Databus Issue: 2009 4 10/09/2009
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Tim Landeck Director of Technology ServicesEssential Infrastructure to Support 21st Century Literacy
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“If we succeed in actually getting all the teachers to truly implement all the educational technology tools that we are encouraging them to use, then you know we will be in a load of trouble!” stated Dan Weiser, a Technology Coordinator responsible for staff development in his school district. Dan’s intentions are good as he makes efforts to support the integration of technology in the classroom, but he also sees the limitations of the district infrastructure and the potential for a catastrophic network collapse if in fact all teachers were to implement all the resource-intensive applications and activities that teachers are being trained to use.
Supporting 21st Century literacy includes making sure that all the essential conditions are covered before the implementation of 21st Century tools. It is commonly understood that if the technology is not reliable then people will not use it. So if, for example, you are about to roll out a new podcasting server and you have not accounted for the necessary additional bandwidth, the first impression that your users will have is that the new system is flawed—which will hinder the present and future use of this and other excellent 21st Century tools.
So how does the technology leader prepare for the increased use of resource-intensive applications as the curriculum focuses on more Web 2.0 applications? There is not a simple answer to this question and frequently the solution will involve additional resources, including funding and personnel. However, approaching the challenge with the following four guiding principles will help.
1. The technology infrastructure of a school district is there for one basic purpose: to support student learning. The district Network Administrator is responsible for the secure and reliable operation of the district’s servers and network, and therefore must be careful about the applications and user rights that are permitted on the network. However, this can easily create the “No Admin” where nothing is implemented and no resources are provided to educators because the Network Administrator can only say “no” to the ever-expanding requests for less secure and more resource-intensive applications. The most secure server is one that is locked behind a door and turned off, but of course this would eliminate user access and the purpose of the server in the first place. With every step in the direction of increasing end-user access, the resource becomes less secure. A careful balance between usability and security is required to successfully manage a 21st Century network.
2. Plan for growth and then build even bigger! It is impossible to know exactly what technology tools will be used five years from now, so when planning for this unclear future, it is important to anticipate the inevitable increased need for bandwidth, RAM, processor speed, and hard disk space. Build your infrastructure as robustly as is practical for your budget while simultaneously preparing for being under-resourced as new and innovative tools are needed.
3. Don’t purchase the bleeding edge of technology, but don’t implement the bare minimum either. The latest and greatest technologies come with a steep price tag, so it is more practical to focus on tools that have a proven record and may be more cost effective. It is also important to not purchase the least expensive, end-of-life solutions because this will ultimately increase your total cost of ownership.
4. Work with curriculum and staff development personnel to ensure that new tools will be able to be supported by the infrastructure before it is rolled out. Communication is critical to the functioning of any organization, yet often we see the technology department not consulted prior to the district’s implementation of a new technology-intensive tool. Keeping the paths of communication open and active will help to prevent inappropriate purchases and disappointed teachers.
There are many intricacies to preparing the infrastructure for the 21st Century learner, but using the above guiding principles will help the whole organization support this critical initiative.
