Installfest Tasks

Technologies that require more than a web browser and terminal/command line typically have an "installfest" the evening or day before the workshop for attendees to have hands-on help with setting up their dev environment.

Why an installfest?

This is an important equalizer so that people come to the workshop ready to learn and make. So that teachers and TAs can focus on teaching the core curriculum, we have a policy of telling students that this is required and if anyone skips it, then we tell them they are welcome to listen in and observe or come to a future workshop. (Of course, you can choose to make an exception if you have lots of extra volunteers, but be careful of the impact on the rest of the students and volunteers.)

Installfest tasks

Remember that you have tons of volunteers eager to help, allow them to help by delegating!

Setting up a good Installfest space

• Post the wireless SSID & password often and visibly.
• Post the installfest link as well, as many people will have ignored instructions and will need to install it when they get there.
• Power outlets will guide how the space is set up. The Installfest should be one big room with different tables, ideally marked with OSs so that folks with similar issues can help each other. (This usually means getting more granular than just Mac/Linux/PC and breaking out older Mac OSs into their own pods.)

Welcome desk with class level confirmation

• People will show up early. Sometimes 30 minutes early. Be ready. Depending on the space you are in, it's easy to let people slip by without checking in. Don't let them! It helps to have signage stating that everyone, including volunteers, needs to check in and make a name tag.
• Tip: set up the welcome desk (with clear signage) before setting up the rest of the Installfest. People will make themselves at home, so if you need to bail on that setup to check people in, do it!
• Use the Bridge Troll Organizer Console to check people in. You can easily add multiple volunteer 'checkeriners' to help speed things up. The check in page works very well on mobile, which is great if you are having WiFi issues (which you will). If someone comes in who didn't register and RSVP, ask them to get out their laptop and do it right then and there.
• When volunteers check in, have them mark their name tags in some way (star stickers or a drawn star have worked). Make sure the students know they should not be shy about asking anyone with a star (or your chosen signifier) for help.
• When people check out for the evening, you can tell them their class level for the workshop and a brief description of what it means. People tend to horribly underestimate their skill levels, so encourage upward shifts. Emphasize that they can always change classes during the workshop.

To Do: further questions to get people to admit their actual skill level

Dealing with inevitable issues

• Wireless bandwidth is always difficult at workshops. Preparing for this and communicating it repeatedly to your students is the best bet, but people will still show up at the Installfest not having downloaded gargantuan necessary files. Having said files on flash drives will help dramatically, so make sure to have those. And don't lose them!
• As an organizer, people will expect you to solve their problems. Help them if you can, but if someone asks you about something outside of your expertise, delegate swiftly and without guilt. If it's 7pm and it looks like it's going to be 6 hours for a student to download a necessary file, this probably isn't the weekend that the workshop will work for them. Since we do this regularly, telling people that they can't do the workshop this time isn't the worst thing in the world. It sucks, but it's better than having someone sitting in the workshop on Saturday unable to do anything or derailing their section because of their incomplete install.

Organizers - Take This Time To Get Your Ducks In Order

Carve out some time to review your Schedule for Saturday:

• Count your Logistical volunteers so you know who you can count on. Cross reference the Workshop task list and to sort out the tasks that can easily be taken care of (door greeting, Signage (WIFI & hashtag, Class Room Levels), time keeper, etc.)
• Know (or sort-of know) who is working the Registration desk, (if they're not there,at best send them a quick email) let them know how much you appreciate them for taking on a very important position & that you'll see them bright and early on Saturday.
• Teacher Training Night is a good time to do this also