Edutopia - June/July 2008 - (Page 12)

SageAdvice {the question} WHAT KIND OF TECH SUPPORT DO YOU HAVE AT YOUR SCHOOL? We have more than 300 computers at our elementary school; 80 percent of them are Apples 3–10 years old. I have a day and a half built into my weekly schedule to service computers and printers and provide networking and software support for teachers. Each of the fortytwo classroom teachers has his or her own inkjet printer, and we are re⇒lling cartridges for ⇒fteen of those printers to both save money and alleviate the emptycartridge waste problem that plagues the environment. Jan Alter Math-prep and team technology leader Lowell School Philadelphia, Pennsylvania the school. Many of our computers came to us through matching donations from IBM, and one of our volunteers carefully researched those we purchased to get the best price. We have a sophisticated system that serves our staff and students well, thanks to the work of our devoted volunteer technical “staff.” We could never do it without them! Ellen Evans Principal The Meher Schools Lafayette, California Alas, my IT department is more concerned about “protecting” the network than about allowing teachers and students to use these tools to improve learning. I have little or no control over these tools and must request permission to use them. It is most frustrating, given that I know how to use them. Michael J. Lowry Science department The McCallie School Chattanooga, Tennessee We have one very knowledgeable teacher who has been trained to serve as the tech-support person for our building. She can work out almost any problem we are up against. When all else fails, she can call in the computertech guy from the school district who services and maintains our lab and classroom computers. Tracey Welch Kindergarten teacher Brooke County School District Follansbee, West Virginia We share our tech-support person among the ⇒ve schools in our school district when he is not driving the bus for ⇒eld trips. Tech support may take weeks due to the disbursement of tasks and locations for this one man. Most classes have one to ⇒ve computers. Our K–4 school does not have a computer lab nor any space or current resources for one. Elizabeth Jackson Fourth-grade teacher Daly City, California A team of volunteers provides all our tech support. We can call on them whenever we need help. We have access to an online collaborative workspace, courtesy of icohere, which provides us with training and support and works closely with us to develop more re⇒ned ways to use the workspace. In addition, we have a team of volunteers who work every Saturday morning to maintain and upgrade the software and hardware throughout In our school system, we have strategic planning, excellent plan implementation, and just-in-time and reactive types of tech support. We are always friendly and provide service with a smile, but we struggle with a ratio of 1 computer technician to 550 computer workstations. Last time I checked, the national average was about 1 to 72. Joseph B. Coccimiglio Coordinator of technology Poquoson City Public Schools Poquoson, Virginia I have thirty-eight computers in my library with a full tech staff that loads, reimages, and deals with all technology in our school district. Ann Ayres Library media specialist Baker Elementary Bentonville, Arkansas {what do you think?} How do your students help shape their education? Send responses, and suggestions for questions, to sage@edutopia.org. View more responses at edutopia.org/sage-advice. (Responses may be edited for length and clarity.) GETTY IMAGES 12 EDUTOPIA JUNE/JULY 2008 http://edutopia.org/sage-advice

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Edutopia - June/July 2008

Edutopia - June/July 2008 Contents UpFront Feedback Dispatches Sage Advice Ask Ellen Head of Class Cool Schools Design Young Minds, Fast Times Wii Love Learning No More Pencils, No More Books Tech Without Support All the Right Moves Room to Learn Heart & Soul Pop Quiz: Jeff Corwin

Edutopia - June/July 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.