Enterprise Architecture Frameworks
I started this course not even knowing there was such a thing as Enterprise Architecture. What I did know was that technology is becoming more and more important in education, yet it is being integrated into classrooms in an inconsistent way. I also knew that technology is a used in the work of the business side of the educational enterprise, as well as the classroom side of the enterprise. I also knew that training and/or professional development are a crucial component to promoting the effective use of technology in education.
Questions I had getting into the initial reading included: What is an effective method for developing a plan that supports both the “business” and the “human” needs of an educational enterprise? (In my research of the i21 Plan for San Diego Unified the two components weren’t necessarily intertwined.) Another questions was: how would a framework help an education agency to make best use of the available technology? (This is near and dear to my heart because I’m not sure we’re making the best use of the technology we have at my site.) A third question: how can all stakeholders be involved in the process of designing a framework? (I think the investment of stakeholders is crucial to its success.) and finally: how can professional development be designed that will help stakeholders understand the plan, and implement it effectively? (Once the plan is designed, what needs to happen to make sure it does what you needed it to do?)
What I have learned so far is that there are five major Enterprise Architecture Frameworks: : Zachman, TOGAF/Open Group, DoDAF, FEAF, and Gartner. Of the five Frameworks, some are specific to businesses and some are specific to government organizations. I have learned that an EA can provide the structure to make the vision of an enterprise into a reality. I have learned that Enterprise Architecture can be thought of as Strategy + Business + Technology. And I learned that there are 6 core elements that must work together: governance, methodology, framework, artifacts, standards and best practices. I think these ideas are the skeleton -- now I need to put the meat on the bones to see the fully realized body.
I started this course not even knowing there was such a thing as Enterprise Architecture. What I did know was that technology is becoming more and more important in education, yet it is being integrated into classrooms in an inconsistent way. I also knew that technology is a used in the work of the business side of the educational enterprise, as well as the classroom side of the enterprise. I also knew that training and/or professional development are a crucial component to promoting the effective use of technology in education.
Questions I had getting into the initial reading included: What is an effective method for developing a plan that supports both the “business” and the “human” needs of an educational enterprise? (In my research of the i21 Plan for San Diego Unified the two components weren’t necessarily intertwined.) Another questions was: how would a framework help an education agency to make best use of the available technology? (This is near and dear to my heart because I’m not sure we’re making the best use of the technology we have at my site.) A third question: how can all stakeholders be involved in the process of designing a framework? (I think the investment of stakeholders is crucial to its success.) and finally: how can professional development be designed that will help stakeholders understand the plan, and implement it effectively? (Once the plan is designed, what needs to happen to make sure it does what you needed it to do?)
What I have learned so far is that there are five major Enterprise Architecture Frameworks: : Zachman, TOGAF/Open Group, DoDAF, FEAF, and Gartner. Of the five Frameworks, some are specific to businesses and some are specific to government organizations. I have learned that an EA can provide the structure to make the vision of an enterprise into a reality. I have learned that Enterprise Architecture can be thought of as Strategy + Business + Technology. And I learned that there are 6 core elements that must work together: governance, methodology, framework, artifacts, standards and best practices. I think these ideas are the skeleton -- now I need to put the meat on the bones to see the fully realized body.