The best investment you can make is to get a strong tech director in there
that can own it and translate and differentiate the needs of the school into
tech needs.
It is my opinion that if you do not have that, you can spend a lot of time
and resources and still not get where you want to go.
Jonathan
................................
Jonathan Mergy <jmergy@lwhs.org>
Director Of Technology
Lick-Wilmerding High School
755 Ocean Ave, SF CA 94112
P:415.585.1725 x365
http://www.lwhs.org
> From: Ellen Nodelman <enodelman@rocklandcds.org>
> Reply-To: ISED-L <ISED-L@listserv.syr.edu>
> Date: Wed, 1 Dec 2010 09:12:44 -0500
> To: ISED-L <ISED-L@listserv.syr.edu>
> Subject: Upgrading an archaic IT system -- on the cheap!
>
> Hi everyone,
> We have gone through various stages in our IT/computer set up and are
> reaching a point where we must do something about it but, of course, don't
> have the real funds to do what we would like to do.
>
> We had a laptop program but have phased that out as our laptops became
> increasingly antiquated and largely stopped working.
>
> Most of our middle and upper school students have their own laptops, so we
> are thinking about how we can go to a 1 on 1 model, using the kids' own
> laptops and providing them only for those students for whom this would be a
> financial hardship.
>
> We have computers in a computer lab in the upper school building, with
> computers that frequently break down. We also have them in the library, in
> varying stages of disrepair. And a group in the Children's School building,
> all of which are working at this point but are very rudimentary.
>
> Currently our IT person is someone who works for an outside consultant
> firm. This has been very unsatisfactory and we have finally gotten the
> board to agree to bringing someone into the school (on staff!) to do this
> -- but that's for next year. We're stuck with the outside consultant who is
> of very little use for the remainder of this school year.
>
> One of the members of our board is talking about rewiring the campus and
> upgrading the system, which is sorely needed. And there has been talk about
> turning our library into a combined library/media centre, also under the
> aegis of the board of trustees.
>
> But there is little or no money to do most of this.
>
> We have formed a faculty committee to make recommendations as far as IT is
> concerned. We came to a few major conclusions but are looking for guidance
> from people who are more knowledgeable about this. Hence my turning to you.
>
> We want to move to a 1 to 1 laptop model,and we think we can do this with
> the laptops that most of the kids already have. But we will have to buy a
> decent firewall, which is lacking at this moment. We're already looking
> into doing that sooner rather than later.
>
> We need to upgrade the bandwidth of our network.
>
> And we need to think about ways of securing and monitoring the network that
> the kids are accessing. Currently, they can bring laptops to classes where
> teachers allow their use -- and that's most teachers in the school -- and
> kids with ed plans that stipulate computer use can bring them to class and
> study halls. But a group of teachers were upset that kids in study halls
> were accessing outside programs, playing games, emailing/facebooking their
> friends, etc., etc....we all know how that goes (and, yes, there is a block
> on direct access to facebook on our school network but you know how easily
> that can be circumvented...I do it all the time!). And so the boom was
> lowered on laptop use during study halls.
>
> We're coming up with suggestions that will help us deal with some of the
> immediate problems as well as lead to a more long term computer/IT policy
> and upgrade to our system.
>
> Someone suggested that we create a school "account" set up on all the
> laptops at the beginning of the school year (or the beginning of the period
> in which we start the universal laptop program) from which all the laptops
> can access the school network, one that will have "approved" applications on
> it. Some of the computer savvy parents have already done this with their
> kids laptops, and we obviously need to bring those parents into the
> discussion.
>
> We also want to find out about monitoring computer use -- obviously this can
> be done from the school server but are there fixes by which a study hall
> monitor can see what the kids are looking at?
>
> What do we do now? We use google mail and are expanding our use within the
> faculty of google docs. We have faculty websites on google sites,
> rudimentary but acceptable and easy to maneuver. We are talking about
> electronic portfolios and have a model on google sites as well. We have
> smartboards in many, but not all, classrooms and teachers are becoming
> increasingly comfortable with them. Some teachers use laptops in class very
> well, for interactive learning. Some just let the kids take notes. But we
> know we have to move ahead to keep up with the times.
>
> We are thinking of a three prong process: immediate measures to be taken
> with the least expense possible this year (but also including the new
> firewall which is obviously NOT a cheap fix); planning for measures to be
> implemented in the next school year, including the new wiring, plus other
> installations that might be recommended; long term prospects - the wish
> list.
>
> We were thinking about an expanded Technology committee consisting of board
> members, teachers, parents and savvy students. Has anyone else done
> something like this?
>
> As is quite obvious, I am writing from the vantage point of almost complete
> ignorance and beg your indulgence. Any advice that you might have will be
> gratefully received!
>
> Ellen
>
> --
> Ellen Nodelman
> Director of College Guidance & Testing
> Rockland Country Day School
> Tel. (845) 268-6802 NY Office/(860) 767-8014 CT Office
> Fax NY: (845) 268-4644/( CT: 860-767-8014 - for CT, please call before
> faxing so I can turn on fax receiving in CT)
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