I have multiple tasks to both complete and launch this week. First off, I am getting some much needed administrative support in the form of a retiring administrative assistant for approximately a month's time. I have been wanting to simply document everything that has gone on over the past two years so that I can debrief the history and create both a story and a time line for the projects that have taken place in the past twenty-six months. In the process of putting this together I will also be able to create a systems chart that will create an end product from which future decisions on either infrastructure as it relates to technology and or infrastructure as it relates to operations and facilities. Over these past twenty-six months we have developed a substantial Technical Services influx and in the process have significantly changed the hows and means of instructional delivery throughout the district. It is important that I bring the plan to light slowly and only as is needed. I have written in the past about the significant nature of change and the responsibility of bringing forth change in a positive light. Navigating through the ego's, the preconceptions, and the flat out resistance to any idea that does not come directly from either a committee or "outside" educational facility has proven somewhat more difficult and time consuming that I had originally thought. I am making progress, at Galloway we are now at approximatly 100 "technology enriched" classrooms throughout the district. I have 100 more to go over the next two years and I am hoping that we can fund it through our next round of Erate filings. I will probably have to fight through some resistance to accomplish this. More quoting the "rules" that may or may not exist BOE comments that may or may not exist, who knows? I will keep up the pressure until we have at least every classroom 4th through 8th outfitted with the tools necessary to truly enhance instruction. I was estactic at the BOE support for the Middle School project this summer and as the year unfolds and statistics all around start to rise that will be the direct result of a board that truly does what the best for the students. Back to the documentation project. I will debrief on everything, between myself and Gary K I guess we are the only two that know where all the bodies are buried. Here is our chance to get it in the proper format for whomever may come next. From copiers to fax machines to CAT 5 connections we are going to create the complete information manual for our side of the district. Not only is this necessary but it is essential. I have been moving at to fast a pace but I had a schedule to keep. I have not shared that scheduled with anyone but it was aggressive to say the least. I needed to fit six years of work into three now it looks as though I will have to fit eight years into five. This is not so much a problem more than a committement on my part. I need a time to let my guys recover and catch up with the plan so far they have responded but at the end of a very busy summer they are much to tired to start out the year of support. I have forced them to raise their skill sets far too quickly and it has taken its toal on each of them. While I know that they are better for it I do need to allow a time frame for maintenance of existing systems as well as the completion of this years projects and I am prepared to do that. It will get a bit worse over the next two months as we finish the electrical upgrades in the four large elementary schools and we have a health problem with one of our own that will slow us down even more for some time as well. During this administrative time I will also be going room to room to establish a "reconnect" game plan that will take shape over the next week or so. In all it will probably cost me an addition twenty hours a week to complete both this project and continue to work on the day to day aspects of the system's maintenance requirements. Remember the plan is to create the absolute answer to how a K-12 district compliment can perform. Nothing short of that will suffice.
Work at Charter has progressed significantly this week with the completion of the entire academic wing's workstations. All 300 workstations are up and operational as of Saturday. Minor adjustments in the icons located in the redirect system will need to take place but aside from that we are off to a good start. Next week I will be concentrating on the performing arts section and its compliment of systems. I am starting in Animation and TV on Monday night and I will begin with the new TV production room which will be outfitted with a new production system which will give the TV folks a new start toward the transformation from linear to digital editing. We have changed administrations at Chartertech this year as well as new personnel in TV. We are emphasising the switch from the new to the "newest" technology for digital editing and broadcasting. Now is the time to accomplish this as we bring a whole new class on line. I am looking at the switch from Avid to a new more microcomputer based system for use throughout TV. One system that has my interest is the Vegas 5 system from Sony. Their product line also has been ramped up for sound process as well as still and animation. I have ordered a set of the entire suite so that we can take a good look at the products and see what is a curriculum fit and what is not. There is also some new work and classes being proposed by the Atlantic Arts Academy as well. I had hoped to help them start some digital photography classes this fall but we may have to wait until the spring. I have discussed the introduction of several classes relating to the general use of computers for the layman. I felt that if we started a ground zero and worked our way up through virus protection, personal firewalls, service packs, in essence, the works. It will take some time to structure a class around this premise but it would be a worthwhile effort and it will promote the Academy on its own right. Enough, I need to get some more thoughts down for the start of the week. Till next post.
9:14:48 PM 
|
|
