What follows is how I believe a technology department in a school district should be operating. Call it my vision.

Network Services

The TD (Technology Department), will provide network services. Wireless services will be available to anyone who brings in a device. Hardwired services will be for stationary desktops, which may or may not be joined to a domain.

Authentication services

The majority of staff will have desktops and or laptops that will not be controlled by an authentications service. Computer labs, business offices, and other staff as needed will fall under the control of authentication services.

Application Services

Applications services will consist of the administration, creation, and exploration of web application, in contrast to traditional applications which are restrictive when it comes to hardware and operating systems.

Hardware Support

Hardware support will be the greatest challenge with this new strategy. The TD technicians will need to stay abreast of new mobile technologies as well as be more thoroughly knowledgeable about different platforms. Apple, *nix, and windows. A training strategy will need to be implemented to guarantee that a school district’s needs are met.

Educational Technologies

This is not a new category, but needs to be addressed when it applies to the technicians of the TD. Training technicians on interactive whiteboards and other educationally driven devices will need to be increased so that these devices when purchased are supported in house rather than by the vendor. This allows for a responsive and needed TD.

The proceeding was a very limited in details vision, that if implemented would increase the use and effectiveness of technology in the classroom, while decreasing the cost and negativity of the TD. Currently, all applications and services needed by an organization can be provided through cloud services. Workstations and or laptops would not need to be of a certain operating system or grade of operating system. Operations of the TD could be greatly simplified if the appropriate technologies are implemented.