Technical Support for Your School
Susan Brooks-Young
Educational Consultant
Yours may be one of the schools acquiring increasingly sophisticated technologies thanks to a variety of grants and other special funding programs and partnerships. Due to this infusion of money teachers, administrators, students, and parents rely on information technology as never before. As this dependence grows, so does the realization that we need to know that the technologies we use will function reliably and be used effectively.
The mechanics of technical support became an issue for educators the minute the first desktop computer was installed at a school site, and the responsibility for making sure that equipment worked often fell on the shoulders of those teachers who had most enthusiastically embraced technology use. However, now that schools are installing local area networks, high-speed Internet connections, numerous peripherals, and expansive software packages, the impact of malfunctioning or underused equipment and software is greater. In addition, new developments in technology necessitate regular upgrades of hardware and software. Upgrades often require technical expertise for installation and then create a need for training for users. Teachers cannot be expected to provide this kind of service and still carry out their classroom responsibilities.
Another aspect of providing an on-going technical support system is the fact that a number of studies conducted between 1991 and 1997 indicate that effective classroom technology use is dependent upon the availability of technical support to teachers. In this month's column we take a look at the growing scope of technical support and what your school needs to do to plan for and provide technical support to teachers.
What kinds of technology support do we need?
According to Technology Support: Its Depth, Breadth and Impact in America's Schools, a report published in June 2000, by the Center for Research on Information Technology and Organizations (University of California at Irvine and University of Minnesota; http://www.crito.uci/tlc/findings/technology-support/) the term technical support is used so inconsistently that it is sometimes difficult to determine what kinds of support are lacking in schools. The report recommends close examination of two areas when discussing technical support needs.
First is the area that addresses hardware and software issues such as operation, troubleshooting, maintenance and upgrades. The second area includes instructional issues such as teaching strategies and methods. In other words, teachers need to have access to equipment that is well-maintained and upgraded or ready access to a technician when problems arise, as well as access to coordinators or trainers who will provide support in the use of technology as an instructional tool. The need for specialists in both areas is underscored in "Staffing Up for Technology Support," published in the March 2000, issue of Technology & Learning magazine (http://www.techlearning.com). "Essential job functions identified as critical in '97 are being joined by such new categories as administrative leadership, network management, system and server management, teacher training, and Web page development and management."
This approach to support for instruction is very different from what most educators are accustomed to. When purchasing new textbooks, teachers expect to receive in-service on how to use the texts, but do not typically need ongoing training or maintenance in order to continue to use the materials until the next set of books is purchased several years down the road. Technology use requires a different kind of support. Staff for maintaining and upgrading equipment must be provided and regular training offered to computer users. These and other needs fall under the umbrella of what is called Total Cost of Ownership, or TCO.
Total Cost of Ownership
The International Society for Technology Education (ISTE; http://www.iste.org) points out that businesses estimate that the cost of hardware, software, and connectivity is less than half of the total actual cost of a computer. The Washington-based Consortium for School Networking (CoSN; http://www.cosn.org) suggests that the total cost for a computer in a school setting is even more than it is in a business setting. The additional costs that must be factored in include professional development, technical and administrative support. Few schools are allocating this kind of budget for their instructional technology programs. This means that teachers and students are often making do with unreliable and outdated equipment and software or are assuming the burden of technical and administrative support themselves, which in turn results in less effective technology use in classrooms. Necessary training is also curtailed because most teachers do not have the time to offer workshops in addition to the work they do with students.
What are schools doing to offer technical support?
Schools are attempting to provide support to teachers, but most cannot spend the kind of money necessary to do the job adequately. While many schools now have someone designated to be their technology coordinator, often this is a part-time position held by a person who has other full-time duties as well. For example, the technology coordinator might also be a classroom teacher, media specialist, or assistant principal. The technology support report mentioned above consistently found that part-time coordinators spend most of their time troubleshooting and installing software and almost no time helping teachers plan for technology use.
Full-time coordinators do not fare much better. Most of their time is spent supervising someone else's class when they are using a computer lab, or troubleshooting and installing software. Some schools, particularly those at the secondary level have developed programs that rely on students to act as technicians to free up coordinators to deal with instructional issues. These programs have varying degrees of success depending upon the training available to the students and the time they can actually devote to technical assistance.
Some schools contract with local vendors for equipment maintenance and repair. This is usually less expensive than hiring an on-site technician; however, teachers may not have immediate access to a technician when problems arise.
Often professional development is not thought of as a technical support issue. However, as equipment and software are introduced and updated, teachers and other staff members must be trained in their use. Teachers also need training in using new technologies as instructional tools. Unfortunately, as previously mentioned, many school-level technology coordinators report that they have very little time to offer workshops or one-to-one mentoring because of their other duties. The result is that, on the average, schools offer fewer than three workshops per year that focus on classroom technology use.
Some schools are now contracting with companies that offer staff development packages, some even customized to fit your school's needs. These companies may encourage teachers to call with implementation questions, making assistance more readily available.
What does this mean for your school?
Very few grants or other special funds provide for on-going costs such as salaries, fees, or utilities. In updating your technology plan, technical support requires as much consideration as any other area. Revise the technology plan to set aside TCO funds. While this decreases the amount of hardware you can acquire at a given time, it will help insure that the hardware that is in place is being maintained and used appropriately.
When looking at staffing issues remember that businesses generally plan for one technician per 50 computer stations. Nationally, schools currently average one technician per 500 computer stations. An adequate number of technicians can free up the coordinator to concentrate on instructional needs and may also allow the school to hire a part-time rather than full-time coordinator.
Keep in mind that there will be a continual need for software and hardware upgrades, maintenance, and on-going costs such as Internet Service Provider fees and utilities. Funds that are budgeted for TCO need to pay these costs as well.
While planning for Total Cost of Ownership may seem to be a daunting task, it is also an opportunity for you to get your creative juices flowing and to think creatively. What strategies can you use to provide the technical support needed for your program? Perhaps you can explore partnerships with other schools or through the diocesan office to reduce your costs in this area. When negotiating for technology-related donations, think beyond equipment or software and promote the need for technical support funds as well. Find out if local high schools sponsor vocational training programs for students in network administration. Often the students need to complete fieldwork and may be looking for a site to do this.
Whatever solutions are best for your school keep in mind that these costs will not fade away later. A commitment to a comprehensive instructional technology program is also a commitment to ongoing funding to support your initial investment.
This column originally appeared In the March 2001 issue of Today's Catholic Teacher, and is reprinted with permission.
Susan Brooks-Young, a teacher and administrator for 23 years, is an educational consultant, freelance writer, and adjunct faculty member at the University of Phoenix. She invites your comments and flames at sjbrooks@aol.com.
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