The “new computer at work” thing isn’t working out for me at all. I’ve started imputting my homework and classwork into the computer before I ever teach, just so I can get out early from work. However, I’ve been forced to use the Korean version of the program for the last two weeks to import all of my attendence and homework.
There are, literally, DOZENS of buttons on EVERY single menu of this program all labeled in Korean I have no idea how to use. I recognize the imput from the shoddy English version, but it’s clear that the Korean version is still in active development while the English version lags far behind. I can’t even DO the work I need to do on the English version anymore.
Since I need to move over to the Korean version to do my work, I’ve had to bother coworkers to find out which of the THIRTY menus I need to use to get my work done. I’ve got notes scattered around my desk with all the various steps for entering grades, updating my class work, entering test scores, grading homework, and everything else I’ve got to do each day.
My director approached me yesterday and asked why I don’t send daily status reports anymore. I replied, “I don’t know how to do that, no one has trained me or told me how. I can’t find the menu, and I don’t know what I should do. You tell me how, and I will.”
She was surprised I didn’t know how to find one of the menu I needed, but when I’ve been briefed on other parts of this database program, I’ve had the secretary say, “Never push THIS button, it will erase EVERYTHING.” This sort of discouraged trial and error and basically put everything on a need to know, need to do basis.
I was also entering all my grading incorrectly, but not one had TOLD me this. I had been giving them a score based on a numerical system in the program, but I was supposed to know the click another checkbox, imput the scores manually, and ALWAYS use a 100 point metric. Again, no one tells me, and I don’t know these things empathically. How was I supposed to know?
No one is angry at me, and I don’t have to do anything about the two weeks of data I had been working on since I switched over to the Korean program. Or, at least I’m NOT GOING to be doing anything about it. I’m a hostile user that has absolutely NO desire to increase my workload on a poorly designed product that makes my life much more difficult.
All my coworkers hate the program as much as I do, but it’s not something you can easily replace by hand. If it does any work to benefit the students or parents, it’s now deemed “the minimal amount you must do from now on.” It’s this creep of duties that always starts to suck the fun out of jobs.
