“The secret to change is to focus your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.” Socrates
“Progress is impossible without change and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” George Bernard Shaw
Being open to change is one of the great challenges that technology presents to all tech leaders. As a tech teacher and administrator these days it often feels as though the technology is obsolete as soon as it’s rolled out.
I owe a big thank you to the fantastic people at Lower East Side Ecology Center for accepting our old technology for recycling.
This year I rolled out two Epson Brightlink 485wi projectors.
Another challenge arose when a K-8 school affiliated with St. Saviour High School was looking for guidance and assistance with their technology.They were using a local technology company that did not specialize in education and were unhappy with what they were getting for the money they were spending. Once I assessed their environment I quickly came up with a plan to improve their existing infrastructure.
Step 1: New wireless infrastructure.
The number one complaint of the teachers was that they had such a terrible wireless experience. Too few devices were able to connect and they had very little range. The previous tech company installed 2 AP’s per floor. We went with 1 AP per room and now the school enjoys a robust wireless network.
Schools are unique environments and technology can play a vital role if utilized effectively. Most tech companies can purchase, install and service but they also approach most situations with a one-size-fits-all method. Having spent many years with technology in and out of schools, I know technology in a school is not the same as putting computers in a doctors office.
Step 2: Improve the tech aesthetics. Loose wires and young children are not a good combination.
Other notable changes I made were upgrading the firewall from a SonicWall TZ100 to a TZ215 and upgrading all computers from Windows XP to Windows 7.
Anthony Tricarico 