1. One can only plan so much in preparation for the computer installation!

The Parks Chapel group did a fantastic job preparing for the computer installation at Parks Chapel. The group prepared (installed and updated software) on five computers, prepared Ethernet cables, researched ISP and internet hardware, and created technical documentation for the community of Parks Chapel. They even created a shared folder between all of the computers before they arrived there! The group also actively communicated with various individuals associated with the Parks Chapel site to help prepare for the installation process. That said, the group’s preparation at GSLIS did not prepare them for much of the installation process. When the group members arrived to the church they found that the church also acquired four other computers and a printer, ports on the Internet modem were not functioning, and the Ethernet cable was going to be run through the ceiling! However, the group prevailed, and their hard work and effort led to success in the end.

2. Communication between groups and sites is essential!

Initially, we had a very difficult time contacting Mrs. Mortory, who was supposed to be the main site coordinator. Eventually we did reach her, however, and she was very helpful. And through our constant communication we made sure that the Internet was already in the building by the time we got there, in addition to having the router already purchased, which saved a significant amount of time. They also kept us updated with new information, such as that they received their own desks for each computer so we didn’t have to worry about tables. Without that kind of information we would have arrived grossly confused and unprepared.

3. Communication between members in the group is essential!

A lot of the success of the Parks Chapel group can be attributed to the strong communication between group members. Whether it was late at night, during the weekend, or over Spring Break, all the members of the Parks Chapel team were actively involved in the project and were happy to fulfill their share of the work load. Members could be easily contacted, and everyone relied heavily on e-mail and phones to communicate outside of class. If not for the strong communication between members, the project would have been very difficult to complete.

4. Groups must be aware of the culture of the site community.

For the most part, the group had a solid understanding of the Parks Chapel culture. The interviews conducted during the first meeting between the group and Mrs. Tolson/Reverend Howlett gave the group a good understanding of the community and the church’s culture. However, during lunch of day two, one of the group members  opened a bag of potato chips, and started to eat, before prayer. Group members also left the lunch table before two of the church members were finished with their lunch. While these instances do not reflect terribly on the group, it would have been good for the group to adhere to the community’s cultural norms.

5. Technology implementation is only partially beneficial. Groups must teach sites how to use the technology effectively and explain how the technology can be best maintained.

The group put a lot of effort into creating user and administrator manuals that covered security, troubleshooting and maintenance but we also were aware that this technical documentation would not cover everything that may go wrong. While on-site, we explained all we could with Mrs. Tolson and the group left feeling great that we did all we could to make sure the computers were perfect and didn’t need any more work. Only a few days later, however, we received a call from Mrs. Tolson saying one of the computers wasn’t working. It turns out the monitor was not connected properly and came loose.We had not prepared Mrs. Tolson for this because we didn’t anticipate that would be a problem. We then had to explain to her how to adjust the cable.While this wasn’t anticipated, we can’t assume that everyone knows how to fix something simple like that especially since most people find the wires and cables to be intimidating.

6. A “middle man” always creates communication issues.

The team did not know what to expect in regards to the internet installation at Parks Chapel. We called and talked to Mrs. Tolsen (the middle (wo)man), who then told us what Comcast said about the internet. The team, Mrs. Tolsen, and Comcast were all on different levels of technology literacy and not always communicating clearly. Also, we talked to Mrs. Mortory, who would tell her what Mrs. Tolsen told her, which was what we had told Mrs. Tolsen with regard to the router. We then had to clarify with one another what exactly was said to make sure all were on the same page about the router.

7. Sometimes you have to go out of your comfort zone.

When working with an organization and helping them doing difficult tasks it is important to remember sometimes going outside your comfort zone may be required. In order for our group to connect the networked computers in the lab and the office computers, an ethernet cord needed to be run from the fellowship hall corner where our lab is stationed to the office.  We used a 90 foot ethernet cord that connected our computers to the Internet modem in the office.  This cable needed to be run up into the ceiling to be out of the way of the users of the lab.  In order to do this, one group member was asked to help bring the cable from one end of the church ceiling to the other.  He was up on an old ladder sliding the cable through the ceiling.  He came into contact with insulation and other hazardous material in order to get the cable across.  This was not the first thing he wanted to do but went out of his comfort zone for the benefit of the Parks Chapel organization.  In the end, our lab looked great having the cable run through the ceiling!