The Crucial Role School/District IT Department’s Play in EdTech Initiatives

In today’s rapidly evolving world, integrating technology in educational settings has become essential to foster innovation and prepare students for future challenges. However, simply introducing technology into classrooms is not enough; it must be planned out thoughtfully and meaningfully, with all departments involved. Far too often, the school’s IT department is brought on at the end of the process, without any prior knowledge of the product or service that is being introduced. This session will explore the importance of involving the school’s IT department in all technology initiatives in schools from the beginning. It will highlight the crucial role the IT department plays by understanding how to leverage their practical and technical knowledge to overcome implementation challenges.

The IT department consistently spends a significant amount of time planning and preparing for introducing new technology, including considering the effects it will have on the end-users (stakeholders). During the onboarding and installation process, the IT department monitors and evaluates, in real-time, to determine if any immediate deficiencies or issues may arise that need to be addressed before full implementation. Additionally, if involved from the onset, the IT department will gain much of the knowledge and expertise necessary to provide immediate and critical support and maintenance if and when things come up. The IT department can also provide and analyze data that can be used to determine the success of the implementation.