Generation TECH - Model Overview
Tools, training and support make this program a comprehensive solution for schools looking to start a student technology program or enhance an existing one.

Training
Program and Curriculum Guide
Online Tools
Technical and Program Support
Assessment
Sustainability
Online Help Desk and Trouble-Ticket Tracking System

Training and Support
Generation YES provides intensive professional development and startup support for your Generation TECH program. The goal of this intensive first-year support is to move the school into a self-sustaining program as quickly as possible.

Experienced master-trainers provide training - included in the Generation TECH license!
An experienced Generation TECH master trainer will work with the staff member who will be the Generation TECH teacher or advisor. The combination online and phone training will introduce the model, curriculum and tools. All trainings are run by real Generation TECH teachers who know first-hand the concerns and issues that schools face today.

The support continues all year long
Following the training, Generation YES supports the teacher and students throughout the school year with toll-free telephone and email support. Since all the program elements are online, Generation YES staff can review teacher and student progress and advise the teacher throughout the year.

Optional - On-site, hands-on workshops
A full-day on-site workshop is a valuable addition to the basic Generation TECH license. Program start-up issues are addressed along with security issues and individual needs. Depending on the situation, students can be included in the workshop. In fact, we encourage this, as student participation from the beginning is the most effective way to jump-start a Generation TECH program.

Option A - Single school workshop. Your Generation TECH master trainer will work side by side with the designated Generation TECH teacher throughout the school day, teaching the tools to students, and modeling the instructional pedagogy of the curriculum to the teacher. The day includes a 2-hour workshop for staff and administration to address issues of logistics and security at the school site. This is a valuable way to quickly immerse the students and staff in Generation TECH for immediate results.

Option B - Multiple school workshop. Your Generation TECH master trainer will work with up to 20 teachers and staff from multiple schools in a single day workshop at your training site. Selected students can be included in this workshop if desired. This type of training is valuable as well, and promotes sharing and synergy over multiple sites.

Contact us for more information on workshop and training schedules.

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Program and Curriculum Guide
The Generation TECH program and curriculum guide provides teachers with the structure to manage a dynamic, project-based learning environment. Assessment strategies, rubrics and techniques are provided both in the guide and the online tools. These units are flexible, allowing the instructor to tailor the class for individual needs.

Curriculum Details

10 units with over 52 class activities cover tech skills, computer architecture, and troubleshooting. For more details on each unit, click here.

10 Units of Study
Units are student-centered and constructivist in pedagogy, emphasizing authentic experiences and guided discovery. Leveling occurs as students progress through the curriculum as beginners, intermediate and then as advanced students. Advanced students mentor beginning students thereby increasing their own knowledge of the material, plus adding to the teacher's ability to provide individualized instruction as they can hand off teaching duties to proven advanced students.

For more details on the skills covered, click here.

Best Practices
The program guide has best practices covering security procedures, gaining the trust of school and district stakeholders, working with existing professional tech support staff, and creating a sustainable program.

Flexible - Elective, club or independent study options
The flexible Generation TECH curriculum and tools allow a school to implement the program in a variety of ways: after-school club, elective class, independent study, and more. The program and curriculum guide covers these models in detail and offers examples, best practices and tips for various implementations.

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Online Tools
The Generation TECH online tool suite supports all elements of the program and curriculum. This password-protected site allows full access to all Generation TECH resources, including downloadable versions of the resources found in the curriculum guide.

TECH Learning Resources
All Generation TECH schools have access to a database of TECH Learning Resources contributed by all Generation TECH schools. These learning resources provide the school with an invaluable, renewable asset usable by all students and teachers, not just the Generation TECH class.

Student Home Page
Each student has a login to their personal Generation TECH home page. All student resources and tools are easily accessible from this home page. Students are guided through the contract and project process online, Tools include contracts forms, journals, project forms, an online collaboration network, and a database of all projects and all learning resources developed by all Generation TECH students.

Teacher Home Page
Teachers log in to their own personal home page where they can view all student data, progress, and links from one easy to use interface. In addition, electronic files for teacher resources, such as the companion gradebook and handouts are stored online for convenience.

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Ownership
Generation TECH is designed to be integrated into the existing structure of the school. Existing programs can adapt the curriculum, tools and assessments. Schools new to student tech support will get a program that has been tested in schools and proven to work.

Student-run
Students are the key to sustaining a program year after year. The structure of the program ensures a growing cadre of students who understand and contribute to the program year after year. Many schools incorporate their own school spirit into the model, and come up with individualized logos, slogans and mascots for the "tech team".

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Toll-free telephone support from Generation YES
Program issues and technical support for the tools is always available from experienced Generation YES staff via toll-free phone lines and email. Our staff works with schools year-round to support student run programs and have the experience and know-how to help solve your issues.

Collaborate and communicate
The Online Collaboration Network (OCN) found on the Generation YES website offers both teachers and students the opportunity to share issues and ideas with Generation TECH schools across the country. Generation TECH teachers can use the networks to collaborate with colleagues across the nation in similar programs.

Solve hardware issues quickly
These networks allow students or teachers to post hardware issues and search for previous successful solutions. Generation YES staff monitor these networks to ensure that support questions are answered in a timely manner. Often, a student in another school provides help and insight to find the hardware solution.

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Assessment
Assessment is based on detailed, classroom-proven rubrics for contracts, journals, projects, and learning resources. The goal is that the students demonstrate their learning by problem solving in real-life school technology situations. The curriculum guide offers suggestions and numerous example of authentic assessment for both classroom use and independent study.

Assessments measures both products and process and are specifically designed for the Generation TECH student tech support curriculum. Assessment instruments and rubrics are found in the program guide and teacher resource section of the website.

Teachers will find that the included electronic gradebook is an excellent guide to assessing student project work.

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Online Help Desk and Trouble Ticket Tracking Management System
Every Generation TECH license provides full access to the proven TechDESK help desk and trouble ticket management system. This online, browser based system is a powerful tool for schools to manage their tech support work orders. It was designed just for schools and is in daily use by tech support teams in real schools, both professional and student. The system offers many features found in tech support help desks that cost thousands of dollars.

• Track incidents request through completion
• Quick and easy set-up
• Define your own categories, groups and locations
• Portal for support staff
• Audit trail of responses
• Generate customized reports
• View quick statistics on completed tickets
• Track time spent on each incident
• Allows end-users to become requestors
• Notification to requestors of all responses

TechDESK comes complete with training presentations and a user guide.

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To purchase Generation TECH, or for more information on volume pricing, workshops, and training schedules, call toll-free (888) 941-4369 or contact us through the web.