HIT: How to become "network literate" (long)

[Rena Deutsch <renadeutsch@WORLDNET.ATT.NET>]

Thank you to everyone who sent me long, detailed and thoughtful suggestions
on how to become network literate without getting a Ph.D.

My questions were:
1.  How much do you have to know (or how little) to keep a network
generally running?

2.  How did you, as a network literate, learn what you did?

3. What suggestions would you have for learning? (Books, online course,
continuing ed. class in... what?)


Here are the responses I received:

If you are being thurst into a PC world, I give you my blessing and then my
best advice. Run do not walk to your local Computer User group (this group
will also help in the Mac world too). Attend all of the meetings. Even if
you do not understand what is going on. Sit there and listen. After two or
three meetings, start asking questions. Don't stop until you understand the
answer. Have them keep explaining it until they get to words that are easy.
Then, get them to help you with understanding the networking.

Next, buy every "for dummies" and "for teachers" book in the computer world
that you can afford. Most of them are written with a degree of humor and
are not tough to read. They will give you a background to help you phrase
your questions for the user group.

Don't try to learn everything at once. Like the old phrase says: "How do
you eat an elephant? One bite at a time." Take the computer stuff one byte
at a time (okay I can't avoid the occasional pun). Answer the current
problem and then go on.

Keep your sense of humor (hysteria helps also). Develop a laugh that sounds
a little like a "mad hatter." Use this laugh when someone asks the
impossible of you. Then, when you do it they will be amazed.
Join a listserv like "edtech". This is a group of pros who can answer a
question that you might have. They are great.

Finally, try to avoid becoming the tech/coordinator yourself unless the
district is willing to give you support personnel to "free" up your time.
........................................................

Take notes each time a kind techie helps you.
Listen to the techies.
Go to workshops, inservices, etc
You'll learn in time. And you'll be astonished at how much you know!

My notebook is invaluable. I can't "remember" everything. But I take
copious notes when some kind techie helps me with anything. Then I can
refer to it when the problem arises again.

.......................................................

Use the same method to learn as you are using now: the email  discussion
list. There are two lists that are good and fairly low  traffic: CDROMLAN,
(listserv@idbsu.idbsu.edu) and a new one: SYSLIB-L  ,
(LISTSERV@LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU).  There are also lists for  Novell
(very high volume), Microsoft (i don't know about those), and the other
network programs. A lot of the lists have publically accessable archives on
the web, so you don't have to join at once,  but can still get the benefit
of others' expertise.
 .................................................

... Our district has five buildings with one computer coordinator.  I
rarely see him unless there's a problem.  I've essentially been in charge
of the network, which has included adding students, trouble shooting, etc.
The coordinator and I have communicated a lot through e-mail. Our
technology committee meets once a month, so we communicate then.  The other
thing I've had to do is ask for his time — and I've had to bend my schedule
to fit his a few times.  Since I've done that, he has been more willing to
check in with me once in awhile.
.................................................

It depends on whether your network is for the whole school or just the
library.  I had a library network for 2 years before the school was
networked, and handled that one myself.  It wasn't bad at all.  Techies set
it up and showed me how to do backups, etc.  I never really had any
problems with our little network.  Now that the whole school is networked,
we have someone who runs in, so I don't have to deal with it.  If you're
having to deal with a whole school network, make sure the techies show you
the tricks,
and call them when there are problems.  Your automation company probably
has good customer support, and they can help you with any of the
circulation system network problems.

..................................................

I have not had networking problems that I had to solve.  If I couldn't
figure out the problem with common sense I contacted the tech person for my
circulation program.  If they could not help, it became the problem for the
person who installed the network.  Twice we have been "down" for a week or
more while they tried to figure out what went wrong and it required several
heads together to get it solved.  So, I know very little even after a year
plus of having my circulation networked and to be honest with you I don't
want to know how to do it all.  It is like the telephone, I do not know how
it works, I use it and if there is a problem, I call an expert.  Networks
are too complicated for me.

................................................
We got a very long phone cord so that we could call the technical support
of the cd-rom we were trying to install or use.  Each cd-rom installs
differentlly so it possible, it is good to get tech support from somewhere
in the building/district.  Right now ours is down and I don't know how to
make the network connect again so I'm waiting and waiting and waiting.
When it is good it is very very good, and when it is down it is horrid!
....................................................
 I am the library media specialist, and I have a new IBM network.  It drove
me crazy at first.  The hardest thing was to get the staff to have all the
students sign on using the same steps each time and then to log off
consistently after exiting the program.  Once they got better at that
things got a lot better....
You'll learn it gradually just like everything else with constant repition.
 Don't be afraid of it.  Just tackle it.
...................................................

I've had Novell since 1989.  A qualified professional installed it and I
haven't had a bit of trouble.  In 1994, I updated it to Novell 3.2.   I am
not a wiz at this, but it doesn't seem to need much attention
.......................................................

The "basics" of a network can be learned relatively easily if you are
computer literate.  When I was student teaching, I couldn't believe
everything my cooperating teacher did on the network.  I thought I'd never
be able to do any of that.  When I took my first media job last year, I
knew Macs but had virtually never used Windows 3.1 or 95.  With some
interest and learning by watching and doing, by Christmas I was the person
everyone called for computer help (which, understandably, is not the
position you want to be in).

When they decided to put in our building network, I and another teacher
were interested in learning Novell.  We did three things.  First, we took a
2-day Novell workshop that was offered in our area at a licensed Novell
education center under special arrangements from Novell.  For the nuts and
bolts (adding users, printing, etc.), that probably would have been almost
enough to keep it going.  We then took a Novell class at the local
community college.  This was more of generating servers, troubleshooting,
and other advanced topics.  Since the class at the community college was
teaching Novell 3.12 and we have 4.11, we bought books on both and compared
them.  The books we used were from Que.  The one I have in front of me is
"Using NetWare 3.12."  They are very good, step-by-step, to teach you
Novell.  I think you could learn a lot about the basics from them--probably
enough to get you going.

The most important thing we had was the opportunity to "play."  You don't
learn it until you do it.  We made a "baby" server before we got the real
thing and made our mistakes there.  You may not have this option, but if
things are basically set up for you, practice adding users, installing
software, connecting network printers, etc.

Willingness to learn is also important.  If you want to be able to do this,
you'll certainly be able to.  (It beats waiting for someone else to come
help you out.)  I wonder how many LM_NETters are also network
administrators (not necessarily by choice).  I would bet a pretty big
percentage!


......................

        I don't know what system you have, but when they put the network into our
old grade school I ended up being in charge of keeping the whole thing
running.  My only "qualifications" were an interest in
computers.  I was lucky, it was an Appletalk network and it didn't need
much tweaking.  I read through all the manuals that came with all the
equipment from front to back.  Then I bought a book on Appletalk.  It
worked out pretty well.  (I was also teaching first grade).
        When we moved to the new building they upgraded the network to Ethernet.
I started reading manuals again.  Again, it needed very little maintence.
I was now teaching computers/library so I also had easier access to
everything during the day.
        The manuals will give you good basic knowledge, then a good book and
resources like this list should keep you going.



Thanks again for all the great responses!!!!!



Rena Deutsch, Librarian
High School for the Humanities
New York, NY
renadeutsch@worldnet.att.com

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