Jeff Denton and Gail Leslie DB Summit 2016 A TWG By Any Other Name is Not a Wiki…And Other Thoughts About Technology Jeff Denton and Gail Leslie DB Summit 2016 nationaldb.org info@nationaldb.org The contents of this presentation were developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education #H326T130013. However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Teaching Research Institute, nor the US Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. Project Officer, Jo Ann McCann.

Outcomes How network communication happens Review of organization and purpose of NCDB website as network tool Generate Ideas for Future Organizing our digital assets for Just In Time Delivery Making all of this work, what would help network communication and activity sharing Receptive structures for communication Expressive communication structures These are concepts that you know…and it is interesting to think about our network behaviors in these terms, understanding that we can handle more complexity as a network if we think about moving towards expressive Websites are no longer just a series of static pages with html links that allow you to go from page to page Website now are a series of applications..they allow you to do something. What is it when you come to the ncdb website, what do you want it to do what will help you accomplish what it is that you need to do. Just in Time is about efficiency, work flow, the ability get what you need when you need Explanation of how current initiatives came to be. Network - communication and technology. Purpose of the site and the tools: portal, content, knowledge building tools, types of communication, options for engagement. Where did our tools come from? Why do we have them?  

How Did We Get Here? 2011 You Told Us Thoughtful in how we proceed as community Focus on tech tools with benefit to all Standardize tools so that we all use same things Possible one stop shop for all states Maintaining relationships is important Time is an issue “There needs to be a way to push their (collaborative work spaces) use – a nice big efficient nag will be critical”

We Have Made Progress Thank You!!! Launched website in 2013 Challenges, Frustrations, Culture Change “Despite careful pilot testing, some issues simply cannot be predicted before wide scale adoption” Transparency, Voice, Flexibility, Community Platform Thank You!!!

Some Givens We need each other Working collectively: only way to build equity and meet national needs only way to move best practice throughout the network only way to build knowledge and move forward We need tech and digital tools Those tools need to fit into a work flow that works for all

Network Assets

Messaging – Receptive Comm Email Listserv Enounce Enews Notifications from the website (once a day) All things that are happening in any of your groups You can turn it off Website Notifications in real time Notifications in your profile Summary Blog Posts We do things in multiple ways across multiple platforms so that you can choose what is best for you Very tailored to you

Website Nationaldb.org

The NCDB Web Team Gail Leslie content strategy & production, visionary Elizabeth Bell video and product creation, library curation Robbin Bull messaging & communication, web governance, video production Shelby Morgan initiative support and product creation Jeff Denton website & mobile app builder, coder, visual designer

Web Team Goal Facilitate continuous knowledge and capacity building within the Deaf-Blind network by developing and delivering technology that users value and understand.

…Users Value & Understand Network technology products are easily accessed and used in your preferred work flow or environment. They deliver value or knowledge. They provide a return for the time invested in using them.

Unique Challenges Most websites have millions of potential users. Happy to engage 10% of potential users. We have a small potential user base but must engage every user. Our network functions best when everyone can contribute or gain knowledge.

We’ve Built a Lot of Stuff! 3 years into a new technology platform Used to have one read-only website Now we have: A social website that invites participation Literacy and Family Leadership sites Learning Management System (OHOA)

…And Changed Expectations

How are We Doing So Far? 1600 total registered users (NCDB website) 700 NCDB users belong to a group including 182 project staff and family specialists Over 1/3 of project staff and family specialists have contributed (up 6% from last year) Over 11,500 users/month, 130k page views/month (up 10% from last year) We’re doing alright but still have work to do.

Plan the Future We wanted to ask our primary “consumers” how we could best plan and build for the next few years. What should the next iteration of Network technology look like?

Technology and Your Work We all have a preferred way of working (workflow): organizing tasks, communicating, building knowledge and skills. Technology can align with and enhance your workflow efficiency (email, instant messaging, smartphones) It can also disrupt an otherwise good workflow.

Workflow Alignment Scale Just in Time I’ve Got Time Waste of Time This technology fits into my workflow and increases productivity with almost no effort. This technology has the potential to augment my workflow and increase productivity but takes an investment of time to gain value. This technology doesn’t align well with my workflow, takes a lot of investment, and I don’t see the value.

Activity 1 How do I perceive the NCDB website and other technologies on the Workflow Alignment Scale? This is designed to frame your thinking in preparation for Activity 2. 15 minutes Make sure to add your comments

Activity #2 With others at your table, see if you can describe 3 ideas for making NCDB technology more Just in Time. 30 minutes