-01)
  [2041] httpd, Tomcat and PHP course enhancements - (2009-02-14)
  [2309] Lua training class in Spanish - (2009-07-29)
  [2311] Floor to ceiling - (2009-07-30)
  [2801] Binary data handling with unpack in Perl - (2010-06-10)
  [2810] A course review - for the tutor to complete - (2010-06-14)
  [2928] Public (scheduled) or private course? Book direct, or through a third party? - (2010-08-19)
  [2956] On site course - travel and accommodation expenses - (2010-09-14)
  [3131] Lua, Tcl, Python; Worldwide training classes - (2011-01-14)
  [3137] Training Classes - should the training company provide a system for each delegate to use? - (2011-01-18)
  [3691] Back in Cambridge to give a Lua course - (2012-04-09)
  [3715] Changing face - Filton - (2012-05-01)
  [3898] The course must go on - improvements to tutor travel plans, with immediate effect - (2012-10-17)
  [3950] 10 reasons why I travel the night before a course starts - (2012-12-10)
  [4132] Using your own laptop on our courses - now even easier! - (2013-07-05)
  [4230] Well House Consultants - course prices for 2014 - (2013-12-26)
  [4602] Training course and hotel room prices - 2016 - (2015-12-31)
  [4739] A year of changes for Lisa and Graham Ellis, and Well House - (2017-05-27)
  [4769] Python, Tcl, Lua and other Open Source programming courses for 2018 - (2017-12-31)

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Some other Articles

Customer service - examples to warn us
Published Photographer
The wrong MySQL
Current MySQL and PHP paths and upgrades
Setting up a training room for a course
Python engines
Tuesdays and Fridays
Pink elephant and appreciation
a popular bus number
Lull

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This is a page archived from The Horse's Mouth at http://www.wellho.net/horse/ - the diary and writings of Graham Ellis. Every attempt was made to provide current information at the time the page was written, but things do move forward in our business - new software releases, price changes, new techniques. Please check back via our main site for current courses, prices, versions, etc - any mention of a price in "The Horse's Mouth" cannot be taken as an offer to supply at that price.

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