My Tech Team."On the count of three, who do YOU think was closest to a nervous breakdown this summer?"
Hello. My name is Traci House and I am the Director of Technology at Joplin Schools. Before my 18-year tenure with Joplin Schools, I served 10 years as an IBM K-12 Education Specialist. Recently I have had the privilege of contributing to the following articles:
How A Tornado Inspired Innovation In Joplin, MO Schools
Joplin Takes Digital Approach to Rebuilding Education
Joplin, Missouri, One Year Later
Emergency notification systems add features to better spread the message.
How Laptops Helped Save Joplin High School
Though I have shared our Joplin Schools story on numerous occasions about vast devastation and a remarkable rebuild effort, it is especially poignant to be giving this presentation in a city that was dealt a similar devastating blow in 2005. Comparisons between Hurricane Katrina and the EF5 tornado that ripped through Joplin, Missouri on May 22, 2011 are inevitable, as recovery efforts will continue in New Orleans and Joplin for years to come.
Those who attend “86 Days: Countdown to Operation Rising Eagle” will learn about the actions taken by school district personnel immediately following this catastrophic event, including piecing together a 23-building network infrastructure throughout the city. As all technology and textbooks were wiped out for the 2200-student high school and vocational center, swift and bold decisions were made to fast-forward the district’s 21
st Century Vision. Joplin Schools chose to implement a 1 to the World initiative, making ready newly leased facilities, including the local mall, for 2200 laptops that were distributed on the first day of school. Leadership also elected to adopt an eSource Curriculum, where teaching and learning is not dependent on any type of textbook (hardcopy or digital).
Adhering to BbWorld’s commitment to relevance for its attendees, takeaways from this session will include documentation of the many stages that Joplin Schools has undergone in the last year. You will hear terms such as disruptive, exhaustion, survival, and mental crisis; as well as triumph, game changer, and innovation. As nothing gets held back, session-goers find out what we did right and where we went wrong during this year of incredible transformation.
Stay tuned for more coming attractions from Client Presenters and visit the
BbWorld program for more information.
