What are your “Lessons Learned”?
Kevin Hartman
University at Buffalo
Get your faculty trained on the tools. Hold multiple sessions. And be available when the questions come during the semester. Occasionally I’ll make a video for them demonstrating what they ask instead of writing an email. Work with learning designers as well. They may know more of the pedagogy, we may know more of the technology. Together, it’s a great way to make good online or hybrid classes.
Rob Copeland
Johns Hopkins University
VTC for all classrooms is a must-have, not a feature to be cut due to budget. And good audio is more important than 4k video.
Josh Kaufman
Tufts University
The number one lesson learned (I’ve been thinking on this lately) is how far we need to go in terms of distance ed being accepted as part of the classroom technology portfolio. My team is supporting the physical classrooms as well as the virtual ones, but to do that required a massive train up of our team on both technology and pedagogy. In the future, the AV silo will either need to be deeply tied to the edtech team in ways we currently aren’t, or we’ll need to adjust hiring beyond just looking for technical skills
Donovan Monday
West Virginia University
In the words of the great Walt Disney, “Keep Moving Forward.”
Lex Peters
University of Southern California
In the midst of chaos just find at least one thing that’s beautiful and simple. Find that and you’ll know everything is going to be okay. What’s life without a little unexpected adventure.
Philip Leimbach
High School Computer Science & IT Teacher
Training is highly underrated and even less appreciated until it is too late. If it doesn’t teach them how to teach it’s not worth it. [what I learn is vastly different than faculty desires.] My job is to learn enough to make a perceived difficult task easy. (Insert joke)Faculty job is to take something fun and exciting and make it not that…lol
BC Hatchett
Vanderbilt University
Have a plan, have a backup plan, have a backup plan for your backup plan, and finally have a backup backup plan for your backup plan. Be flexible and adaptable, the old ways of doing things have changed with everything else.
Jeff Huber
Oklahoma State University
Keep it simple and increase the complexity only when required.
Paul Hickey
Pathfinder Education Group
What I’ve learned: launching a national brand the week before a lockdown made for an interesting March. But understanding how needs change and quickly adapting to that have you surviving comfortably if not thriving. Example: our story was to be IFPD ease of use in classroom with some cool accessories. Story became (at least short term: software and accessories that make IFPD a great choice in hybrid learning).
James King
Stockton University
When dealing with the unknown as a leader you need to be like a duck on water (cool on top while your feet go nuts under the water). Cause people are looking to you for guidance.
December’s Question:
What’s on your tech manager “Holiday Wish List?”
Email or DM us on Twitter by November 22nd to have your voice be included!