I've followed this conversation with great interest. It is only on a
Saturday afternoon that I would have the time to reflect on the entire
thread and respond. Let's review this conversation. It began with a
question about email retention, morphed into a conversation about
whether schools should provide email accounts, and finally evolved into
the grander issue of which technology services schools should provide.
As a fifteen year IT director at Choate, I've felt most of the emotions
expressed in this conversation. I've experienced the pressures of demand
for services, budget constraints, alignment with school mission, and
mining support from senior administrators.
Now I am wearing a different hat, supporting academic technology,
teaching history, and being a customer to the department that I built. I
can't speak for schools in which I am not familiar with the culture nor
can I judge those who speak passionately on behalf of their IT
operations and their schools. From my experience (16 years in
independent schools and 15 years in the business world), I will say that
policies regarding support for technology are organic and dynamic. I
like them to be focused on maximizing the number of win-win situations
within the resources of a school. To the extent that saying no to
anybody represents a win-win, then I would be comfortable pursuing such
a policy. To the extent that it creates a win-lose or lose-lose, I would
avoid the policy. Building community is about connections, not
rivalries.
I have made it a general rule to avoid saying no to anybody requesting
services or assistance from me. I won't necessarily provide what is
requested, but I will find an alternate solution or a future date on
which I can meet the requested need. Standing on a soapbox of principle
is often a straw man when placed under scrutiny. A current example: my
10th grade students should know what a thesis statement is, but some do
not. I would never deny assistance and support as a matter of principle
because teachers do what they have to do. So, despite what they might
think about the skills deficiencies of their students, we will fill the
gap because that is what we do. It is what I did as an IT director and
what I still do as a teacher.
Respectfully,
Joel
_________________________________
Joel Backon
Director of Academic Technology / History Teacher
Choate Rosemary Hall
333 Christian St.
Wallingford, CT 06492
203-697-2514
=20
This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and
intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are
addressed.
If you are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender
immediately by return e-mail, delete this e-mail and any attachments and
destroy any copies. Any dissemination or use of this information by a
person other than the intended recipient is unauthorized.
-----Original Message-----
From: A forum for independent school educators
[mailto:ISED-L@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU] On Behalf Of David F. Withrow
Sent: Saturday, September 29, 2007 4:21 PM
To: ISED-L@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
Subject: Re: Archiving email and limiting attachment size
In all of these analogies, I've used them myself, what's missed is that
the user *owns*
the car. In our effort to bring the faculty along we have provided the
tools needed to
accomplish the job. As a carpenter, I provided my own tools, as an auto
mechanic I
provided my own tools (expensive at my pay grade), and as a free lance
consultant I
provided all of my tools (computer, scanner, digital camera, video
camera, paper, pencil,
etc.) and above all else I provided my transportation.=20
Too often a teacher or staff member knocks on my door with the
expectation that I will
provide basic services: rebooting a computer, plugging it into the wall,
recharging a
dead battery, etc. all the way up to data recovery magician (liquid
poured into the
laptop). While some of the services seem appropriate, the lack of
ownership by the
faculty of his/her tools is a form of passive resistance. I am not
expected, nor is
anyone else, to provide pencil sharpening, pen replacement (or ink
replacement), dropping
off chalk or dry erasers because they don't work any more and the like.
Faculty does take
responsibility for that. Why? Because they are familiar with these
tools. Our support
staff is certainly expected to become competent, often more competent
than our
professional staff, at his/her job.
We are in the education profession. Our tools are the ways we
communicate and educate.
Shouldn't we expect our professionals to provide their own tools? We
know we (IT
departments) can provide software that is cross platform, including
Linux flavors, for
software tools to communicate with parents, students, faculty and the
world. I am
beginning to wonder whether it is now the time to expect that the
hardware tool of choice
be left to the faculty member and to expect that be the responsibility
of the faculty
member. [Certainly schools can and perhaps ought to assist with a
financing option and/or
partial grant (need based) program.]
Ownership is responsibility. If I do not maintain my car (car analogy
returns) and I blow
my engine, I have to take responsibility for that failure.
Thoughts, reactions?
>
[ For info on ISED-L see http://www.gds.org/ISED-L ]
Submissions to ISED-L are released under a Creative Commons license.
[ For info on ISED-L see http://www.gds.org/ISED-L ]
Submissions to ISED-L are released under a Creative Commons license.
