Testing User Guide / Free training?

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jhodgdon's picture

As many of you probably know, I've been one of the coordinators of a project to make a User Guide for Drupal 8. It's aimed at people who are new to Drupal who want to learn how to use Drupal to build web sites, and it's getting VERY close to having a first draft complete. It is going to need some copy editing, and also some testing, but it's looking pretty decent already. (If you want to take a look at the user guide, go to https://userguide_new-drupal.dev.devdrupal.org/d8guide/en/index.html and log in with user name / password of drupal/drupal.)

Also, at a recent Spokane group meeting, we were talking about the possibility of offering a free or low-cost training in Drupal site building to the Spokane-area community. This would be in conjunction with the Drupal Global Training Days scheduled world-wide for Friday, April 8 and Saturday, April 9.

So... what if we combined the two ideas into one event?

The idea is that we would offer a free Drupal training day, where "student" participants would use the User Guide as their main learning tool, with (hopefully) a few relatively experienced Drupal users on hand as "mentor" participants to answer questions and clarify things that are wrong or unclear in the guide. The students would, in the process, be testing the User Guide (seeing if it makes sense to them and if the steps for each task in the guide actually work), which would help the User Guide project get to completion. The mentors would take notes on what was unclear or wrong, to report that back to the User Guide project. Also, the students would learn how to use Drupal, and the mentors would get some exposure to Drupal 8 if they are more familiar with Drupal 7 (anyone familiar with Drupal 7 should be able to mentor pretty easily, as it is very similar). Students would need to bring their own laptop computers, but we could get them free temporary Drupal hosting to use for the duration of the training.

If you are interested in participating, either as a "student" or "mentor", please respond here with a comment (we'll also discuss this at our next meeting -- see https://groups.drupal.org/node/508970). In your comment, please indicate whether Friday April 8 or Saturday April 9 would work for you (it would be an all-day event); and if neither of those days would work for you, maybe suggest other days that would.

Also... as a note, we should be able to get a Spokane County Library meeting room for either of those dates -- at least we can if we decide soon! There are a few available around the county. That said, if you know of another free or very-low-cost location we could use (not a "maybe" but a "definitely"), please post that here too.

Comments

Location is a problem after all.

jhodgdon's picture

I guess I should have gone ahead and reserved a room when I posted this last week... Today, the only large meeting rooms available for Saturday, April 9 are at Medical Lake and Fairfield. Fairfield is way out there... Medical Lake seems like the better option. Anyway, more info coming soon!

Post Falls vs. Medical Lake

jhodgdon's picture

Update: I requested a reservation at the Medical Lake library yesterday (haven't gotten confirmation yet).

Meanwhile, Diane found out that the Post Falls library has a meeting room that holds 40 people and it is available on that date. I'm inclined to go with that room instead -- Post Falls is a few minutes farther from downtown Spokane than Medical Lake, but I'm familiar with the library there (not familiar with Medical Lake), and it's definitely easy to get to from the freeway. It has a large parking lot too.

I'm hoping Jon will go over to the Post Falls library (which is only a few blocks from his house) and check the WiFi speeds there like he did at Argonne on Thursday... Hint hint. ;)

Any dissenting opinions? There's nothing more central available that I could find, so I think those are our two choices... So unless I hear protests before Monday, and assuming the Post Falls reservation is confirmed, I think I'll go ahead and set it up for there.

PostFalls OK for me

denuevojose's picture

it sounds good to me!

Great!

jhodgdon's picture

Jon tested the WiFi at Post Falls, and said it was great and also they have a separate network just for the meeting rooms. So, it's a go! I'll set up the EventBrite and etc. for the training later today hopefully.

Great... send me blur for the Poster

denuevojose's picture

PDF Poster!

Event set up...

jhodgdon's picture

We're ready to go!
Information is at https://groups.drupal.org/node/509913 ... Comment on https://groups.drupal.org/node/509913 if you have sent out any additional publicity, and if you make a poster, send it to me and I can post it on the page (it looks like you can attach files to pages but not to comments). THANKS!

Additional publicity

Momseekingbalance's picture

I have permission to publicize this on the Community Library Network site. They will add the main graphic of the poster to their next newsletter if I can get that to them. I can also use it to create an event notice on the district wide rotating slideshow of each of the pages.

Sounds good!

jhodgdon's picture

I'll make a note of this on the main page for this event. Thanks!

Cool!

Momseekingbalance's picture

Poster looks great to me!

Poster comments

jhodgdon's picture

I guess it is already sent out... but I would never have put "The most powerful CMS" on a poster. That is way overdoing it, in my opinion.

Also the text:

Workshop self-paced, hands-on introduction to building a web site using Drupal.

This doesn't make sense to me. Something about the grammar with "Workshop" followed by "self-paced". ??

I think I would have made the headline something like:

Free Drupal Workshop

(in place of "The most powerful CMS")

And then take "workshop" out of sub-heading, so it ends up being:

Self-paced, hands-on introduction to building a web site using Drupal.

Anyway, I think it gets the point across, and the information is accurate. Thanks!

Sent Poster

dmsid's picture

I sent out an email this morning to numerous computer stores and individual tech people listed in Google in Spokane and Idaho.

I hit the most major stores and added what appeared to be smaller one people consultants.

The poster was attached as well as specific info on the event. (GREAT POSTER)

=============================================

EMAIL SENT

We are a local group of Drupal users that are holding a free Workshop on April 9th. This one day event is designed to help people learn how Drupal 8 can be used to build a better presence on the web.

This training would be great for your employees and your customers. I have included a PDF poster that you could print out and place in your store to help us out.

Thank you for your time and we hope we see you there.

Additional information is here: http://poplarclass.com/home-spokane-2016

All the best,
Jon

About the workshop

This workshop is a self-paced, hands-on introduction to building a web site using Drupalversion 8.1. It is meant for people who are very new to Drupal, but with some general web/Internet knowledge, and who want to learn how to build web sites with Drupal.

Participants in the workshop will be working at their own pace to build a Drupal site, using the new Drupal User Guide as their course material. At this point, the User Guide is a rough draft, so participants will also be providing useful feedback to the authors of the guide, which will benefit future readers of the free User Guide to this free software. Mentors will be on hand to answer questions and clarify anything that is unclear in the guide.

When
Saturday, April 9, 2016 - 10 AM to 4 PM
Where
Post Falls Library, 821 N. Spokane St., Post Falls, ID (map) - Meeting room #1
Bring
Wi-Fi equipped laptop and power cord, snacks, drinks. Or, you can take a break and eat nearby at lunchtime.
Registration
Free registration on Eventbrite -- PLEASE sign up if you plan to attend as a participant or mentor
More information, curriculum materials, etc.
http://poplarclass.com/home-spokane-2016

dmsid's picture

I was thinking about things we might need for the event. Help me think of things.

I will be going down to the room sometime very soon and scope it out. I will take some photos and check out the placement of things. As the Library opens at 10am on Saturday I need to see if we can set up some things the day before, or can we get in at 9:30. I will share my findings with you all. I worked for the city at one time and still know people at the Library. (I live only 0.6 miles from the Post Falls Library.)

THINGS I WILL BRING

I will bring my digital projector. I think we could at least have the event poster projected on the screen when people arrive.

I will bring power extension cables and power strips so we can run power directly to the tables.

I have a large orange water container I could fill with ice water and bring cups for people. (I know we said bring your own, but this would be no effort.)

THINGS WE MIGHT NEED?

Could we make up some kind of take away? Maybe just a half sheet that would have information on what they should do after the Workshop. Links to places on the Drupal site, as well as information on our club, where we meet, how to contact us?

I could bring my Keurig coffee machine and would be willing to donate a few dozen coffee inserts to the cause. (Again no effort.)

Will make some decals

denuevojose's picture

and stickers!

All right!

Momseekingbalance's picture

That will be fun :)

Um...

jhodgdon's picture

I will bring my projector as usual, even though I don't think we need it.

I don't think there is much to set up besides tables. We can definitely bring power strips. If you want to bring water or coffee, sure... but if someone spills coffee we may be in trouble.

The User Guide last section is about what to do next, so it has links to learning more etc.. But sure, we could make a sheet that says to go to groups.drupal.org/spokane_wa that would be fine.

This might help

Momseekingbalance's picture

On page 2 of http://www.communitylibrary.net/drupal7/sites/default/files/PF%20RoomRes... it shows the seating as it will be arranged for us. I chose the class room setup as I felt it would be more amenable to a whiteboard (or screen.) I also asked for the whiteboard. (I didn't select the TV, DVD, or VCR option.) Hoping the whiteboard will work as a screen.

I think bringing ice water, coffee machine, and cups is an awesome idea, as well as power extension cables/strips!

Coming in a little Late...

CProfessionals's picture

Ok... no jokes about the slow guy. I just found this. (Wow...miss one meeting)

I am bringing:
- Power strips and extension cords
- I have certificates of attendance for participants (Students mainly so they get credit)
- I will be some fresh roasted coffee with Kurig adapter.
- Jon is buying lunch (HA)

If there is anything else, just let me know... Excited to see everyone!

Coffee?

jhodgdon's picture

I think Jon is not bringing the coffee maker after all because there are a LOT of people. But you can talk to him and coordinate if you want. The reminder email message going out tomorrow will remind everyone to bring their own drinks and snacks.

Coffee/Water

dmsid's picture

I talked with Shawn and I will bring the coffee maker and he is bringing the coffee. I will also bring small bottles of water.

Thanks to everyone!

dmsid's picture

What a great day! Thanks to everyone that attended and helped out.

Very exciting to see our group active in growing the interest in Drupal.

Thanks to Jennifer for taking the lead!

Thanks for the coffee.

Thanks for the cool stickers and posters.

Thanks for the team work all around.

Here is a little video I put together so we can remember this special day!

https://youtu.be/7tGH_6Iai9E

I enthusiastically agree!

Momseekingbalance's picture

Fun day! Loved reviewing what I knew and learning what I didn't. Oh and....cool video!

Love it!

denuevojose's picture

I only wanted to add that Jennifer rocked

I was excited to see you guys including the guy on green Drupal polo

Nice Video jon!

Our group is open for all new DRUPALEROS!

Great Workshop!

LCozza's picture

What a fantastic day! Thank you, Jennifer, for all that you do! Thank you, Jon and Shawn, for the coffee (which was amazing!) And to Jose for the stickers. And to Diane, for her help and her wit. I'm loving the user guide for Drupal 8! Awesome job!

Nice video... The "Vegan Queen" ;)

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