Edgar Carrasco, Vice President of Business Development at Regpack, joined NXUnite’s panel “Studying Innovation: Technology for K-12s” with Jamie Speirs, Co-Founder of ABC Fundraising, to discuss how technology has transformed the K-12 sector and what benefits technology can provide to people within the industry.
The Significance of Technology for K-12s
Technology has made a significant impact on many industries, including the K-12 sector. Individuals such as students, teachers, parents, and staff members, are being introduced to new digital technologies now more than ever.
Understanding the K-12 sector is important. Regardless of what technology is trending at the time, people within the K-12 sector prioritize making a difference within their community. It’s not about “what’s the most popular device?” or “what is that school using?” Instead, individuals within the K-12 sector want the technology that can make their organization better.
For schools, it is crucial that individuals are able to use their technology to improve the work-life balance they have going on and have it translate it to work better for the students. The use of digital resources can be more than just an asset for daily operations; it can be a resource for students and community members and a form of security when it pertains to an individual or entire school’s data.
Determining Your School’s Needs
When the question of “what technology is best for my school?” comes up, the first thing you need to figure out is what problems do you have that technology can solve? It is best to determine what the problem is first, and then you can find a solution, or software, that is compatible with your school or staff’s needs.
For example, if your school is having trouble determining its enrollment needs or problems, ask yourself the following questions first:
- Is your school looking to increase registration and enrollment?
- Are the programs at your school affordable?
- How much time are you spending managing your enrollment?
- Who has access to all your enrollment information?
Once you determine where the problem stems from, you can move forward with searching for the solution that fits the needs of the school, the students, the parents, and anyone else involved in the process.
Getting Everyone Involved
A school is made up of much more than its students, parents, and teachers. It is a community, and there can be other contributors such as volunteers and outside organizations. When it comes to adopting something new or planning an event, such as a fundraiser, it is important to get input before a decision is going to be made.
“You can’t just come in with a big idea, hoping people will buy into it. It won’t work,” said Edgar Carrasco, VP of Business Development at Regpack.
Create a plan and ask yourself these questions:
- Who is going to be in charge?
- How will this be managed?
- What are the steps to deliver and execute the idea?
“You should be selling your idea, not forcing it upon members of your team. Get people involved to make it a collective effort,” said Jamie Speirs, Co-Founder of ABC Fundraising.
Once everyone is on board for the new idea, however, the work is over quite yet. Technology is not magic. It will not just work within seconds of choosing to incorporate it into your operations. You have to work towards it once you make the decision to adopt it.
Looking Ahead: What’s Next for K-12s?
The tide is shifting, and technology is increasingly being utilized in all aspects of life. Mobility and flexibility is the future of technology. Whether it is signing your name electronically, choosing a podcast over a CD, or paying online, technology is here to stay.
Additional Notes
Panelists