Apple ][: Return to Cupertino

For those that have been following my blog, you will recall that last month I attended a Candidate for Train the Trainer Training, which allowed Apple to determine if I were qualified to teach the Mac OS X Support Essentials class. Well, I have been asked to return in order to go through the Train the Trainer program for Mac OS X Server Essentials class.

It's important to note that returning this soon after another class is very unusual. In order to qualify for the Server Essentials course, one needs to have completed at least two classes for Support Essentials, with a result of 4.0 or higher (maximum 5.0). That also includes access given to the Apple Training Intranet for tracking, supplies, etc. Well, in this case, because we at the University of Utah will be offering this course in March, the training department had made a specific exception in my case.

I will be staying at the Cupertino Inn again, as it was a very pleasant experience the first time. Again, the class appears to be held in the Harry Potter room (in De Anza 7), which is the location of the training department, and legal team for Apple. I hope to have roughly the same experience that I had last time, which included:

1. Lunch time at Caffe Mac, with the excellent Italian, Japanese, Mexican, and popular American food selection.
2. Time with the Training staff, as I am looking to find a more academically friendly deployment method for the class.
3. Time at the Company Store, particularly if the trainer is willing to vouch for us (which means we get company discounts).

Small things have changed my potential purchases, namely I don't intend to purchase a Video iPod, as I had wanted. No, instead I will be getting an iPod Shuffle (for mobile usage), and saving the remainder of the money I was going to spend for the iPhone's release. I will also be purchasing some clothing for my Apple classes that I will be offering, as well as some more software for my Mac.

So what do I expect from this experience? Well, I intend to spend a lot of money, get to network with more people at Apple, and ultimately get some goals done for the University. I don't think that this experience will improve my teaching or presentation skills, though it may help me fine tune them. Expect me to drop at least one post while off in the land of the Mac, particularly if there is anything of note to mention.