End-User+Support

Rationale: Provisions for quick, easy and transparent technical support require that technicians, as well as technology collaborators be available to assist end-users whenever problems present themselves. Technology is driving profound changes in society and is creating new opportunities for the way we teach and the way students learn. In order to take advantage of these changes, staff must have access to technological assistance during normal business hours. Mandated minimum competencies for all employees in terms of their technological literacy will allow more resources to be available for new initiatives rather than basic job preparation.

Recommendations – Action Items –
 * The FWCDS technology office will facilitate the repair and replacement of computer systems (to include both hardware and software problems) during regular business hours.
 * Faculty and staff will have access to technology leaders during regular business hours.
 * FWCDS will adopt a program of professional development that will ensure that all faculty and staff can meet or exceed benchmark standards of technological skills appropriate to their function.
 * FWCDS will adopt hiring practices to ensure that all new and future employees have benchmark standards of technological skills appropriate to their function.
 * 1) Job descriptions, that detail individual responsibilities for all members of the technology group, will be adopted.
 * 2) The Help Desk will be operated by technician(s) during business hours.
 * 3) A program of technological professional development specific to individuals, departments and institutional needs will be implemented.
 * 4) Internet and Intranet resources for technological assistance will be adopted or created.
 * 5) Benchmark standards for technological skills specific to all positions, will be written. These standards should be used (in conjunction with other hiring practices) to assist in the evaluation of potential FWCDS employees.

COMMENTS ON ACTION ITEMS:

1. Complete: all job description are on file in HR. 2. Complete: Help Desk is now FT 8-4:30 with additional help available off hours. 3. Partial: numerous ideas have been tried. Workshops, individual help, and the FIT Program all play a role. 4. Incomplete: Atomic Learning was implemented but dropped for lack of use. 5. Incomplete: no action has been taken on this item. HR/BO does not agree with the Action Item.

Jim Aldridge:
 * I don't think students know how to obtain technical support.
 * Tech staff responds very quickly to teacher requests for assistance.
 * Tech professional development seems pretty well funded.
 * Do we have online help for any of our systems aside from an odd help system for Whipple Hill?
 * Benchmarks need to be incorporated into our (nonexistent) teacher evaluation program.

Teresa Crafton:
 * #4 - I think that faculty, staff, and students need a place to go on the portal to find technical documentation and assistance that isn't tied to a particular person. Those of us who produce these documents could post them there, and everyone would have easy access to them.
 * #5 - I believe that the benchmarks issue needs to be revisited, since it drives so much else.

Nate Kogan:
 * #4 - Perhaps someone could make a series of screencasts to address common challenges that faculty/parents/students have technologically? Certainly, the recurring theme of adequate time to do this becomes an issue yet again. Would screencasts be more user-friendly/accessible that typed documentation?

Teresa Crafton:
 * #4 - I agree with Nate. Offering various types of help would provide the best service. Even a single person might consult written documentation in one case and something that is more visual in another, depending upon what he or she needs in that particular instance. When I worked in training and documentation, we tried to supply as many types of help documentation as we could on the technologies that were used at the university (e.g., quickstart guides, CBT's that we made with Camtasia, manuals, etc.).

Mandy Lofquist:
 * Online resources in a variety of formats would be very helpful. We need to make sure they are organized appropriately, because what is meaningful and relevant to an upper school teacher may not be to a lower school teacher. Is Camtasia the software programs that basically records video of your movements on the computer and allows you to narrate your actions? If so, that would be a great way to address many common questions!

Teresa Crafton:
 * Yes, Camtasia is the software program that records video of your movements and allow you to narrate your actions. But now there is also Jing, which is downloadable and free and, above all, easy to use.

Stephen Dickey:
 * The tech staff needs to make an effort to get to know/work with the students. I cannot tell you the number of times I've had students come into my room for tech support and look at me quizzically when I say go talk to (Steve, Andy, Chris, etc...). I find this amazing, since my room is right next to the tech staff's room. Students literally have no idea the tech staff is in there. After I do point out where to go, they are afraid to go in and ask questions.
 * The tech staff works extremely well with faculty. Whenever I have requested something, the work is completed competently and quickly.
 * Incoming faculty should have basic technological skills upon being hired.
 * Although I do not use a Mac (and why anyone else would I certainly do not know), we need to have someone on the tech staff that can handle Mac related problems.

Chris Hulce 


 * Development of an online "help desk" (knowledge base), with searchable documentation, videos, etc. needs to be well organized and easily accessible and web based. (It shouldn't be a directory someplace on the network.) The reality is that teachers will give this one maybe two opportunities to solve their problem and if unsuccessful then they will give up. Example: Prometheans "knowledge base" is cumbersome and difficult to obtain information easily. As a person who is use to this I still resort to e-mails and phone calls 90% of the time. Perhaps a manned knowledgebase, questions would still come to help desk and then teachers could be sent the link to appropriate information to solve their problem as opposed to searching in frustration. On one level I question the validity of spending the time to maintain a knowledge base in such a small organization. Time developing videos and documents (that are ever changing) might be better spent with one on one help and human contact.
 * It appears from your input that student support is something that needs to be addressed, perhaps more at the US level. I assume LS student’s needs aren’t that prevalent and when they may need it can go to the LS computer instructor. Where do students turn in the MS (perhaps a MS teacher can enlighten us). In the US, student support should come from the technology office? It seems we need to develop more of an open door policy toward students and make them comfortable to see us. I hope that maybe starting with this freshman class and going through the next three, there will be a level of comfort not previously witnessed as I have taught many of those students for several years in the lower school. Maybe that will carry over to following classes. Having said that we need to look to be more supportive of student needs and make them welcome to come see us. (Just an aside: Stephen perhaps a reference to Mr. Uhr, Mr. Beasley, Mr. Hulce or Mr. Gipson would be more appropriate then first names. If you already do that then I apologize. I have noticed that even in front of students many teachers refer to us by our first names …)
 * A set of technological benchmarks for incoming teachers is a must in this day and age; we do our students no favors by continually teaching with “traditional” methods. Although effective (in some cases) many of those methods are quickly becoming outdated. Some faculty and staff are finding it difficult to catch up on the technological curve (I do understand that it is very difficult and frustrating), we do not need to be stymied in our technology efforts by hiring teachers that cannot meet a minimum of technological standards. There should be more than enough qualified applicants that can excel in technology.
 * 

There is no lack of effort in the quest for professional development; teachers are willing and eager to become better users of technology. The biggest factor (I think Jim mentioned a fairly large gorilla) is the lack of time teachers are given to pursue professional development in technology. It’s often an afterthought to other forms of professional development, pushed to the side or put out of mind completely. Administration needs to be more supportive of technology training and give teachers time to pursue that training. It cannot be done after school, no one wants more work after hours and after a full day’s work, nobodies is in the state of mind to learn (it’s the most inappropriate time to try and learn something new). Teacher must also be allowed time to practice what they learn, familiarity in this case breeds comfort and more productive use.

Lisa Wallace:
 * It would be nice if the schedule to repair and replace computers/labs and hardware/software was made public so teachers/staff were aware of when their equipment was due for update/repair.
 * Job descriptions for all tech staff seem thorough and appropriate; however, it does not appear all staff are trained on all jobs. (Is everyone in the tech office trained on Whipple Hill? They should be.)
 * We now have two mac labs on campus, and no one on tech staff with specific mac training. It would be great, due to the two labs and the proliferation of mac laptops in use by students and faculty, if those mac users had support through the school when they need assistance.
 * As far as benchmark standards, we all need to be on board with technological advancements, including new hires.

Chris Gipson:

I believe a lot of the students know they can come to me for help. At least once or twice a day I have student ask me for help. I can't walk down the halls of the MS without a student addressing me by name/surname. However, due to the large scale of our school I'm sure there is always someone in need of assistance. The easiest way to immediately contact me is with email. Instead of sending them to my office, just have them email me, it goes directly to my blackberry. I have no reservations about helping students and it would be perfectly ok for them to email me their requests just as our faculty/staff does. _ Jeff Rozanski:
 * New and improved Help-desk is a huge plus.
 * I feel somethings does need to said about Item 5- it's not keeping up with technology if you have to retrain new hires or existing faculty how to use outdated systems first to slowly work them into the current applications (I speak to LS use of gradequick and lack of use of current promethean software). We make new students adapt to our school, so why should faculty be able slide or not meet standards we set for our own students?

Laura Terry
 * Our Help Desk responds quickly and solves problems efficiently.
 * I really miss having a MS teacher available to help me with a tech problem or available to teach me a new skill at an impromptu meeting. When I started teaching in our MS 9 years ago, Chuck Maddux was a few steps away and always able to help and teach me. Since then we've lost our "local" computer point man who knows us and understands what we need and listens to our frustrations.
 * I did not know I could send students to the get help from our tech staff. We should publicize this.