This fall, the Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library’s Training Department will take its Lee Road Library computer classes on the road with its new Mobile Classroom. The Classroom is a computer classroom on wheels that will allow Heights Libraries to expand computer class instruction to all of its branches and into the Cleveland Heights – University Heights community as well.
The mobile lab is comprised of ten student laptops, ten student iPads, mice, a projector, and a portable projection screen that are transported using rolling cases specifically designed for the equipment. The mobile classroom can be set-up quickly with the use of tables and chairs provided by the teaching site.
“The idea to create the classroom was born from a desire to expand the reach of our computer classes,” says Heights Libraries Technology Trainer Jackie Mayse. “Each year we provide computer instruction to thousands of customers in the Lee Road branch computer classroom, but we’ve always wished we could teach classes at every branch, and now we can. Our goal is to make technology instruction more accessible to our customers at a wider variety of locations in the community.”
The expansion will start with Computer Basics classes at the Coventry Village, Noble Neighborhood, and University Heights branches in the fall, and continue in December 2014 with the class “Working with Digital Images” at the Senior Activity Center at the Cleveland Heights Recreation Center, which will be the first computer class offered outside the library. Plans are already underway to offer more classes at the Senior Activity Center in early 2015.
The library plans to continue expanding computer class offerings at different community venues, and is also considering expanding the audience for the classes to include teens and children; currently classes are only offered to adults.
“We are excited because this has never been done before, and will make our instruction more accessible,” says Mayse.
The Library’s free computer class schedule can be found here.
Wow! This is an amazing opportunity to impact self knowledge.