Generation TECH - Essential Conditions and Key Success Factors
Generation TECH has been run successfully in many different types of schools--large and small, urban, suburban and rural. No matter where the program is run, there are some essential conditions that greatly increase the success of the program.
School Support
- Administrators and technical support staff are aware of the Generation TECH program and will provide active support.
- Students are allowed to do tech support. (This may seem obvious, but you'd be surprised.)
- The class term is at least 15 weeks, and students are allowed to repeat the course. This curriculum is not a good choice for a "rotation" type class where students are there for 10 weeks and then cycle into another course and you never see them again. (It can work if students can return in an independent study or club situation.)
Already Have a Student Tech Team?
If you already have a student tech team you will find it easy to implement the Generation TECH curriculum. You have already solved many of the implementation hurdles that new student tech programs have. It will:
+ help you grow the team
+ create a program that will be more sustainable year to year
+ support the teacher/advisor with a national organization
+ provide assessment
+ provide powerful online tools for both students and teachers to help manage the team
Students
- Students who are placed in the class want to be there. Tech support is a commitment to peers and the community at large, much like band, sports teams, and other such electives. This class cannot succeed if used as a "dumping ground" for unwilling students.
- Efforts are made to encourage participation by a wide range of students. Achieving gender balance and attracting students who might not see themselves as "techies" broadens the program and teaches tolerance and respect for differences.
Teacher or Advisor Pre-requisites
- The Generation TECH teacher/advisor is either in charge of the day-to-day tech support at the school site or working closely with the people who are.
- The Generation TECH teacher has a moderate level of technical ability. Although the curriculum contains detailed activities, there are major differences in hardware and software at every school. The teacher needs to guide the students as they learn tech support that works for the specific computers, software, and networks at the school. Teachers who don't have expert levels of technical knowledge can still be very effective, since one of the guiding principals of this program is to teach students how to find out answers for themselves. Teachers can bring in experts for specific areas, but still need to be able to guide students in day to day activities.
- The Generation TECH teacher has knowledge of local maintenance policies, Acceptable Use Policies (AUPs), service level agreements with vendors, and warranties.
- The Generation TECH teacher is familiar with teaching in a dynamic project-based classroom. Teachers report that success involves being willing to "let go" of pre-determined curriculum and allow students to think, make mistakes, and work past frustrations.
Gathering Stakeholder Support for Student Tech Support
Generation YES participates in The Youth Technology Support Collaborative (YTSC), a group of non-profit organizations, technology companies, and professional associations, who all work to promote the successful implementation of student technology support programs in K-12 schools.
In 2004, the YTSC members created an on-line Guide for School Decision Makers, a comprehensive online guide to help adminstrators understand school tech support programs. It is designed to help decision makers define the type of program best suited to their needs based on the best practices of current practitioners.
The online guide provides background for decision makers to make a case for such a program and also determine what type of program is most appropriate to pursue. The resources section links to documents and websites with specific program development resources. The YTSC white paper: Youth Technology Support Programs: Meeting the Challenge of Technology Support in Schools (PDF), by Douglas Levin, American Institutes for Research, February 2004, provides a summary and review of programs and literature.
Generation TECH and GenYES
Since Generation TECH and GenYES have similar elements, there can be confusion about which program is the right choice for your school. This webpage compares the programs.
For More Information...
To purchase Generation TECH, or for more information on volume pricing, workshops, and training schedules, call Sylvia Martinez toll-free (888) 941-4369 x107 or contact us through the web. Click here for pricing information.
