Home Tags Posts tagged with "system administrator"
Tag:

system administrator

Announcements/Important DatesEd Tech Appreciation Day

Thanking Those Who Make Digital Teaching and Learning Work

by Lori Gracey
written by Lori Gracey

As you’re reading this blog on a laptop or other device, you may not be thinking about all of the technical support needed to make it possible. Technology has become such a major part of our lives today that we tend to take it for granted. But there’s a lot of work that goes on in the background to make the hardware, software, and connections work. And if you’re in a school district, there is a dedicated group of individuals whose primary responsibility is to keep the tech working and to ensure that we all know how best to use it for teaching and learning.

Ed Tech Appreciation Day

Wednesday, December 7, 2022 is Ed Tech Appreciation Day. This day is designed to celebrate all the professionals who support the use of technology in schools. That covers a wide range of individuals: hardware and software technicians, network administrators, webmasters, database and lab managers, librarians, instructional technologists, administrators, and others. These are the folks who work day in and day out to ensure that the boxes and wires keep working, that you have the tech skills and training you need to best do your job, and that you are empowered with the latest tools and resources. Their learning never stops, and their patience has to be endless, both with the “stuff” and with us, the users.

Unfortunately, many of these dedicated individuals only hear from us when our computer stops working or when the network goes down. So surprise them this year by taking the time to craft a quick note and thank them for their support. Giving them a gift card or a few homemade cookies will go a long way in letting them know how much we really appreciate them. You could even involve your students and have them make a class thank you card or compose a short song to sing to them. These people are so critical to what happens in schools each day. Let’s make sure they know how much we appreciate them!

Additional Reading for Ed Tech Appreciation

1 comment
2 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinEmail
Announcements/Important DatesTechnical Support

Educational Technology Appreciation Day: December 8, 2021

by Jennifer Bergland
written by Jennifer Bergland

Thinking about Educational Technology Appreciation Day brings a distinct memory to my mind. It was 30 years ago, and I was in my classroom staring at my Macintosh Classic computer screen.

To be honest, it was so long ago I don’t remember exactly what was wrong with the computer. I just remember the panic I felt when I saw the screen. Was I going to lose ALL of my work? I knew there was only one person who could help me: Henry. I ran down to the teachers’ lounge to call him. He was one of two computer repair technicians that worked for the school district at that time, and he was located at the district’s maintenance office. When he picked up the phone, I quickly told him what was wrong. He quickly said, “Whatever you do, don’t….” Again, it’s been a long time, so I can’t exactly remember what he told me not to do! But I remember that I let a student try to troubleshoot my computer before I called Henry (big mistake), and that student had done exactly what Henry told me NOT to do. Ugh!

He said he’d be right over. It wasn’t too long before Henry arrived, and sure enough, he knew exactly what to do. Henry took those types of calls daily. He quietly went from school to school, helping teachers, administrators, and office personnel with whatever kind of technology problems they were facing. 

Ed Tech Staff Is Vital

There are thousands of “Henrys” across the state of Texas. Every school district has employees who help their students and staff with a myriad of technology issues. These activities range from training on a new software application or device to telephone assistance, network outages, device repair, or software glitches. Since I made that desperate call to Henry in the early 1990s, our dependence on technology has only increased. These employees are essential to the instructional success of our students and the business operation of a district. This is why TCEA is proud to sponsor Educational Technology Appreciation Day on December 8. We celebrate this day every year on the Wednesday of Computer Science Week, which is December 6-12 this year.  

Ideas for Ed Tech Appreciation

To generate ideas for honoring these employees, I asked the TCEA staff and some technology directors for suggestions on expressing gratitude and appreciation to all the “Henrys” in your district. Below is a compilation of their recommendations. 

Food 

Who doesn’t love treats? You could provide:

  • Jars with snacks (healthy and/or candy)
  • Popcorn (a mixture of cheese and caramel is my favorite!)
  • Gift cards to their favorite beverage place: Sonic, Starbucks, etc. 
  • Homemade sweets (cookies, fudge, cake pops)
  • Breakfast or lunch (bagels or doughnuts with coffee, pizza or burgers with soft drinks)
  • Lunch, as your treat, off campus

Words of Affirmation

Ed Tech Thanks

Everyone likes to hear how their work has positively impacted others. Here are a few ways to say thanks:

  • Handwritten notes are always in style!
  • Commandeer the high school scoreboard and make their names flash all day long for the whole community to see.
  • Create a Kudoboard for each staff member and encourage the district staff to post notes on each board
  • Record a short interview with each tech staff about what they love most about serving others. Post it on various social media platforms, tagging them and bragging on them. 
  • Ask your superintendent to recognize the tech staff at each campus during a morning or afternoon meeting. 
  • Create a social media post for each staff member with their photo and what they do to help the district. Make them go viral! 
  • Create a FlipGrid for the staff and encourage the district to post short videos thanking them for all they do. 

Experiences

Ed Tech Appreciation Meal

Throw some type of event that lets them know how special they are!

  • Organize some type of unusual outing. At TCEA, we went to a place where we learned how to throw axes. It was so much fun! 
  • Create some type of digital scavenger hunt using Apps like GooseChase or Geocache. My staff used to love to go on Geocaching adventures. 
  • Give them an afternoon off!
  • Rent a local theater so you can enjoy a movie together. 
  • Find some place to take them where they can be together and have fun (zoo, a lake, a sporting event, etc.).
  • Get the high school band or choir to come serenade them for all of their hard work.

These are just a few ways to demonstrate your appreciation for your tech staff. I’d love to hear from you about how you have acknowledged this critical group of employees. Every one of us has had a “Henry” in our lives. They’ve not only made our lives easier, but at times, they have gotten us out of a big jam. Let’s show them how much we appreciate them, not just on Educational Technology Appreciation Day, but every day.

0 comment
6 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinEmail
CTO/CIOCybersecurityTechnical Support

Cybersecurity Month: Resources, Data, and Information for K-12 Settings

by Emily Horn
written by Emily Horn

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month! CISA and the National Cyber Security Alliance are keeping with the theme of “Do Your Part. #BeCyberSmart.” If you haven’t already, I would highly recommend checking out their resources for this month. They have tip sheets and one-pagers galore offered in many languages. They also have six resources available for kids on cybersecurity, which are fantastic. CISA‘s promotion and outreach this month will focus on being “Cyber Smart” (Week 1), phishing (Week 2), cybersecurity careers (Week 3), and “Cybersecurity First” (Week 4).

Cybersecurity and K-12

Why is cybersecurity becoming more and more of a “hot topic” in K-12? The 2021 EdTech Leadership Survey Report from Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) states:

“Given that the FBI, [MS-ISAC], and CISA jointly stated that K-12 is the most targeted public sector for ransomware, it is surprising that district IT leaders do not rate this risk higher.”

Whoa. I had to read that twice. The most targeted public sector for ransomware? This statement is in response to survey data indicating that cybersecurity threats, while a top priority, are generally underestimated by district technology leaders. In fact, this report says, “The vast majority (84%) don’t rate any cybersecurity threat as high risk.”

Budget challenges and this underestimation of the severity of threats make schools and districts vulnerable. Not only that, but the report found that 77% of districts do not have a full-time employee whose work is solely focused on network security. Take a look at the top challenges according to the CoSN report.

cybersecurity K-12
Table from CoSN Report

What Does the Data Say? 

In addition to the 2021 CoSN EdTech Leadership Survey Report, data from the 2020 State of K-12 Cybersecurity: Year in Review (K12 SIX) was released in March of 2021. This data showed that moving to remote learning put schools at significantly higher risk of cyber crimes. As a result of this move, cyber incidents rose drastically in the late summer and early fall of 2020.

cybersecurity incidents
Data from K12 SIX Report

Based on their data analysis, K12 SIX identified four major factors for this swell of occurrences: 

  1. Increased reliance on devices
  2. Devices used during remote learning being brought back into schools
  3. IT staff being unable to actively service devices used during COVID-19
  4. More focused efforts by threat actors during vulnerable times of the school year using more sophisticated methods

In this study, they also identified five trends in data:

  • Data breaches involving the personal information of both students and staff were the most reported type of incident.
  • A new kind of cyber threat emerged during COVID-19– class invasion– which was used to enhance and propel other incidents like denial of service and ransomware attacks.
  • Spear-phishing continues to be a problem for K-12 schools. $9.8 million was stolen from one school district alone in 2020, with the average amount being $2 million since 2016.
  • Larger schools in urban and suburban districts with higher-income communities and districts with higher proportions of students experiencing poverty are at higher risk.

What Are the Top Threats to K-12 Institutions?

types of cybersecurity incidents
Data from CoSN Report

In 2017, the Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) Technical Assistance (TA) Center published a fact sheet. This document outlines the six most common online threats for school and district networks. CoSN has also rated the top five threats. Here is a list of what the two have in common:  

  1. Data Breach
  2. Denial of Service
  3. Phishing
  4. Ransomware
  5. IOT Vulnerabilities 

Both K12 SIX and CoSN refer to 2020 as a “record-breaking” year for cybersecurity incidents.  

What Do We Do Now?

Ed Tech Magazine suggests that being proactive with protocols, planning, and training staff is essential to preventing and addressing cybersecurity threats, among other measures. Additionally, CoSN agrees: “TRAIN, TRAIN, TRAIN! Make sure everyone knows security awareness is their job and who to talk to if they make a mistake.” 

Luckily, TCEA can help with this. If you know us, you know that we strive to provide educators with quality professional development in areas that are relevant and essential to the safety, well-being, and quality of education for students in Texas and beyond. That said, we have a two-day System Administrator and Technical Support Conference coming up November 4-5, and anyone can attend. Because we know cybersecurity is a top priority, we have several sponsors specializing in this area who will be available to discuss the latest and greatest trends and solutions to help with assessment, planning, and threat management. We are also offering educational sessions that address this hot topic. Take a look at the full schedule here, and if you’d like to register for the conference, you can do so here. 

Additional Cybersecurity Resources

0 comment
1 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinEmail
a system administrator works amongst a tangle of cords
CTO/CIOTechnical Support

Celebrate 2021 System Administrator Appreciation Day

by Andrew Roush
written by Andrew Roush

Let’s start with the basics. What is a system administrator, or sysadmin? In short, they’re professionals who maintain and configure computer systems, particularly multi-user systems, like servers or networks. With that in mind, it’s easy to see why sysadmins have a big role to play in ed tech, keeping up the tools and tech educators and administrators use each day and ensuring that learning can happen on campuses and in districts across the country and around the world.

That’s why July 30, 2021 marks the 22nd annual commemoration of System Administrator Appreciation Day. This event is an opportunity to express our gratitude to the techies who keep things running smoothly for all of us. Especially after semesters of flipped, blended, and remote learning, it’s worth taking time to thank our sysadmins for their expertise and dedication.

Origins and Ideas

The idea to celebrate sysadmins wasn’t part of a groundswell. Rather, it started as a joke. As we described last year:

It all started with a fruit basket. Sort of. In 2000, system administrator Ted Kekatos saw a magazine ad for HP’s then-latest printer, the HP LaserJet 4000. He’d just installed several of that model at his company. But the ad didn’t seem to match his experience.

Here’s how Kekatos described it in a 2011 interview: “The ad showed a sysadmin sitting in his cube. Outside of his cube was a line of users bringing fruit baskets and flowers. I tore out the ad and showed it to my coworkers. I thought ‘Hey this is great! A sysadmin is getting flowers, fruit and wine from his users!’ So that was how System Administrator Appreciation Day 1.0 got started.”

Kekatos meant it as a gentle ribbing to his coworkers, but soon the company’s annual July barbecue became SysAdmin Day, now formally known as System Administrator Appreciation Day. The idea caught on. 

“Why System Administrators Matter“

Traditionally, it’s a day to share your gratitude with the administrators at your school in the form of small gifts and tokens of appreciation. Consider small events, parties, cakes, cards, gift cards, and more. The official website for the celebration even suggests posting photos of your hard-working admins and your celebrations on “Facebook, Flickr, Reddit, Twitter, and your preferred social media.”

Resources for System Administrators

Find more ways to celebrate your system administrators — or promote and enhance their work. Check out some previous TechNotes posts below that are meant to offer fresh, practical resources for those who work in the tech trenches. But before you admins put these tips into practice, don’t forget to take a break. It’s your day, after all.

  • Looking for ways to treat your admin? Check out our 2017 SysAdmin Day post here.
  • For sysadmins, technology coordinators, and tech support workers interested in becoming a leader in the field, TCEA’s TEC-SIG special interest group might be for you.
  • You can also read about TEC-SIG events, resources, and engaged members here and here.

And don’t forget, TCEA’s own System Administrator and Technical Support Conference happens Oct. 21–22, 2021!

How will you be celebrating your system admins? Share your ideas and stories in the comments!

Photo by cottonbro from Pexels

0 comment
1 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinEmail
cybersecurity
CTO/CIOCybersecurityTechnical Support

October Is Cybersecurity Awareness Month

by Andrew Roush
written by Andrew Roush

We live much of our lives online, and security in the virtual world can be just as important as physical security. This is especially true in education, and that’s why, in October, educators, administrators, and students are observing Cybersecurity Awareness Month. 

Defining Cybersecurity

The history of keeping digital devices, records, networks, and more safe has seen many changes, twists, and turns in its relatively short span. Known variously as IT security or simply computer security, cybersecurity includes “the art of protecting networks, devices, and data from unauthorized access or criminal use and the practice of ensuring confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information,” according to the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency. 

Common cybersecurity practices might include multi-factor authentication, keeping software up to date, managing firewalls, using strong passwords, and being aware of common email scams. The goal is to keep computer hardware and software safe for users, and to help protect privacy online. 

Getting Web Wise

National Cybersecurity Awareness Month is marked each October in the United States. The practice began in 2004 when the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the National Cyber Security Alliance launched the event “as a broad effort to help Americans stay safe and secure online.” This includes awareness of common online scams and tips for keeping your digital presence secure. 

The theme of this year’s event is “Do Your Part. #BeCyberSmart.” The organizers hope to use the event to highlight a number of easy practices to keep information safe.

Here’s how the National Cybersecurity Alliance frames it:

The line between our online and offline lives is indistinguishable. In these tech-fueled times, our homes, societal well-being, economic prosperity and nation’s security are impacted by the internet.

National Cybersecurity Alliance, https://staysafeonline.org/cybersecurity-awareness-month/

Getting Involved

The National Cybersecurity Alliance encourages people to stay connected by following them on  Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn. You can even download images and messages about cybersecurity to share on your own social networks. Check out more suggestions, ideas, and resources here.

Further, a number of events are planned throughout the month. Here’s what’s on tap for the rest of October. 

  • Week of October 12 (Week 2): Securing Devices at Home and Work
  • Week of October 19 (Week 3): Securing Internet-Connected Devices in Healthcare
  • Week of October 26 (Week 4): The Future of Connected Devices

The organizers this year are sharing “Tip Sheets” for cybersecurity at work, while traveling, with connected devices and digital assistants (IoT), as well as more specialized topics, like “e-skimming,” phishing attacks, and connected home security. Institutions can also get involved as “champions” for cybersecurity awareness.

Smart Solutions for IT Professionals

Those looking to improve their personal, school, or district information security may be interested in TCEA’s System Administrator and Technical Support Conference, online October 20–21. This annual event is designed for CTOs, network managers, and tech support pros — and this year we’re bringing you up-to-the-minute solutions, all online and available on-demand following the live, virtual event.

Click the link here to see the list of topics, the schedule, and to register. 

More on Cybersecurity from TCEA

Image by methodshop from Pixabay

0 comment
1 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinEmail
system administrator
Announcements/Important DatesCTO/CIOTechnical Support

Giving IT Professionals the Solutions They Need

by Andrew Roush
written by Andrew Roush

Today, more than ever, it’s clear that system administrators and other IT professionals who make our networks hum are vital to education.

To help build their capacity and broaden those critical skill sets, TCEA hosts the annual System Administrator and Technical Support Conference. Here are some reasons to consider registering for this year’s all-virtual event, October 20–21.

Education Is Changing

Schools, districts, and teachers need effective ways to deliver high-quality education, whether in person or online. IT professionals work to make that learning possible. We know that this year, there’s even more on your plate: more 1:1 initiatives, more hot spots, more online learning resources being used, more bandwidth needs.

The 2020 System Administrator and Technical Support Conference is specifically designed for you: the professionals who provide hardware, software, network, and infrastructure support for PreK-16 educators — and who are seeking timely solutions to keep up with the changes in learning.

A Flexible Event for an Ever-Changing Field

Of course, when it comes to technology, things are always changing.

That’s why we’ve adapted to an all-online conference meant to keep you connected, even when you’re busy. Our powerful, easy-to-use online platform will deliver sessions in real time, allowing you to interact with your peers. You can also watch sessions for up to 30 days after the event, helping you take advantage of the latest trends and ideas in network support, remote learning, and more at your own pace and on demand.

With this year’s virtual conference, you can:

  • Connect synchronously or asynchronously
  • Get to know industry leaders
  • Engage in live sessions with chat, discussion boards, downloadable resources, and more
  • Spend time with your peers in virtual coffee breaks, social events, and competitive virtual games

Sessions Packed with Solutions

Beyond updates, tips, and tricks, some of the sharpest minds in the field will be sharing crucial ways to help educators create learning in even the toughest and most unprecedented of times. We’re sharing thoughtful ideas to amp up your work. Check out sessions like:

  • The Future of Modern Physical Security for Schools
  • Remote Learning: Is Your Admin Console Secure?
  • Cybersecurity, Safety, and Compliance in G Suite and Microsoft 365
  • WIFI Beyond the Parking Lot

Explore all our topics here, and the full listing of live and on-demand sessions here.

Ready to be a part of this cutting edge conference? Register today. We’re looking forward to seeing you online!

1 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinEmail
system admins
Technical Support

System Admins Are Crucial to Education

by Andrew Roush
written by Andrew Roush

This year marks the 21st annual commemoration of System Administrator Appreciation Day, or SysAdmin Day, on July 31st. It’s a time to celebrate the people who make our devices and networks run, and who make learning with ed tech possible.

Here’s what you should know about the occasion and about TCEA’s own celebration of systems administration excellence: the 2020 TCEA System Administrator and Technical Support Conference, October 20–21, in Galveston, or anywhere online.

A Day to Remember

Since it started in 1999, SysAdmin Day has been infused with heart and humor, as those who rely on tech support (read: everyone) gets the chance to show their appreciation for those who make our work possible.

The celebration began when a system administrator began gently ribbing his coworkers about how much they relied on his work, and quickly, the company’s annual July barbecue became SysAdmin Day, now formally known as System Administrator Appreciation Day

In the words of SysAdminDay.com:

Oh, it’s only the single greatest 24 hours on the planet… and pretty much the most important holiday of the year. It’s also the perfect opportunity to pay tribute to the heroic men and women who, come rain or shine, prevent disasters, keep IT secure and put out tech fires left and right.

sysadminday.com/

How should we celebrate these network ninjas, these wizards of the web? Again, the organizers have some suggestions:

This is the day that all fellow System Administrators across the globe, will be showered with expensive sports cars and large piles of cash in appreciation of their diligent work. But seriously, we are asking for a nice token gift and some public acknowledgement. It’s the least you could do. …

Please share your Sysadmin Day celebration photos.  Post your photos on Facebook, Flickr, Reddit, Twitter, and your preferred social media.  Always use the tag #SysAdminDay.

sysadminday.com/

Over the years, the day has been marked with songs, skits, and jokes, all meant to remind people of the importance of the professionals who fix downed servers on the weekends, answer tech support questions, and otherwise keep modern education running.

Check out previous posts about SysAdmin Day here and here for more ideas on how to celebrate.

A Conference for Tech Wizards

Like all professionals, system administrators and tech support pros benefit from sharing the latest insights in their field. With many schools teaching remotely, the importance of system administration is clearer than ever.

That’s why TCEA hosts the System Administration and Tech Support Conference, October 20–21, 2020. This hybrid online and in-person event is designed for tech-savvy education professionals with sessions from your most forward-thinking peers and the brightest minds in educational technology. A comprehensive array of topics covers the real-world problems you encounter and offers useful solutions. Plus, you can choose whether to take part on the island in Galveston or online from wherever you are.

Ready to level-up you work this school year? Check out TCEA’s SysAdmin conference and register here.

Photo by Thomas Jensen on Unsplash

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinEmail
system administrators
CTO/CIOTechnical Support

A Conference Built for System Administrators

by Andrew Roush
written by Andrew Roush

When it comes to ed tech, system administrators and tech support professionals are at the center of everything. Frontline educators rely on their school or district’s tech admins to ensure the hardware, software, network, and other infrastructure they need is operational and up to date.

That’s why TCEA’s 2019 System Administrator and Technical Support Conference, October 24–25, is designed to meet the needs of sys admins and tech support. This event offers useful and practical information to individuals like you who provide technical support for PreK-16 educators. It’s not just an ed tech conference; it’s an ed tech conference for you.

Going In-Depth

Ready to geek out? We’ve created a comprehensive package of strands that covers the real-world problems system administrators are encountering while offering solutions they can use. Presenters go in-depth on the innovations, techniques, and tools you need to know. Our strands are targeted to meet your specific needs. Topics discussed will include:

  • BYOD Management
  • Chromebooks
  • Emerging Technologies
  • End User Technical Support
  • Google Apps for EDU Implementation
  • iOS Device Management
  • Network/Wireless Management
  • Security
  • Technology Management and Support
  • Windows

Get Connected

The 2019 Sys Admin conference is also designed to help you connect with your peers. Our attendees include, but aren’t limited to, chief technology officers (CTOs), data managers, information technologists, network engineers, technicians, administrators, tech directors, and more.

The interactive sessions you’ll attend are presented by industry-leading experts and will allow you to experience the very best resources and tools in hands-on ways. Want to see the latest from top vendors? We’ve got you covered there, too. And while you’re doing all that, you’ll be expanding your personal learning network and making connections that can benefit your school or district.

Curious to see how the 2019 SysAdmin conference can benefit you? Learn more and register here.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinEmail
system administrator
Technical Support

Why System Administrators Matter

by Andrew Roush
written by Andrew Roush

Modern education is a complex, ever-evolving system, one that relies on technology and computer networks for record-keeping, classroom instruction, communication, and just about everything that happens on campus or in district offices. Behind all of that are system administrators — and today’s their day. Here’s why.

A Day of Appreciation

It all started with a fruit basket. Sort of. In 2000, system administrator Ted Kekatos saw a magazine ad for HP’s then-latest printer, the HP LaserJet 4000. He’d just installed several of that model at his company. But the ad didn’t seem to match his experience.

Here’s how Kekatos described it in a 2011 interview:

The ad showed a sysadmin sitting in his cube. Outside of his cube was a line of users bringing fruit baskets and flowers. I tore out the ad and showed it to my coworkers. I thought ‘Hey this is great! A sysadmin is getting flowers, fruit and wine from his users!’ So that was how System Administrator Appreciation Day 1.0 got started.

Kekatos meant it as a gentle ribbing to his coworkers, but soon the company’s annual July barbecue became SysAdmin Day, now formally known as System Administrator Appreciation Day. The idea caught on. This year, SysAdmin Day is July 26.

Powering On

If you’re not one, you may not entirely grasp what a system administrator does. Indeed, the title is less than descriptive. If you are a system administrator, you may even have a hard time telling your coworkers exactly what you do—an ever-changing and overlapping set of responsibilities. For the purposes of clarity, let’s consult the experts.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics:

Computer networks are critical parts of almost every organization. Network and computer systems administrators are responsible for the day-to-day operation of these networks. They organize, install, and support an organization’s computer systems, including local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), network segments, intranets, and other data communication systems.

Saying Thanks

In a sense, sysadmins make the trains of education run. They keep tech on track and functioning. That, in a nutshell, is why sysadmins matter. How should you celebrate? Here’s what Kekatos, who still runs the official System Administrator Day website, suggests:

This is the day that all fellow System Administrators across the globe, will be showered with expensive sports cars and large piles of cash in appreciation of their diligent work. But seriously, we are asking for a nice token gift and some public acknowledgement. It’s the least you could do.

Around the world, people are doing just that: writing songs celebrating the keyboard warriors, giving gifts, or sending cards (though, despite requests, SysAdmin Day is yet to be recognized as a Hallmark holiday). The day has even spawned its own mini-musical.

Of course, one of the best ways to support sysadmins is to support their work. Check out TCEA’s System Administrator and Technical Support Conference, October 24–25, for outstanding opportunities to grow technical skill sets, share knowledge, and build your technological capacity.

Resources for System Administrators

At TCEA, we wanted to offer our own token of appreciation. Check out some previous TechNotes posts, below, meant to offer fresh, practical resources for those who work in the tech trenches. But before you admins put these tips into practice, don’t forget to take a break. It’s your day, after all.

  • Looking for ways to treat your admin? Check out our 2017 SysAdmin Day post here.
  • For sysadmins, technology coordinators, and tech support workers interested in becoming a leader in the field, TCEA’s TEC-SIG special interest group might be for you.
  • You can also read about TEC-SIG events, resources, and engaged members here and here.

Photo: Taylor Vick

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinEmail
Mandy Taylor
Good TeachingProfessional LearningTechnical Support

Member Spotlight on Veteran Technology Director Patricia Startz

by Susan Meyer
written by Susan Meyer

At TCEA, we have the incredible privilege of supporting our members and helping them to advance teaching and learning through technology. We try to share the innovative work that our members are doing so that our other readers and followers can be inspired and learn some tips and tricks from educators in the field. Today, we’re spotlighting a seasoned educator in her 25th year of of teaching and technology service.

Patricia Startz is currently the Technology Director at Falls City ISD, south of San Antonio. Her long and impressive career began with earning her bachelor’s in Mathematics and Computer Science, along with a teaching certification, from Southwest Texas State University (now known as Texas State University). She started a job at Falls City the very next Monday after graduating and never looked back! In her time there, she also managed to get a master’s degree from Lamar University in Educational Technology Leadership and Administration in 2012.

Putting Out Tech Fires and Supporting New Initiatives

Patricia is always on the lookout for what can go wrong and how to best address problems before they start. “Our new campus has been online since early August last year. The transition went smoothly, most of the year has been smooth, but, there are always ‘hiccups’ that keep me on my toes.” She starts each day addressing any emergency needs that have cropped up. If everything is running smoothly, she starts on her own list, including hardware and software repairs on laptops, network maintenance, security camera maintenance, Google administration, online testing, campus plans, and more.

Luckily, Patricia is up to the challenge of ever-changing priorities and the need to be always alert to the next big thing. When asked what she likes most about her job, she cites the variety and changing schedule from day to day. “Each day provides an opportunity for sharing and learning.” She is excited about the challenge of integrating the 80 new Chromebooks that her district recently acquired. Like all technology roll-outs, it hasn’t been without its adjustment period. But Patricia was excited to celebrate when the computers were all up and running.

How TCEA Provides Learning without Limits

Patricia and her staff have used a number of TCEA training opportunities in the past to help them stay current and keep learning new strategies for technology advancement. She attends the System Administrator and Technical Support Conference in October and the TCEA Convention & Exposition in February.  She is also involved in TEC-SIG, the special interest group just for technology directors and technology coordinators.

For additional training, Patricia had TCEA professional development staff come right to Falls City before a big technology roll-out. “We have had TCEA staff come to our district to provide Google tools and Google Classroom training in preparation so that administrators and teachers were ready for the transition.” For more information about onsite training, please see here.

Tips and Favorite Tools from an Ed Tech Master

Patricia has three pieces of advice for other tech directors looking to make big changes in their schools or districts: train your staff, look for free resources, and keep things balanced. As she explains:

Technology changes rapidly. To keep up, you have to take the initiative to constantly train up, whether or not it is required and whether or not your employer pays for it. Take advantage of as many of the freely-available training resources as you can. Then, be seen and heard!  Skills and knowledge are most beneficial to you and the staff you serve when shared. Somehow… try to get home by 5:00 p.m. and on weekends so you do not miss your family’s important moments. You cannot get those moments back. Try to make and keep a balance.

Patricia also offers advice on her favorite tech tools. She’s a big fan of Google Classroom and Microsoft Classroom and encourages good training in order to “discover how their awesomeness can help teachers implement differentiated and engaging learning experiences for all their students.” Her go-to resources? “When what I need to know just isn’t covered in the two-minute videos posted on the various free sites, [I use] TCEA. Specifically,  the training sessions at the SysAdmin conference, the Convention, the Microsoft Testing for certification at the Convention, and the multitude of various sessions offered throughout the year via webinar or on the TCEA campus.”

We at TCEA are so happy to have Patricia Startz as one of our committed members! To learn about other innovative educators transforming education, you can read some of our previous member spotlight posts here, here, and here. Do you know a TCEA member who deserves a little spotlighting? Email me at smeyer@tcea.org to suggest a member we should brag about.

 

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinEmail
Newer Posts
Older Posts