Before this week I have never heard of a brick in the way we are using it. I see a great deal of value in employing a brick because it’s a tool that is simple and easy to understand. When using a brick you have a systematic approach that could be used for almost anything from technology to curriculum we use in the classroom. As I was collecting data to complete my brick I found it to be a great tool to stay in sync with new and evolving trends no matter what you have dialed in on the brick. When I collected my information from IT personnel I asked them if they have ever used a brick. The IT person had no idea what it was, maybe because he was younger. I begin to fill out the brick in front of him we both realized how simple, but yet how critical this tool was. By following the brick approach it allows you to stay informed with emerging technologies that look promising for your organization. This process also allows you to use strategies on what to do over the next 2-5 years with existing technology and new technology. Bricks could also be used to categorize the life-cycle of things other than technologies. There is only six sections to the brick, but you will be able to forecast and analyze almost anything from planning and communication. Using the brick will categorize the life-cycle of many programs and applications we use in our school and district. This in turn will help use the most out of your product so you do not waste resources. Once you have exalted your product and received the maximum out of it you can retire it. So not only is the brick keeping you in sync with new technology it also can assist you in getting the most out of your recourse.
Before this week I have never heard of a brick in the way we are using it. I see a great deal of value in employing a brick because it’s a tool that is simple and easy to understand. When using a brick you have a systematic approach that could be used for almost anything from technology to curriculum we use in the classroom. As I was collecting data to complete my brick I found it to be a great tool to stay in sync with new and evolving trends no matter what you have dialed in on the brick. When I collected my information from IT personnel I asked them if they have ever used a brick. The IT person had no idea what it was, maybe because he was younger. I begin to fill out the brick in front of him we both realized how simple, but yet how critical this tool was. By following the brick approach it allows you to stay informed with emerging technologies that look promising for your organization. This process also allows you to use strategies on what to do over the next 2-5 years with existing technology and new technology. Bricks could also be used to categorize the life-cycle of things other than technologies. There is only six sections to the brick, but you will be able to forecast and analyze almost anything from planning and communication. Using the brick will categorize the life-cycle of many programs and applications we use in our school and district. This in turn will help use the most out of your product so you do not waste resources. Once you have exalted your product and received the maximum out of it you can retire it. So not only is the brick keeping you in sync with new technology it also can assist you in getting the most out of your recourse.
This week I tried to collect as much information as I could on my own without our IT director, and I realized that there is a lot of technical aspects that go into the SBAC testing. I was very surprised to learn how there are universal requirements for testing devices. Not just that but you also have to use approved secure browsers and corresponding devices. Screen sizes has to measure a minimum 9.5 inches diagonal and a resolution must be a minimum of 1024×768. There is a list of other things to that can be mention but the list would be too long. My biggest take away from all of the SBAC requirements would be the cost. I have worked for some large and small districts and I know the larger districts would have no trouble obeying the technical requirements because of their resources. I can see how a smaller district might find it hard to be able to adhere to all of the technical requirements SBAC wants. I know that a lot of smaller and older schools have out dated computers and slow brand band speed. To do an over haul could cost millions of dollars that might not be worth the expense. One of my other take always about SBAC was how much an administrator and IT technician need to be in constant communication. If they are not on the same page at all times it can lead to dilemmas along the way. As each week passes I can see the importance of having a grasp on our IT infrastructure. As administers and instructors we are familiar with the idea on making data base decisions. When it comes to making decisions about what programs and applications to keep I don’t think my district has a handle on it. Completing module 8 has opened my eyes to procedures that should be in place when making informed decisions. As a matter of fact I don’t think decisions should be made without some kind of procedure and chart like that one we just worked on. By having a systematic approach in all the inputs and outputs of the system is especially useful as we wanted to understand every element and variable about making decisions about our programs. Also how does a program or application rank in a district can be a great indicator of its necessity to the district. By completing the assignment 8 chart it was interesting to me how each program had its value in our school and which ones were not worth the time and money. When I assess my programs that I personally use at work the one that I used most was actually free and the one I found to be not useful at all was the higher expenditure. To me functional assessment is one of the most critical aspect in judging the importance, value and priority of a program and applications in a district. If you are not getting what you want in a program you are just wasting time and money.
The first thing that came to mind was the use of a Business Architecture, a BA would improve the proficiencies of a school district so they are not working against each other. BA incorporates the “what, who, how, when and why” of an organizations strategic business goals. They define goals and objectives to create streamline business results. These results from BA in a school setting are to afford the best educational outcomes to students. This happens because BA can help schools realign their business processes, systems and resources throughout the school. To me it seems like BA is defining the vision of the school and giving them a clear and precise strategy to give all stakeholders the best results possible. Another way I would suggest to unify systems that all stakeholders use it to get rid of the programs that just don’t do the job. How many programs and applications do many schools use that just don’t do the job or they are outdated. I remember when I first started teaching I use to do my attendance on a scantron sheet. Once I was done I would send a student to the office to submit it. From manually imputing attendance and grades we moved to a system called SIS. From SIS we would be able to take attendance and input grades. Our school used that for a few years but the program was getting outdated and it was not user friendly. Administrators made an informed decision and decided to move to a system called Aeries. Aeries gives teachers, administrators, parents, and students controlled access to student information via web browser interface. I can add and change grades, take attendance and much more. Implementing systems that can streamline tasks can clarify and unify all stakeholders. |
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April 2016
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