EDC638: ARP Cycle One & Two Document - Part 1

Goals

Goals ARP 0.80:
My original goal was to create a virtual and realtime support system for technology specialists/computer lab teachers. I wanted to create an electronic apparatus such as a web publication to provide this support with the matching face-to-face, more social aspect of help tech teachers do their jobs. An important preliminary focus of my practice was always on how I supported my own school site and to improve that support by interacting with other tech coordinators/computer lab teachers and comparing my practices with their practices and experiences. The “I” in this ARP was that I’d be working on my administrative/communication skills to develop this group, create the website and set-up the real-time component.

Goals ARP 1.0
Following the near zero-response to my request for ideas/to participate from my “participants” (See Data ARP 0.80, below) I felt that I need re-evaluate my original ARP concept. I began to write out several of the goals that I had begun this school year for my school site/computer lab program. These goals form the basis for my new focus: I must establish the model (work out the bugs) at my own site before I can realistically propose to support other computer lab teachers. See Insights for the working list of my current goals.

Activities

Activities ARP 0.80
Last Fall I began to generate a list of possible participants and contributors from my contacts within my current district and from resources I’d previously worked with. My initial contacts were with other computer lab teachers whom I consulted with in order to better understand how my district worked in terms of technology support.

When I first began to work with my district in August/September my first contacts were with district IS personnel who tended to convey a “this is our game” attitude toward how much I could do with my own school site’s equipment and servers. I made a couple of really good contacts who have really helped me over the month but the general IS disposition seemed to be a paternalistic “tell us what you need and we’ll take care of it” methodology that didn’t seem interested in taking advantage of any assistance that I could have provided. When I attended my first district tech meeting the attitude from IS towards site personnel seemed completely adversarial and negative. It was not until October that I discovered that there was even a district office interested in technology curriculum and wasn’t all about hardware/software and how to limit our students’ access to it.

October through December I spent my time trying to understand the environment (see first insight) and how things go done in my district.

January through March I’ve contacted my main group members to begin the group and set it’s course.

Activities ARP 1.0

My refocused activities are listed in my Insights list and one activity (email communication) is charted in my Data section below.

Data

Data ARP 0.80
Survey responses from my initial proposal to participate (see sample letter), eight notices sent out, two responses interested in “social” aspect, no responses interested in contributing to the website publication. (see surprises).

Data ARP 1.0
Refocusing my ARP on my school’s computer lab program (curriculum integration, teacher training and technology support – “The Holy Grail” of Educational Technology), I’ve charted my e-mail communication to and from my staff and district Information Services as one measure of my on-going adjustment and support of my computer lab/site technology program. The charts cover email communication from September 2001 to March 2002. Click here for a PDF copy of the Excel break-down of the numerical data. See below for an explanation of the Email Categories

Email Communication Sent to Staff – 156 messages (Sept 2001 to March 2002)
Email Communication Received from Staff – 138 Message (Sept 2001 to March 2002)
Email Communication Sent to Information Services – 24 Messages (Sept 2001 to March 2002)
Email Communication Received from Information Services – 52 Messages (Sept 2001 to March 2002)
Email Communication Basic Statistics – 370 Messages (Sept 2001 to March 2002)

Chart Email Categories

Office	Correspondence to office personnel or the principal
Curriculum	Computer lab curriculum questions, suggestions, or requests
Twain Website	Comments, suggestions regarding the website
Site Trouble (to staff)	Information about server outages, other troubles
Lab Schedule/Schedule	Information about lab time cancellations/changes/open schedule slots
Teacher Training	Information/issues with computer programs
Login/User Info	Information about Novell login procedures
Supplies	Requests/information about printer cartridges, batteries
Lab troubles	Information/requests from assistance to/from District Help Desk on computer lab equipment (computers and peripherals)
User Logins	Information/requests for assistance with Novell user accounts
Site/Classroom, Novell, W98, Network	Information/requests for assistance with classroom computer troubles related to Novell, Windows 98, network failures.