Revolutionizing TrainingDell Learning System helps Oklahoma City Public Schools take training programs further

O klahoma City Public Schools (OKCPS) adheres to its mission of “Educating Students for

Life-Long Learning and Responsible Living.” With nearly 40,000 students in the district and

79 school campuses that serve kindergarten through twelfth grade, the district is tasked

with a large responsibility. A key part of that responsibility lies in making sure its 4,500 employees

and 2,500 teachers have the right tools and resources to offer an education that will serve students

throughout their lives. Technology is a growing part of providing students with skills for success.

Instructor-led training strains district resourcesOKCPS’s small educational technology staff of six people has the overwhelming responsibility of

training 2,500 teachers in basic computer proficiencies such as Microsoft® applications, Internet usage

and SMART Board® technology. To accomplish this, they train 100 Lead Technical Educators who then

bring the training to the teachers in their schools.

While instructor-led classroom training was able to get the minimum job done, it was not efficient,

and it was full of inherent challenges. Most of the district’s courses cover the basics of using a computer

and working with the Internet and popular software applications like Microsoft Word®, Excel® and

PowerPoint®. Classroom training required a great deal of time, and basic-level courses had to be

continually offered to train incoming employees. With most resources devoted to fundamental skills

training, OKCPS could not offer more advanced training options. Plus, employees had to take time out

of their work days to go to training, and the district incurred the facilities cost of training spaces.

CustOmer OvervIew

Oklahoma City Public Schools (OKCPS)

serves approximately 40,000 elementary,

middle and high school students across

79 campuses in the Oklahoma City area.

www.okcps.com

CHALLeNGe

Traditional instructor-led training strained

OKCPS’s limited training resources. It

was also expensive and took teachers

and administrators away from their jobs.

Plus, it was impossible to set up flexible

training that fit exactly what each learner

needed when they needed it.

sOLutION

The district implemented the Dell™

Learning System (DLS), a solution

that includes hardware and software

with both pre-configured courses and

templates to design tailored courses.

BeNeFIt

OKCPS is able to make the most of its small

training staff by augmenting its classroom

instructor-led classes with online courses

and follow-up material available through

the DLS. Technology staff, teachers and

administrators can receive the training

they need when they need it.

Oklahoma City Public schools education

BACKuP/RECOvERy/ARChIvIng n PROfESSIOnAL DEvELOPMEnT n COnSOLIDATIOn n DATABASE n MAnAgEMEnT/uTILITIES n MESSAgIng n vIRTuALIZATIOn n

06DTRC105_OKCityCaseStdy-GTP.ind1 1 12/20/06 10:26:43 AM

Another challenge was that classroom training could not be easily

adapted to meet individual learner needs. This was a particular hindrance

for the district’s teacher laptop program. “Each teacher must pass a basic

computer proficiency course before we can issue a laptop computer,”

explains OKCPS Educational Technology Coordinator Dawn Danker.

“Teachers had to wait until the next course offering was scheduled before

they could receive a laptop.”

Dell Learning system puts training in learners’ handsDell™ provided OKCPS with an end-to-end Dell Learning System (DLS)

solution. The district utilized Dell’s Enterprise Installation Services team to

deploy the system and Dell Training Services to help the technology training

staff kick-off the program with the right knowledge.

Running on a Dell Powervault™ 745n network Attached Storage device,

(now available for installation on the PE2950) the DLS resides securely

behind OKCPS’s firewalls. It is preconfigured with online e-learning courses

such as IT training and professional skills. It also features a Learning

Management System that enables easy and intuitive navigation through

the e-learning programs.

Additionally, the DLS allows OKCPS to design and load their own courses

for a tailored teaching solution. “The Dell Learning System is the best thing

to come along,” Danker says. her team is able to add courses that cover

frequently-used applications such as the district’s SAP Business Systems

for payroll, purchasing and accounting. “We can incorporate video clips

and other visual tools to train administrators and teachers in a format that

helps them master the material more readily,” adds Danker.

DLs helps training staff accomplish more with much lessThe Dell Learning System has given OKCPS a remarkable tool that stretches

their technology training staff’s capabilities well beyond what was formerly

possible. While the district initially purchased the system to train its

technology personnel, Danker and her team were quick to recognize its

many other possibilities. In addition to training the district’s IT professionals

on programs such as Microsoft® Engineer and A+ Certification, the DLS

is being used to train the Lead Technology Educators as well as teachers

and administrators.

Learners can access online courses anytime. This means the district

training staff and Lead Technology Educators do not have to teach every

class which frees their time to provide technology and educational support

in other areas. Instructors can use the DLS to augment the classroom

training they do offer by providing follow-up material that learners can

review online after they have taken a class. It also helps instructors address

learner questions. They can simply refer a teacher or administrator to the

appropriate online tutorial.

furthermore, the technology staff and Lead Technology Educators have

been able to develop their own proficiencies in more advanced technology.

“They now have access to technology training beyond our standard

curriculum,” Danker shares. “DLS offers optional coursework that can be

completed on their time so they can enhance their skills.”

Also, teachers do not need to leave their classrooms to learn basic

computer proficiencies. They can simply log on over the network and move

through the coursework at their own pace. This benefit has filtered into

the laptop program by enabling teachers to receive their laptops when

they need them without waiting for the next class. “It is like providing a

technology buffet because it gives our users the ability to pick and choose

exactly what they need,” Danker shares. “It is a good place to quickly

reference a question or one small piece of how to use an application.”

From training teachers to teaching studentsOKCPS is exploring further ways that the Dell Learning System can

help them accomplish more and extend the reach of its training staff.

In addition to providing online, convenient training for technology

educators, teachers and administrators, the district is putting the DLS to

use in other scenarios.

OKCPS’s Career Technology Education lab plans to add servers to

expand DLS into the classroom and make it available as a learning tool

for students. “Information changes so quickly now that textbooks become

The Dell Learning System is the best thing to come along.”— Dawn Danker, Educational Technology Coordinator

Oklahoma City Public Schools

06DTRC105_OKCityCaseStdy-GTP.ind2 2 12/20/06 10:26:45 AM

PLACE IM-AgE hERE

December 2006

Dell cannot be responsible for errors in typography, photography or omissions. Dell, Powervault and the Dell logo are trademarks of Dell Inc. Microsoft, Word, Excel and PowerPoint are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. SMART Board is a registered trademark of SMART Technologies, Inc. Other trademarks and trade names may be used in this document to refer to either the entities claiming the marks and names or their products. Dell disclaims any proprietary interest in the marks and names of others. © 2006 Dell Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of Dell Inc. is strictly forbidden.

obsolete in less time than before,” Danker explains. By using software on

DLS in addition to traditional textbook resources, students and teachers can

stay on the cutting edge of new knowledge.

“We are just barely getting started. The Dell Learning System has served

us very well so far, and we are looking forward to implementing it in more

ways,” Danker concludes.

We are just barely getting started. The Dell Learning System has served us very well so far, and we are looking forward to implementing it in more ways.”

— Dawn Danker, Educational Technology Coordinator Oklahoma City Public Schools

HOw It wOrks

HArDwAre

• Dell™ Powervault™ 745n network Attached Storage,

Available for installation on the PE2950

sOFtwAre

• Dell Learning System

servICes

• Dell Entereprise Installation Services

• Dell Training Services

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