Live Blogging, Day 2

Today is day two of attempting this whole live blogging concept. Today I will be taking notes as our guest speaker talks about other aspect of being a Technology Coordinator. Here we go:

• A large part of the being a TC is an integrated role of many hats.
• Management vs. Leadership 
• leadership creates and guides how technology is used
• leadership has a long term goal in mind (3-5 years). 
• Leadership vision is linked to student skills and school goals. 
• Technology is there to help and facilitate, it is not everything (not the important part). 
• Technology's main role is to SUPPORT. 
• Create a strategic plan: a long term vision of a technology plan
• not a planned bound by specifics in technology 
• more broad and general 
• After a strategic plan (transition to management) 
• equipment and software
• peripherals 
• financial resources 
• TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) 
• over the entire lifespan of a project
• Staffing is important with technology 
• older teachers have harder times working with technology 
• TRAIN
• Professional Development 
• Budgeting 
• most difficult thing  you can do ("Nailing Jello to a wall!")
• Constant change in technology affects funding amount
• July 1 to June 30
• options for Title Funds (Public Schools), grants, gifts, donations
• Set aside funds for technology research (yearly) 
• set asides funds for infrastructure
• servers, routers, etc. 
• stuff people do not see, but supports technology uses
• Major discounts on Software purchases 
• Equipment 
• Recommendation of buying new
• Warranties (on site) 
• Purchase through a vendor or a manufacturer
• Terms Account: pay within a period of time and submit a purchase order; billed to school
• have spares or backups to limit downtime in case of failure 
• Policies
• Governs expectations 
• a legal documentation to serve as a boundary

From today's presentation I thought that it was very informative. The speaker did a really good job at summarizing what the text from the prior night's reading discussed. The number one thing that I really took from today's speaker was the concept of purchasing spare equipment of technology that is purchased. This make sense, but I never really thought of it. It might cost more upfront, but in the long term it would save headache if something was to happen to a laptop a teacher has a backup to use.