EDTECH: How might the pandemic — and the need for remote and hybrid learning models — transform IT roles moving forward?
BEARD: It’s going to create that greater need for IT to not just be a service to faculty, staff and administration but to also help bridge the communication gap with parents and students. Traditionally, if parents had a question about technology, they would go to the school and the school would ask IT. Now we’re starting to see more of a shift where we’re starting to set up communication for parents to contact our help desk if they need help with Google Chromebooks or hotspots. As a result, there are different veins of communication that weren’t there before.
PHYALL: Digital and at-home learning involve being able to provide support for people — teachers, students, parents — outside of a normal workday but also with the understanding that you’re not available 24/7. You’re trying to find a happy medium. Maybe you can do email support, for example.
VEGAS: It will force the non-IT staff — such as the superintendent, the core and academic leaders — to work more closely with IT, because one thing we’ve learned is it’s not just about the connectivity or the content, it’s about how instruction is delivered and how students engage with it. Having the ability to monitor the use and engagement of those learning models — and that’s what IT departments usually do — is going to force a much closer collaboration as systems are embracing technology.
Krueger: To be honest, half of the people who have “technology” in their title have an education background. The other half are stronger on, maybe, the IT technical aspects. Both are needed, and you also need to understand the strategic vision. It isn’t just about the traditional work of managing IT, it isn’t just about understanding the educational applications — but that is essential. It’s also about that leadership and vision around what you’re trying to accomplish. What I’m hearing consistently is there are things you can’t do when everything is virtual — things that used to take a long time to implement, or trying to implement one new thing at a time. There’s much more openness and willingness to move faster.