This last Fall our school’s Director of Information Technology, Pete Poggione, moved on to other challenges with a new gig at Western Michigan University. To be honest…it was a difficult time for me. Pete had become a good friend during the decade that we worked together. What began with a simple meeting over some frustrations I was experiencing over lack of control in my computer lab led to 10 years of a professional collaboration that led to a greater understanding, and appreciation, for the role of technology in the classroom. I learned a lot about the management and daily workings of a school’s IT department, and Pete developed a better sense of the impactful work that teachers have, regardless of the frustrations over help desk tickets and routine troubleshooting that can often sap a lot of energy and passion. In short, we were two halves to what we thought was a better solution to managing realistic, sustainable educational change through technological means.
Enter Tony Nuismer, our school district’s new Director of Information Technology. He’s a long time veteran of school-based IT leadership, and besides having a perpetual smile on his face, he brings a lot of the same understanding about how to manage and support technology in the classroom that Pete has. So we’re in a good place, and finally able to start recording regular episodes of the podcast again, yay! I’m not sure what impact this will have on the flavor and tenor of the podcast, but I’ve enjoyed working with Tony thus far, and look forward to carrying on the work of creating positive change through educational technology with him.
Timestamps for this week’s questions:
0:55 Wait, Pete has been replaced?!
1:25 Where did Tony come from?
7:23 What had Tony been up to today?
7:45 There’s an Elvis impersonator in the district?!
9:42 Phu wants to know, why don’t Netflix accounts work on the projectors at school?
11:20 Joe Wang wants to know, what was the first song that Tony ever played?
14:05 Stump Us!
14:34 On “Saved By the Bell” what is the character A.C. Slater’s real name?
Tech Director Chat – The New Guy
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