Teacher becomes student

I was working through one of 14 tutorials designed to help our teaching staff understand a new online gradebook system, and I was amazed at the potential that was before me.

Not that I will use all of the functions, files, bells and whistles, but it is nice to know what is available to us.


After completing 14 tutorials, ranging in length from 15 to 50 minutes, I imagine I'll know all about that availability.

Just how do teachers spend their summers? We're busy lounging by the pool, are we not?

Not quite.

As the instructor's singsong voice pleasantly guided me through each click of the mouse and every blink of the cursor, I began to wonder how I would ever remember all of this. Take notes. That's what I tell my students to do. Of course. That will help.

But with a new computer program? Notes never seem to help me much. I have to learn by doing. Hmmm ... my students tend to do better with that method, too.

Miss Tutorial suggested that I run the video while I'm setting up the gradebook, pausing the video as needed. That made sense to me.

Plus, there would be the added benefit of experiencing the tutorial twice. Repetition  facilitates learning, doesn't it?

I'm not sure how much of her cheerfulness I can take, though, especially considering some of the topics.

A student turns in an assignment late? No problem. Enter the grade and the code "LT" for late. Really? My maiden initials? I think I'll change that code.

A student does not turn in an assignment? There's a code for that, she reassures.

A student is caught cheating? (Did she tsk-tsk? I think I heard her cluck her tongue.) A code is ready and waiting to be entered.

All those negative possibilities certainly don't make me cheerful. I'd rather consider the students who understood the material, did their homework and scored A's on their tests. That is the formula that makes me cheerful.

Despite our instructor's quirks, I think this program will be a good one, and that the teachers, parents and students will grow to like it.

We'll probably learn more as we start using it on a daily basis. The best instruction most likely will come from the tips that we share with each other.

As with most programs, one of us will accidentally stumble upon a really neat feature, accidentally, of course.

We'll share those moments with our co-workers and everyone will be happy to know about it.

After all, Miss Tutorial's cheerfulness is bound to rub off on us.



Lisa Tedrick Prejean writes a weekly column for The Herald-Mail's Family page. Send e-mail to her at lprejean@schurz.com.