[Tech] workflow of support

[Sameer Verma]

Hello!

So, here are a few pieces I've been working on. I'm throwing this out
to the list to get more ideas.

First, in talking with Christian and Grant about supporting work at
CACS and Everrett I've gathered a few things:

We have two or three support models: 1) Grant goes by Everrett every
Wednesday or so and keeps an eye on things. 2) Christian keeps an eye
on KIPP and CACS. They call him when something breaks. 3) Grant goes
by CACS occasionally, talks to teachers, and finds out what's broken.

If projects have to grow and maintain momentum, there needs to be a
better workflow (in my opinion) for support. Then there is the issue
of maintenance, both for software and hardware. In other words, the
workflow could change from being exclusively Christian's or Grant's
problem to becoming Partimus' problem.

Next, there is the issue of teachers and children learning newer media
and edu tools on an ongoing basis, which requires training, workshops,
etc.

I run the internship program at SF State in Information Systems. What
I have in mind is to see if I can assign one or two interns in the
Fall to Partimus, and get them to work on gathering data, and mapping
workflow both on the teacher/student side and on the volunteers side.
They will be assigned to Partimus, to work on CACS as a starter. I'd
prefer it if the interns worked via Partimus so that the outcome of
their internship can be applied to other schools as well. They'll
interview, observe, analyze and then we can figure out what's needed
- a ticketing system, inventory mgmt, etc.

As for workshops for media and edu tools, we may be able to host some
of it at SF State through a new project called "The Commons
Initiative" but I'll work on that later in the Fall. Some of this will
intersect with what I am gathering from my OLPC projects in India,
Jamaica and Madagascar, but more on that later.

Ideas? suggestions?

cheers,
Sameer
-- 
Dr. Sameer Verma, Ph.D.
Professor, Information Systems
San Francisco State University
http://verma.sfsu.edu/
http://opensource.sfsu.edu/
http://is.sfsu.edu/
http://olpcsf.org/