Establishing a STEAM Purchase System for Efficiently Organizing Your Educational Materials
In a groundbreaking move, Kerri Wall, Senior Digital Innovation Administrator for the School District of Indian River County in Florida, has spearheaded the development of the STEAM Checkout system. This innovative initiative aims to change how a district uses and shares its tech resources, ultimately enriching the educational experience for students.
The implementation of the STEAM Checkout system is a multi-year process, with Year One focused on inventory, Year Two on gaining buy-in and participation, and Year Three on taking ownership of the supplies and figuring out how to organise and move them.
A central manager is essential for managing and sharing the equipment of the STEAM Checkout system. The system's ultimate goal is to simplify the organisation process, reduce overall spending, and pool resources district-wide, making a multitude of devices available for use.
The STEAM Checkout system is part of a larger initiative to transform education by providing tools and ideas. By ensuring that no one person holds all the information about the technology available in a classroom, school, or the district, the system promotes equitable access to STEAM resources while simplifying logistics for educators.
To implement a centralised STEAM tech inventory system, you would need to establish a coordinated platform that manages the borrowing, tracking, and maintenance of STEAM-related technology resources across multiple schools. Key steps and features to consider include:
- A centralised database that aggregates all STEAM tech items and allows easy reservation and check-out by teachers or students.
- User accounts with roles (e.g., teachers, librarians, administrators) to manage permissions for checking out, returning, and managing inventory.
- Real-time tracking using barcode or RFID tags on equipment to quickly scan items in and out, tracking usage history, condition, and location.
- A reservation system that allows stakeholders to view availability and reserve equipment online in advance, reducing conflicts and ensuring fair access.
- Automated reminders for maintenance, overdue returns, or necessary repairs to keep equipment in good condition.
- Reporting tools that generate reports on usage patterns, high-demand items, and inventory status to optimise resource allocation.
- Training and support for staff on how to use the system and handle equipment properly.
The success of Kerri Wall's STEAM Checkout program likely derives from combining technology with clear protocols and accessible user interfaces. Though specific technical details of the program were not found, a practical approach involves choosing or customising an existing inventory management or library system with tech checkout features and integrating the system across all schools in the district for centralised control.
The STEAM Checkout system was created due to the discovery of an enormous amount of STEAM tech in closets and classrooms that was not being tracked or used effectively. A shared file was created to list the inventory of STEAM resources in each school, and professional development sessions are provided to ensure that educators are well-versed in how all available technology works.
In conclusion, the STEAM Checkout system is a unique and innovative approach to technology management and organisation in schools, with the potential to save unnecessary funds by using existing tech resources more efficiently and enriching the educational experience for students.
- Kerri Wall, a Senior Digital Innovation Administrator, has developed the STEAM Checkout system, an initiative aimed at revolutionizing the utilization and sharing of tech resources in schools for student enrichment.
- To optimize the management of the STEAM Checkout system, a central manager is indispensable, with a focus on simplifying organization, reducing spending, and pooling resources district-wide for broad availability.
- The multi-year implementation of the STEAM Checkout system consists of inventory analysis in Year One, gaining buy-in and participation in Year Two, and assuming ownership and figuring out organization in Year Three.
- By promoting equitable access to STEAM resources, the STEAM Checkout system simplifies logistics for educators, ensuring no individual knows all technology information, and streamlines the borrowing, tracking, and maintenance of STEAM-related technology resources.
- To successfully implement the centralized STEAM tech inventory system, it is essential to set up a coordinated platform that offers features such as a centralized database, user accounts with roles, real-time tracking, a reservation system, automated reminders, reporting tools, training, and support.
