And Then There Was One!

On Friday, the last of the problems with the new computers was sorted out and things were looking encouraging for the start of my ICT coaching today. I had eight teachers scheduled - two in the morning and groups of four and two in the afternoon, each for 90 minutes.  I planned to do an introduction to using web browsers - nothing too taxing - just to see where everyone was skills-wise.

Over the weekend I'd downloaded a few programs and started to install them as soon as I got in the office - Chrome, Firefox, IE8, Skype, Picasa and AVG. Everything went well for two of the computers but the third, the one which had needed a new motherboard on Friday, reported 42 viruses!  A quick call to the supplier had the technician arrive within five minutes, complete with profuse apologies and the usual set of dodgy disks.  I'll give him his due - he got it all cleaned up within fifteen minutes and we were then good to go. I installed the rest of the programs without a hitch.

I really like the AVG antivirus software.  Time and again it has detected and made-safe the insidious threats of computer nasties when other software has let them through.  A great little program and free too!

Then the phone started ringing with cancellations.  First the morning pair, then two in the afternoon, then another two, and I was left with a final pair from a small, distant Muslim school. Reasons given were sick family members and having to attend another course.  Two said that the times were also inconvenient even though they'd been given every opportunity to tell me earlier. And, because the English teachers had dropped out, their diffident Singalese colleagues had followed suit.

Finally, I heard that only one of the Muslim teachers would make it, and he'd be late! I was pretty pissed off by this time but what can you do?  He was indeed late but at least he bothered to turn up, even after a downpour had given him a good drenching.  We had a solid hour and a half of instruction and practice of using web browsers and search engines. He was grateful and I was pleased that I'd had at least one receptive and keen student.