All right, let's jump into another deep dive.
Today, we're gonna be looking at something
that I think is really relatable to,
especially anybody who has ever gotten excited
about trying to use new technology in the classroom.
We're diving into this blog post.
It's called Don't Be the Department of No.
It's by Gary Ackerman.
Oh yeah.
And we're exploring this kind of push and pull
between educators who are really enthusiastic
about new technology and IT departments
that sometimes, well, maybe aren't so enthusiastic.
Yeah, it's like, you know that classic movie scene, right?
The teacher gets back from a conference,
like all excited, you know,
ready to totally transform their classroom
with the latest and greatest tech tools.
Yeah, and then they hit this wall
and it's not even always about the budget, right?
Not always.
Ackerman has been going to these conferences
since like right back in the mid-80s.
Oh wow.
And he points out that this excitement
for new teaching methods,
especially those involving technology, like that's a...
Yeah, you know, what's interesting to me
is that like the specific technologies
have obviously changed so much over the years.
Oh yeah.
But this tension between educational vision,
you know, what teachers wanna do
and then like how IT implements that,
that just seems to keep coming up over and over.
Right.
Makes you wonder like what we can learn from all of that,
you know, and how we can maybe like get out of that cycle.
That's a really good point.
So let's break down these two roadblocks
that educators often face.
The budget constraints.
And then the IT pushback.
I mean, we all know budgets are tight,
but even when funding isn't the issue,
there's this feeling that IT departments
are just the department of no.
Like why do you think that perception exists?
Well, you know, it's important to remember
that IT departments, they have a really big job.
Imagine managing a network, right?
With hundreds or even thousands of devices.
Thousands, yeah.
And they have to make sure that student data is private.
Of course.
Prevent security breaches.
Keep everything running smoothly.
It's a lot.
And a lot of times they're working
with limited resources themselves.
You know, they don't always have everything they need.
That makes total sense.
And Ackerman even gives an example
of IT departments sometimes
having to like standardize laptop brands
across a whole district.
Oh, right.
Even if faculty might prefer something different.
Yeah, because for IT, consistency,
that means they can manage it.
Makes sense.
It's easier to troubleshoot problems,
roll out updates, keep things secure
if everyone's on the same system.
So it makes sense from their point of view.
But Ackerman's arguing that like,
even with all of these legitimate concerns that IT has,
their role should be to enable,
to help teachers use technology rather than restrict it.
I see.
You know?
Yeah, he makes this really compelling analogy in the post.
He says like, just as we expect teachers
to always be improving their methods,
we should hold IT departments to that same standard
of sporting innovation.
I love that analogy.
It really highlights how we need to change our mindset.
Instead of thinking of technology as this like potential threat
or a burden, like what if we thought of it as a tool
that empowers both teachers and students?
Absolutely.
And that's where things get really interesting
because Ackerman doesn't just criticize IT.
You know?
He actually tells this story about a meeting
where he saw IT staff just like totally dismissing
these requests from faculty members
who were just asking for like what seemed
like a really necessary tech upgrade.
Wow.
And it wasn't just that they said no,
it was like the way they said it.
Yeah, how they said it.
Yeah, it really bothered him.
Uh-huh.
Yeah.
Interesting.
It was rough.
Yeah, I can imagine that would be frustrating.
Yeah, so he describes like these lower level technicians
just talking over, you know, faculty who knew a lot more
than them.
Oh, wow.
And it really damaged the trust between those two groups.
It wasn't just about the technology.
Right.
It was about respect.
Yeah.
And feeling heard.
Exactly.
Yeah.
He even said that he like felt like he had to apologize
to the faculty afterward.
Oh, wow.
Which is crazy, you know.
But this gets at a bigger question, right?
It's like, is this just a few bad apples in IT?
Yeah.
Or are there like bigger systemic issues
that contribute to this kind of us versus them feeling?
Yeah, that's a great question.
I think it's probably a little of both.
You know, you have individuals who maybe are just like
more resistant to change or, you know, stuck in their ways.
But then there are these bigger things, right?
Like the institution itself, maybe they
don't have enough resources.
Or the security protocols are super strict.
Or maybe the whole culture just prioritizes keeping things
stable over like trying new stuff.
Yeah, it's all about just keeping the lights on.
Exactly.
And I think about all the teachers
who are like so tech savvy.
Yes.
And they're passionate about bringing new tools
into the classroom.
Yeah.
But they hit these walls.
And it's got to be so discouraging.
It really is.
And that's where leadership needs to step in.
OK.
Ackerman says that like school administrators and district
leaders, like they have a huge role
to play in setting the tone.
Right.
And creating a culture where people actually work together.
Yeah.
They can't just be like, oh, yeah, we support technology.
Lip service.
Yeah, like they got to put their money where their mouth is,
you know?
Provide resources like training for both teachers and IT staff
and be really clear about what they expect from everybody.
Be on the same page.
Exactly.
I imagine it's also about making sure that there are
actual spaces for people to talk.
Yes.
Absolutely.
Right.
Where educators and IT folks can actually sit down together,
share their perspectives, and work together
to figure out solutions.
Right.
Because I mean, think about it.
Teachers, they're the experts in teaching, right?
Of course, yeah.
They understand how students learn
and what tools can help them learn better.
Right.
They're the pedagogy people.
Exactly.
And then you have IT, and they're
the experts in the technology, right?
Yeah.
They know how to make those systems work,
how to keep them secure, how to implement them.
It's two sides of the same coin.
Yeah.
It's like when those two groups actually work together,
it's magic, you know?
It's like the Avengers, yeah.
Exactly.
And so instead of IT being the Department of No,
they become the Department of How.
The Department of How.
I like that.
Yeah.
It's a small change in words.
Yeah.
But it changes the whole relationship.
Fully reframes it.
Yeah.
And it doesn't mean saying yes to absolutely every request.
Right?
Oh, no, of course not.
Because there are going to be limitations.
Yeah, there are always going to be limitations.
Budget, security, sometimes things just aren't practical.
Exactly.
Like something might sound amazing at a conference.
Right, the shiny new toy?
Yeah, but then it's like, oh, this
isn't going to work for us at all.
Totally.
Yeah.
But the important thing is to approach those conversations.
With this attitude of, OK, let's work together.
Let's solve this problem.
If we can't use this specific tool,
is there something else we can use that gets at the same goals?
Could we try it out with just a small group first?
It's like a little pilot program.
Exactly.
Can we come up with some clear guidelines
for how we're going to evaluate these new technologies
before we just jump in?
Yeah, like some rules of the road, right?
Exactly.
So it sounds like what Ackerman's really getting at here
is we need to go from a culture of control
to a culture of empowerment.
Absolutely.
Right.
So instead of IT being the gatekeeper,
they're like a partner working with teachers
to really use this technology in a meaningful way.
And that empowerment, it has to go both ways, right?
Teachers also have to speak up about what they need,
like really articulate their vision
for how they see technology making their teaching better.
And they've got to be willing to learn new things
as new tools come out.
Yeah, technology is always changing.
Exactly.
So it's like we're moving away from this idea of technology
being something that's done to teachers.
Right, right.
And it's becoming something that teachers are actively
shaping and using to reach their goals.
It's a partnership.
Exactly.
And this actually reminds me of something
else Ackerman talked about in the post.
He was talking about how we need to rethink
professional development for teachers.
Like it's not enough to just teach them
how to use this one specific software or this one device.
We have to teach them how to evaluate these new tools,
like figure out, is this actually good for my students?
Yeah, does it actually make sense?
Yeah, and how to ask for what they need to be successful.
To advocate for themselves.
Yes, exactly.
Yeah, and that ties back to what we were saying about leadership.
Absolutely.
If school districts really want to embrace technology,
they're going to invest in professional development that
goes beyond just the basics.
It's about creating a culture where everybody's constantly
learning and trying new things.
Both teachers and IT.
Yeah.
And we have to remember that technology and education,
it's always changing.
Oh, constantly.
Yeah, what's cutting edge today might be obsolete tomorrow.
So how do we create systems and structures
that let us be flexible?
So we're not constantly playing catch up.
Right, always trying to get to where we need to be.
Exactly.
That's a really good question.
And I think that's something that a lot of schools and districts
are struggling with right now.
Yeah, for sure.
It's hard to find that balance between keeping things stable
and also being innovative.
But maybe that's where collaboration is,
even more important.
Yeah, I think you're right.
Yeah, it feels like the big takeaway here
is we really got to move away from this us versus them
thinking.
Totally.
And really focus on working together.
Yeah, when teachers and IT folks,
when they see each other as partners,
like working toward the same goal,
that's when you get amazing results.
That's when the magic happens, yeah.
Think about it.
You have teachers who really care about their students.
And they love their subject, right?
Yeah.
They're always trying to find new ways to get students engaged.
Absolutely.
And then you have IT who are amazing at solving problems.
They understand these complex systems.
And a lot of them, they just want
to make sure that technology works well.
Yeah, reliably.
Exactly.
So it just seems like a huge missed opportunity
if those two groups aren't talking to each other all the time,
sharing what they know and figuring out solutions together.
Yeah, and it's not just about formal meetings or committees.
Yeah, it's got to be more organic than that.
It's got to be like a culture of just open communication.
Yeah, just being able to walk down the hall and say,
hey, I have a question.
Exactly.
Yeah.
Where teachers feel comfortable going to IT with questions,
with ideas.
Right.
And IT folks see themselves as partners
in helping teachers do their jobs better.
Yeah, and Ackerman, he actually suggests something
pretty interesting.
Oh, what's that?
He says that when we evaluate IT departments,
it shouldn't just be about how good they are with the technology,
but also how well they're supporting the school's goals,
like the educational goals.
Ooh, that's a really good point.
Yeah, imagine if IT departments were
rewarded for working with teachers,
for finding new ways to use technology to help students learn.
You know, if they were seen as these champions of innovation.
Right, instead of the department that's always saying no.
Right, exactly.
Like shifting that whole perception.
It would be a total 180 from that traditional role of IT
as the gatekeeper.
Yeah.
The rule enforcer.
The enforcer, yeah.
Instead, they're like facilitators.
Yes.
They're enablers.
They're partners.
Yeah, they're helping teachers achieve their vision
for the classroom.
And I think to really make that shift,
it takes a change in mindset.
OK.
Like on both sides.
Yeah.
Teachers have to be willing to learn
about how these technology systems work,
to understand the limitations that IT is working with.
The challenges, yeah.
And then IT folks, they have to be willing to try new things,
be open to new ideas, and to really see themselves
as part of the education team.
Yeah, this whole deep dive has just been so eye-opening for me.
It's just seeing the potential.
When we break down those walls between departments
and really work together on this stuff.
When everyone's collaborating, that's
when things get really exciting.
It's like technology is more than just a tool, right?
It is.
It's like it can transform how we teach and how students learn.
Absolutely.
But that can only happen if we all work together.
Teachers, IT, school leaders, all of us.
All pulling in the same direction.
Yeah, so for everyone listening, whether you're a teacher,
IT professional, or a school leader,
we really hope you take Ackerman's message to heart.
Yeah, don't let your school become the department of no.
Embrace collaboration.
Yeah, talk to each other.
Be open.
And support each other.
To use technology in a way that really benefits all students.
And remember, technology and education,
it's always changing.
Constantly, yeah.
There will always be new challenges, new opportunities,
new things to try.
It's the wild west out there.
But if we face those challenges together,
and we all agree that we want to keep innovating,
we can create learning environments that
are truly amazing.
And are truly transformative.
Exactly.
We hope this deep dive has given you some things to think about.
Yeah, definitely check out Gary Ackerman's blog post.
It's called Don't Be the Department of No.
Yeah, it's got a lot of great insights and suggestions.
And most importantly, start a conversation
at your own school or district about how
to break down these barriers and create
a more collaborative approach to technology.
Because together, we can make a real difference.
Absolutely.
All right, thanks for joining us for another deep dive.
Thanks for having me.