EDUCATION Old Dog Learns a New Trick A student reviews an online ALOA class and gives suggestions for other learning opportunities. By Jason Biel interwebs and its numerous capabilities have availed us of opportunities to continue connecting and learning. The good team over at ALOA recently offered an online webinar covering profes- W sional bypass, picking and raking. This invitation to participate — for a small fee — arrived in my email. I was more than a little skeptical about how learning such a hands-on topic would actually play out in this online format, but with more than enough spare time on my hands, I decided to go ahead and register. You can register for classes on the same website where you pay your membership dues and sign up for conferences: www.aloamembers.org. Click the Event Registra- tion button for the latest offerings. I quickly received a confirmation email with some instructions when I registered. It all seemed simple enough. Preparing for Class A day out from the webinar, I started receiving emailed instructions with links to the class and timing reminders. These emails also provided other ways to connect to the class besides a computer, such as using audio-only options or downloading a free application on your smartphone. Admittedly, this was my first time using the Lifesize video soſtware on my web browser, but the simple requirement to add your name and join the meeting was easy enough. I was unsure if I needed to have my camera on (it was an option), but as everyone joined, it became obvious that most had theirs on. I quickly donned a cap to cover my unkempt, end-of-the-day hair, and with the simple click of the camera icon, I also appeared on the screen. Too easy. ALOA Education Manager Jim Hancock, CML, CMST, was the instructor. He was joined by Joe Peach, CML, CAI, ALOA’s assistant education manager, to ensure the entire show ran smoothly. They had obviously learned a few lessons from the class’s WWW.ALOA.ORG ith the nation in lockdown and many security conventions canceled, you may find yourself lacking the standard opportunities to earn Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for state licensing, meet fellow tradesmen or just simply learn or refresh your knowledge base. Fortunately, the earlier presentation. There was a quick roll call to account for everyone who had registered, and then Jim started the class off with a quick survey of everyone’s grasp of the subject matter and their rea- sons for attending. Most of the class was there to meet their CEU requirements. He then got down to business. Class Begins Aſter a few quick slides covering the class intent, definitions and such, Jim turned on a camera that focused on the lock in one hand and pick in the other. He eas- ily demonstrated the many techniques. He offered many tips from not only the vantage of a very proficient lock picker but also from his role as a seasoned in- structor. His emphasis on continual prac- tice of this perishable art was particularly notable. Despite being an accomplished lock picker myself, I still found several nuggets of knowledge. The only source of criticism or sug- gestion I could offer is that if a meeting participant’s microphone is not muted, it can create some distracting feedback. This can be easily addressed as all users become more familiar with the platform or its like. Even so, it was nothing that stopped the class or prevented learning. The class lasted about an hour and a half, and it was time truly well spent. Aſter class, I took the time to reach out to a few fellow participants via LinkedIn. Building a network of professional peers has never been easier between the many social me- dia platforms out there, and this live video feed allowed me to put faces with names. Several of us have connected, and their di- verse locksmithing experiences — institu- tional locksmiths, business owners, junior members of large teams or simply regional variances — all added to the learning. A few days aſter the training, I received both a certificate and the class Power- Point slides. Again, while I was already JUNE 2020 KEYNOTES 55
