If you leave tomorrow...

I didn't begin this entry thinking of a way to link to Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird" or this version being played on a ukelele - suffice to say you can find anything on the Internet. I was actually thinking about the things you need to have available if you were to leave your technology position tomorrow. Too many of us get so caught up in our work that we haven't documented things in the event that someone else were to need to take over. What would be required?

* Passwords - Domain and/or local workstation and server admin passwords. Passwords for core network equipment, phone systems, security systems, web sites, third-party resources and the like. Think about the passwords you enter over the course of a month and make note of their purpose. Note the password and its purpose somewhere.

* Critical contacts - Who are your go-to people in terms of vendors and partners that you work with? Sure, you may leave your entire contact list behind, but who are you regularly working with to get your tasks accomplished? Who are your preferred vendors for various components that require service?

* Service contracts and agreements - What products and services are coming from your budget on a regular basis? When does the agree renew or need to be re-bid? If you left, would anyone else know about these arrangements?

* Management software - What products do you use to manage your environment? Do you have a list of basic processes along with instructions on how to perform basic tasks? We have much of that in our heads, but taking the time to document some of the basic steps might be helpful in the event that you leave on a temporary or permanent basis.

* Scripts and other automated processes - Will the next person know how to determine what you've automated? Does that script need to run for everyone or only certain users?

* Physical access - Do you have keys or codes to access data centers, outlying wiring closets, vehicles, buildings or other rooms that require restricted access?

* Access to critical files, both physical and electronic - I know that the federal E-Rate program requires documentation to be kept for several years. Is this somewhat organized and in a known location? If you're like me, you also have critical emails, documents and spreadsheets that your replacement might need. Are these organized and accessible?

I'm sure there are other items that I'm not mentioning. If you're fortunate enough to find a better opportunity, try to leave your position in a better place than you found it. Give your replacement more than you had on your first day.

Tech shelving - is this a good idea?

Not every post has to be about a deep philosophical technology debate. Let's take a break and look at a simpler topic. Is the setup in this image a good idea?

Obviously, this district got some shelving from a home improvement store and mounted a shelf near the teacher's desk. On that shelf, you see a desktop computer, subwoofer for classroom surround sound, a laser printer and a DVD/VCR combo. One of the primary reasons for their doing this is to avoid the custodial dismantling of classroom technology in the name of floor waxing. If you've spent much time in a school district, you realize that summer vacation means that EVERYTHING gets moved into the hallways so classroom floors can be cleaned and waxed. Some districts have quite a bit of trouble with technology finding its way back to the proper classroom and being reconnected correctly in preparation for the next year. Either the tech staff does the hooking and unhooking (and who has time for that) or, more likely, the custodian unhooks everything and the teacher hooks everything back up. This district is obviously trying to avoid breakage, support calls or other points of frustration by mounting this shelf and leaving virtually everything in place.

Another advantage is that it saves some teacher desk space. One could also argue that it might lead to less dust in the CPU since it's off the floor.

What are the problems? For one, a teacher I talked to said she hit her head "weekly" on this setup. I don't have an OSHA degree and can't speak to the legalities of this, but I suppose one could argue that it isn't safe. Since you need to access the technology, the shelf must be mounted within reach of the teacher and therefore can't be too high. Naturally, the lower shelf height puts your cranium in the crosshairs for disaster if you forget about the shelf.

All of the cables are tied off for cleanliness and efficiency, but I suppose one could also speculate that when the technology fails, equipment would be more difficult to access for repair purposes. This may be a minor thing, but it's worth noting.

I'm sure there are other pros and cons that you can point out. This district thought it was a good idea that will save them time, so I provide it as an example and as 'food for thought'.

What do you do in the summer?

That question gets posed from outside the education community, with the general assumption being that everyone vacations all summer long if they work in the K-12 education environment. Not true. Furthermore, I think the assumption is that the K-12 technology coordinators and staff are simply in charge of "keeping the computers running". Sure, there are computers to replace and re-image. That doesn't even scratch the surface of everything these departments are asked to deal with during the summer and throughout the year. Here's my off-the-cuff stab at a list, and I'm sure that this isn't exhaustive:

Printers
Copiers
Web site creation and maintenance
Televisions
DVD
Media distribution servers/solutions
Digital cameras
Camcorders
Handheld computers and smartphones (both district-owned and personal)
Projectors
Wireless slates/pads
Interactive whiteboards
Student response systems
Student Information System
Instructional software of various types
Food service software
Point-of-sale hardware
Asset tracking software and hardware
Library management software
Internal district finance hardware/software
Servers to run all of this and more
Software licensing compliance for all of this
Switches and electronics in the wiring closets
Running and terminating cable for all of this to connect
Wireless environments (ever-growing) to support mobility desires
Security cameras
Badge ID systems for the user base
Building security (so those badges can be used for building entry)
Automatic lighting (in some cases, yep)
A/C needs for the data center(s) (this hardware generates tons of heat)
Support for Student Technology Leadership Program
Assistive and adaptive technology (for special needs cases)
Telephone systems (voicemail, handsets, trunk line configurations, etc)
Video distribution systems (cable TV and other local media)
Wide-area network connecting all schools to one another
Antivirus software for all workstations
Ensuring proper OS updates/patching of all workstations
Web filtering hardware/software, updates and ongoing issues
Facebook and social networking issues (significant enough for separate mention)
Establishing policy on things like personal device use (cellular, computers)
Crafting and updating a district technology plan for all of this
Professional development for staff so THEY understand all of this
Managing maintenance agreements for some/all of this
Having a system to track/manage work orders that might be called in on any of this
Keeping track of grant opportunities to assist with some of this
Dealing with vendors who constantly try to sell some/all of this
Managing the E-Rate program, which ties to critical federal funds

As I said, I'm sure this isn't an exhaustive list, but it's a good start. Some of these items are a job unto themselves. Some can take up a huge amount of time when/if something goes wrong. There's plenty to do throughout the year and, if these folks are taking a bit of time off during the summer, it's well-deserved. More likely, their time away is brief due to the fact that the best time to update/replace most of these components is during the summer while school is not in session. For you IT workers out there, if you're dreaming of having your toes in the sand, I hope you don't read this and awake with a fear that you're in quicksand...

Acceptable Use Policies - Broad or Specific

Our regional association of DTC/CIOs had an interesting discussion yesterday regarding Acceptable Use Policies. With the growing popularity of social networking sites such as Facebook and the increasing number of personally owned electronic computing devices (smartphones as well as more traditional computers), many districts feel the need to revisit their acceptable use policies. Let's spend a moment on this and, in particular, focus on the need for a broad policy versus a very specific one.

This is a Kentucky school district example of a broad policy. You won't find specific mentions of Facebook or personal computing devices in this AUP. That doesn't mean that the district doesn't deal with these issues. I suppose that's really the point I want to make - an Acceptable Use Policy is just that... a policy... and this district likely deals with any number of technology-related behavior issues via other behavior policies rather than specific technology policies.

This policy specifically says that there will be other procedures and guidelines. To quote various areas of the linked document:

shall develop and implement appropriate procedures to provide guidance for access to electronic media. Guidelines shall address teacher supervision of student computer use, ethical use of electronic media (including, but not limited to, the Internet, e-mail, and other District technological resources), and issues of privacy versus administrative review of electronic files and communications. In addition, guidelines shall prohibit utilization of networks for prohibited or illegal activities...

In our discussion, it was pointed out that most Kentucky school districts already have policy that addresses disruption of the educational process. One such policy is linked here. There are several areas of note, but students are subject to displinary action in these specific instances:

Conduct that materially or substantially interferes with another student’s access to educational opportunities or programs, including the ability to attend, participate in and benefit from instructional and extracurricular activities; or

Conduct that materially or substantially disrupts the delivery of instructional services or interferes with the orderly administration of the school and school-related activities or district operations.

If someone posts something offensive to a web site and it "materially or substantially interferes" as stated above, the school district has some latitude to deal with it. If a personal phone is "substantially disrupting the delivery of instructional services", then the district would have some latitude to deal with it. Certainly, these are sticky areas and I don't mean to minimize the potential for concern or the proper care that needs to be taken when dealing with issues related to technology-based behavior. My point here is that districts often have existing policy that can be applied to many of these situations. Often, we spend too much time trying to document and label the method of misbehavior when the better course may be to apply existing rules and regulations.

Willful Destruction of Technology

This is my latest pet peeve. I've had several conversations in recent months with CIOs and technicians about this topic. It doesn't happen everywhere, but willful destruction of technology seems to occur far too often. A few examples:

* CD trays in computer labs with gum or paper inside
* CD trays in computer labs with gears stripped or missing bands, rendering them useless
* Headphone jacks with the plugs broken off
* USB ports with any number of items stuffed inside
* Pens/pencils jammed in monitors, speakers, etc
* Writings/markings/carvings on the technology

There are other examples, including outright thievery, but my point here is more about vandalism. It's wrong, but I'm getting the impression that the technology staff doesn't see this being treated as such in their buildings. It's confusing to me, which has led to this post. In most school policy manuals (everyone subscribing to KSBA's service, for example), Section 9.421 deals with "Care of School and Personal Property". Quoting, in part:

Any pupil, organization, or group of pupils participating in activities who destroys, defaces, damages or removes school property shall be subject to disciplinary action and liability for the cost of restoring the property.

In addition, when they have reasonable belief that a violation has taken place, principals shall immediately report to law enforcement officials when an act has occurred on school property or at a school-sponsored function that involves damage to school property. For the purposes of determining when to make this report, damage to school property shall refer to instances involving:

1. Intentional harm, and
2. Damage beyond minor loss or breakage, excluding normal wear and tear.

The same section notes that parents are liable for property damage caused by their minor children. That comes from KRS 405.025. I'm sure I'm asking a loaded question here but, if the policy is so straightforward, why does it not seem to be enforced? I've talked to one or two districts who are ready to install security cameras in computer labs. There would seem to be laws on the books now that would allow a district to pursue reimbursement for vandalism of technology. It may not be considered practical, but is it more or less practical than security cameras in an environment where there may or may not be penalties for such willful destruction?

One desktop technician estimated that 75% of his hardware issues were related to items that seemed tdo be purposely broken. Is that an accurate estimate? Even if it's a high estimate, what percentage of your technicians' time is spent repairing what has been purposely broken? If the child were spray-painting the school walls, would we say that it's "normal wear and tear" or "kids just being kids"?

Open questions to any readers - does this abuse occur in your district? Why or why not? If it occurs and isn't appropriately addressed, why do you think that is? I'm genuinely curious.

On that note, I'll end the rant... :)

Who's KATE?

If you're not familiar with KATE and you work in technology in Kentucky K-12 (or elsewhere, perhaps), then let's take a minute to familiarize everyone with their organization. KATE is the Kentucky Academy of Technology Education. It's housed on the campus of Murray State University and provides resources to educators throughout Kentucky, working to enhance the use of technology as an instructional tool.

There are quite a few resources on the site that may be of interest. They speak often of the TICK database. That database holds many effective lesson plans and activities that are aligned to KY's curriculum standards. You can search for a topic and then refine those results based on grade level or subject. Look closely and you'll find potential ways to win prizes by submitting valid and useful content!

The site features a monthly "In Your Classroom" article, written by area educators. It's always nice to read about what's going on in our own classrooms and there are a couple of really good articles featured there now.

There are links to help with student teaching and the struggles of a new teacher. You can also find information related to Kentucky's Core Content as well as national and state teaching standards.

Brenda Nix, the director at KATE, has her own list of top technology tools and this list, along with many other great professional development resources, are featured on the site as well.

For Kentucky K-12 CIOs, we can't praise the usefulness of the KATE site enough! Make sure your teachers are aware of what's out there. For other readers outside of Kentucky, I encourage you to give this site a look. There are wonderful educational resources available - Brenda and her staff have done an excellent job of turning this site into one of the best instructional resources around!

Libraries and today's technology

One of my followers on here is known to have said to his users that, if and when technology resources were down, "...go read a book". My boss sent an article around for our thoughts and it's had me thinking about libraries. The article is titled "The Changing Library" and was published in the American School Board Journal.

If you follow that link, you'll find the first few paragraphs followed by another link to purchase the article. As luck would have it, you CAN find that article via the Kentucky Virtual Library, and maybe that's one of the points of this blog post. Do we realize the resource we have? KY CIOs, does your district actively utilize this resource? This topic surfaced during a recent webcast when, during a discussion of potential sources for funding cuts, KyVL was mentioned as one potential resource that might have to be cut. I believe that has been avoided, but the whole discussion made me think about that resource. Along with the content of the article, it has caused me to think about our libraries in general.

The number and location of computers in our libraries today varies WIDELY. As you know, some schools have full-time library/media specialists and some have had to do away with full-time positions due to budget cuts. The article I read suggests a strong correlation between the strength of a school library and the aptitude shown on testing, overall reading skills, etc.

Maybe I'll simply ask several questions and come back to this topic at a later time. Right now, I find myself asking:

* If I walked into your school's library and wanted to research a topic, would I be able to do so effectively? Where would I go to get the most current and accurate information?

* If I could remodel the school's library, how much technology would I have? Where would I place it? Do I need mobile access?

* Are my computer labs today serving as research centers? If so, should they be part of (or adjacent to) the library?

* Is my library/media specialist a strong technology user? Should he/she be? (At this point, my thoughts are that this person or department could hold the key to technology integration, since we often lament the fact that students have difficulty validating the accuracy of information found on the Internet)

* What role does my library play in the overall instruction taking place in our schools? Could (or should) that role be increased? How?

If you do decide to comment, keep it civil and acknowledge that both groups (tech leaders and librarians) struggle with the pace of change, the lack of funding, etc.

Interactive classroom technology - wasted investment?

After a great meeting with our technology coordinators on Wednesday and a couple of conference calls yesterday, my mind is spinning with thoughts about technology - where we've been, where we are and where we're going.

I've heard concern expressed on multiple occasions regarding our teachers as a whole and the collective (in)ability to effectively "integrate" technology into their instruction. I've also heard one friend of mine, whose opinion I greatly value, wonder aloud if we've completely wasted massive investments into interactive technology classroom components such as boards, pads, etc.

Let's take ourselves back to the most basic of questions: What's our job? What are we doing and what should be be doing as the technology leaders in our district? As I see it, our job is to support effective teaching and learning in our district. That means that we have an obligation to provide the opportunity for all students to learn and for all teachers to teach as effectively as they can. It does NOT necessarily mean that we'll have a 100% success rate, as much as that may pain us to admit.

If you attend a conference or a manager in corporate America wishes to make a presentation, it's become an expectation that the presenter will have access to a computer and some type of projection device. Many churches nowadays have multiple projectors to serve large sanctuaries and many have a projector facing the back wall for the presenter to see while facing the audience.

Our teachers are presenters. For six hours each day, they are expected to hold the interest of 25 or so children that have so many tools that we didn't have that also capture their interest. To me, a projector or television connected to a teacher's computer has become a requirement. Not every teacher will use it as often as we'd like or as effectively as we'd like, but that doesn't mean that attempts to give access to these tools has been a waste. The same argument could be made for interactive boards, pads, document cameras, student response systems, etc.

The two most common reasons given by a teacher when asked about the adoption of technology in the classroom are "it doesn't work" or "I don't know how". Admittedly, due in part to lack of funds, it seems that we can't solve one of those before the other becomes an issue. We invest in these tools and, just as we have a group of teachers using them effectively, we run into hardware issues and have a lack of funds to replace/upgrade in a timely fashion. Right now, I think we collectively do a good job of solving the "it doesn't work" problem and wish we could do more to solve the "I don't know how" problem. Oh, and while I'm at it, let me address those who think the teachers should just "figure it out" in the same fashion that we, as technology leaders, would hopefully do if faced with the same dilemma. Collectively, they aren't as interested in technology as we are. In addition, they spend their entire day trying to help youngsters "figure out" concepts that they're struggling with. In some cases, they repeat critical concepts until they're fairly certain that their students have learned that concept. It's no accident that this is how they expect to learn themselves - it's how they operate on a day-to-day basis.

Apologies for the semi-rant with no links to other information, but I've had this on my mind for a couple of days. I'll make one last point. In a tough economy, it's fairly certain that teacher pay won't keep up as many think it should. We'll all hear that these are professionals with degrees and they want to be treated as such. One way we can attempt to do this, perhaps in lieu of a massive salary increase, is to do our best to provide them with the tools to be effective presenters and provide them with the training to properly use these tools.

It's a daily struggle but a worthy one. Let's keep our heads up and move forward!

Various links from December TIS newsletter

Here are several links in the monthly TIS newsletter that Earlene puts together for the integration specialists:

Classroom Resources

National Library of Virtual Manipulatives - math instruction resource
8 ways of checking information on web sites
Film Education Resources
Creative Rights and Digital Responsibilities

Internet Safety Resources

CyberSmart! Curriculum
NetSmartz
i-SAFE

The newsletter also touched on Picasa, which is used to organize, edit and share photos. There's also at least one wiki that discusses the use of Picasa in education.