Technology use in schools on an individual level has seen a sudden shift recently. More schools are implementing 1 on 1 in classrooms and have to deal with every more complicated technology plans and systems. Schools that do not have a clear goal or set of guiding principals have deployed fairly haphazard technology solutions, such as LA unified with their iPad deployment. Not only do teachers need sufficient time to get to know the technology that is being implemented in their district, they need trainings and support. Being creatures of habit, many teachers will underutilize new technology and stick to their old way of teaching instead of exploring how they can improve their pedagogy with technology. Enterprise Architecture (EA) looks at the big picture and aims to have all the components of a system work in harmony and efficiently.
One of the things that I would like to know, if there is even an answer to this question, is how can a district streamline technology adoption so that money is used effectively and waste is kept to a minimum. Currently many districts, including my own, are faced with difficult choices with new technologies to adopt. With the new common core standards and tests, schools need technology that can take those tests electronically. But, how can a school both acquire technology for testing and for improved pedagogy?
Thankfully, from what I have been learning about EA is that there are some ways to at least make a decision about what technology to use. Even if it may not be the correct one, one can make a decision based on what a school/district wants to accomplish with that new technology. As someone that prefers open frameworks rather than overly strict ones, The Open Group Architectural Framework (TOGAF) principles appealed to me. They allow for flexibility within an EA and allow more components to work together and simplifies the process.
One of the things that I would like to know, if there is even an answer to this question, is how can a district streamline technology adoption so that money is used effectively and waste is kept to a minimum. Currently many districts, including my own, are faced with difficult choices with new technologies to adopt. With the new common core standards and tests, schools need technology that can take those tests electronically. But, how can a school both acquire technology for testing and for improved pedagogy?
Thankfully, from what I have been learning about EA is that there are some ways to at least make a decision about what technology to use. Even if it may not be the correct one, one can make a decision based on what a school/district wants to accomplish with that new technology. As someone that prefers open frameworks rather than overly strict ones, The Open Group Architectural Framework (TOGAF) principles appealed to me. They allow for flexibility within an EA and allow more components to work together and simplifies the process.