Schedule and Format:
For full-time classes, I break the day into 6 1-hour
sessions. With breaks between sessions and for lunch, that makes for an
8-hour day. At the start of each day I outline the intended plan of attack
for that day. At day's end, I outline the following day's plan. While I do
have a tried and proven approach to this kind of seminar, I am able and
prepared to adjust the agenda "on the fly" at any time based on
mutual agreement with the majority of the class or their management, as
appropriate. I make myself available during breaks and at the end of each
day to handle questions.
I strongly encourage class interaction and
always start out each session by asking if there are any questions. I make
every attempt to have all questions answered as soon as possible and, in any
event, before I leave at the end of the course. I am also prepared to handle
questions beyond the end of the course as part of my "after-sales
service".
Teaching
Requirements
I teach using actual (or electronic versions
of) overhead transparencies, which are typeset directly from the text (which
is a book, not a collection of slides). As well as needing an overhead
transparency (or PC screen) projector, I require a white board or similar.
Most classes involve substantial lab time
making access to terminals or PCs necessary. Ideally, the terminals should
be in the training room.
Teaching
Style
I teach by example, using small fragments of
code designed with care to highlight the topic, but without unnecessary
distraction. Once the syntax is made clear, I encourage a discussion of how
the construct might be applied. I also make considerable mention of
programming style and management issues as well as portability
considerations, as the need arises.
Hardware
and Operating System Issues
Many of my courses are not system-specific, and I
have successfully taught them using a number of different platforms.
In my 30+ years in computing, I have used numerous systems, and I have
no doubt that given a user manual and a modern compiler, or a short tutorial,
I could teach my classes on pretty much any system having the necessary
software.
Materials
I have produced all of my own materials. I
either use one of my textbooks or one of my unpublished manuscripts. I have
a full typesetting facility with cross-reference capability and can produce
quality course handouts. I believe in providing course materials that
students can use after the class ends rather than simply giving them
notes and copies of terse transparencies.
Each student gets a typeset hard-copy of the
course book, plus an electronic copy for searching. They also get all the
source code to examples in the book, and all the lab solution files.
Location
I have no travel restrictions, either for
location or duration, domestic or international.
Schedule
Most training companies only want to teach
classes full-time and to keep their trainers very busy with new jobs. I, on
the other hand, only need to keep myself busy, and then often less than
full-time; I have columns to write, standards meetings to attend, and a
number of personal projects needing attention.
I've found that clients are often interested
in having a flexible training schedule. For example, if their people can
attend a 4–5-day class part-time over two or three weeks, their people are
not absent from their jobs for days at a time, and they get a chance to think a lot more
about, and absorb, the material being presented. I have also taught a number
of evening classes. Weekend classes are also possible. And because teaching
in my local area doesn't involve out-of-town travel, I'm willing to
entertain doing sessions as short as a half day at a time. Some companies
really don't need a full-blown course; a few short informal seminar or
consulting sessions might suffice instead.
Fees
My standard pricing involves various
discounts based on the number of students. If clients have their own copy
facility, they can duplicate the materials in-house if they so chose,
thereby reducing the price.
Contact me for details.
Licensing
A number of my courses are available for
licensing. This enables training companies to get started in these areas
without having to produce their own materials. It also allows larger
organizations to have more control of their training schedule and costs.
Contact me for details.
