by J Kolenovsky
One interesting item to note about HAL-PC is that it is always in a state of evolution due to the contributions of its volunteers and members. That’s how the Introduction to Windows 95 Class/SIG got started. HAL-PC had a Windows 95 SIG already established at that time, but it became apparent that a forum at an introductory level was becoming necessary. This was due to the fact that the Pentium processors were accelerating their development and production cycles and Windows 95 was the Operating System that was shipping with the new machines. It was apparent that the new Pentium computer purchaser who had Windows95 included with his or her new box needed to conquer this radically new OS. Users who were upgrading their existing systems from Windows 3.x to Windows 95 also helped fuel the need to offer such an outlet for our members.
The Introduction to Windows 95 Class/SIG has its root beginning in December, 1996. There had always been a Windows SIG meeting on the 2nd Saturday of each month for beginners and advanced users, catering to Win 3.x users. Windows 95 came out in August of 1995 and soon, the Windows 3.x meeting was not as “prime time” as it had been for so many years. After a bit of re-organization and a suspended time period of no meetings, an impromptu Windows 95 Saturday SIG was established to meet the demand. It was led by David Ludwig at that time. David later acquired a responsibility with the Internet and the position became open. I had been a regular attendee of this time slot since I became a member in 1992 and the V-P of SIGs asked if I wanted to lead the meeting. I accepted this opportunity and such was the current leadership of this Class/SIG established. I had become a Windows user (or abuser if you prefer) in January of 1996 and by December, 1996 had become fairly proficient at operating it. The attendance quickly swelled from 25-30 to 35-40 and the questions were coming fast and furious and once again, it was apparent that 2 meetings a month were necessary. The Class/SIG expanded to the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of each month, meeting from 9-12 a.m., and still meets at those times. I then authored a webpage for the Class and it became a useful point of information for users in this category.
A typical meeting usually goes like this: 9:00-9:15 a.m., introduction/icebreaker, 9:15-10:15 a.m., key point video, 10:15-10:25 a.m., break, 10:25-11:50 a.m. ,questions and answers, 11:50-12:00 a.m., summary, door prizes and dismissal. Handouts are occasionally provided, and the video from Learnkey, Inc. is always widely heralded. Every now and then, a member volunteers a tip and they are called upon to demonstrate their contribution. The video and Q&A are the 2 big learning tools. The average attendance for 1997 for this Class was 54. We get members and visitors from all over the city and from other organizations. That is a real compliment to HAL-PC and its teaching resources. It is such a good feeling to help someone and the next time you see him or her, they thank you for the information you have provided them. It is a good feeling to see HAL-PC as the tool for this learning and all members, volunteers, instructors and leaders should be proud to be a part of such a prolific organization. I have observed that HAL-PC is highly regarded at Comdex increasingly so each year. THAT, my friend, is a big compliment.
The learning tools I use in instructing this Class, they are:
• 2 ½ years of daily Win 95 e-mail tips (approx. 500 tips)
• Microsoft Certified Professional “Supporting Windows 95”
• The Internet
• Weekly and Monthly Periodicals. i.e. PC Week, PC World, Byte, etc.
• Ziff-Davis
I would like to thank the following people for helping to get this Class started:
Ray Morris
David Pausky
Moe Jones
Bonnie Carruth
David Ludwig
Jeff Campbell
Nancy Ward
Michelle Annis
Without their help, we wouldn’t have this class. If you have any questions about Windows 95, e-mail J Kolenovsky garden@hal-pc.org or stop by the Class website at www.hal-pc.org/~garden/Winsig.html.
J Kolenovsky is a HAL-PC member, a Director and the instructor of the Introduction to Windows 95 Class.
He is Sylvan Prometric A + Certified and is currently working on his CNA/CNE). n
E-mail me at webmaster@hal-pc.org with any comments you have and tell me what you want to see here.