Rebuilding Your Technology Department without Rebuilding ... · • Local listservs and regional...
Transcript of Rebuilding Your Technology Department without Rebuilding ... · • Local listservs and regional...
Gabriel LucasCo-Founder, Association of Technology Leaders in Independent Schools
2016 FCIS Annual Conference
Rebuilding Your Technology Department without
Rebuilding Your Budget
About meK-12: Attended San Francisco independent schools
Higher ed: Mathematical and Computational Science; Information Systems; Math
Corporate: Financial consulting, data analytics, project management, online math
K-12 work: Math instructor, Director of Academic Technology, Director of Technology
Non-profit: Co-Founder, Association of Technology Leaders in Independent Schools
Business: Principal, Ed Tech Recruiting
Family: Wife from Singapore, two kids in a Mandarin immersion public school
Roadmap
1. Overview of technology strategy
2. Six decision points for leadership
3. Additional tips and suggestions
4. Final thoughts, and Q&A
1. Set strategy from the top
Strategic planMission /Philosophy/Core Values
The Willows Mission StatementAt The Willows, we believe each child brings our community an extraordinary gift: a curious mind, ready to explore and eager to learn. Our
mission is to grow that gift by challenging our students to uncover meaning and significance in the world around them and to become capable, confident individuals who demonstrate character, engagement, and a joyful passion for creative inquiry across a lifetime.
Our PhilosophyThe Willows is committed to a balanced yet demanding progressive curriculum rooted in experiential learning and social values. We teach
and model a zest for learning and the courage to take risks. We challenge children to challenge themselves and set high standards for academic excellence, which they pursue with energy and joy. We nurture a sense of compassion and community that begins at home,
reinforcing what it means to be a respectful, involved citizen-of-the-world. We believe that great minds grow in a near-infinite variety of ways. In the spirit of the willow tree itself, our “great minds” are flexible, resilient, and beautiful at every stage of development.
Core ValuesOur core values provide a basis for all student-learning goals:
Creative Inquiry at Our Core
Creativity is essential to learning at The Willows. We are devoted to cultivating our students’ imagination and helping each child discover his or her unique talents in an atmosphere that embraces questioning and exploration. As students examine new ideas from multiple
perspectives and generate innovative solutions to problems, they learn that every individual voice is important. Creativity is not restricted to the arts; it is an integral part of every discipline. The creative process is central to our teaching: we embrace curricular innovation that
energizes our program, creates a dynamic campus climate, and lends new insights to learning.
Trend: Tech leader, integrators, and faculty all need the skills to orchestrate the right balance of constraints and freedom
2. Learn to improvise
3. Manage the continuum
IT
Academic Tech
The critical bridgeIT Academic TechSystems
The critical bridge
IT Academic TechSystems
Trend: Systems environment growing in complexity
What’s in each bucket
IT Systems Academic Tech
What’s in each bucket
IT IT / Systems Systems Systems / Acad. Tech
AcademicTech
Trend: Fewer IT-only or academic tech-only technologies
IT / Academic Tech
Classroom technology Makerspaces
Learning centers
What’s in each bucket
IT IT / Systems Systems Systems / Acad. Tech
Academic Tech
Physical servers
Network; Antivirus;
Backup / disaster; Virtual servers
Website management
LMS; SIS;
Online portfolios; Google environment
Faculty training
H e l p d e s k s e r v i c e s ; D e p l o y i n g l a p t o p s / t a b l e t s
Trend: IT and Academic Tech are no longer
endpoints
Another trend: Boundaries are stretching…
Framework for self-assessment
IT Data / Systems Academic Tech
Vision
Direction
Support
Instructional DesignInfrastructure
Trend: Expanding the definitions of IT and Academic Tech to areas far beyond tech
The critical bridge
Infrastructure
Instructional design
The����������� ������������������ expanded����������� ������������������ role����������� ������������������ ����������� ������������������ of����������� ������������������ Ed����������� ������������������ Tech
Generative discussion
1. Connect tech strategy to your school’s vision
2. Learn to improvise
3. Expand beyond the boundaries of Ed Tech
When rebuilding…
…what else?
Roadmap
1. Overview of technology strategy
2. Six decision points for leadership
3. Additional tips and suggestions
4. Final thoughts, and Q&A
Realignment :: House Shopping
Decision #1 Division of leadership
D of T Dir of IT Dir of AT
Gets more complicated with library, registrar, maker
Decision #2 Seniority of leadership
CIOAssistant Head
Director
Coordinator
Head
Decision #3 Vertical span responsibilities
Vision
Direction
Support
Dean of T&L
Dir. of Library
Integrationist
Head
Academic Dean
0.5 FTE faculty x2
CIO
Dir of Library and Ed Tech
Support Team
Assistant Head for
Leadership and
Technology
Tech Coordinator
Director of Innovation
IT Mngr
Ed Tech
Coord.Helpdesk
Trend: New roles / titles
Emerging titles• Assistant Head for {Technology, Leadership, Innovation}
• CIO / CTO
• Director of Educational Innovation
• Director of Technology and Library Services
• Director of Technology and Innovation
• STEAM Coordinator
• Instructional Design Specialist
• Curricular Innovation Specialist
Decision #4 Horizontal span responsibilities
Ed Tech, Systems, IT AV, Website, Dev. DBMaker, Library, Registrar
Core Operations PeripheralAcademic Peripheral
What is right for you?
Trend: Tech span broadening
Space / furniture design
Decision #5 Space
• Library
• Help desk
• Academic tech
• Reception
Decision #6 Oversight
Tech Department
CFO Head Academic Leader(s)
Trend: Tech director feels like a child from a broken home
Further reading
• NBOA Net Assets (Sept / Oct 2015)Building a Better Technology Program
Generative discussion1. Division of leadership
2. Seniority of leadership
3. Vertical responsibilities
4. Horizontal responsibilities
5. Space
6. Oversight
What else?
What else
What else• Systemic decision making
• Disconnected decision making
• Too small to have these problems; having resources or technological skill set
• Universe of things
• Being very large; having to be everything
• Be in very small and being everything
Roadmap
1. Overview of technology strategy
2. Six decision points for leadership
3. Additional tips and suggestions
4. Final thoughts, and Q&A
A-1) School culture is key
To Rebuild a School Technology Program, Leaders Must First Arrive at Common Ground
NAIS Independent Ideas Blog (Feb 8, 2016)
A-2) Internal evaluation
• Assess the different areas of the department and program (matrix)
• Project the true costs of major hardware, systems, and programs
• Evaluate individual, department, and external (cultural) factors that are both strengths and challenges
• Prepare a presentation and executive summary for the Board on our technology program
B-1) PD for your tech leader• ISED-L: National listserv dedicated mostly to Ed Tech
• Local listservs and regional association gatherings
• ATLIS: School membership, National conference, Early career institute
• Business office associations and conferences (NBOA, MISBO)
• CoSN: Horizon Report, Certifications
• Coaching, mentorship, and management seminars
• Innovative learning conferences
B-2) PD for the tech team• Specialized trainings
• Conferences and workshops
• Certifications
• Consultants
$
B-3) PD for faculty / staff• Lunchtime workshops
• Faculty and student on boarding and orientations
• Department projects
• Summer institutes
• Annual cohorts
• External school visits and hosting
• Instructional design contractors
$
B-4) PD for Board
• Board retreats on technology governance
• Facilitated discussions on supporting a tech vision
B-5) PD for leadership team
• Learning how to oversee technology
• Developing a greater comfort with tech issues
• Designing an educational technology strategy
C-1) Embrace transition
C-2) Interim leadershipIT Systems Academic
Tech
Vision
Direction
Support
IT Systems Academic Tech
Vision
Strategic
Tactical
IT Systems Academic Tech
Vision
Strategic
Tactical
IT Systems Academic Tech
Vision
Strategic
Tactical
D-1) Tech needs HR— Really.• Exempt / Nonexempt issues
• Work hours: regular, overtime
• Working on site
• Job descriptions
• Annual reviews
• Regular meetings for feedback
• Reporting structures
• Management oversight
• Need for technology middle managers
D-2) Other HR details
• Full-time vs. part-time
• 10-month vs. 12-month
• Faculty vs. Staff vs. Administrator
E-1) Always have counsel• (CFO probably does)
• Lots of options
• Hourly support
• Sharing IT professionals
• Local managed support
• Larger consulting firms
E-2) Outsourcing
• IT vs. Systems vs. Ed Tech
Trend: Outsource —> Insource —> Outsource
Trend: Outsource stuff? Yes. Outsource people? TBD
F) Commit to excellent hiring• Find great leadership talent
• Utilize low-cost front-line support
• Develop a farm system
• Job titles and postings: be precise
• Know where to place ads
• Know where to look
• Improve your job board
• Improve your association’s job board
G-1) Use data pragmatically
• Finding that nexus of intuitive and analytic
• Powering better decision making
• Ed Tech, IT, and Systems
Trend: Growing interest in dashboards
G-2) Abandon the holy grail
• Complete systems integration
• Managing data workflow
• Improving operational efficiencies
• CapX : Biz Office :: API : Tech Office(API = Application Program Interface)
G-3) Understand life cycles
• Embrace the accelerated evolution
• Develop a change mindset
• Modify community expectations
• …but still have a master plan
vision, roadmap, living forecast
H-1) Assess staff, not stuff
H-2) A little help from your friends• Registrar, Librarian, Facilities
Director, Controller, Web Manager, Development Database Manager, Enrollment Manager, Communications Director
• Administrative Assistants
• Compensating for gaps in the organization
• People gravitate toward the work they prefer
lot of
Roadmap
1. Overview of technology strategy
2. Six decision points for leadership
3. Additional tips and suggestions
4. Final thoughts, and Q&A
Solve actual problems…
…and keep your focus on
• Staff
• Strategy
• Stuff
(in that order!)
ATLIS 2017 National Conference
Los Angeles April 23 - 26, 2017 www.theatlis.org
Inform. Connect. Reflect.
Making Magic Happen
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