Each lab assistant has their own special areas of expertise and if they cannot answer a question they generally know whom to ask to get the answer. I would hope that some of you will become graduate students and join their distinguished ranks. Each semester we are always looking for a couple of capable lab assistants. We need you.

 For several reasons, the lab assistants have limitations on the support they can provide to you. Some of those limitations are practical and some of them are requirements of mine.

• They have a procedure that they should follow in assisting with the assignments for those participating in this course. They should:

 
1. Ask to see your web page for the week or work in which you are engaged and have you point out the step on which you are currently working. This gives you focus. This prevents them from wasting your time and theirs when your description of the assignment is slightly off.
2. Determine which of the tutorial exercises (often videoclips) you have completed. If you have not completed or do not have on the screen the tutorial which answers the basic questions you are asking, they could help you find it but they should not assist you further until you have done your homework related to that assignment step. This enables them to help those who have the background to be helped properly. More importantly, it is also more efficient for you. The lab assistant must be able to move to assist others after a couple of minutes. The videoclip and text tutorials enables you to continue to make progress whether they are with you or not.
3. Ask you to frame your question in the context of the videoclip, tutorial or assignment sheet. That is, "I'm trying to do this thing on the videoclip or page. How do you get it to work?" They should then help you to move back and forth between your tutorial window and your practice screen where you are working and see if they can clarify the situation. They are not to do the work for you. They talk. You drive the mouse. Our course goal is to teach you to fish, not fish for you.
4. If they cannot clarify the situation to your satisfaction they should send you to me.
• There are also practical reasons why they may not be able to most effectively assist you:

 
• They may not be on duty. When lab assistants are not on duty, they are students like you and need to get their homework done as well. Just ask and they'll tell you who is or is not on active lab duty.
• They simply cannot be every where at once or devote a couple of hours exclusively to your concern. They may spend several minutes with you at one time, but they must also be available to others as well across that large lab space.
• They don't make the computers, write the software, compose the details of the state's teacher technology competencies or create your assignments. If computers were perfect, easy-to-use, simple-minded devices you would not need this course. The lab assistants can only help you cope. If you must vent your computer anxiety and would prefer not to read the educational literature on the topic, my office is 242 Killian. Just announce that it is tea time. My rocking chair is open for your visit. I may be able to help. I have cups and hot water, but bring your own tea if you don't like herbal. It is not OK with me if you spare me and take it out frustrations on the lab assistants.
• In some cases, the clip or tutorial may no longer be current with the rapidly changing nature of the Internet or it may be wrong. In that case, this should be reported to me by either you or the lab assistant. Such problems are mine, not theirs. If the problem persists, see me.
• There are some things that you should do to help yourself. This can mean that you need to do computer-based homework on a Friday. Our lab and other labs are often empty at the most opportune moments:

 
• Start on the assignments at the earliest possible moment after class. As we have discussed, you are working with complex systems. The longer you wait the more you will lose from memory what you have seen or heard in class. Practice and experience in putting your skills in a useful context is key to moving things into long term memory.
• Do not make a habit of waiting to work on your assignments the day or night or hour before class. This is an especially weak strategy with complex systems. If you need assistance quickly, you could find all the workstations in the lab full and the lab assistants busy with helping many and not able to give you the additional time you need.
• Do look for opportunities to apply the knowledge gained in this course to other courses you are taking and other assignments you must complete. That will extend and anchor your knowledge to a variety of events in your long term memory. Once these basic "power tool" ideas using information and technology are automated, it is very easy to accomplish these basic tasks in a short period of time and build on them to complete much more complex tasks.

 
• Take advantage of the good company you are keeping in the ITC. Ask lab assistants about things which your assignments do not cover. As is true with all graduate students, each has their own amazing array of special knowledge.