Microsoft K-12 Technology Connection
August 1997

CONTENT HIGHLIGHTS:

In this shorter, transitional issue, you’ll find the following three articles:

1.	“Hiring a Consultant,” is an in-depth article explaining what a consultant can offer your school that a vendor or reseller can’t provide. (Also available at http://www.microsoft.com/education/k12/news/content3.htm.)

2.	Do you think teaching database skills should wait until middle or high school? Read “Teaching Database Skill to Elementary School Students” before you make up your mind. (Also available at http://www.microsoft.com/education/k12/news/content1.htm.)

3.	Finally, in “Fifth-Grade Teacher Brings the Presidents to Life,” Mary Byczek, a 21-year veteran teÿ@her, shares the integrated curriculum she has created  for her annual “Odes to the Presidents” project. (Also available at http://www.microsoft.com/education/k12/news/content2.htm.) 

1. Hiring a Consultant
Why hire a consultant? What can a consultant offer your school that a computer or software vendor can’t provide?  And why doesn’t the technology reseller have all the answers? Figuring out who to call and what options are available for technical consulting services can be as confusing as comparing the latest Internet server software. However, there are some general “rules of the road” that can make the process easier. 

By Jeff Zwier

The rapid rate of change in computing technologies has put a staggering number of new education tools in front of K–12 teachers and technology coordinators. If you believe the marketing hype, realizing your curriculum goals with these fancy new tools is as simple as making the connections and running some software. If you can’t put things together on your own, a few calls to technical support or your vendor should get you up and running.  But what do you do when your school or district experiences problems that are beyond the expertise of its staff—or its reseller?

Andy Knowlton, a teacher in Wisconsin’s Lomira School District, recently encountered this common pitfall. In this article, Knowlton shares some of his experiences with getting outside technical help and making the decision to hire a technical consultant. You’ll also hear from two professionals from the consulting world on what it takes to get good value for your consulting dollars.

But first thing first: How do you know if you need a consultant?
Vendors, Resellers and Consultants
Vendors
Most of us are familiar enough with the companies that make computers and software.  Unfortunately, we’re also quite familiar with the long waits that go along with placing a call for support! The companies that make the equipment and programs we see in our favorite electronics store are called vendors or OEMs—original equipment manufacturers; however, these companies are not equipped to provide detailed, customized assistance for every type of computing question. Rather, these companies provide support for their unique products. If you need assistance with making a product work in the context of a network or large-scale computing environment, vendors may quickly run short of the expertise to solve your problem. 

Vendors typically provide detailed information on their products to resellers, who offer technical support. Each vendor then acts as a consultant to resellers on how its product works.  In the end, it’s up to the reseller to put all the pieces together to answer difficult customer questions.

Resellers or consultants may have enough in-depth expertise in a product that a vendor will certify them as “authorized” service providers.  These certifications, such as the Microsoft Solution Provider designation, tell consumers that a vendor has tested a reseller or consultant on their product knowledge and has confidence in their ability to work effectively with the company’s hardware, software or other tools.

Resellers
The resellers who sell PCs and software to school districts are often the first “experts” contacted when problems arise. Unfortunately, as Andy Knowlton recently discovered, many of these resellers have more expertise in selling computers than in troubleshooting. (Not all resellers are vendor certified to perform troubleshooting or give suggestions on how to deploy products). Maintaining technical skills and having the business savvy to manage vendor relationships is a constant challenge for these firms. 

“Our reseller seemed as frustrated as we were in resolving our problems,” Knowlton says. “Part of the frustration was that everyone [vendors] seemed to be blaming everyone else—‘it’s not our [product’s] problem, it’s another company’s software problem’ and so on.” Knowlton expresses a common frustration among K–12 teachers: “We really don’t have anyone with the time or expertise to chase down every problem. Our [technology reseller], meanwhile, is drawing much more than a teacher’s salary, in Lomira tax dollars, trying to solve our current problem.”

Consultants
Vendors and resellers are good resources for fixing what’s broken—to a point.  But when translating nontechnical goals into technology infrastructure or building a very sophisticated system, it may be time to call in a consultant. 

In contrast to vendors and resellers, consultants focus on the application of technology rather than on the in-depth knowledge required to troubleshoot one family of products.  These professionals may be certified in one or more products, (as Microsoft Solution Providers, for example) but will concentrate on helping their clients define what needs to be done and choosing the right tools for the job.

Lomira’s Search
At the end of the 1996-97 academic year, after five “challenging” years of trying to implement technology, the district decided to take a year out and reevaluate the situation. “We decided to look at fundamentals,” says Knowlton. “Is our infrastructure correct? [We know that] curriculum needs to drive the technology: Based on what we want to teach, how do we need to shape our technology? We don’t want the technology to drive us.” 

The district has been investigating the option of hiring a consultant. At first, the process seemed easy: Get some recommendations, and make some calls.  “We came across [the initial consulting groups] through a recommendation from another school district,” says Knowlton. “They had done some past research and gave us four names.”

Then Knowlton began checking references. “The consultants said they had [worked in academic computing environments], but on checking their references, some of the academic institutions said, ‘who?’  We were kind of surprised.” 

The communication gap between the academic and technical worlds can be vast, as illustrated by the district’s reaction to its first consultant presentation. Knowlton recalls, “Everything was pretty standard … but there weren’t enough questions asked of us— ‘What are you trying to do?  What is it you want to do?’”  The emphasis the consultants brought to the presentation was based on their capabilities rather than Lomira’s needs.  “It was more or less, ‘we can do this, this and this, and this is how much it costs.” Knowlton was unimpressed.

What could the school district do to find and come to an agreement with a reputable service provider?  

Expert Advice on Hiring a Consultant
Experts reveal that there are some general “rules of the road” that can make the process easier. Margaret Bailey, an experienced consultant-educator, and Denice Olson, vice president of sales for Interim Technology, a multi-service technology consulting firm and Microsoft Solution Provider with over 2,000 consultants nationwide, share some of their insights into hiring and getting the most out of your consulting resources.  (For a quick summary of their consulting tips, see “Steps to Success,” below.)

Define Your Needs
Olson and Bailey agree that the first and most important step is defining your needs. “When you go out to buy a consultant or a consulting firm, you really need to start out by truly understanding what it is that you want to do [in technical terms],” says Bailey. That includes not only being able to state clearly how you’d like technology to perform in the classroom, but also becoming an informed consumer, familiar with the technologies that will support your goals.  Bailey explains, “Look for someone who is truly interested in partnering with you to learn about and meet your needs …who can break down your project, phase by phase, and show you not only how to reach your goals, but also how to support and maintain those systems in the future.”

Be Selective
Competition is fierce in the consulting industry, and consulting services are available in every price range and expertise.  When in doubt, Bailey recommends looking for generally accepted industry credentials or education: “If you are hiring someone to install a network, look for additional training or certification in network installation and administration.”  (For example, if you plan to install the Microsoft Windows NT® operating system, look for a consultant who is a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer for Windows NT.)  “I would avoid consultants who have only a business or educational administration degree.  Although technology may be a part of those programs, typically it is not enough exposure to have the depth of knowledge to consult on technology needs.”
Vendor certifications can give you some insight into whether a firm or an individual has the technical skills to work with your hardware and/or software. Both resellers and consultants may have a number of these certifications, such as Microsoft® Solution Provider or IBM Business Partner.  These certifications indicate that the reseller or consultant has a certain expertise level in offering services using that company’s products. However, be aware that no vendor certification will give you an idea of the quality, creativity or cost-effectiveness of the certification holder’s work.
During the consultant’s presentation, keep a checklist of key points handy.  Olson suggests that you may want to ask the following questions:
•	How long have you been in business?
•	Do you have experience with education projects? If you do not, how does your experience lend itself to successfully completing my project?
•	Are your employees full-time or sub-contractors? If you use subcontractors, how do you maintain consultant “quality”?
•	What happens after the work is done if we need additional help? (What are the costs for maintenance? For training? Whom do we call for additional services?)
•	What warranty of work do you provide?
•	Can we interview the actual consultants you would put on our site?

Olson adds a comment on the value of comparing a number of potential consultants: “Don’t be afraid to say ‘no’ to a few firms until you settle on the right mix of expertise, price and understanding of your goals.” Finally, Olson advises that you hire only as much expertise as you need to do the job: “Don’t get too impressed with a résumé. If you need [network server] software installed, you don’t need to bring in [and pay a premium for] someone who can install a wide area network.”

Ask for Referrals, and Check References
Gathering information from other schools, parents involved in the technology sector and even the local library can be useful in your consultant search. Olson encourages creativity on the part of potential clientsfor their own protection: “Don’t limit yourself to checking the references you are given.  Be comfortable with doing some homework on your own.” The Internet, your local library or a parent who has done business with your potential consultant are all valuable sources of information.

Be Assertive in Communicating Your Needs
Don’t assume that the consultant you finally select understands the academic purpose behind your technology project.  Communicate on your goals, and ask for a re-statement of your desires in the consultant’s own words. Detail your financial or knowledge limitations, and clearly describe your expectations, including appropriate conduct of consultants who may be less than familiar with K–12 academic settings.

Negotiate
Contracts and the consulting “mystique” intimidate many first-time buyers of consulting services. Olson points out that buyers typically have more power than they realize: “Remember that consulting firms make their money [to pay for consultants’ salaries, benefits and so on] on billable time. You’re in a good position to negotiate since consulting firms want to keep as many of their staff actively working on projects as possible.” If a consultant is not billing, the company is not covering that person’s labor expenses. An occasional discounted billing rate (say, $50 per hour instead of $65) for one small academic project is seen as a better strategy than letting the consultant sit idle and earn no revenue. Discounts can also often be negotiated on the basis of up-front payment of a portion of the consulting fees.

You can also often ask for an assessment of what you have—comparing existing systems to your ideal goals—for little or no charge. Many consultants and consulting firms are willing to do these assessments to avoid the frustration of taking on projects that are more complex (and expensive) than they first appeared. Such services vary dramatically from firm to firm, but all consultants are interested in activities that may lead to for-profit work in the near future.

“Any consulting firm should be willing to make an investment in ensuring your success,” says Olson. “Ask if they have a 72-hour “try before you buy” period for their clients.  If your gut instinct tells you that there is going to be an interpersonal or other problem with an individual, you should have the option of asking for someone else and not pay for that initial time. Don’t be afraid to ask for what you need—or later to make it clear that you are not happy with what you have received.” 

Define the Relationship
A common misperception can often lead to legal or tax trouble when hiring consultants, according to Bailey. “Most people who hire a consultant use the same process they use to hire an employee. But there are differences in employment status between part-time, temporary employees (such as temporary secretaries) and independent contractors.  If they [administrators] don’t note these differences, the school can get in legal or tax trouble.” 
Subtle differences in the wording of contracts can cause single consultants or small groups to fall into a legal gray area. Are the consultants actually employees?  Under certain situations, the IRS says “yes,”  which could make your school responsible for paying employment taxes. If you have questions or are unsure of what kind of employment relationship you are defining with your consulting resource, contact your district’s human resources office for advice.
Review the Work Agreement
All details of the project proposal should be in writing.  “You should see a document that describes how the consultant understands your needs, how much the project will cost and what mechanism will be used to manage costs,” says Olson.  “The requirements document should also show specifically how you will be involved in the development process, both to be sure you are getting what you need and to reduce your labor cost.”

Contracts and work agreements may vary, but both Olson and Bailey agree that the following is the minimum information that should appear in any working agreement:

1.	A description of the product or service.
2.	A listing of assumptions regarding standards (e.g., error free, to run under certain conditions); scope (e.g., size of network, software installation and customization needs, etc.); and resources (e.g., what each party will provide in support of the project including support staff, access, security, tools, etc.).
3.	A timeline describing project phases and completion dates (given that the initial assumptions of the estimate are true).
4.	A fee structure.
5.	Legal language regarding confidentiality, independent contractor status and project ownership, where appropriate. 
6.	Signature lines for both parties. 

Stay Involved in the Project
Some consultants may want to take work off-site for completion and present you with a finished, inaccessible solution whose structure is kept a mystery. Avoid purchasing these “black box” solutions. Even though you may not be technically sophisticated, you still have the right—and the obligation—to be an active participant in your technology project.  Rather than hands-on roles for yourself, you may want to identify staff members who are more technical and could benefit from coaching or mentoring. Make it your responsibility to ensure that you understand on a conceptual level what is being done, and invest time in planning for future maintenance, upgrade strategies and support. 
Keep the Future in Mind
Remember, when the consultants are gone, your students will still be there.  Be sure to ask about options for ongoing support, maintenance or future expansion before you begin your project.  Planning for future expansion is easier and less expensive if systems are installed with a long-term plan in mind. You may also need to identify other resources for the future (internal staff or other vendors) if your future development plans are beyond the scope of your consultants’ service offering. 
Consultants can help your district in the form of a little “public service” free advice, as providers of a one-time service or even as key players in the development of your Connected Learning Community.  If you take advantage of your network for referrals and do the research up front, the right consulting agreement for your technology project needs is only a matter of time.  A relatively small investment can have a lasting, positive impact on your students’ learning environment.

Steps to Success 
•	Define your needs: Outline your specific goals. Be able to describe your vision for how the tools, environment or product will work at the end of the project in clear, non-academic terms.  Use proper terms for the technologies to be used. Become an informed consumer of the relevant technologies through your own or your potential consultant’s resources.

•	Be selective.   The technology consulting industry is highly competitive.  If a potential consulting resource won’t meet your needs, keep looking.  There is a wide variety of consulting services available in every price range with expertise in every kind of project imaginable. Look for vendor certifications and specialized education to validate technical skills.
•	Ask for referrals and check references.  Seek out other districts that have utilized consultants and ask for referrals.  Be thorough in verifying the expertise and experience of potential resources, including certifications, reference letters and project descriptions.  Ask for as much information as you feel you need to make informed comparisons, and don’t be reluctant to call: Most consulting firms are happy to provide information—and even advice—over the phone without commitment.
•	Define the relationship.  Be aware of the kind of employment relationship you may be establishing—you may want to seek legal and/or tax advice before finalizing a contract, even though legal review is not necessary for a work agreement to be legally binding. Ask for detailed descriptions in writing of exactly what work will be performed and how it relates to your stated goals.  Insist on clarity and ‘when in doubt, spell it out.’
•	Be assertive in communicating your needs. Don’t assume that the consultant understands the academic purpose behind your technology project.  Communicate often about your goals and ask for a re-statement of your desires in the consultant’s own words. Detail your financial or knowledge limitations and clearly describe your expectations.
•	Negotiate. Consulting firms rely on busy consultants for revenue and are always looking for ways to balance cash flow.  Ask for discounts based on your financial constraints, limited utilization or partial payment in advance.
•	Stay involved in the project.  Accept ownership for the parts of the project you are capable of implementing and make it your responsibility to ensure that you understand on a conceptual level what is being done.
•	Keep the future in mind.  Remember, when the consultants are gone, your students will still be there.  Ask about options for ongoing support, maintenance or future expansion before you begin your project. Make sure the consultants understand your future plans so they can design easily upgraded or expanded solutions.

About the author: Jeff Zwier is a technology consultant with expertise in performance consulting, technical training, recruiting, and networking with Windows NT.  He is currently a senior consultant with Interim Technology’s Technical Communications and Training Practice in Oak Brook, Illinois. You can reach him at jzwier@msn.com.

Contributors
Margaret Bailey, Ph.D., is an experienced consultant, trainer and facilitator.  She is currently assistant professor and program chair for instructional technology at Northern Illinois University.  Her e-mail address is pbailey@niu.edu.

Andrew Knowlton is a junior high school computing instructor in the Lomira School District, Lomira, Wisconsin.  He can be reached at aknowlton@lomira.k12.wi.us.

Denice Olson is vice president of sales for Interim Technology: The Consulting Group, based in Oak Brook, Illinois. 

© 1997 Microsoft Corporation.  All rights reserved.
2. Teaching Database Skills to Elementary Students 

In an age where available information increases geometrically, it's never too soon to teach students how to organize and think about data.

By Diana Charles Stevenson 

We live in an age in which the information available to the average person is increasing exponentially every day. As information technology plays a bigger role in society, the ability to organize data and think critically about it is becoming essential for success in work as well as for responsible citizenship. In our day-to-day lives we interact more and more with databases in some form or other, whether it’s daily attendance reports, supermarket purchases or video rentals. Earning a living and running our lives increasingly depend on how we use databases to find and take advantage of important information. 

Unfortunately, many elementary teachers have not made teaching students how to use the data-handling capabilities of computers a high priority. Computers are used mostly as fancy typewriters or as drill and game machines; as a consequence, teaching database skills tends to be ignored. Students print reams of information from electronic encyclopedias without knowing how to manage and use the information in a way that supports their projects. But if they are to be successful in their scholastic and adult professional lives, students will have to be competent in collecting, managing, and using information electronically. Fortunately, they can begin developing the basic logic skills they will need early on—and without computers—as early as first or second grade.

An Early Start Smoothes the Way 
Teaching database skills to first and second graders? Isn’t that a bit young to start such a weighty topic? Not really. If you now include sorting and graphing activities as well as some simple Venn loop work in your math curriculum, then you’re already teaching database skills. To prepare students for the transition to the computer, you will need to offer a variety of sorting techniques that familiarize them with the way data is collected, sorted, analyzed, and used. 

A computer database is a collection of information that can be sorted into fields or categories by attributes—just as a box of toy blocks can be sorted into piles by color, shapes, or some other characteristic. The computer can then look for specific information as you tell it to narrow the search in the same way that Venn loop diagramming graphically shows the intersection of sets.

Practical Ways to Teach Sorting 
In the younger grades, working with attribute blocks or other manipulative pieces in many rich and varied sorting activities gives students a good start at developing the skills they’ll need to work with databases. You can enrich the activity by adding the word “field”—the database term for a category—when sorting. For example, ask students to sort their blocks “by the color field” instead of “by color,” or by the “shape field” instead of “by shape.” Represent the attribute block data with graphs, pictures and tables.

As students become adept with sorting, play “Guess My Rule” with the blocks to give students practice in using sorting rules. Make a circle on the board or with a loop of yarn on the floor. Write a sorting “rule” for the attribute blocks on an index card; for example, “All blue blocks.” Turn the card over to hide the rule. Ask the students to guess the name or sorting rule represented by the circle. They can do so by picking a block from the base pile and testing for the rule by asking whether the block belongs inside the loop. The student who guesses the rule correctly gets to make a new rule for the next round.

From the attribute blocks and their easily identified fields of color, shape and size, you can branch out to sets of things that need more thought for naming the fields—sets of buttons, for example. After exploring the similarities and dissimilarities of buttons, students have to identify fields for these objects (e.g., number of holes, color, material). This helps students start thinking flexibly about data.

Make up “junk boxes” from margarine tubs with miscellaneous bits and pieces in them: a nail, a bean, a button, a paper clip, a bread tag, a scrap of ribbon, a coin, a piece of pasta and so on. Students work in pairs. One makes up a rule for the junk—for example, “all the food.” The other student tries to guess the rule by placing a piece of junk on the upturned lid of the tub and asking, “Does this fit your rule?” If it does, it stays on the tub lid; if not, it’s placed in a discard pile. The game ends when the student guesses the rule.

Once students are proficient in sorting in one field (e.g., field “color” blue), you can extend to sorting in two fields (e.g., field “color” blue and field “size” big) with intersecting Venn loops.

When working with Venn diagrams and manipulatives, make sure you ask the students what sorting rule the diagrams represent. For the example above, the intersection of the circles represents the rule “All the big and blue shapes.” Understanding how to make a set of limiting criteria in a rule allows you to extract specific information from a database.

Games and Books 
Games can also help students use and understand the concept of limiting a search. For example, “Mystery Person” is played by sending a student outside the room while another student is picked to be the “mystery person.” The student who returns to the room must guess the identity of the mystery person by asking only “yes” or “no” questions. As the student guesses, the information from the guesses should be written on the board that everybody can see the sorting rule for identifying the mystery person while it is constructed. 

“Is the person a girl?”
“Yes, the person is a girl.” 

“Does she wear glasses?”
“Yes, the person is a girl and she wears glasses.” 

“Does she wear braces?”
“No. The person is a girl and she wears glasses, not braces.” 

A similar game, “Mystery Bag,” uses a bag holding an unknown object. Students guess its identity in the same way. 

Good picture books that use the concept of sorting are The Button Box by Marguerette Reid, How Many Snails? by Paul Gigante, and the button chapter from Arnold Lobel’s Frog and Toad Are Friends. Extension activities with these stories can involve playing “Guess My Rule” with the buttons and drawing Venn diagrams with the snails. 

The computer connections can be made in the third and fourth grades with generic database software programs such as AppleWorks or Microsoft® Works. Making sure students can sort competently and creatively at the earlier stages will give them a basis for learning how to sort and manage data—which is indeed a life skill in the information age!

Resources 

The following publication and Web sites are worth consulting for more information: 

Books 
Russell and Corwin, Sorting: Groups and Graphs (Dale Seymour Publications) 

Web Sites 
•	AIMS Activities Database at http://www.aimsedu.org/LassoLite/search.html.
•	Venn diagrams at http://sue.csc.uvic.ca/~cos/venn/venn.html.

You can e-mail Diana Charles Stevenson at dcsteve@moose.ncia.net.

© 1997 Diana Charles Stevenson. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission from the Well Connected Educator at http://www.gsh.org/wce/default.htm.
3. Fifth-Grade Teacher Brings the Presidents to Life

Software packages for classroom use have been around for years, but only when a teacher decides to use technology in a lesson plan does it become a meaningful learning tool. How do teachers begin to incorporate computers into their curricula? How do students respond? Below, a fifth-grade teacher discusses how computer use has helped a particular social studies lesson—and her students—come alive.

By Terri Casey

At St. Leo the Great School in Fairfax, Virginia, Presidents Day adds up to more than a three-day weekend for faculty and students.

Every February, about 60 fifth-graders at St. Leo’s begin work on a project called “Odes to the Presidents,” an integrated lesson that includes language arts, American history, art and computer skills. A computer on wheels is brought to the fifth-grade class for some assignments, and students also use a lab of 16 networked PCs running the Microsoft® Windows® 95 operating system. 

“This lesson used to be an examination of each president and where he fit into history, but now it incorporates much more,” says Mary Byczek, a 21-year veteran teacher who has taught fifth grade at St. Leo’s for seven years. “Now students use computers to research their president and compose an illustrated ode to him as well.”

Byczek places slips of paper containing the names and photos of all the presidents in a jar, and each student picks one. Most don’t know anything about the names they’ve drawn, says Byczek. After initial research using Encarta, students compose a six-line ode—a poem that speaks to someone with great respect and feeling, with the final line representing a farewell—to their president. 

The fifth-graders then take a field trip to the National Gallery in Washington, D.C., where they see the official portrait of each president. Later, they receive a sketch of chief executive, which they paint. Their formatted and printed odes are matted and framed with the painted sketches, and then hung in the “Hallway of Presidents” at St. Leo’s—modeled after the one at the National Gallery—which connects the elementary and junior high schools.

“For me, using Encarta helps a lot,” Byczek says. “The kids are so much more excited to use the PCs than the encyclopedias. The software seems to encourage them to be more creative in their writing and artistically—even something as simple as formatting their president’s name is something they love to do.” 

Using multimedia computers in a lesson like this helps brings the past to the present, as when students use Encarta to listen to music from their president’s era. It also lets them relive victories and tragedies, as when two girls researching John F. Kennedy’s life and administration returned from the computer lab in tears after watching a video clip of his assassination.

Byczek has found that incorporating computer use into her lessons especially benefits students with disabilities. “About eight of my students have gross motor skill problems that make it very hard for them to write. Usually, the minute they have to write something, they freeze,” she says. “But in this lesson, they could print out a beautiful ode using different shapes, fonts and colors. They felt so proud of being able to produce beautiful things.” Byczek adds that her students with attention deficit disorder have been able to focus better during lessons that involve using computers and software.

She also notices a difference in concentration and retention when the students use computers. “One student who hates to read didn’t get his president research done in the allotted time,” Byczek says. “When I asked why, he said, ‘Well, I got into reading about his administration and lost track of time.’ I expected my students to give me bits and pieces of information as they usually do when they use books, but instead they gave me tons, and they thought it was all important.”

Most of Byczek’s students don’t have a PC at home, and they continuously ask for extra time to go to the computer lab. “We can’t hog the lab, so whenever I suggest they use the encyclopedias, they just fade,” she says. “But when they go to the lab, they fire up. They get to move, to be with one or two other students at the computer and help each other. They simply love it.”

About the author: Terri Casey is a freelance writer who has written about computer technology for nearly 10 years. She was the editor of the Microsoft Education News, a higher-education quarterly that Microsoft published from 1989 to 1993.

© 1997 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.