Designing a Sustainable System to Support Technology, Instruction and Flexible Learning Districtwide

Purpose & objective

The purpose of this presentation is to exhibit a healthy model for building a district culture of support for technology and digital resources. This presentation will showcase how our district strategically designed a support structure that is sustainable long term, a structure that exceeded expectations when our district pivoted to 100% digital online learning on March 13, 2020.

Models include a technology resources guide, utilizing student internship programs, creative scheduling and understanding of needs, choosing systems that enhance the support structure, and vendor relations.

As districts have migrated to an online, hybrid, or flexible learning style the support needed for teachers, learners, and parents has raised concerns in many communities. With this new approach to learning, districts should adapt their support models to meet the needs of all stakeholders. This session will exemplify how districts can provide quality support, both technical and instructional, in all 3 environments.

Attendees will leave with a multitude of resources to deploy in their district to begin building an ecosystem that protects district assets and data while providing the support students, teachers, and parents need and deserve. The strategic alignment of resources, better understanding of support structures, and the ideas to put policies and procedures into place will help attendees be better prepared to support the needs of a digital environment.

District leaders will leave with resources for more in depth vendor evaluations, tools to evaluate total cost of ownership and analyze their effectiveness for hardware and software purchases in their district.

Outline

Background of our situation prior to starting the design and implementation of our current support structure: 5 Minutes

Building vision with leadership: 10 Minutes
- Why, Who, When, Where
- Total cost of ownership
- Implementation vs. On-going support
- Equity
- Strategic initiatives aligned to vision
- Building your team
- Student Interns
- Staff Expectations for support
- Training of technical and instructional pieces
- Customer support training

Evaluating and documenting resources and processes: 10 minutes
- Technology Resources Guide
- Policies and procedures
- Purchasing guidelines

Setting expectations with school level leaders: 5 minutes
- What are curriculum and/or technology expectations
- How are district wide implementation supported at the school level
- Expectations of flexible learning environments

Vendor evaluations and partnerships: 4 minutes
- Vendor Evaluation Form
- Setting expectations up front
- Support from partners

Technology support in these environments: 8 minutes
- SSO
- Ticket Systems, help lines (Staff, Students, and Parents), self service portals and
documentation
- Custom applications
- Connectivity (onsite and offsite)

Instructional support in flexible learning environments: 8 minutes
- Common instructional programs
- Standards based timelines
- Teacher training

Technology & Instruction Partnership in a Flexible Learning Environment : 10 minutes
- Partnerships | Tech The Halls event every year
- Communication and collaboration
- Cross training
- Parent perspective | Common platforms, consistent experiences, consistent message
- SUPPORT

The presentation will consist of peer to peer discussions, electronic polling, and give aways to engage the audience. Team building tactics will be evident throughout the presentation through the use of engaging members of the audience in realistic mock conversations about topics of change management and decision making that accompany the creation of a sustainable support structure.

Supporting research

http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/sept93/vol51/num01/The-Stages-of-Systemic-Change.aspx