Successful Alternatives to How Technologists Work with Schools

How do two people install and maintain 35 local area networks, while challenging students in a real-world work environment? They can start by teaming one instructional technology coordinator and one local area network (LAN) specialist. This is what happened in one Colorado school district, where their goal was to install and maintain local area networks in 35 schools within three years, and provide the training and support so the networks would be used effectively and efficiently to meet the learning objectives of each school. The first key to the project's success was making the LAN specialist a member of the instructional technology team, reporting to the instructional technology coordinator. This allowed for direct communication between the schools and the LAN designer and sustainer. Not only were there open and ongoing discussions between the coordinator and specialist, but the coordinator was able to facilitate meetings between the specialist and end-users (school staff). School meetings were held prior to, during, and after the installation of the local area network. Most meetings included the LAN specialist and the instructional technology coordinator, so that each school understood the total picture: technical, training, and support. Multiple meetings were held at every school with a variety of audiences, including staff members, principals, school technology committees, and individual teachers. Those meetings allowed the LAN specialist to understand the nuances of the end-users' needs, such as maintaining the "favorites list" of Internet sites. At the same time, the end-users began to understand why the upgraded computers on the LAN might no longer be able to support a favorite DOS program, for example. It also allowed for collaborative selection of appropriate replacement software for classroom use. Many small but significant issues were resolved through constant communication between the technical and instructional staff. To Outsource or Not? The second key to a successful project was developing a commitment to and high motivation for the project. Both the coordinator and the specialist had a strong commitment to provide technical resources for students. The specialist spent the first summer overseeing the outsourced installation of the high schools' network infrastructures. The hired firm installed the framework but left the application software installation and computer setup to the specialist. During the next six months, while the specialist completed the high school LANs, he simultaneously worked with the instructional technology coordinator to formulate the design of the final 29 school LANs. Much was learned from the outsourcing process, and the specialist proposed installing the middle school framework in-house during the second summer. With the savings gained by not outsourcing the second phase of the project, and with lower network equipment costs at the second stage, the district was able to install higher speed networks -- 100 Mbps to the desktop in most cases. Looking ahead to the support phase, we were careful to use fully managed hubs and switches, with full RMON (Remote Network Monitoring) support and SNMP management, so that the entire network could be managed from one location. During this time the district received notification of the award of a grant for almost $1 million for the installation of elementary school LANs. This money was used for the third phase following the middle school installations. Let Students do the Work Once the planning and the funding were identified, the third and most exciting key to a successful project completion was working with students. …