Realise that one day, soon, your computer's hard drive will crash and you will need to recover everything! So save your bookmarks (export) to a safe place, backup all work regularly, save all passwords and hope that your colleagues will have patience. And make sure you have enough cash readily available to buy the new hardware and software! Accept that it will take some time to get used to the new computer and restore all programs and data.
No prizes for guessing what happened to me.
For years I spent hours marking tests where learners could not express themselves properly and I could not really gauge if they knew the work because their command of language and English was so poor. I was on the lookout for a better system. The course showed me how with their quality MCQs, and the software Virtual Assessor www.eduflex.com let me create tests where they are marked in seconds and I really know if the learners know their work. I am now giving my learners a test every week on the section just completed.
The test is marked in seconds and the learners focus on knowing the work. I have used some of the tests for their term marks. I have collected a great deal of data (ammunition) to use when I create comments for the reports. The tests take time to create but they are worth it. The questions from the banks can be used for whatever grade as required. You can set the tests with a time limit. The tests can be made available for different periods. You can make the tests available for revision. My first tests were poor but I have become better with reflection and experience. I have learned how to test theory as well as practical aspects of computers with online testing. If any local school want to see the work give me a mail. The school pay a monthly fee to Virtual Assessor for us to use it. Other departments at our school are also now beginning to use it. I cannot show anyone the questions as the questions can only be seen by registered 'learners'.
This UCT Internet Super-user course made me look very critically at where I was going and how I was teaching CAT.
Instructions here
The full download of Wikipedia is rather cumbersome, but a small portion of it selected specifically for schools can be downloaded at <http://schools-wikipedia.org/> This compilation of 5500 articles will fit on a single DVD, and may be freely downloaded.
