When it comes to hiring Instructional Technology leaders competition for the best candidates can be fierce. Here are 5 Policy suggestions that will make it easier for your school to attract the best talent.
- Separate technical support, instructional support, and network operations. Crossover causes dilution of responsibilities and lowers overall responsiveness.
- Create support processes for students as instruction continuity will rely on all students having problem-free devices. Hire (possibly) part time level 1 person or train librarian to support all platforms. Staff a ‘genius bar’.
- Outsource network management and support oversight (and level 3 support) to part-time provider.
- Add a new instructional technology integration specialist to the staff– an experienced teacher with significant and recent technology integration success.
- Lower teaching load of one member from each department as they explore new research in teaching and learning, and, later, new ways to bring technology into their subjects (Instructional Technology Philosophy, Educational Technology Action Plan). Alternatively, lower teaching load of one or two group leaders of the program.
In order to reduce the frustration that end users have with technology, a school must implement standard, more reliable and supportable systems; monitor system performance, and increase the quality and availability of support. Newly hired Instructional Technology leaders can hit the ground running and make an immediate impact on student learning when policies are in place to support them.
