Navigating Educational Technology: The Power of Systematizing in a Dynamic Environment

Evan OBranovic, Executive Director of Technology, Traverse City Area Public Schools (TCAPS)

In the fast-paced world of educational technology, there isn’t much time to wait for everything to fall into place. As the Executive Director of Technology for Traverse City Area Public Schools for the past five years, my journey in educational technology has taken me across varied educational landscapes. Starting in a small Colorado district as a teacher, transitioning into coaching, and eventually leading one of Northern Michigan’s larger districts, my path has given me a great view of the educational technology landscape and what tends to be successful or fail.

I believe one of the cores of success lies in the systematizing principle. But what does "Systematize" mean in this context? In its simplest form, it’s a straightforward approach, lacking glamor but attempting to keep efficiency. For me, the linchpin keeps our tech-centric world in motion. Without systems, I don’t think I could keep up and have a firm grasp of all the projects impacting my team, the department, and the district.

Why focus on this philosophy? It's working! In my experience, tech-minded individuals resonate with systematic approaches. With the surge of technology in education, managing multifaceted systems has become imperative, ensuring things get done even when key components or people are not readily available. Yet, the systems are a perpetual work-in-progress, demanding continuous evolution.

It starts with looking at our department as a whole and creating teams that allow them to focus on their strengths and provide the best assets to our district. Our priorities are Network, Systems (Hardware/Software), Data, Edtech, CyberSecurity, and Support (staff & students). Identifying these priorities drove the creation of our team within our department. Our size enables us to have people focused on most of these priorities individually. However, smaller districts and departments have always combined roles and responsibilities within capacity, and even with a larger staff, we have to do the same. We work to balance meeting participation and doing the actual work.

"As I continue to navigate the terrain of educational technology, the mantra remains rooted in systems. It's an intricate dance of adapting, evolving, and embracing the human element within technology's relentless push forward."

How you meet or connect with other people and departments within the district is a system within itself. There’s a delicate balance between being consistent and avoiding meeting fatigue. As the leader of my department and co-designer of my systems, I try to facilitate what, when, and why meetings need to happen. I also think it’s my responsibility to take on whatever falls outside the obvious and help make those connections while providing support. By creating a combination of top-down information sharing and the empowerment and trust of individuals to get the information they need, a system develops that self-sustains.

I try to keep my toolkit expansive, incorporating diverse protocols, templates, and programs. Keeping it simple with the flexibility of cloud-based office suites for agendas to enhance collaboration and follow-through and looking at more complex project management tools. It’s still about balance and simplicity with what you decide to keep productive collaboration within your department and teams. However, every system has its limitations.

Despite its effectiveness, documentation remains a bottleneck, demanding significant time and effort. Consistent follow-up and reflection, vital for improvement, often take a back seat in the whirlwind of daily operations. Adapting to monotony and the perpetual need for evolution poses continuous challenges, compounded by end-users varying degrees of tech literacy and the curriculum goals and objectives.

Questioning is easy, but true reflection and modification are tough. The question arises: How does one juggle myriad responsibilities without adequate manpower? The balancing act between investing in external solutions versus in-house DIY projects remains a constant conundrum, and the quest to optimize meetings, striking a balance between information dissemination and time efficiency, persists across the board.

As I continue to navigate the terrain of educational technology, the mantra remains rooted in systems. It's an intricate dance of adapting, evolving, and embracing the human element within technology's relentless push forward. In the educational cosmos, systematizing is my guiding principle, steering us towards efficiency, adaptability, and, ultimately, enhanced learning experiences.

Educational Technology

Project Management

EdTech