Keeping Our Community Connected

Community Connected Keeping Our

By Bethany Stotler, Assistant Director of Communications and Marketing

Norko (in green) poses with Foxcroft’s tech team (l-r): Judy Gamboa, Merrilyn Saint, Alex Northrup, and Paul Mawyer.

What’s the one thing that connects all of our strategic priorities? Technology, quite literally! That is why Director of Technology Matt Norko and his team — Judy Gamboa (IT and A/V Help Desk Support), Paul Mawyer (Data & Systems Support Specialist), Alex Northrup (Director of the Innovation Lab), and Merrilyn Saint (Network Technology Specialist) — are in the process of executing a new technology plan that prioritizes flexibility and sustainability for the entire community. 1. Enhance Technology Use in the Classroom

Working collaboratively with teaching faculty and the Academic Office, Norko and his team have a two-fold approach to enhancing the learning experience from a technology standpoint — looking both at a curriculum map for tech skills by graduation and the timeline with which equipment needs to be maintained, a “refresh cycle” if you will. Aligning with Foxcroft's Portrait of a Graduate (Priority 1), the team is working to “identify the most promising technological tools and support their adoption” by pinpointing what hardware and software students should learn while at Foxcroft, in which classes, and to what extent before walking through Miss Charlotte’s Garden and out into the world.

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2. Connect All of Campus to the Foxcroft Network

Supporting the efforts behind Foxcroft's Beautiful Campus (Priority 2), over 2,500 feet of fiber optic cable were laid this past summer to continue the work of extending the Foxcroft network to the remaining parts of campus. While the inner circle of campus has access to the hard wired internal network, facilities beyond that — the Barn, Spur & Spoon, Sally's Service Center and back gate, and some employee residences, for example — have relied on the wireless third-party network for internet service. While the cable project was just one step in the process, expanding this infrastructure is essential to providing more reliable connectivity across campus — when there are network issues, Norko and his team can troubleshoot more quickly than an offsite third-party provider. Those 2,500 feet of cable have already been put to good use — the back gate and Sally's Service Center are now fully connected to the Foxcroft network! 3. Provide Flexible Software and Services

If there was ever a motto to come out of the last 18 months, “pivot” would be up there as a top contender — and moving Foxcroft’s technology resources towards flexible software and services is exactly what needs to continue in order to maintain adaptability and continuity into the future. Students and employees alike benefit from having the ability to create and consume content remotely, breaking down barriers of the past that restricted those who couldn’t be in the classroom or on campus but don’t want to fall behind in school or work. Beyond Zoom, these include:

• Loom, a screen capture software where teachers can pre-record and explain lessons; • Flipgrid, an asynchronous video messaging portal; and • Peardeck, a Google add-on that allows faculty to create selfpaced presentations with content/ knowledge checks embedded within. The pandemic certainly expedited this initiative, though it was a goal before COVID hit.

In fact, almost all of these initiatives were underway pre-COVID but were fast-tracked out of necessity during the pandemic. In addition to all of these objectives, improving network security (auditing network settings, for example) and following cybersecurity best practices in general (like streamlining login processes and establishing twofactor authentication for passwordprotected Foxcroft resources) have also become top priorities, given the evolution of the digital landscape in recent years.

Considering the depth of these undertakings, it should not come as a surprise that forward progress has also yielded challenges. While plans can be put in place, so much is out of the Tech team’s control. Take, for instance, Mother Nature — which, as Norko reflects, doesn’t always play nice with technology. “We had a thunderstorm

recently, during which some lightning strikes damaged a lot of equipment. That’s challenging because there isn’t necessarily much we can do about it, other than to replace broken equipment. But, in this case, it took out a dorm for three or four days — which is not ideal.” Outside of including maintenance contracts on equipment to defray the cost of replacement, it’s hard to plan for scenarios like this. “You never know when something unplanned is going to happen,” Norko continued. “It can be a simple fix, it can be a complex fix, but those are generally things that affect large numbers of people, which is never a good thing.” Another set of challenges can arise when looking at the typical life cycle of technology, which often includes software upgrades. While some can be routine, others are significant — and glitches or design flaws often become evident only after a change is made live. “Overall, there are benefits, and the pros outweigh the cons,” observed Norko. “Anytime you have a new anything, however, it definitely can add to people’s frustration.” And don’t forget that, on top of moving these initiatives along, Tech Support is responding to the entire Foxcroft community’s needs, not just those of students and employees but all campus residents. So how exactly do these initiatives connect back to the Strategic Plan? Truly to each priority, in some way, shape, or form. In addition to specific connections to Priorities 1 and 2 mentioned above, the initiative for more flexible software and services supports reaching more people, far and wide, emphasizing Adaptability (Priority 4) and engaging an Interconnected Community (Priority 3). We hope you’ll witness this for yourself, perhaps via livestream of an on-campus event or by learning about the innovative ideas our School implements in the future.

As technologies continue to evolve, Norko and his team will reevaluate and adjust their plans. While these initiatives outline the ideal technology priorities for today’s Foxcroft and current Strategic Plan, those plans will likely look different in the future as the needs of the School and our students change to keep up with the everevolving modern world. •

A robust and reliable network along with flexible software and services are an absolute necessity to keep our students and School competitive in an ever changing academic landscape. Planning Today for Foxcroft's Tomorrows

Katherine Tomaskovic

Director of International Student Support and English teacher

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Hometown: Philadelphia, PA Education: M.S. Ed., University of Pennsylvania; B.A., Bryn Mawr College Greatest hope for my students: To gain skills that they feel comfortable applying wherever life takes them. What excites me about the future of Foxcroft: I love to see how the environment at Foxcroft nurtures each student to find their own voice and have the opportunity to grow into a stronger version of themselves. Special skill I share with students: I'm a linguist; language is complex, beautiful, and everevolving. I share my love and curiosity about how languages work to engage students in critical thinking about our own perspectives and biases on dialects, accents, and language varieties. Surprising job I’ve had: Obituary Writer