Navigating tech transformations: Atikokan Literacy’s coaching success story

Is there a big technology project you need to tackle for your adult literacy program? Where should you start? According to Andrea Maggrah, executive director at Atikokan Literacy Incorporated’s Adult Learning Centre, the answer for programs in Ontario is simple: get help from an AlphaPlus technology coach.

When Andrea started working in her current position in June 2023, she was relatively new to the adult literacy field. As she got oriented to the organization, which had undergone several leadership changes, Andrea identified two potential areas for technology improvement: the website and file sharing.

“Our website was built on a platform that none of our employees had experience managing. To make content changes, we needed to work with an external person, and co-ordinating that in a timely way was a challenge,” explains Andrea. “As for document management, we were each mostly working on our local drives, and we needed to have a way to share certain types of documents. I wanted to make everyone’s life easier and more efficient — and eliminate the need to interrupt someone working with a student just to get a document!”

Connecting with a technology coach

Andrea’s search for solutions led her to the AlphaPlus website: “I saw that AlphaPlus offers coaching for adult literacy providers, so I contacted them about the cost. I was amazed to discover that there’s a group of people with this level of knowledge about both technology and adult literacy providing these services for free.”

Andrea was connected with Monika Jankowska-Pacyna. Monika is an organizational development specialist in education and technology and one of the team members who delivers one-on-one coaching. Monika and Andrea started by meeting to discuss Atikokan Literacy’s needs.

One solution for website and file management: Google tools

After their initial meeting, Andrea and Monika created a plan that outlined their priorities, the types of support Monika would provide (including guidance, training and direct hands-on support) and the frequency of their meetings. Monika suggested using Google tools for a unified solution: transitioning to Google Sites for the website and adopting Google Workspace for file and document management.

Andrea and Monika began meeting every two weeks. During their calls, Monika provided assistance, answered questions, set up next steps and then left the team to do their part until the next check-in two weeks later.

Project setbacks and delays

Implementing technology change is not always straightforward. For Monika and Andrea, hurdles and setbacks have included missing information about who managed access to the domain, difficulties making technical changes with the hosting provider and waiting periods within the Google Workspace setup. In addition, in the middle of the project, Atikokan Literacy acquired a new building. This opportunity to expand programming was good news, but it forced another pause in the technology projects.

“We ran into delays, but with the program’s patience and trust in us, we persisted,” says Monika, “Many small literacy programs are in the same situation, and we work hard to help them find their footing. We do a lot of checking, research and support, and we guide them through the changes. Our coaching support is not only about training but also about helping programs through the process when obstacles arise.”

“Monika was incredibly accommodating: if we needed to pause, she was happy to wait for us,” reflects Andrea. “And she’s on top of every challenge or question we have. Even if she doesn’t have the answer, she’s already thinking about who she can contact, refer us to and get us to the point we need to reach.”

Coaching results: Technology improvements and skill building

Today, Andrea is pleased to be making progress toward her original vision. Atikokan Literacy will soon have a new website with staff trained to manage content and updates. They will be equipped to use their newly acquired Google Sites knowledge to build additional websites for specific programs if necessary, and they are building and organizing Google folders for the team. Andrea is also starting to work with AlphaPlus on a new potential project: using digital technology to share a new curriculum with other literacy programs in the North and elsewhere.

“I’ve learned a lot from these coaching sessions, including how to do some of the processes that I didn’t have under my belt before,” says Andrea. “Knowing that a place like AlphaPlus is available to us and that we don’t have to figure it all out on our own is really amazing and valuable. If you’re apprehensive about technology change, that is the very reason to reach out and get the support of an AlphaPlus coach.”

A new round of coaching spots is open for spring 2025. Contact us to learn more about how you can implement technology change with the support of an AlphaPlus technology coach.