Comments on: Expectations for technology folks http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2006/06/27/expectations-for-technology-folks/ Wed, 03 Dec 2008 23:19:30 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Stan Higgins http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2006/06/27/expectations-for-technology-folks/#comment-6077 Stan Higgins Thu, 29 Jun 2006 12:07:38 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/?p=1119#comment-6077 Wes, Great topic. Several things came to mind while I was reading your post. I am dealing with many of these issues in my job at USD 495 in Larned, KS. Education - On some level, it is our (my) responsibility to educate administrators and users on the most basic levels of IT. Too often there is a knowledge disconnect between tech support and the folks they work with. This often leads to the situation you described where the user base just doesn't understand why we can't implement something RIGHT NOW! Tech Plan - I am seeing more and more how imperative this is. A solid tech plan and the administrative support to back it up is crucial. Communication between the user base and IT department is necessary to set this up properly. With this communication, a tech plan can be set up that will meet the needs of the user base and avoid any last minute surprises for the poor IT guys! This also helps users see the big IT picture, not just the small picture they see on their desk every day. Technology is Serious – Districts, or whoever, must take their technology seriously. Sure, tech stuff is cool, but it’s not something to be “played at”. Districts who play at using technology get poor results. They wonder why throwing out a few pc’s, hooking them together in a simple network and adding some ed software doesn’t work. Then, when they look at what it will take to do it right, sticker shock ensues. Even worse, administrators visit another district or go to a conference and see some really sweet new IT thing. They bring that back and tell their IT department about it and then are totally disappointed when they find out that the new, “Ferrari” thing they saw won’t work with the, “Dodge Dart” system they have. To paraphrase one of my favorite sports talk show hosts on ESPNRadio, “This is big boy technology!” If you want technology to work right, it has to be built right from the ground up and supported by A FULL TIME TECH STAFF! You just can’t throw a few dollars at it here and a few hours at it there – usually supplied by an overworked teacher who is trying to fulfill their classroom responsibilities AND tech duties – and expect it to work. I am very fortunate to work at a district with a tech support staff of TWO, including me. Three if you count the great lady we have who takes care of nothing but PowerSchool issues. Even so, we are still struggling with our own tech plan issues and user education issues. Wes,

Great topic. Several things came to mind while I was reading your post. I am dealing with many of these issues in my job at USD 495 in Larned, KS.

Education - On some level, it is our (my) responsibility to educate administrators and users on the most basic levels of IT. Too often there is a knowledge disconnect between tech support and the folks they work with. This often leads to the situation you described where the user base just doesn’t understand why we can’t implement something RIGHT NOW!

Tech Plan - I am seeing more and more how imperative this is. A solid tech plan and the administrative support to back it up is crucial. Communication between the user base and IT department is necessary to set this up properly. With this communication, a tech plan can be set up that will meet the needs of the user base and avoid any last minute surprises for the poor IT guys! This also helps users see the big IT picture, not just the small picture they see on their desk every day.

Technology is Serious – Districts, or whoever, must take their technology seriously. Sure, tech stuff is cool, but it’s not something to be “played at”. Districts who play at using technology get poor results. They wonder why throwing out a few pc’s, hooking them together in a simple network and adding some ed software doesn’t work. Then, when they look at what it will take to do it right, sticker shock ensues. Even worse, administrators visit another district or go to a conference and see some really sweet new IT thing. They bring that back and tell their IT department about it and then are totally disappointed when they find out that the new, “Ferrari” thing they saw won’t work with the, “Dodge Dart” system they have. To paraphrase one of my favorite sports talk show hosts on ESPNRadio, “This is big boy technology!” If you want technology to work right, it has to be built right from the ground up and supported by A FULL TIME TECH STAFF! You just can’t throw a few dollars at it here and a few hours at it there – usually supplied by an overworked teacher who is trying to fulfill their classroom responsibilities AND tech duties – and expect it to work.

I am very fortunate to work at a district with a tech support staff of TWO, including me. Three if you count the great lady we have who takes care of nothing but PowerSchool issues. Even so, we are still struggling with our own tech plan issues and user education issues.

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