QUESTION:
Given the demands and shortage of staff to do so, what are creative ways we can provide support for the use of instructional technology? What can be done collaboratively?

IDEAS:

1. Expand/develop programs based on MCC Student Technical Assistant
2. Organize/encourage information sharing among technology groups
3. Hardware, software, courseware
4. Cooperation/collaborations
5. International council on technology--collaborate across district
6. ITS employee group--increases professionalism, attach dollars for this group, increase pay, etc.
7. Professional growth for ITS, internships with Intel, etc., for computer/technology people--look at positive work environment
8. District technology pool
9. Internships for students with technology talent, Help Desk programs and curriculum
10. Combine media and computer services with cross-training and flexible scheduling
11. Choose products with built-in help features to enable users to become self-directed learners
12. Outsource
13. Student Technology Assistants
14. Hire staff for adequate support but not at expense of other lines with adequate compensation; create flexibility for increases in salary
15. Release time for faculty to develop
16. Contract to academic services for technology-oriented development of academic materials and use dollars for campus support; i.e., students working with faculty supervision on K-12 materials
17. Instructional technology could be anything from e-mail for a distance learning course to an overhead projector
18. Utilize faculty mentors--reward them, give them release time
19. "Just in time" give support for faculty in learning how to utilize assistants; faculty should work on a problem no longer than 15 minutes before calling for help; Cathege College uses this model
20. Need a trainer for the faculty; a room for faculty training would be nice
21. Training for faculty should be modular and cover specific, limited, well-defined subjects; good documentation should be made available to the faculty
22. Hire students or give students incentives (scholarships, experience, recognition) to act as resources for faculty and staff
23. On-line help or various types of contractual help, CDs, help desks, videos, listservs or discussion groups
24. Develop list of people with expertise to act as resources for colleges or cross-colleges
25. Multiple ways of course development--CDs, manual, video, classroom; staff and faculty take college courses
26. Cross-college collaboration and development versus every college creating their own
27. Use a mentoring system of training--first train mentors then train colleges
28. Expand DO training menu--be creative in enticing use of DO resources
29. Use students as training resources
30. Use web self-training sites--establish district-based site or web that provides self-training in technology for all employees
31. Create district of trainers/expertise throughout district
32. Assess who needs training--establish minimum standard of expertise
33. Job rotation
34. Teach students skills needed and hire back part-time when course is completed
35. Partner with private industry to teach us technology skills needed an we reciprocate with tuition wavers
36. Partner with industry to swap "skills" training (i.e., technology and English courses)
37. Partner with other colleges/universities and swap training needed--includes faculty exchanges
38. Develop RFP; identify technology training needed and use Maricopa employees as FTSE (work with legal on this)
39. Student tech assistant programs, salary and credit to assist organization, internship, college credit, work experience, portfolio (resume)
40. Collaborative training for design and implementation in district learning with CEU credit and/or release time
41. Use mentors to train in technical areas; mentors deserve incentives, e.g., release time or salaries
42. Same as above with alternative delivery, for example, web-based modules with credit, etc. incentives
43. District clearinghouse of technology based training modules with incentives for completion; financially self-sustaining by making available to outside
44. District needs to establish a true development center focusing on instruction and teaching applications and integrate
45. Centralize district training that focuses on application and must be relevant
46. More internships and mentoring; we need to adopt a TA model like universities
47. Training user to go first level troubleshooting--software glitches, check extension/connections; use student technician assistants
48. Release time for faculty to train--software applications used for classrooms and basic troubleshooting; each division/department have first-line person to do troubleshooting; depends on who is open to learning
49. More conversation with instruction "Teach a man to fish"
50. Campus-defined direction; what drives use of technology ex: onset of use of TVs in classroom; direction of college, high technology use
51. TLTRs can create functional groups to collaborate on providing support for the use of instructional technology
52. District-level trainers to work with small groups of faculty/staff--workshops at colleges
53. Faculty on reassignment with expertise do training workshops
54. Adjunct Faculty Institute--preparatory program Friday/Saturday seminars
55. Internships for students from computing classes, could assist faculty and techs
56. CTLs existing at larger colleges; MCLI could provide district-wide; shared CTLs for smaller colleges
57. Buy don't build technology; use interns/students; grow your own
58. Train an expert faculty member who becomes a mentor; just in time training
59. Train division support staff in technology; effective initial training
60. Summer Train-the-Trainer between colleges for faculty mentor
61. Videos, computer-based training, web-based training, CDs, buddy system
62. Conferences, work with groups--faculty and technology; ITP--individual tech plan; create ITP incentives and awards
63. Create priority system; create corporate, business, industry, academic institutions--collaborate, mentor, volunteer programs
64. Have specialist cross train; train-the-trainer model
65. Faculty professional growth association--use funding, etc.
66. District have experts for common technology problems
67. Back-up machines for crisis--will improve faculty/staff relations
68. Preventative maintenance--routinely inspect all equipment--perhaps midnight--6 shift--could be student workers
69. Electronic warning system to notify support when machines fail--automatic--before instructor calls
70. Rotate staff to different computers for 3-4 weeks to share knowledge and practices
71. Share with others computer innovations and tech uses
72. Provide reassign time for faculty to work cross discipline in teams
73. Possible outsource
74. Sharing technical support
75. Internship with graduate students for creativity
76. Internships (early) for potential computer techs/instructors
77. Partnerships between universities and Maricopa
78. STAs training faculty
79. Publicize and showcase technology skills of faculty; 1st week of accountability?; potential short term
80. Department chair presentations--perhaps video sessions
81. Technology exchanges between instructional faculty
82. Department projects in technological development for professional development
83. Share what you learn during professional development when you return