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 She taught me that “websites are becoming an outdated technology (web 1.0).”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.
One component of Enterprise Architecture is Application Architecture. According to our reading: “Application Architecture focuses on the relationships between applications and users and usually includes several matrices that depict these relationships:
I would gather a team of stakeholders, such as IT personnel, teachers, principals, office staff and examine how the present systems can be improved. The team would look at eliminating redundant applications and explore more suitable replacement applications. Lastly, the team would ensure that there is interoperability between multiple applications. One new concept for me is SSO (single sign-on). This means that instead of signing on to each application individually throughout the day, the user will be able to log in one time and be able to access all the applications needed. This saves time and would be worth implementing in every schools which use multiple applications. (Educational Enterprise Architecture Guidebook, 2014) Resource Education Enterprise Architecture Guidebook. (2014, March). Retrieved February 2, 2016, from http://www2.ed.gov/about/inits/ed/implementation-support-unit/tech-assist/education-architecture-guidebook.pdf Click here for my Module 7 Table.
Prioritizing Applications With my teaching experience exclusively in Adult Education and College ESL, all of the applications I am examining in this assignment are new to me. However, I understand the importance of having good systems in place. From my interview of School X’s Principal, I learned that many teachers use their own web-based application to track student grades. She commented that this could be confusing to students; and, it would be an improvement if the district would adopt one common LMS. If I were to prioritize the applications, I would take input like this from the principal, teachers, students, and other stakeholders to revamp the applications that are being used. I would ask questions like: What are the present applications being used? Are any of them redundant? Can more efficient systems be put in place? Can redundancy be reduced by adopting user-friendly, efficient applications that can take on multiple functions? Can we ensure interoperability between multiple applications? At the present, I am not the best equipped person to carry out this research. However, I would want to oversee and give input on this process. So, my first step would be to find the best person or team to research the above questions and make recommendations. I would help create a timeline for completion. I would ensure that all those given a task to complete would be accountable to complete it in the given timeframe. By asking the right questions, having the right people involved, carrying out a plan, and keeping focused on the goal of improving systems for staff, parents, and students; I am certain that the results will be positive. Resource SEIS - Special Education Information System. (n.d.). Retrieved March 04, 2016, from https://www.seis.org/index.aspx |
Details
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
Categories |