Help using NPSTAC.org

These HELP resources describe how to use this site for many of the tasks associated with strategic technology planning for the Newton Public Schools.

Help Book

This help book contains some pages, organized in a chapter / section format, just like a book. You can see the entire book by clicking on Printer Friendly version near the page bottom.

We've also begun to develop a glossary of terms. Anytime one of these terms appears on page on this site, the first instance on the page will be followed by a Glossary ? mark that provides a hover description of that term.

FAQ

Review this collection of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) related to understanding this site the projects and content being developed on it.

Administration Help

If you have site admin privileges, you can also get help for the
installed modules at Admin Help or in the official
Drupal handbook.

NOTE: While this site is focused on strategic planning (and execution) for the NPS? Technology Advisory Council?, most of these guidelines apply to any similar kind of strategic planning, whether related to technology or NPS or neither.

NPS TAC Meeting Guidelines

This book page defines meeting norms for NPS? TAC? committees, projects and other teams. See also the sub-pages below.

Meeting Facilitation Guidelines

Before

Understand and use meeting roles as needed - Facilitator, Note Taker, Time Keeper
- e.g., the meeting facilitator is not necessarily the group leader
Prepare for the meeting (check in with group leader and any other presenters before meeting)
Publish meeting agenda, including topics to be discussed and meeting objectives to be achieved
Check the room and other logistics in advance
Make sure meetings start and end on time

During

Establish or review groundrules
Create a “parking lot” for off-agenda topics
Review the meeting agenda
Proceed through the agenda, introducing presenters and topics
Encourage input from all participants as appropriate - ensure that meeting discussion is not dominated by one or two people
Summarize the agreements made at the meeting and confirm any post-meeting commitments or action items

After

Ask for feedback on the meeting if there’s time (what went well/what could have been done differently )
Set date, time, place, and roles for next meeting
Publish meeting minutes on NPSTAC.org so that others can easily find them

Meeting Roles

At a minimum, a team needs a facilitator, a note taker, and a *timekeeper*at each meeting.

The *facilitator*conducts the meeting, follows the agenda, and summarizes discussions.

The note taker keeps a record of what
has been decided, documents who is responsible for carrying out the
tasks assigned during the meeting, and notes when the next meeting is
scheduled and where it will be held. The note taker should
provide minutes from the meeting or an outline of what has been
discussed upon the meeting's completion or at the start of the next
meeting.

The timekeeper makes sure that team members stay within the time allotted for each topic on the agenda.

Finally, it may prove useful for a team to appoint a liaison. This member keeps other teams informed about her/his team’s progress.

Individual Behaviors Guidelines

Individual Behaviors

Bring your whole self to each meeting:

Use "I" statements when participating in discussions.
Be open-minded and take time to reflect on what you have heard.
Ask your questions or raise the issues that are important to you.

Presume welcome and extend welcome:

Consider another point of view
Be respectful- acknowledge and honor each other's thoughts and feeling.
Be mindful of non-verbal cues that we are sending- posture, looks and glances.
Listen to each other, no sidebar discussions please!
Be willing to "agree to disagree".

Participation is an invitation, but listen also to the silence:

Share air-time...allow others to be in the conversation
Listen carefully to each other.
Stay on topic.
Allow time to process what you have heard.

Make a positive contribution as a participant

Take personal responsibility for the success of the meeting
Review the minutes of the previous meeting beforehand
Study the agenda and background material in advance
Complete post-meeting commitments on time
Arrive on time
Volunteer for some of the tasks assigned during the meeting
Follow the groundrules
Don’t ramble; speak succinctly
Take notes
Ask questions
Practice your listening skills
Be prepared

Use of Specific Technologies or Standards

This page is a landing place for help with how to use specific technologies or tech standards along with this npstac.org site.

Topics are listed below as child pages.

OpenID

OpenID is an industry standard that has been evolving for some time as a way for individuals to standardize their login ID and password for multiple sites.

More to come...

Signup for your OpenID

For the sake of simplicity, we've selected MyOpenID as the preferred OpenID provider. Here is the information you need to know to sign-up for your own MyOpenID account.

TBD...

After you have you OpenID

This is a stub page for linking your OpenID with your registration on NPSTAC.org.