| Savvy. To be savvy means to have know-how, ability, and
a practical grasp on how to handle something. It would be nice to be savvy
– especially about computers. Computers can be intimidating, especially
if you've never turned one on, touched a mouse, or surfed that thing called
the Internet. But it is important that we in Head Start help our staff,
our parents, and our children to become computer literate.
The first step in this process is to get a computer. This can be more
complicated than it sounds! There is an amazing amount of computer lingo
circling around that can be very confusing – have you heard phrases
such as 56K modem, megs of ram, gigabytes, or Pentium or K62 processors?
What does this all mean? (And did you ever wonder where people came up
with these words?) What you probably want to know if you're just getting
your feet wet in the pool of technology is: what can I buy that will do
what I need it to do, that won't be outdated in two minutes, and that
won't bankrupt my program?
Well, there are a lot of questions to consider, and no two Head Start
programs will have the same answers. The two key questions are: what do
I need, and what can I afford? Think about what you want the computer
to help you accomplish. Do you want one powerful on-line computer for
your whole staff, or do you want every staff member to have access to
an on-line computer and have her or his own e-mail account? Do the computers
need to be able to share information, or are computers that are independent
of one another OK? Do you want a fast computer so you don't have to wait
long for Web pages to load or is that not a priority? After identifying
and prioritizing your needs, look at your budget. What can you afford?
When you're looking for answers, a vendor can provide helpful information
on what's available and offer recommendations on hardware, software, and
service. The challenge is to find one that is just as interested in making
you a satisfied customer as they are in making a quick sale.
Choosing a Vendor and Getting Help
The following tips will help you to select a reliable vendor.
- Get referrals from others and create a list of potential vendors.
- Ask questions about technical knowledge and level of support provided.
- Check your local Yellow Pages for display ads of computer vendors.
Display ads are expensive and may indicate that the vendor is financially
stable.
- Do preliminary phone interviews of the vendors on your list. Find
out how long the company has been in business (the longer the better),
what kind of ongoing support they provide to customers, and whether
their technicians are certified.
Computer repair certification is called "A+ Certification." There
are two major certifications for installing computer networks: Novell's
CNE or CNA (Certified Novell Engineer or Administrator), and Microsoft's
MCP or MCSE (Microsoft Certified Professional or Microsoft Certified Systems
Engineer). To ensure professional support, your vendor should have employees
with these certifications.
You might want to use essentially this same process in hiring a consultant
to help you review your computer needs and determine what system would
work best for you. Once you have your consultant vendor list narrowed
down to a few finalists, schedule appointments with each. Ask them to
visit your program to discuss your computer needs. Prepare a written list
of your requirements and get quotes.
The decision to choose a consultant or vendor should not be based on
cost alone, but on the total package – recommendations, length of
time in business, level of support provided, staff qualifications, and
your assessment of how well the people listened and responded to your
needs.
As you talk with your consultant or vendor about the hardware you need,
you will undoubtedly discuss the software that is suitable to your Head
Start program as well. When you're thinking about this topic, there are
some issues to consider.
Software and Licensing Issues
To determine what software your program needs, you must consider what
tasks you want the computer to be able to do. If you already use a specific
word processing program and you realize that you also need a spreadsheet
program, it probably makes sense to stick with the same manufacturer because
software programs will normally work well together. For example, if you
already use Microsoft Word for word processing, you'd probably want to
buy Microsoft Excel for your spreadsheet program.
Other factors to consider include:
- Cost.
- Do you need to buy software that runs on both Macintosh and Windows?
- Do you need a "bundled" package that includes word processing,
spreadsheet, presentation, and database
software, such as Microsoft Office or Corel Perfect Office?
- Are you going to use Head Start-specific software?
- Is your staff already familiar with a particular software program?
- Is the software manufacturer reputable?
When you buy a software package, be sure to purchase enough licenses
for each computer that will have the software. If you are buying it for
a stand-alone computer, you need only one license, which automatically
comes with the software. But to use it legally on multiple computers,
you must purchase an additional license for each additional computer –
you can't just buy one copy and load it on every computer you have.
Software licenses for networked computer systems can usually be purchased
on a "per-seat" or "per-server" basis, or under a
"site license" arrangement. The licensing arrangements available
for any given software program are completely at the discretion of the
manufacturer.
Per-seat licensing means you buy a license for each computer
workstation that will use the software. If you have ten workstations on
your network, but only five of your users require a particular software
program, then you need to buy ten licenses for that program under per-seat
licensing.
Per server licensing means you buy a license to install a software
program once on a server, and that license includes usage by a fixed number
of workstations. The software normally includes some kind of a monitor
that prevents more than the licensed number of workstations to load and
run the software simultaneously.
Site licensing means you buy a license for your entire organization,
and there is no limit to the number of workstations that can run the software
simultaneously. Site licensing is normally expensive and therefore only
cost-effective for large organizations with hundreds of workstations that
require the same software.
Computer Networking Basics
The word "server" gets us onto the topic of networking computers
so they can talk to each other and share information. As Head Start programs
seek to streamline their administrative workloads, improve information
sharing, and make the most out of available resources, more and more programs
are turning to computer networks.
What is a computer network? A network is two or more computers connected
by some communications link (e. g., cable or infrared signal) in order
to share data files, program files, or hardware devices (e. g., printers).
In contrast, a computer is a "stand alone" if it's not connected
to any other computers.
The benefit of using a network is that it allows you to share information
and resources, such as printers, data files, application programs (e.
g., word-processing or e-mail software), expensive hardware devices, or
a high-speed data line for Internet or wide-area network access. Networking
also makes it easier to schedule regular backups of critical data files
without having to rely on the individuals who use and update those files.
Networks can be configured to support everything from two computers sharing
a single printer to hundreds of computers needing to run the same application
programs against a common database. Networks become more expensive as
the complexity of the configuration increases, so it's important to select
the best network solution for your specific needs. The most common configurations
are:
- Peer-to-peer networking – a simple network in which two or more
computers are connected and each may share some, all, or none of its
resources with some or all of the other connected computers on the network.
- Client-server network – a network in which one computer is designated
as a "server" to share its resources with the other computers
(called "workstations" or "clients") linked to it.
The server is normally a high-speed, high-capacity PC. Loading all of
your primary or most expensive systems onto one server can save money,
since all of the workstations can share these resources. The server
is not normally used as a workstation, since this may create access
problems for other users on the network.
If you decide you need a network, the type you choose depends on several
factors:
- How many people in your program regularly use the computers, and do
you expect this number to grow in the future?
- Is it important to be able to share resources like printers or high-speed
data lines in order to keep costs down or for any other reason?
- Do several people in your program currently update separate copies
of the same data, and is it important to consolidate and share that
data to maintain better data integrity and credibility?
- Are you planning to install client-server software or any program
that requires a database management system (DBMS) program running on
a server (e. g., Microsoft SQL-Server or Oracle)? Plan to spend money
on network support now and in the future. You may occasionally need
to bring in a consultant or network specialist to troubleshoot and fix
any major problems that come up with the network or server. Depending
on the size and complexity of the network you choose, you may decide
to purchase a support plan if your vendor offers one. In any case, you
must budget for support, because your computers and your network will
become critical to your way of doing business once your staff is accustomed
to it.
Plugging In and Getting On-line
So now you've got your computer (or computers) set up, and you're
ready to roll. What's next? These days you can't even whisper the
word "computer" without hearing the echo of "Internet,
Internet, Internet." The Internet is growing and moving from
being solely a research tool to a community development tool. Head
Start programs can use it to access the newest trends and research
in early childhood and family-centered programming. Connecting to
the Internet is also an excellent way to retrieve current information
from local, regional, and national sources relevant to your program.
Programs are finding that technology can improve the efficiency of
everyday chores. E-mail, for example, can reduce the time and effort
it takes to schedule staff meetings or share important program information.
E-mail can also improve communication within your programs, as well
as strengthen communication with other programs in your local community,
the state, and the region. Finally, sending documents via e-mail can
reduce dependency on faxing and lower telephone costs.
How do you get plugged in? E-mail accounts are available through
an Internet Service Provider (ISP) such as AOL or a local company.
There are also numerous ways to obtain free e-mail. Juno is a popular
system for those who have a modem and do not necessarily need Internet
access. Yahoo, Hotmail, and other similar free e-mail systems allow
you to access your mail via an Internet browser. The cost of Internet
access varies widely, depending on your location and situation. Most
individuals and small organizations use the slower "dial-up"
method available through your local ISP. This means that your computer
"dials in" to the ISP each time you want to go on line.
Services usually provided include e-mail storage and Internet access
for around $20.00 per month. Medium-to large-sized organizations usually
have a full-time connection to the Internet available to workstations
through their computer network using special high-speed, digital phone
lines. The monthly cost and availability of these lines vary depending
on your local telephone service.
So Now We're Ready... Aren't We?
You have all this wonderful technology – computers and printers
and modems hooked up, linked up, and "souped-up." Are you
set? Well, no amount of wonderful equipment will help your organization
unless staff receives training and buys into using technology resources
on a regular basis. One issue many organizations face is persuading
staff members to use technology (although once they do, there's no
going back!). We all know that sometimes people need help in forming
new routines, and there are steps you can take to encourage staff
and parents to use the computer. For example, one way to encourage
staff to use their e-mail accounts is to distribute all important
memos and critical organizational information via e-mail.
If you have a network, staff should also be trained in using it.
The type and amount of training depend on the level of expertise and
comfort your staff already has with PCs. You should train one or more
persons (depending on the size of your office) as a network administrator
who can perform occasional administrative tasks, such as adding and
maintaining network user IDs and passwords, adding workstations to
the network, installing software programs, performing backups, and
so forth.
Technology is amazing and can improve your program operations in
more ways than you can imagine. Staff will also find that routine
tasks can be accomplished quickly, and that essential, up-to-date
information is at their fingertips. Perhaps most importantly, though,
bringing technology into Head Start will help to ensure that our children
and families have the tools they need to survive and thrive is this
increasingly technology-oriented world.
Bridget Shea is Information Technology Resource
Specialist at the Region VIII QIC, T: 303-369-5959, E: Bridget_
Shea@ceo.cudenver.edu.
Bernie Lagud is Information Systems Specialist at the Region IX QIC,
T: 925-935-9711, E: blagud@devassoc.com.
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