What are your three most critical discoveries for this course? How will the learning you have gained serve you in your role as an educational technology leader? This class has been eye-opening for me in many ways. I had not heard the term “Enterprise Architecture” before. But after I got past the terminology I realized that we already do some of these things in my school, but use different expressions. How to Explain Enterprise Architecture to Your Grandmother reinforced that effective communication skills are key in any business. Some common EA communication problems are: jumping into low level detail with no context, using obscure proprietary terminology, and insensitivity to audience feedback. Enterprise Architects try to simplify terms so everyone (even grandmothers) can understand them. Another critical discovery are the many advantages of an EA. Instituting an EA results in improved decision making. Defining the current state and future state of any enterprise helps clarify who is responsible for what. Then, when goals are set decisions can be made around those goals. Other advantages are eliminating redundant systems and lessening employee turnover. When a school has a purpose/direction under good management, employees are more likely to stay. Lastly, I learned that applications that are free may not be safe. Sometimes, they share data with third party vendors for marketing. There are many student privacy measures in place that educators/school leaders should learn about. If guidelines are not communicated about privacy then teachers may unknowingly endanger their students. The learning that I have gained will help me make informed decisions as an education technology leader. As I help develop an EA, I will know who is responsible for what area. I’ll be able to connect other teachers with resources they did not know about. I will continuously learn from my Professional Learning Network and through attending conferences, training, and webinars. Resources What is enterprise architecture (EA)? - Definition from WhatIs.com. (2001, June). Retrieved March 30, 2016, from http://searchcio.techtarget.com/definition/enterprise-architecture How to Explain Enterprise Architecture To Your Grandmother. (n.d.). Retrieved March 30, 2016, from http://simplicable.com/new/how-to-explain-enterprise-architecture-to-your-grandmother A. What is Enterprise Architecture?
Describes EA as a conceptual blueprint. Its intent to to effectively achieve current and future objectives. Outlines four points of view: business perspective, application perspective, information perspective, and technology perspective. 1. Business perspective - day-to-day business operation 2. Application perspective - interactions among processes and standards within the organization 3. Information perspective - defines and classifies raw data required to efficiently operate 4. Technology perspective - defines hardware, operating systems, programming, and network solutions Some advantages of an EA are: improved decision making and adaptability of business, eliminating redundant systems, optimizing assets, and lessening employee turnover. B. How to Explain Enterprise Architecture to Your Grandmother This article explains that effective communication skills are key in any business. Some common communication problems are: jumping into low level detail with no context, using obscure proprietary terminology, and insensitivity to audience feedback. One way to get around these problems is to explain technical answers as if you are talking to your grandmother, aka layman’s terms. Enterprise Architects also try to simplify terms so everyone can understand them. When technical terms are used, they should “think-out” the explanation so that the other parties can follow their logic. For any grandmothers reading this: An Enterprise Architect is like a city planner. A city planner job involves setting building codes and plans for road, water, and other services. Enterprise Architects do this using technology. C. Thriving on Change: Thriving on Gap Analysis A brief video explanation gap analysis. The diagram showing the starting point (Current State) and ending point (Future State). It helps map out who is responsible for which tasks. The Desired Outcome is the goal that the enterprise is working toward. A roadmap is needed to help move from the starting to ending point. Good leaders continuously remind staff about the Future State, point ahead to those goals, and help staff reach those goals. D. What is Enterprise Architecture? In under 10 minutes, “Julian Cox gives a comprehensive introduction into the world of Enterprise Architecture: what it is, how it's defined, and how it has grown to be an essential part of the modern day business.” He defines an enterprise as any organization - business, charity, government department, etc. It can be a collection of sub-organizations with shared objectives. Architecture is a description of its components (structure) and processes (behavior). Enterprise Architecture is the documentation of components and processes. Also, planning changes to improve the enterprise’s integrity and flexibility. There are various EA frameworks. Frameworks describe content (structure), processes (activities), and organization (people and roles). The TOGAF framework covers all three of these areas. Zachman only covers content. One way to simplify EA is to break an organization into either segments or domains. Most EA frameworks break an organization into four domains: Business Architecture, Data Architecture, Applications, and Infrastructure. Business Architecture covers businesses’ objectives, goals, capabilities, processes, etc. The Data or Information Architecture domain overs information. Applications domain focuses on Information Technology applications, which use the business data. Infrastructure or Technical domain covers platforms and software. These all have overlaps. Some businesses create additional domains, like compliance and security, if these are particularly important for them. Business architects first describe the baseline or current status. Then, they describe a strategic vision or future target (3-5 years). In between, they will set intermediate goals and identify gaps. Then they create plans to address the gaps. Architects are not responsible to perform the changes, rather they oversee/govern the changes. Resources What is enterprise architecture (EA)? - Definition from WhatIs.com. (2001, June). Retrieved March 30, 2016, from http://searchcio.techtarget.com/definition/enterprise-architecture How to Explain Enterprise Architecture To Your Grandmother. (n.d.). Retrieved March 30, 2016, from http://simplicable.com/new/how-to-explain-enterprise-architecture-to-your-grandmother M. (2015). Thriving on Change: Creating A Gap Analysis. Retrieved April 9, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uc3m_yWAbSk What is Enterprise Architecture? (2014, January 24). Retrieved April 03, 2016, from https://youtu.be/V5Xisag6aN8 Describes EA as a conceptual blueprint. Its intent to to effectively achieve current and future objectives. Outlines four points of view: business perspective, application perspective, information perspective, and technology perspective. 1. Business perspective - day-to-day business operation 2. Application perspective - interactions among processes and standards within the organization 3. Information perspective - defines and classifies raw data required to efficiently operate 4. Technology perspective - defines hardware, operating systems, programming, and network solutions Some advantages of an EA are: improved decision making and adaptability of business, eliminating redundant systems, optimizing assets, and lessening employee turnover. B. How to Explain Enterprise Architecture to Your Grandmother This article explains that effective communication skills are key in any business. Some common communication problems are: jumping into low level detail with no context, using obscure proprietary terminology, and insensitivity to audience feedback. One way to get around these problems is to explain technical answers as if you are talking to your grandmother, aka layman’s terms. Enterprise Architects also try to simplify terms so everyone can understand them. When technical terms are used, they should “think-out” the explanation so that the other parties can follow their logic. For any grandmothers reading this: An Enterprise Architect is like a city planner. A city planner job involves setting building codes and plans for road, water, and other services. Enterprise Architects do this using technology. C. Introduction to Understand Enterprise Architecture In under 7 minutes Mr. Joseph Anthony, explores the questions: What is an Enterprise? What is Architecture? Why Enterprise Architecture? Why Should you Care?
D. What is Enterprise Architecture? In under 10 minutes, “Julian Cox gives a comprehensive introduction into the world of Enterprise Architecture: what it is, how it's defined, and how it has grown to be an essential part of the modern day business.” He defines an enterprise as any organization - business, charity, government department, etc. It can be a collection of sub-organizations with shared objectives. Architecture is a description of its components (structure) and processes (behavior). Enterprise Architecture is the documentation of components and processes. Also, planning changes to improve the enterprise’s integrity and flexibility. There are various EA frameworks. Frameworks describe content (structure), processes (activities), and organization (people and roles). The TOGAF framework covers all three of these areas. Zachman only covers content. One way to simplify EA is to break an organization into either segments or domains. Most EA frameworks break an organization into four domains: Business Architecture, Data Architecture, Applications, and Infrastructure. Business Architecture covers businesses’ objectives, goals, capabilities, processes, etc. The Data or Information Architecture domain overs information. Applications domain focuses on Information Technology applications, which use the business data. Infrastructure or Technical domain covers platforms and software. These all have overlaps. Some businesses create additional domains, like compliance and security, if these are particularly important for them. Architectures first describe the baseline or current status. Then, they describe a strategic vision or future target (3-5 years). In between, they will set intermediate goals and identify gaps. Then they create plans to address the gaps. Architectures are not responsible to perform the changes, rather they oversee/govern the changes Resources What is enterprise architecture (EA)? - Definition from WhatIs.com. (2001, June). Retrieved March 30, 2016, from http://searchcio.techtarget.com/definition/enterprise-architecture How to Explain Enterprise Architecture To Your Grandmother. (n.d.). Retrieved March 30, 2016, from http://simplicable.com/new/how-to-explain-enterprise-architecture-to-your-grandmother 01 01 Introduction. (n.d.). Retrieved March 30, 2016, from https://youtu.be/peni7h8MvgE?list=PL9hHCE8TN-pR0LhUEQBHoIh54LE89I0FM What is Enterprise Architecture? (2014, January 24). Retrieved April 03, 2016, from https://youtu.be/V5Xisag6aN8 Reflect on the work you did to collect information for the Brick work. What value do you see in this tool?
The work to collect information for the NIH format brick was extensive. Initially, I focused on Middle School X’s website as an area to improve. Since this is not the school where I teach, there were a series of back and forth emails to the school’s Technology Resource Teacher to get the information I needed. She stated: “All of the websites in our district are hosted by a company called Schoolwires. They have a website creation online software that is used to create the websites. In 2010, a classified staff member in the district office made templates for each school and each teacher on each campus. Then, school office managers received training on how to maintain the overall school website and teachers received training on how to add content to their teacher website, if they chose to - it was optional, and still is. We communicate with parents via JupiterGrades so much that teachers, including myself, began dropping the use of the teacher pages on the website.” She taught me that “websites are becoming an outdated technology (web 1.0).” She stated that they may be here for awhile, but most schools use websites to point people to their Learning Management Systems or gradebook portal. LMSs, like Schoology of Haiku, are becoming preferable for communication. Their teachers use Jupiter Grades to send messages to parents/students. With this input from the Technology Resource Teacher, I decided to take a different approach to this assignment. I changed my focus from the website itself to Social Media. I used the broad definition, which includes websites. I used research from online sources to predict what direction the school might go in order to share information with parents, guardians, students, and other stakeholders. In my research, I discovered Ping.fm, which I’m excited to try out. Using this analysis tool is helpful for any technology leader at a school. The brick analysis helps to map out what type of applications are currently used, decide what should be eliminated, and decide what new applications should be implemented short term (0-2 years) and long term (2-5 years). It concisely summarizes the current state and future state of a certain technology aspect. This simple chart is a way to display/communicate a large amount of information in an easy to understand format. It is important to have a clear framework and methodology in approaching any decision making process. In order to complete this chart with the necessary information, I had to go to multiple sources, which was a learning process in itself. If I were actually going through this process, I would present my chart to the decision makers. It is a simple, easy-to-follow chart, as opposed to a long, confusing document. Also, the Executive Summary gives a concise synopsis of the research and what the recommendations are.
This approach is important for educational programs because it is a simple, yet effective communication tool. Those that have the power to make decisions have limited time to read long documents in order to conclude what needs to be done. By doing this exercise, I have learned that incorporating a chart and a brief Executive Summary is an effective way to present material and make a recommendation. If I were the decision maker, I would also want to receive recommendations in this format. In this Module you displayed your collected data to help inform the decision making process. Why is this important for educational programs to use this type of approach? How has it helped you to understand and possibly lead an organization that might face these important decisions?"
Using the approach of filling out a Rationalization Analysis chart is a useful method in evaluating applications. It allows a deeper look at the functions, strengths, and issues of school systems. In following this method, one has to rank items level of priority (Standard Classification) and take an honest look at each application's effectiveness. This method looks deeply at each individual application, then expands it to list their results at the school, district, and/or state levels. In essence, it is looking at how the pieces fit with each other and then how they fit in the larger scope of things. Completing the Module 8 Assignment required a great deal of research. It was not simply a matter of plugging in data. I had to also carefully consider whether the application was meeting the needs of teachers or staff. This type of evaluation helped me to understand the various levels of interconnectedness of school applications. According to our reading “Application Overhaul” there should be an application strategy in place. This means that the applications being used need to be evaluated for effectiveness. Once the decision is made to phase out an application, steps can be taken to replace it with something more suitable. This assignment encompasses the first step: defining applications being used and evaluating them for effectiveness. If I were to lead an organization and make important decisions about which applications to continue using and which to phase out, I would use this method. As a leader, I could delegate completion of this task to someone else. However, I would want to help to create a timeline for completion of the chart. Then, I’d want to hear the results, suggested next steps, and reasons for the suggestions. At that point, we could move into the next phase: determine which applications need to be overhauled. Resources: Key Initiative Overview - Gartner Inc. (n.d.). Retrieved March 12, 2016, from http://www.gartner.com/it/initiatives/pdf/KeyInitiativeOverview_ApplicationOverhaul.pdf Click here for my Preliminary Rationalization Analysis chart, which is an expansion of Assignment 7.
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AuthorPassionate Adult ESL Instructor and TOSA at Grossmont Adult School. Former Adjunct at San Diego Community College District. Seeking the best ways to utilize technology in the classroom and in professional life. Archives
April 2016
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