Invisible Copiers and Printers?
In a recent article in eSchoolNews, Rob Dickson, the Executive Director of Information Management Systems at Omaha Public Schools put forward the idea that technology should be invisible. “Technology should be viewed as a utility that’s provided by the district, rather than a key driver or central focus, during implementation.”
“Just like gas, water, or electricity, the technology is the utility or the service that’s being provided,” says Dickson. “We shouldn’t be focused on the technology itself, but on the actual learning and benefits that students and teachers get from it.”
We think the copy/print environment should be thought of in the same manner — as integral infrastructure in place to help educate students. The more invisible it is on a daily basis, the better. Easy access to printed/copied pages should be the normal expectation, congruent with light switches, electrical outlets, and internet access.
Provided at the district/central office level, an invisible copy/print environment allows teachers and staff to focus on teaching instead of the devices themselves.
According to Dickson, professional development of internal IT staff is the key to achieving the “invisible technology implementation” nirvana.
For the copy/print environment, it’s about having access to expertise that can correctly evaluate the needs of the end-users, staff and administrators and exactly match functionality, performance, availability and access to those needs.
To learn about how we help districts accomplish just that, click here now.