The Pandemic Through the Technology Department's Perspective

The 2020-2021 school year has been a year of continuous changes of not knowing what is going to happen next. Due to the changes in COVID-19 restrictions and the crawl back to normalcy, the school year in the Nutley Public School District has been reliant on technology to educate students. Mr. Viemeister, Systems Manager for the district, explains how the role of his department has been heightened during the pandemic because of how important it is to make sure every student and teacher has access to technology during an unforeseeable time. 

Throughout the fluctuation of COVID-19 cases, the school restrictions have changed from fully virtual, to hybrid scheduling, to now five half-days a week. The teachers have to be able to interact with students in the classroom and students at home on the computer at the same time. “While the frequent shifts in instructional models were certainly a challenge, hybrid instruction itself was, by far, the most challenging,” Mr. Viemeister explains. “Hybrid presents all the issues of fully-virtual instruction (complete dependence on technology to reach remote students and teachers, home bandwidth limits, audio/video issues, device issues, etc), combined with all the issues of in-person instruction (varying health restrictions, in-classroom device usage, school WiFi/bandwidth limits, remote staff with in-person students, etc).”

It has been difficult for students and teachers to adjust to complex instruction, while it has also been difficult for the Technology Department to keep up with technology's unpredictable circumstances. 

Since technology is now essential, students are constantly contacting the Technology Department with technical issues. “We deal with a wide range of tech issues every day, ranging from simple questions that can be resolved with a one-line email response, up to equipment problems that require scheduling an in-person appointment for repair or replacement of a device,” says Viemeister. Physical damage and Wifi connectivity have been the most frequent issues for students. For the Technology Department to be able to avoid the constant tech support back-up, Mr. Viemiester explains, “Based on the issues we frequently see coming in for repairs, much of the physical damage could be avoided by not leaving devices on the floor (they get stepped on by other family members), not putting devices at the bottom of bags (under heavy books/items, where the screen may crack), not carrying devices by the edge of the screen while open (hinge damage and cracked screens), and by being careful when moving a plugged-in device (yanking an attached cable can damage the charging port).”

 Mr. Viemeister also explains the difficulty of assisting technical issues that are going on in student’s homes. “While we can address in-school WiFi issues directly, connectivity at home can be more difficult to assist with, given the wide range of home WiFi equipment, configurations, and interference from neighboring networks,” says Viemiester. “Not being able to directly observe the home WiFi setup means we are limited to general advice and suggestions for at-home issues.” Although most technology issues are accidental or uncontrollable, it is important to realize how valuable each available device is during this time. 

On top of making device repair available during restrictions, one of the biggest challenges is making sure that there are available devices for everyone in the district. One of the most common tech support appointments is for students who need a loaner device while their original is being repaired, which makes available devices decrease each day. “Due to the impact globally of the pandemic on supply chains, new device orders were significantly delayed, to the point where the Chromebook refresh for 9th and 10th grade students that was originally planned for September 2020 is only happening now, in the Spring of 2021,” explains Viemiester. 

The Technology Department recognizes the importance of making flexible availability for students during a time where technology is a priority. The Technology Department makes an effort to solve problems via email or phone to avoid contact but has options for in-person support if needed. “We have been providing in-person device support since the very first week of lockdown last March, scheduling specific time slots for appointments to avoid too many people coming at once,” says Viemiester.  “Last Spring, we used the then-new outside modular classroom trailer at Spring Garden School for all appointments, and this school year we moved to using the rear (gym) doors of the John H Walker Middle School for these appointments." With social distancing in place and protective equipment available, the Technology Department is able to support students and teachers in the safest way possible. 

The Technology Department has played a huge role in the reason why students and teachers are able to continue the past two school years through the pandemic. Mr. Viemiester and his team work to make sure students and teachers can collaborate and communicate during a year that has brought many challenges.