Survey shows schools need more tech support

eSchool news (partnered with SchoolDude.com) just released a new survey showing that many schools are working with technology support staffing and budgeting well below standards and are failing to meet goals.

Nearly three out of four school leaders say they don’t have enough IT staff to support their needs effectively, according to the survey. Fifty-five percent of respondents said they can’t maintain their network adequately, 63 percent said they can’t plan for new technologies, and 76 percent said they have trouble implementing new technologies.

This is no surprise – Generation YES has been working with schools for a decade to create innovative models that teach students to help support infrastructure and teachers in their own schools. As we work with schools, I think I’ve heard about every tech support horror story out there.

Forrester Research, an independent market research firm, published a recent report titled “Staffing for Technology Support: The Need May Be Far Greater Than You Think,” which concluded that large corporations typically employ one support person for every 50 PCs, at a cost of $142 per computer, per year. According to this model, a school district with 1,000 PCs would need a staff of 20 and an annual tech-support budget of $1.4 million.

Yet, some larger school districts are approaching a ratio of one IT person for every 1,500 computers or more, says Laurie Keating, vice president of technology, learning, and planning for the Center for Educational Leadership and Technology.

I’ve shown this research to educators in conference sessions and workshops across the U.S. I know I can get a guaranteed laugh from the audience with the “one support person for every 60 PCs” number. I’ve had tech coordinators share their stories – increasing number of computers to support, constantly increasing complexity, and increasing expectations for instant, interconnected systems. And most of the time, a decreasing budget.

So what can you do when faced with this situation? There are only a few solutions:

1. You can reduce the chance of something going wrong by locking down the systems. Teachers look at this solution as a restriction on them or mistrust of their competence. In reality, it’s a lose-lose solution that a desperate tech support department must implement to keep their heads above water. It creates friction and resentment between teachers and IT staff who should be working together to improve education.

2. You redefine your expectations for adequate tech support. Some teachers wait for weeks to get simple problems solved. It’s easy to see why a teacher who constantly has to go to “Plan B” when the hardware doesn’t work just gives up on their technology-infused “Plan A.”

3. People work harder as you try to squeeze blood out of a stone. Educators are notorious for shoestring solutions and working beyond all reason because it’s “for the kids.” However, 80 hour workweeks without proper resources leads to early burnout. Even worse, other teachers see the hard work required to be a tech-using teacher and decide it’s not worth it.

4. Find new resources. While you might be able to find a few volunteer techie parents who will pop in every once in a while, there is actually a HUGE, largely untapped resource already at the school site. This digital generation is quite capable of learning to provide support to teachers integrating technology. Contrary to what many believe, it’s not impossible, not scary, and not a security threat. Students are 92% of the population in most school buildings. It is simply irrational to continue to ignore this resource in the face of this dire situation.

Plus, it’s a win-win situation. Schools get the help they need, and students learn valuable lessons as they troubleshoot and help teachers with the typical simple issues that block classroom use. We help schools see past security fears and use tried and true models that actually reduce student hacking and increase student ownership.

You can read more about the Generation TECH tools and curriculum on our website, or listen to this podcast from my workshop called Student Tech Support – the 21st Century A/V Club. (There are also links to the handouts and slides.)

The hard truth is, any hope for increasing technology use in schools rests on solving this problem. Teachers using technology in innovative ways result in MORE tech support, and tech support that understands education, not just the wires. And let’s face it, no matter what you do, or how much money you pour into tech support, it’s never enough. There is always something more you can do, more you can try, make the systems better, and support teachers better.

There is no other resource in schools that is as ready to help and as underutilized as students. As educators struggle to find solutions, it might help to look up at the faces that sit directly in front of you every day, young people ready, willing and able to help solve this problem.

All we have to do is teach them, guide them, and let them.

Sylvia

3 Replies to “Survey shows schools need more tech support”

  1. Your solution to this problem is good, and thankfully so … option #1 is the death of innovation in schools.

    I’ve held this same philosophy, and have been teaching this idea to my preservice teachers for almost 10 years now. I still have the first article on this topic, it was by Janet Coburn titled “Kids in Charge”. While certainly the situation has changed, the thoughts are similar.

    Here’s a link to a summary of some of the points from this old article:
    http://hb1.eschoolnews.com/funding/funding-news/?i=31758

    Thanks for this post. All the best.

  2. Hi Sylvia,

    I agree that kids are a great resource and potentially great change agents. They are wonderful support in the classroom not only to each other, but also for their teachers. I have worked in a school where kids were given lots of opportunities to learn with the teacher, present to visiting teachers and generally be regarded as valuable members of the school.

    I loved my last class of year 4 students (at a different school) who thought it was excellent that they were telling me how to do things on the computer instead of the other way around. What a novelty it was for them!

    Thanks for sharing this.
    Helen

  3. Hi Sylvia,
    I couldn’t agree more. This post outlines the best selling points on why to include students in the solution, but I’m not sure how many tech departments are willing. I am fortunate to be in a district where we constantly use and credit students for tech support, but that’s because we have a willing IT Dept. I know many IT Directors that would feel way too nervous or threatened with students in that role. Keep up the great work!

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