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Inside the Machine G3 to G5 / Week 10 / Friday
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Week 10 · Safe fixes

Friday

The checklist and the never list
// The checklist and the never list
⏱ about 15 min

Friday: The checklist and the never list

Rocket pins a big sheet of paper to the Fix-It Bay wall. "Our Safe Fixes Checklist!" he announces. He has written every fix from the week.

Raven reads it and taps a blank space at the bottom. "What do you notice is missing? We wrote what we do. What about what we never do?"

Nova projects a soft red border on the sheet. "Would you like a hint? A good technician knows the edges of the job."

The Safe Fixes Checklist

This week you learned fixes for five common problems. Every one of them is safe for a kid with a grown-up nearby.

They share a pattern. Look first. Change one small thing. Test. Then climb one rung if you need to.

  • Frozen app: wait, close that app, open it again, then restart.
  • Slow device: close unused apps, save, then restart.
  • No sound: mute, volume, output, then the app.
  • No Wi-Fi: airplane mode, Wi-Fi switch, right network, then rejoin with a grown-up.
  • Stuck mouse: look at the cable, check the light, try another mouse.
  • Any problem: write it down and ask when the ladder runs out.

The never list

Some fixes look tempting but are never for kids. They can hurt you or the device. A grown-up decides them.

The never list is not about trust. Technicians of every age have a never list. Knowing yours is a sign of skill.

NeverWhy
Open a case or a battery doorParts inside can be sharp or hold electric charge
Use liquids on a deviceLiquid and electronics do not mix
Push harder or tap fasterIt piles up taps and can crack things
Delete files you did not makeSomeone else may need them
Change passwords or settings aloneA grown-up keeps the keys
Unplug from the wall or touch a batteryElectricity is a grown-up job
CHECKLIST OR NEVER LIST?
  • Read the question.
  • Tap your answer.
Check that a mouse cable is seated.
Wipe a sticky screen with a wet cloth.
Close an app that is frozen.
Delete old photos to free up storage.
PUT THE FIVE-STEP PATTERN IN ORDER.
  • ?Write it down and ask
  • ?Test it
  • ?Climb one rung if needed
  • ?Look and notice
  • ?Change one small thing
WHY THIS EXERCISEThis pattern works for every problem on the checklist, and for new ones too.

Case review

Read each case. Decide which checklist it belongs to. Then pick the first safe fix.

The video call has a picture but no voices. Which checklist?
The pointer will not move. Which checklist?
The Wi-Fi symbol has a line through it. What do you check first?
The game stopped answering your taps. What do you do first?
StatementTrue or false?
Every age of technician has a never list.?
A kid may restart a device with a grown-up nearby.?
Pushing harder is a safe fix.?
Writing down what you tried is a waste of time.?
WHY THIS EXERCISEThe checklist tells you what to try. The never list tells you where to stop.
Try it
On paper, write your own Safe Fixes Checklist with the five problems.
Add a red box at the bottom. Write three never list items inside it.

What a week, Crew Technician! You have a checklist and a never list. Tomorrow the whole family gets to try the Fix-It Bay.

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