STUDENT LED REPAIR PROGRAM - STARTER GUIDE - You save. They Learn. Building new opportunities for students to engage in educational technology ...

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STUDENT LED REPAIR PROGRAM - STARTER GUIDE - You save. They Learn. Building new opportunities for students to engage in educational technology ...
You save. They Learn.
Building new opportunities
for students to engage in
educational technology.

   STUDENT LED
        REPAIR
      PROGRAM
                             STARTER GUIDE
STUDENT LED REPAIR PROGRAM - STARTER GUIDE - You save. They Learn. Building new opportunities for students to engage in educational technology ...
2   fireflycomputers.com
STUDENT LED REPAIR PROGRAM - STARTER GUIDE - You save. They Learn. Building new opportunities for students to engage in educational technology ...
CONTENTS

     Introduction                 2

     Warranties & Insurance       3

     Developing Your Program      4-5

     Instructors                  6
     Choosing Students            7

     Setting Up                   8-9

     Training                     10

     Running Your Program         11

     Examples                     12-15

     Acknowledgments & Contacts   16-17

          fireflycomputers.com
STUDENT LED REPAIR PROGRAM - STARTER GUIDE - You save. They Learn. Building new opportunities for students to engage in educational technology ...
THANK YOU
              SUE AND THE WESTONKA TECH INTERNS

    FireFly would like to extend a very special thank you to Sue Simonson for all of her help and expertise. Sue pioneered
    a student repair program for her district, and her Westonka Tech Interns have gained national recognition for
    excellence. Thanks to Sue’s passion and eagerness to help other schools, we were able to pull together this and
    other resources to help you get your program off the ground!

2                                                  fireflycomputers.com
STUDENT LED REPAIR PROGRAM - STARTER GUIDE - You save. They Learn. Building new opportunities for students to engage in educational technology ...
INTRODUCTION
One of the major challenges in education is continually   There is no one-size-fit-all model for student repair
adapting and offering fresh, relevant, and exciting       programs. Some large districts develop credited
opportunities to students. Schools know that when         courses with many students to accommodate high
they fall behind in technology and teaching trends        breakage rates on school devices. Others opt to have
students suffer. But keeping up with the latest tech      a smaller volunteer operation with only a few student
brings its own challenges. The expenses associated        “techs”. There are many factors that go into creating a
with purchasing new technology and maintaining            program that fits the unique demands of your district,
the old continues to grow. Every year, districts waste    so consider your options.
time and money in shipping and repair costs for their
expanding artillery of educational technology. That’s     Our team at FireFly wanted to help you pioneer a
time and money that should go towards creating            program for your own district. We pooled the best
valuable learning experiences for students.               information we could find on jump starting Tech Team
                                                          programs into this resource to make it as easy and
If your school faces some of these challenges, it might   painless as possible for you to take part in this trend-
be time to implement a Student Repair Program! Repair     setting educational platform. With this starter guide,
programs (also known as “Tech Team” programs) offer       you will learn the logistics, difficulties, and strategies
a two-fold solution: Participants get a one-of-a-kind     associated with starting these programs.
experience that builds tangible and marketable skills,
and their school gets an in house tech squad. In these    Hopefully, with the extra support, you will have the
programs, students learn the basics of Chromebook         confidence to forge a program that changes the way
repair, tech support, and customer service while          your students engage in educational technology!
performing professional grade repairs on their school’s
educational technology.                                   What are you waiting for? Let’s get started!

                                             fireflycomputers.com
STUDENT LED REPAIR PROGRAM - STARTER GUIDE - You save. They Learn. Building new opportunities for students to engage in educational technology ...
WARRANTIES and INSURANCE
    First, take a look at your district’s current technology                                                                                                                                                                                                coverage for any device (even if it wasn’t purchased
    and warranties. Consider the type of warranty currently                                                                                                                                                                                                 from us). With Smart Repairs, you are able to purchase
    applied to your Chromebooks because it will affect the                                                                                                                                                                                                  credits that can be applied to any device, for any repair.
    kind of repairs your students will be able to perform.
    It’s common for warranties to be voided as soon as                                                                                                                                                                                                      Other ways that districts have financed Chromebook
    self repairs are performed on a device so save your                                                                                                                                                                                                     maintenance with Tech Team programs is by instituting
    school the pain of paying for voided warranties by                                                                                                                                                                                                      district/school-wide device insurance. Parents pay an
    learning more about your current policy and adjusting                                                                                                                                                                                                   insurance fee (typically $40-$60) at the beginning of the
    if necessary. Most Chromebooks come with a one year                                                                                                                                                                                                     year to cover any potential damage. Another option is
    manufacturer’s warranty. This covers any hardware                                                                                                                                                                                                       “pay per instance,” where parents are billed for specific
    damage that may occur within the first year of use.                                                                                                                                                                                                     repairs and parts each time a device is sent in for
    However, they often don’t cover cosmetic or accidental                                                                                                                                                                                                  maintenance. If none of these seem like a good option
    damage, which may be a good place to start with your                                                                                                                                                                                                    for your district, get creative! Do your research and find
    student repair program.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 the coverage that best suits your school’s particular
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            needs.
    For devices over a year old, you can get more creative
    with your coverage options. If keeping your devices                                                                                                                                                                                                     Whatever coverage option decide on, remember to
    under warranty doesn’t make sense for your district                                                                                                                                                                                                     establish a budget for Chromebook repairs based on
    once your student repair program is in place, there                                                                                                                                                                                                     your districts breakage rate and the average repair
    are some other coverage options for funding device                                                                                                                                                                                                      cost for Chromebooks (~$100). Include a budget for
    maintenance. Having a backup plan for when your                                                                                                                                                                                                         Chromebook parts and buffer stock of devices so no
    devices suffer damage that cannot be fixed by your                                                                                                                                                                                                      student is ever left without access to your school’s
    student technicians is important. One option is FireFly                                                                                                                                                                                                 educational technology.
    Smart Repair which offers flexible and affordable

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4                                                                                                                                       fireflycomputers.com
STUDENT LED REPAIR PROGRAM - STARTER GUIDE - You save. They Learn. Building new opportunities for students to engage in educational technology ...
DEVELOPING
          YOUR PROGRAM
          A good place to start when developing your course is
          gaging student interest. One way to do this is by sending
          students a Google Form questionnaire asking questions
          like “On a scale of 1-10, how interested are you in learning
          technical skills with real world applications?” or “How likely
          are you to enroll in a program that teaches computer
          repair skills?” Once you have students’ honest answers
          you can estimate how many students to expect to enroll
          in your program.

          As mentioned before, no two programs are exactly alike
          and you should strive to build one that fits the repair needs
          of your district and the demand of your student body.
          Think about all the factors that come into play in your
          specific school/district that could influence the structure
          of you program:

            • Number of interested students
            • Breakage rates (Is there enough demand for
              repairs to justify a large program?)
            • Space for new courses in course catalog
            • Number of Chrombooks currently in use
            • Typical wear on devices
          		         - Do students bring devices home or are
          		           devices kept at school?
          		         - Are device equipped with protective
                       cases?
            • Type of warranty/insurance applied to devices

          There are endless possibilities when it comes to building
          the program that is right for your school. Whether your
          program will be big or small, meet daily or weekly, be
          credited or volunteer, it’s important to start nailing down
          some of the details before seeking program approval.
          A great course description and a passion for engaging
          students in a new and exciting way goes far when
          convincing your district to get on board with your new
          Tech Team program.

fireflycomputers.com
STUDENT LED REPAIR PROGRAM - STARTER GUIDE - You save. They Learn. Building new opportunities for students to engage in educational technology ...
Use this worksheet as a launchpad for writing up your course description. Nail down some of
    the details and start painting a picture of your program to use in the course approval process

            PROGRAM OUTLINE WORKSHEET

             Will this program be offered as volunteer experience, an academic course, or other?

             Will we meet daily/weekly?

             Will we cover devices from across the district or just the individual school?

             Will the course be pass/fail or will students earn a letter/numeric grade?

             How will it be listed in your course catalog?

             Which department will the course fall under?

             Will it be a leveled course?

             Will there be any prerequisites?

             Who can take the course?

             How many credits will students earn?

             How will students be assessed?

6                                           fireflycomputers.com
STUDENT LED REPAIR PROGRAM - STARTER GUIDE - You save. They Learn. Building new opportunities for students to engage in educational technology ...
INSTRUCTORS
Hiring the right instructional staff to coach your              as a course instructor. However, as more and more
students can make or break your program. Technology             teachers of different content areas cross over into
is an exciting and useful subject for students to engage        technology education, it’s not uncommon to see former
in so look for an instructor/s that will bring enthusiasm       English, social studies, math or science teachers
and passion to your new course!                                 leading a student technology team.

“Who is qualified to lead this program?” Well, a strong         The important thing to focus on is a candidate’s ability to
candidate might be a teacher with a background in               relay complex technical skills to students and energize
computer technology or programming, business                    their classroom. With the right resources and training
management, marketing or entrepreneurship. Someone              just about anyone can be a tech instructor, but be sure
with hands-on experience repairing Chromebooks and              to follow the licensure or certification requirements of
other educational devices would be incredibly valuable          your state when hiring your new staff member.

                                                            Nothing boosts student engagement like an enthusiastic
                                                            instructor. Find someone who is passionate about
                                                            bringing exciting, meaningful instruction to your new
                                                            student repair program–it will pay off!

                                               fireflycomputers.com
STUDENT LED REPAIR PROGRAM - STARTER GUIDE - You save. They Learn. Building new opportunities for students to engage in educational technology ...
SELECTING STUDENTS
    At the end of the day, the success of your program          Strive to build a diverse team of students, both males
    relies on the strength of your squad, so assemble your      and females, with varying skill sets. The wider range
    dream team thoughtfully. Spark interest in this exciting    of skills and abilities, the better. Collaboration between
    new course by developing promotional materials,             different types of students will challenge your team
    such as recruitment videos and posters. If possible,        to be more innovative and creative throughout the
    let parents know about your new program and the             program.
    real-world learning opportunities it will provide. Some
    schools’ programs include student applications as part      The ideal student for this program is not necessarily a
    of their selection process. It might be worth considering   technology wiz. However, prerequisite knowledge and
    if you anticipate an abundance of students interest but     experience with your school’s hardware and applications
    might not be able to accommodate a large class (See         can’t hurt. Due to the nature of the program, we do not
    “Example Student Application” in back).                     recommend considering students with a history in
                                                                vandalizing or damaging school property.

                                 The “PERFECT” Tech Team Candidate
                                    • Students with a desire to help others and explore new technologies
                                    • Risk takers who enjoy new challenges, and problem solving
                                    • Creatives who enjoy writing, video production and public speaking
                                    • Tech-enthusiasts with an interest in IT, networking, and computers
                                    • Entrepreneurial or business-oriented students

8                                                  fireflycomputers.com
SETTING UP                                                     Example Floor Plan
After writing your plan, getting approved, and lining
up the perfect instructor, it is time to get down to the
nitty gritty. Stay organized and focused, you will be
able to create an experience for students that is both
rewarding and fun!

Physical Space
When selecting/building your space, choose a
centralized location with high visibility that will be easy
for students and teachers to visit throughout the day
to get their technology questions answered. Since
this is service focused program, prioritize accessibility
in your design. If your space options are limited at                    Tech Desk         Materials Storage
your school, make it easy for students and staff to
find your tech squad wherever you are. Post signs                       Work Benches      Interactive Panel
and make announcements about where to find your
repair shop. Establish hours of operation for your Tech                 Project Storage   FireFly DIY Repair Kit
Desk or Repair Shop and prominently display them for
students and staff.

Design your new room around the customer
experience. Many schools choose to build a “Tech
Desk” where students and staff can interact with your
tech squad. At your service desk, “customers” can talk
                                                                                      STAY
with your tech geniuses about their technology issues
                                                                                    ORGANIZED
and drop off repair requests and devices. Having well
organized shelves to store ongoing repair projects
makes it easy for your tech team to stay organized,
and simplifies the customer service experience.

Where will the magic happen? Give your tech team
ample space for repairs and tunes ups by setting
up individual work stations equipped with tools and
supplies. Design for collaboration and comfort–
making areas where students can work together to
experiment and innovate. This repair area should offer
plenty of space and great organization so students
can process repairs effectively and efficiently.

   Put thought into your physical space. Try to focus on
   making a room where students can get the most your
   program. Remember the key elements of a student tech
   team–education, customer service, and tech repairs.

                                                 fireflycomputers.com
What you need
     Stocking your repair space with the right materials

                                                                       SHOPPING LIST
     sets your students up for success as tech geniuses
     and ensures that repairs get done quickly and
     professionally. Invest in computer repair tools like
                                                                            Compressed Gas Duster
     Phillips-head screwdrivers, picks, and spudgers.
     Research what you need to get your repair program                     Electrical Tape
     off the ground, or save yourself the hassle and look
     to FireFly. We made your shopping easy with the
                                                                           Monitor Wipes
     FireFly DIY Repair Kit. Full of products hand selected                Label Maker/Label Tape
     by our repair experts, our kit gives you the tools, parts,
     and training videos you need to run a professional-
                                                                           Dry Erase Boards
     grade operation. Created specifically for repairs on                  Storage Bins
     Chromebooks and other educational technology, this
     kit delivers everything for two students to complete                 Heat Guns
     just about any repair.                                               Picks
     Most likely, you will run into repairs that require replacing        Spudgers
     parts, and having a good stash of parts on hand can
     make a huge difference when you’re under pressure to
     get repairs done fast. Stock up! FireFly has thousands
     of Chromebook components and replacement
                                                                     Research essential computer repair tools and equip student
     parts for purchase on our easy, online portal.                  work stations with quality supplies. One of the goals of this
     Get what you need at FireFlyRepairZone.com and be               program is giving students real world skills so acclimate them
     prepared for any broken device that comes your way!             to working with professional equipment.

                       Get your own DIY Repair Kit at www.fireflycomputers.com/diy-repair-kit

10                                                     fireflycomputers.com
TRAINING
Before setting your students loose on district devices,     There are thousands of free videos available on-line
they will need proper training. Some schools facilitate     to help your students learn the basics of Chromebook
training boot camps for their new student tech teams        repair, but if you want them to learn industry standard,
before the school year begins that cover Chromebook         quality assured techniques, trust expert sources.
basics and common repairs training. Others choose
to run their training on a rolling basis, allowing newer    One great option for multi-media training is FireFly’s
students to spend time learning technical repair skills     Repair Videos. Made for students to learn the basics
in a classroom setting, while experienced “student          of Chromebook repairs, our easily-accessible, on-line
experts” head the Tech Desk. Whatever training best         platform offers step-by-step repair walk-throughs,
fits your program, be sure to give your new geniuses        expert tips, advice, and cautions. Your students will
the opportunity to learn, experiment, and build their       build a foundation of computer repair skills that will
new skills.                                                 help them get your new program started.

Training Videos
As an educator, you know the power of visual learning.
Repair videos are a great option when it comes to            A quality experience for your students starts with great
training your new tech geniuses. Seeing repairs in action    training. Make sure your tech team knows Chromebook
helps students gain a firmer grasp on computer basics        basics, and repair best practices before you open for
and repair techniques–it’s like a virtual apprenticeship!    operations to students and staff.

                                                                        Photo courtesy of Conner Middle School,
                                                                   Boone County Schools, KY © 2018 Jan Searing

                                               fireflycomputers.com
KEEP STUDENTS                               RUNNING
     ENGAGED WITH
     PROJECTS LIKE...                            YOUR PROGRAM
                                                 After training is completed, you may be wondering
     Researching, and reviewing the              how to run your program day-to-day. The good news
     latest educational apps                     is that after a while the students will be able to take the
                                                 reins. They will be in control of dealing with customers,
     Creating how-to tutorial videos             taking repair request, fulfilling orders, and providing
                                                 tech support. Here is what the average daily operations
     Delivering classroom training and           and repair process looks like:
     demonstrations
     Hosting live Google broadcasts
                                                  1    Students bring broken devices to Tech Desk/
                                                       Repair Center. There, they will give a quick
                                                       diagnosis (ex. broken screen, won’t turn on,
                                                       etc.), fill out a support ticket (See Example Repair
     Consulting with app developers                    Request Ticket), and receive a loaner device.

     Presenting at local, state and
     regional conferences                         2    Tech team prepares for repairs. The team
                                                       will determine how each device is insured/
                                                       warrantied. Then, they will run full diagnostics
     Moderating tech-based Twitter                     and order parts for the repair if necessary. Set up
     chats                                             guidelines in advance on which repairs your tech
                                                       team will perform and which will be outsourced
     Maintaining blogs that showcase                   for professional maintenance. If need be, send
                                                       devices out to a trusted repair expert.
     their work and progress
     Gaining certifications they can use          3    Repairs are made by tech team. Requests
                                                       are divided between techs who will go through
     towards careers in computer tech                  checklists (See Example Repair Checklist) and
                                                       fill out internal documents noting who repaired
                                                       which device and what parts were used. The
                                                       course instructor can provide support for
                                                       challenging repairs. Once the device is fixed, the
                                                       student “customer” is notified to return loaner
                                                       and collect the newly repaired device.

                                                 Plan for down time. You can expect days with no
                                                 repairs to be made. Push students’ beyond repairs by
                                                 providing opportunities to grow a number of skills on
                                                 top of their new tech abilities. Assign projects that build
                                                 competency in reading, writing, communication, public
                                                 speaking, and research centered around the subject of
                                                 technology.

12                                    fireflycomputers.com
EXAMPLE DOCUMENTS
EXAMPLE SYLLABUS

                     Tech Genius
        [YOUR SCHOOL NAME]          Program
                           TECH GENIUS PROGRAM
                Mrs. Phillips                        Course Syllabus                           Grades 10-12

        Course Description: The FireFly Tech Genius Program (FTGP) is a hands-on study of technology integration,
        problem solving, and Chromebook repair. Students will be required to assess problems and define the best
        approach to addressing or solving the problem. In addition, FTGP students will work as part of a technology
        service and are expected to act professionally as “technology experts” toward other students and staff.

        Course Requirement:

            1. Chromebook Support/Repair and Tech Desk assistance
                  a. FTGP students will learn how to repair the different Chromebook models used at FireFly
                     High 1:1 tech plan. Repairs include monitor replacement, key replacement and replacement
                     of internal parts.
                  b. FTGP students will learn how to troubleshoot student and teacher problems related to
                     Chromebook and other network/software issues.
                  c. FTGP students will learn advanced Google Apps topics including apps, extensions, drive,
                     calendar, mail, etc.
                  d. FTGP students will become proficient in Schoology and other FireFly High applications.
                  e. Abuse of these privileges or purposeful destruction or any district equipment will result in
                     a removal to the office and possibly of the class.

            2. FTGP Choose Your Own Adventure Project

                FTGP students will have the opportunity to pursue an individual project of their choice. Think of this
                course component as a choose your own adventure project, where students get to choose an area
                of interest (related to the subject of technology) and grow their skills and knowledge in the area of
                their choice. Possible projects include (but are not limited to):

                            •    Microsoft Office Specialist Certification*
                            •    CompTIA A+ or Net+ Certifications*
                            •    Computer programming using code.org
                            •    Android & iOS App Development*
                            •    Mobile School Apps (Virtual Planner, Grade, Lunch Menu, School Navigation Toll,
                                 Computer Lab Scheduler, etc)
                            •    Maintain a social media presence for FTGP
                            •    Create a series of videos and tutorials to teach repair basics

                If necessary, I will assist you in the development of your project to you started. You will complete
                the FTGP Project Proposal From and get your project approved by your instructor. Work should not
                begin on your project until approval is given.

        *Some options require fees for certification. If your proposed project requires payment of any kind, payment
        will be the responsibility of the individual student.

                                               fireflycomputers.com
EXAMPLE REPAIR REQUEST TICKET

                   Chromebook Support Request
                   Date:
                   Name:
                   Problem (Please be as specific as possible):
                        LCD Display (Screen)      Keypad
                        Trackpad                  Other

                   Insurance?           Yes       No

                   Tech Intern Notes:

                                   Signature:

          STAY ORGANIZED AND EFFICIENT
          Creating repair request tickets is a great way to simplify the customer
          experience at your Tech Desk. Students and staff can fill out request
          tickets which will be attached to their specific device to keep orders
          organized for the tech staff.

14                                  fireflycomputers.com
EXAMPLE REPAIR CHECKLIST

                                       DIY Repair Checklist

         You Name
         Your Name

         Device Type

         School

         Is This a Warranty Repair?               Yes               No

         Student’s Name (computer owner)
         Problem on Ticket

         Troubleshooting steps

         Parts Replaced

         Did you test that the problem is fixed?               Yes              No

         Is your magnetic board empty?            Yes                No

         Did you clean the device?          Yes               No

         Did you check for loose bottom screws?                Yes             No

         Did you write on the ticket what you did?                  Yes             No

         Did you enter it into the computer system?                  Yes             No

         Did you throw bad parts and/or put back good parts?                        Yes   No

         Does the student have insurance?               Yes               No

         Did you place the device in the correct spot to be returned to the student?           Yes   No

         Amount of time the repair took:

                                           fireflycomputers.com
EXAMPLE STUDENT APPLICATION

         ASSEMBLE YOUR DREAM TEAM
         Make the process easy and accessible–like this example from
         Westonka High School’s Tech Interns Program–by building your
         application using Google Forms. Ask a variety of questions that cover
         topics like previous tech experience, why they are interested in the
         program, and how they deal with challenging problems.

16                               fireflycomputers.com
STILL HAVE
QUESTIONS?
Connect with the Device Lifecycle Experts™ today!
The FireFly team is eager to work with you to make a student repair program part of your device lifecycle. We
know there’s a better way to support school technology and we work every day to create unique solutions for our
customers. Learn more about how FireFly can help you get your program off the ground and see for yourself why
we are the nation’s leader in 1-to-1 school technology!

VISIT US ONLINE                                       CALL US TOLL FREE
Website | fireflycomputers.com
                                                      1-866-950-8868
Professional Repairs | fireflyrepairzone.com
Repair Parts | fireflyadvantage.com

                                               fireflycomputers.com
Here’s to the self-maintainers! The team at FireFly
                   wanted to make it as easy and painless as possible for
                   you to start a student led repair program of your own so
                   you can be fully self-sufficient with your Chromebook
                   fleet. Learn the logistics, difficulties, and strategies to
                   getting started in this guide!

Even more solutions to make you
    look good at your job at
www.fireflycomputers.com
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