Comparing the first desktop computers used in schools to the computing devices available to students and teachers today, one can see important differences in the nature of the computing tasks that can be done, the rapidity and ease of data sharing, and the amount of data that can be shared, as well as the senses that can be used to control computers and create digital information. These changes can be observed in trends that focused the work of school technology leaders. The original focus on installing computing power in the form of desktop computers has been replaced with a focus on installing robust local area networks that connect users to the Internet. The original focus on creating simple files and documents has been replaced with publishing rich media and making them available to vast audiences. The stereotypical “computer geek” who was rich, white, and male has been replaced with individuals from all socioeconomic groups (although some “digital divides” remain), every ethnic group, and all genders.
The transition from computer-as-a-novelty in the classroom to computer-as-a-tool vital to the strategic and logistic goals of the school is effectively complete, and that transition coincided with computing becoming a network-centric endeavor; users rarely notice the difference when using devices with different processing speeds, but they notice quickly when “the network is slow.” Networks have become essential to the consumption of and management of information in schools. Whereas previous generations of student records were stored on paper and kept in file cabinets, school registrars now manage web-based student information systems. Whereas previous generations of librarians managed long and narrow drawers filled with cards describing books in the collection, they now manage web-based catalogs and point patrons to databases containing articles published in thousands of periodicals. Whereas previous generations of students used word processing applications installed on the hard drive of the computer, they now use cloud-based word processors. Most importantly for the purposes of this book, this new dominance of the network necessitates technologists are available to design, install, and maintain the information technology infrastructure in schools.
The transition from computer-as-a-novelty in the classroom to computer-as-a-tool vital to the strategic and logistic goals of the school is effectively complete, and that transition coincided with computing becoming a network-centric endeavor; users rarely notice the difference when using devices with different processing speeds, but they notice quickly when “the network is slow.” Networks have become essential to the consumption of and management of information in schools. Whereas previous generations of student records were stored on paper and kept in file cabinets, school registrars now manage web-based student information systems. Whereas previous generations of librarians managed long and narrow drawers filled with cards describing books in the collection, they now manage web-based catalogs and point patrons to databases containing articles published in thousands of periodicals. Whereas previous generations of students used word processing applications installed on the hard drive of the computer, they now use cloud-based word processors. Most importantly for the purposes of this book, this new dominance of the network necessitates technologists are available to design, install, and maintain the information technology infrastructure in schools.