Enterprise Architecture is an intimidating thing to jump into. First of all, I am not a business minded person. I am the first to admit that I just do not think like a businessman, and have very little interest in developing that skill. However, I do understand now that as an administrator of a school site, thinking of the school as a business is not only beneficial, but vital to the success of the school itself.
Not only is Enterprise Architecture a very interesting topic, but it is definitely not as intimidating as it was at first glance. Just like one of my first classes in this M.A. program where I opened a Law textbook, the actual material has been made very accessible, and is very applicable to my situation as a teacher and future leader at my school site.
Enterprise Architecture itself seems very intuitive, at least in its simplest form. For any enterprise to be successful, it needs to be thoughtfully organized and planned so that, "macro and micro views of how resources are to be leveraged in accomplishing the goals of the enterprise" (Bernard, pg. 38) are clearly set and followed by every department and decision that is made.
In this weeks readings I explored how the IT department at a school should probably not be the team making decisions for the entire school. Although they will definitely have an expert opinion on technology issues and goals, the decisions made for technology should ultimately be made by the Administration of the school or district. They are the ones that are charged with accounting for the school as a whole, and they need to weigh the benefits of each decision made within the departments. EA is a very top down approach, and I feel as if a school whose leadership excels in this avenue makes the goals and expectations of each department very clear.
In looking at my own school analytically, it is hard to find gaps in our structure. As a small charter school, we are very new and still evolving constantly in terms of who we want to be. We have, in my opinion, a very strong and competent leadership team in place. We have an abundance of technology and resources available. The only gap I see in in evolving how our teachers are utilizing the technology that has been placed in their classrooms. As of now, most teachers are moving their classrooms online, but only in form. The lessons are virtually the same, and we are not expanding and using technology to enhance the learning yet. It is a big step to take, but something that we are surely capable of.
References
Bernard, S. A. (2012). An Introduction to Enterprise Architecture. Bloomington, IN: AuthorHouse.
Not only is Enterprise Architecture a very interesting topic, but it is definitely not as intimidating as it was at first glance. Just like one of my first classes in this M.A. program where I opened a Law textbook, the actual material has been made very accessible, and is very applicable to my situation as a teacher and future leader at my school site.
Enterprise Architecture itself seems very intuitive, at least in its simplest form. For any enterprise to be successful, it needs to be thoughtfully organized and planned so that, "macro and micro views of how resources are to be leveraged in accomplishing the goals of the enterprise" (Bernard, pg. 38) are clearly set and followed by every department and decision that is made.
In this weeks readings I explored how the IT department at a school should probably not be the team making decisions for the entire school. Although they will definitely have an expert opinion on technology issues and goals, the decisions made for technology should ultimately be made by the Administration of the school or district. They are the ones that are charged with accounting for the school as a whole, and they need to weigh the benefits of each decision made within the departments. EA is a very top down approach, and I feel as if a school whose leadership excels in this avenue makes the goals and expectations of each department very clear.
In looking at my own school analytically, it is hard to find gaps in our structure. As a small charter school, we are very new and still evolving constantly in terms of who we want to be. We have, in my opinion, a very strong and competent leadership team in place. We have an abundance of technology and resources available. The only gap I see in in evolving how our teachers are utilizing the technology that has been placed in their classrooms. As of now, most teachers are moving their classrooms online, but only in form. The lessons are virtually the same, and we are not expanding and using technology to enhance the learning yet. It is a big step to take, but something that we are surely capable of.
References
Bernard, S. A. (2012). An Introduction to Enterprise Architecture. Bloomington, IN: AuthorHouse.