A Tech Director's Reflection V: Be Happy Now

Part V is going to be a two question wrap up of a Tech Director's Reflection. I have enjoyed sharing these questions with everyone and I hope you have enjoyed answering the same questions yourself.

Satisfaction
When you work in IT, you have to understand that constant change, end user issues, and other variables that you can't always control are part of the gig. If flexibility and understanding are not part of you, then satisfaction on the job is probably going to be hard to come by. Salary in the K-12 setting can also be a challenge for some as it isn't always comparable to a similar industry job. Talking often about other reasons that create personal satisfaction on the job are an important part of a tech director building a strong team.

What is the most important personal satisfactions connected with your position?
Knowing that what we are doing on a daily basis provides our students and teachers with an opportunity to have and provide a relevant education is very rewarding and that makes the stressful situations seem very minor.

What other job(s) does your background qualify you for?
I don’t think there is a specific job(s) that I would name to answer this question. Good leaders develop a style that work in a number of settings because they understand how to build great teams.

A Tech Director's Reflection IV: Leading From The Middle

Everyone Can Lead

I truly believe that everyone can be a leader if they choose to be. Leading up, down and across can be beneficial for an organization if encouraged and there is a way for the communication to happen. The saying is a bit old now, but bringing everyone outside of the four walls of their classrooms and cubicles is still relevant and if we can do that, strong working environments can happen.

How do you promote and encourage the use of new and emerging technology in the classroom and district?
I like to share as much as possible through my social media outlets, write using my blog, and support staff through quality service. More important than that is  providing  a way for the real experts, the classroom teachers, to have a way to collaborate with one another and share what they are doing with emerging technologies and practices. To do this we have a Technology Integration Specialist, Collaboration Coach Leads, and Collaboration Coaches in the district that work to support one another. I do my best to support them with what they need to make that happen. 

A Tech Director's Reflection III: The Journey

cc-by-2.0

Morning Coffee
The great thing about careers is that often we have no idea where our current jobs and experiences will lead us in the future. I understand  that many people may map out a career path from first job to retirement, however I would assume when that plan is reviewed while sipping coffee on the front porch enjoying the morning sunrises of retirement, that there were different roads taken along the way. Reflecting on how you have arrived at your current position is a good reminder of the hard work that you have done over the years and a nice trip down memory lane, give it a try!

Courtesy Jeff Power

What jobs and experiences have led you to your present position?
I feel all my positions in education have lead me to my current position. When I started my career as a classroom teacher, I gained knowledge of what it is like to not only guide students, but what teachers need to be successful in the classroom. As a Technology Integration Coach, I was able to work with adults and develop leadership and collaboration skills and also continue to become familiar with technology on the data center side. These real world experiences prepared me for my current position and everyday is another opportunity for a hands on learning experience for continued improvement.

A Tech Director's Reflection Part II: Why Tech Director?

Morning Commute 
We should all be able to answer in a few sentences why our jobs interest us. I have spoken to a number of people that have to ponder how to answer that question and reply with, "that's a good question." The ride to work everyday should not be dreadful, if you are looking for an excuse to exit the freeway early, it may be time to reflect on why, so you can start enjoying the commute to the office.

Why did this type of position interest you and how did you best prepare for the job?

I enjoy change, moving forward and trying new things regularly. The technology landscape is an ever changing world that continually reshapes itself and that keeps my job fresh and challenging. Preparing for an ever changing set of circumstances takes understanding, patience and the ability to have strong people around you to handle the situations that will arise. I believe I prepared by being in real world situations, working hard, and not being afraid to fail. 

How does your job interest you?

A Tech Director's Reflection: A Typical Day

Courtesy Eusebius

The Assignment I was recently asked by a teacher if I could answer a few questions for them as part of an assignment they were working on in their leadership program. I may be in the minority, but I don't mind doing it, because it is always a good opportunity to reflect. I am going to share one question a day this week with my response and challenge others to think about the same question themselves as a way to reflect.

What does a typical day consist of for you?

Being responsible for the technical well being of an entire district tends to keep most days very untypical. The ever changing landscape of technology and the challenge to keep a network and devices working as efficiently as possible makes each day a little different. What I try to do on a daily basis is be there for my staff to provide them what they need to best do their jobs supporting our network and users. Reviewing and managing technology work orders, communicating with schools and departments, managing department budget, and staying active in my PLN to keep the district current are other typical day activities. What does your typical day look like?

Blast From the Past

Spring Cleaning

Recently I spent some time going through my office filing cabinet. When you take on a task like cleaning out old hanging file folders, or any place with "old stuff", it is best to build in a little nostalgia time. I was surprised however to find the folder consuming all my time was labeled tech agendas. As I started going back through the years, it turned into a great moment to reflect on where we were and how far we have come as a tech team. The successes and failures, the innovative ideas and the not so innovative ideas that didn't work out, but provided direction for the future, all very valuable information. I haven't saved a paper agenda in quite some time now and won't be starting again, but this is one Spring cleaning effort that turned into a great opportunity to reflect on the journey over the years. If we are to continue innovating and moving forward it is important not to forget the past, happy cleaning!  

Collaboration or Cooperation?

One Love
I recently came across this tweet from Jenny Wright that complimented what my staff and I were talking about at our gathering earlier this week and wanted to share. A good question to ask ourselves as we sit together can come right out of this tweet, "are we building on our ideas or just working together"? Working happily with each other is important, "one love"-B.Marley, but to grow as a group we will need to build on each others ideas and strengths.

The Challenge
Remember when MTV spun off The Real World and Road Rules reality shows in to the Challenge shows? They brought the craziest of the casts together and made them compete against one another. The group dynamics made for good TV because half of them were crazy, but the point when they had to actually work together to accomplish a task, at times displayed how they pulled together multiple perspectives/personalities to make things happen. When myself or someone from my staff brings forward a thought, idea, or task that we need to get done, I rely upon their ideas and knowledge to figure out the best plan of attack. If we run into bumps in the road, a room full of smart folks is better to right the ship than just one.   

Big Difference
None of the above will happen if you do not possess confidence in yourself. Sitting and sharing with peers is often a very difficult thing to do. Insecurities can keep us from opening up and letting out those magic moments that gives the group that needed lift. Creating a safe environment where collaboration is supported by leadership can instill confidence and ease insecurities. The arrogance piece is pretty self explanatory, an arrogant perspective does not encourage collaboration. Yes, folks will sometimes call someone arrogant when they don't agree with what the other person is saying, but a truly arrogant attitude will cause divide over time and that will show. It is a fine line that should not be forgotten about. Some may say posting my own tweets here is arrogant ;-).

Puzzle Pieces

Another Hero

I am not sure what specifically prompted me to begin singing the Tina Turner song "We Don't Need Another Hero" recently. Usually that song only pops into my head when someone is trying to take a little more credit for something than they should, or when reminiscing about back in the day when my friends and I would jump garbage bags with a metal milk crate and piece of plywood on our bmx bikes. This time however, I believe I was watching a sporting event and thinking about how incredible the athletes really are. I am definitely not a fan of the over the top, look at me athletes, those types can curl up to the Tina Turner song and keep telling themselves how great they are. I admire the humble, hard working athletes who let their actions speak for themselves. Thinking about the leadership role that these athletes play in their specific discipline, lead me to draw comparison to leaders in the workplace.

Behind The Success
The humble hardworking athletes I mentioned earlier will always mention the individuals that help them maintain their regiment that allows them to perform the way they do. If you think that a top level athlete is doing it all by themselves, think again. These athletes have strength trainers, dietitians, specific discipline coaches, personal assistants, family and more that assist with putting together all the proper pieces so the athlete can achieve their goals. I find this very similar in many ways to the role that a leader plays on a daily basis. A leader is out front, answering questions, concerns, planning, influencing, basically performing like an athlete. The individuals behind the leader are all part of the puzzle and that leader will only perform well if all the pieces to the puzzle are fitting together. If an athlete or parts of their program are struggling, they must maintain communication with their support team to quickly address the issue. A leader does this much the same way in the workplace to reach the desired outcome.

On The Podium

I am not a huge Nascar fan, but I think most people have probably seen the winners circle after a Nascar race. There are so many team members you often can't find the driver amongst the group. This is a good example of how many individuals are behind that car making it to the winners circle and if just one of them has a bad day, it can keep the entire team from reaching their goal. One thing you can count on from that driver when interviewed, they will thank everyone behind their win that day. Leaders should not be different than that driver, take every opportunity you can to thank all the pieces to the puzzle that are allowing you to be successful, because you can not do it alone.

Get Out!

The Best

You have the best staff ever, great relationships, hard working, solid plan, and you see the great things they do on a daily basis. So is there a need to tell the world how great they are...I say yes. Sharing your staff with your district, community, and others helps build relationships. Communicating the accomplishments and hard work that is going on everyday in my department also helps generate conversation with stakeholders and allows an opportunity to hear their thoughts and ideas that provides another perspective. Here are a few ways that I like to share with others what is happening in the AJUSD Technology Department.

The Board
Sharing information with your school board should be top priority for any CIO/CTO/Director. Support from the school board is necessary for just about everything that happens in a school district and building a relationship with them is important. Often it is only the administration that has contact with board members, so sharing your staff and their accomplishments makes that connection. I understand every districts' procedures and communications with their board is different,
but suggesting a little time at a board meeting to your superintendent may be a start.

Social Media
A little over a year ago I wrote about the "Social Hurricane" and how this medium of communication can be overwhelming, but worth the effort to get into the game. With little surprise, social media has continued to grow, and as a leader you can not ignore the importance of an online presence. The great thing about sites such as Facebook and Twitter is the ability to not only share what your staff is doing, but showcase what the entire district staff is up to. Many districts however are still nervous about jumping into the social media scene, but this is where your influence as a CIO/CTO/Director can lead from the middle. Take the time to research what other districts are doing and present examples to your administrative team. Discuss how social media will allow their schools to quickly disseminate information and promote just how great their staff is by sharing classroom and school events!

#1 Resource
Good leaders know how important their people are to a successful organization, many leaders have stated in a variety of ways that people are a leaders number one resource. One principal that I work with in AJUSD, Larry LaPrise, has a gift for promoting his staff in a variety of ways. Mr. LaPrise is always speaking of his staff and their successes on his campus, he is very aware that employees often leave their jobs not because they aren't happy with their pay, but the lack of recognition. So get out there and talk up your staff today!

Hey Apple!

Good Stuff
I like Mac's as much as I like PC's, each have their strengths and I use both on a daily basis. When it comes to tablets however, my personal preference is still the iPad. I am not going to get all Apple fanatical about it, but there are many reasons I feel they are great devices. However one area of frustration I have had with the iPad is syncing multiple iPads in my school district. We have 18 Bretford Powersync carts that hold 30 iPads each and allow charging and syncing to all 30 iPads simultaneously. The carts are used at 4 elementary and one jr. high school and after a year of use, I needed to reflect and come up with a better plan for the new school year.

Go iPads
The carts are primarily used in the K-3 classrooms and shared between rooms, which opens up the way each school has decided to manage them. The positive of not bringing in the devices and trying to dictate how the devices can be checked out or rotated has allowed each school to be creative with their plans. Initial training with Tony Vincent was a great introduction for teachers to see how the devices can be used for creation and not just as a "station" in the classroom. Our Special Education department has also used the iPads and a variety of specific communication apps to open up opportunities for a number of students. I feel we are in the early stages of realizing what the devices can do and look forward to seeing how our teachers use them again this year in their classrooms.

Train Wreck

Moving from 10 iPads as a pilot to 13 carts in one year brought a number of challenges. The Bretford carts worked great, but at the time there wasn't a way to efficiently sync 30 iPads at once without mass confusion, and the only option through Apple was iTunes. I thought it would be a no brainer to sync all the carts using one MacBook and one Apple ID. Let's just say that if you can do this and your are successful, you are a genius and my hat is off to you. For me, it was a gigantic train wreck that I will spare you the details, but iTunes was created for the individual and not the classroom, so I understand.  The question when reflecting on the situation was how could a more efficient approach allow the teachers freedom to still download apps that they decide are right for their students/curriculum and not have it become a giant mess? It also has to be a solution that can be managed by the teachers and not rely on tech services.

Let's Try It
After many hours of talking with peers, co-workers, Apple, etc., we have decided to use Apple Configurator. Turns out I wasn't the only one banging my head against the wall trying to manage multiple iPads and Apple decided to try and create a solution that would possibly meet the needs of many in the same boat. We have bought MacBook Airs for each of our carts and I have managed to setup 5 new carts with Configurator, ready to roll them out and see how it goes. Each cart will now be shared by a grade level and the 4 teachers will have to colloborate on app management using Configurator after I provide basic training.

Share It
I will definitely make it a point to do a follow up once things are rolling and all 18 carts have been setup with their MacBook and Configurator. In the meantime, please feel free to share any helpful tricks and tips you may have found with multiple iPad syncing, the more collaboration the better!

Time To Reflect

Time Time Time

Time is one of those things that we never seem to have enough of and it flies by like a supersonic jet! Each school year seems to be getting shorter and shorter or maybe it is because I am getting older, I mean wiser. At any rate, reflection is a very important piece of our daily lives and critical to our success. This past school year there has been a number of experiences that I have reflected upon and would like to share a couple. Please feel free to provide feedback on your experiences also, it helps to read about how others are processing and dealing with similar situations.

www.ajusd.org/ccjh

There are many exciting initiatives going on in my district, but finishing the first complete school year in which our 7th and 8th graders were taking their devices to and from school has brought mixed emotions for me. Educationally, our teachers and students have done an amazing job with the transition and I am looking forward to reviewing this years test scores when they are made available. On the technical side of things, there were a few bumps and even though our local area network connections are robust, our Internet connection is a bit lacking. But those things can be worked on and the 1:1 technician, Mr. Frahm, has done a great job. Not only has he kept the student devices in running order, but the students all know just how important it is to have a great technician on campus to assist them when needed.

One of the difficult pieces for me personally has been the number of devices that have been dropped over the last year. When comparing numbers with other 1:1 programs our overall device loss is within reason, but damage due to dropping seems higher than I would prefer. Here is where I would appreciate some feedback, the devices are not being dropped at school, it is when they are outside the campus. We know this because when at school, the rule is the device stays in the provided carrying case when opened. Little plug for Higher Ground cases, they can pop open the case in seconds and the device never has to be removed, protecting it from a fall. So the question is how to continue working on educating the students to care for their device when away from school?

Collaboration Coaches

Earlier this month a new group of teachers met and began their journey together as the third new group of AJUSD collaboration coaches. Our district's Technology Integration Specialist, Tracy Watanabe, has done an amazing job with building our collaboration coaching program and in my opinion, coaches are key to a successful campus. Watanabe does a great job of explaining how collaboration coaches have worked together in our district to bring 21st century learning skills into our classrooms, click here. A bit of reflection on this topic makes on thing clear to me, I need to spend more time in the coaches classrooms and sitting in on collaboration meetings this fall. Experiencing the relationship building and the sharing of ideas among these professionals is truly inspiring.

                                                                      

Thanks to gbuffet

Take A Moment
Often we become so consumed with planning for the summer or that next big project, we forget to reflect on what we have already done, what worked well, what failed, how we can incorporate prior knowledge into future planning. I only shared two of many experiences that I needed to reflect upon before the busy summer months began, unfortunately time often flies by like that jet I mentioned earlier. Being focused is important, but so is reflection, take a moment, find a quiet place for some inward thinking and call it a day.

The Administrator Superhighway

I wrote this article for the ISTE Sig-Admin Winter Newsletter, and thought I would put it in my blog as well.

Have you ever driven on a freeway system that is so confusing due to the complex looping off-ramps, the over and under, and super high speed lanes that require exotic foreign sports car to navigate? Even with GPS I seem to add a few extra miles onto each destination when I venture out of AZ and into other states with more freeway twists and turns than I am accustomed to. As an administrator in today’s K-12 environment, there are many different off-ramps and high speed lanes to choose from when considering your leadership goals and how it will influence your organization.

Visionary Leadership ISTE NETS for Administrators (NETS•A): Educational Administrators inspire and lead development and implementation of a shared vision for comprehensive integration of technology to promote excellence and support transformation throughout the organization.

Sounds simple enough, right? Any successful organization probably has a leader that can inspire, create vision and put practices in place to reach a goal, but how many other “leaders” are influencing that person? In my position as Director of Technology, in the Apache Junction USD, I feel the Superintendent has created an environment that allows departments, school staff, and students to collaborate, share, and influence the direction of the organization. Let’s take a closer look at a few areas that support the road to visionary leadership.

Fear of Failing
There are a number reasons why people are afraid to change, try new things, and influence others around them. Two specific reasons that come to mind are:

• The fear of failure itself
• Staff members are not encouraged to fail

The end result of the fear of failure can lead to a stale environment and innovation will be put aside for sustaining old practices. Learning how to fail while maintaining the confidence to adjust and move forward is essential to creating a successful learning environment. I want to share an experience that Tracy Watanabe, Technology Integration Specialist for the Apache Junction USD, shared with me about failing.

“Early last summer, I was asked to do a presentation in a short webinar. I had never been involved in a webinar before, but figured it would not be very different from all of the professional developments I facilitated every week. Boy was I wrong. My computer froze 10 minutes before I was supposed to start, and my backup computer did the same. I was so nervous by the time my computer was rebooted, that I didn't remember what I said, how fast/slow I was talking, and couldn't read my audience, which is something I rely strongly on. I felt like I let everyone down. I was ready to write off webinars as something that was not for me. Luckily, I'm surrounded by others who believe that failing is just a milestone on the path of improvement Fail, Learn, Try Again. When I shared my webinar experience with my boss, and other peers, their feedback was encouraging and inspired me to try again. Recently I facilitated a webinar as part of the Edublogs Serendipity webinars. It wasn't perfect, but that didn't seem to bother anyone, including myself because it's part of the learning process. Next time is an opportunity for improvement. Isn't that what it's about? You see, to grow and improve is like a journey. Failures along the way are just milestones on that journey. Failures aren't the destination, and a journey without failures means you're not traveling far from the safe zone. It takes venturing out of the safe zone to grow and improve. “

Good Teaching vs. Shiny Object

Digital-Age Learning Culture ISTE NETS for Administrators (NETS•A): Educational Administrators create, promote, and sustain a dynamic, digital-age learning culture that provides a rigorous, relevant, and engaging education for all students.

Building and promoting a digital-age learning culture can be difficult with the rapid change of technology. Every week a new shiny device is released and it can become distracting from the educational goals of a district, unless the focus is on good teaching and not the device. The device type will continue to change, but good teaching must remain constant and use whatever tool best meets the needs of their students. Take the time to collaborate and create a foundational plan that will guide good teaching practices that support the learning goals. The “College Readiness for All” is our foundational guide in the Apache Junction USD.

Role of IT
As we continue down the administrator superhighway we have to ask ourselves what role every department and staff member plays in supporting the foundational plan that is guiding good teaching. As a Technology Director, I feel that the Role of IT can have a tremendous impact on a district’s educational plan. IT staff spend many hours in classrooms and cannot make it across a campus without being asked a question by staff and students. The days of IT staff just replacing a video card or upgrading operating systems are becoming a thing of the past. I recently asked my Superintendent what his thoughts were on the role of Technology Directors in the K-12 environment and this was his response.

“The Director of Technology can absolutely play a significant role in helping influence change within the district if he or she assumes the role of instructional leader. Many of today’s school systems are technology-rich, especially compared to just ten years ago. But technology in and of itself won’t improve student achievement. Putting computers, Smart Boards, Doc Cameras, etc., in classrooms without first developing teacher capacity to utilize these tools to create authentic, learning opportunities will do little to change our current school systems.

Great technology, paired with excellent teaching, is what will provide students a better opportunity to learn. This is where the Director of Technology can have a huge influence on change. By being an instructional leader, Directors of Technology can help districts keep a balance on first, good teaching, and then second, how technology can be utilized to provide students with quality learning opportunities. Directors of Technology should be instrumental in shaping professional development opportunities for classroom teachers, focus the conversation about how/what technology should be utilized to support quality teaching, how dollars should be utilized when purchasing technology, how technology fits into a school/district strategic plan, etc. By fulfilling this role, the Director of Technology will absolutely influence change in school districts for the benefit of all.”

Put Me in Coach
Excellence in Professional Practice ISTE NETS for Administrators (NETS•A):
Educational Administrators promote an environment of professional learning and innovation that empowers educators to enhance student learning through the infusion of contemporary technologies and digital resources.

Administrators must model the practices that they want to see happen in the classroom, but who can help support the teachers on a daily basis. One Technology Integration Specialist was not going to be able to support 6 schools by herself in my school district, so we turned to the Microsoft Peer Coaching model developed by the Peer-Ed team. The focus with our collaboration coaches is first on good teaching, aligned to our College Readiness for All plan, with technology embedded in the instruction. If administrators are going to “allocate time, resources, and access to ensure ongoing professional growth in technology fluency and integration” they will need support from departments, staff, and peers to make this happen, peer coaching is an off-ramp worth taking.

The Real Leaders
I hope that you have enjoyed the ride down the road to visionary leadership on the administrative superhighway! The off-ramps I have discussed are few among many that make up the complex K-12 environment in our technology rich world. As long as we keep the real leaders at the center of all decisions, the students, the K-12 landscape will continue to evolve and still be the goal that all others strive to achieve.

Amazing Technology Staff

Team
Truly great teams are far and few between, sure there have been a few dynasties over the years and every once in awhile you get a team that dominates for one season, but the next year are non-existent. Debating great sport teams always makes for great conversation, but you can simply fall back on their record in my opinion. But how do you pick the greatest tech team of all time....who knew it was a competition? Actually, it's not, I don't need to compare my department to others to know if we are doing a great job or not. Every environment is different and the needs will vary, but I do know that I have an amazing staff in place for a number of reasons.

More Than A Tech
So let me elaborate (brag) a bit on those reasons for a moment. Our district techs have the title of Itinerant Technician, kind of old school terminology, but they do travel from site to site so the title has remain unchanged. These three guys are far more than a geek squad that come in, replace a power supply and then run to the next job. They spend time working with teachers and even students as technology integration is taking place in the classroom. They are not integration specialist (we do have a great one of those also), but they have a level of understanding of our software/hardware that allows them to assist if necessary. They understand that we are here for the students first, and this has allowed the shift from being a repair person to someone who may need to make a repair, but show the student/instructor a few surface layer how to instructions to get them rolling. They definitely need a new job description and title, as do our System and Network Admin. Their job responsibilities extend far beyond hiding in dark offices and they never lose focus of why we are here.

Trust
This is a novel idea, but I believe that Warren Bennis says it best, "trust is the glue that holds organizations together". Trust is something that has allowed our department to grow as a team over the years. Bennis talks more about how trust is earned not given and that is a process that doesn't happen in one day, but over time. I trust each member of our department and know that they communicate with our teachers and staff to provide the best service possible. Their trust for one another allows them to collaborate on issues that one individual may not be able to solve on their own and they push the department as a team to innovate, and work outside of their comfort zone. We are not perfect and continually try to improve, but we shoot for perfection and have fun on the journey.

B's Place
We recently had a get together at Bethany's place to celebrate another great school year together. Bethany Purcell wears a number of hats in the district and one is tech secretary, and also e-rate assistant. She is a shining piece of our team and unfortunately will be taking off her tech hat next year. The good news is she will be close by still and always considered a member of the team! The other good news is Liz Maher will be picking that hat up and bringing her graphic design/webmaster skills to the team, and will be a great fit.

Thank You!
I wanted to take this opportunity to publicly thank every member of the tech department for a great year and look forward to a busy summer in preparation for the 2011-2012 school year. Being part of an amazing team and the ever changing world of technology makes coming to work everyday very easy.

Collaboration Coach Celebration

College Readiness for All
The role of the collaboration coach in AJUSD's "College Readiness for All" plan is of great importance.

If we are going to support the above tiles and allow technology to be a disruptive piece of our district's environment that transforms the way we provide instruction, then we need support. It was very clear to myself and AJUSD's Technology Integration Specialist, Tracy Watanabe, that she would not be able to be all places at all times. Having strong, collaborative, respected teachers at all of our sites would be critical in supporting the College Readiness plan and also assist Tracy with promoting technology integration and the movement toward a student centered classroom.

Year One A Success!
Celebrating the end of the first full school year with the Collaboration coaches is something that I wanted to share. Each of the coaches has done an amazing job with integrating technology into their own classrooms, but more importantly, sharing their knowledge with others at their sites. That is not always an easy thing to do when discussing student centered scenarios and adding disruption to a traditional setting. I applaud them for their efforts as well as Tracy Watanabe for working so closely with the coaches, principals for giving the coaches the time necessary for training and sharing, and all Technology Department members for the technical support. Enjoy a few of the coaches creations below.

Elementary Collaboration Coaches from Shauna Hamman on Vimeo.

To view more of the coaching chronicles click here.