The Big Picture

I had never heard the term Enterprise Architecture before beginning this course.  From what I am reading in the introduction to EA it seems to be an ultimate method of planning and structuring that provides a holistic view and plan of the entire organization and how all of the various important aspects of an organization work together.This makes sense to me, as a large organization such as a school district could potentially waste a lot of money and resources if all of the various parts are making decisions separately of the organization as a whole.  I like that EA looks at the present and future of an organization so that there is vision, mission, and goals which can drive decisions across the entire organization.  EA seems to be the major reference point for the organization.  It is what links everything together in a smooth flow of operation.  Since I tend to think in metaphor (& simile), EA is the thesis statement of an organization.  Just as in an essay, every bit of writing needs to support and lead back to the thesis, so it is in an organization, every element flows from and leads back to the EA.

As a classroom teacher I never thought much about the larger decisions and policies that are made "Elsewhere."  My focus has always been my students, and any decisions and policies made at the district level that ultimately affected my daily life as a teacher were just things I had to embrace and deal with.  As I consider a career path that leads me into leadership, I completely see the necessity to learn about the big picture of education within a school district , and how the organization is run as a whole.  It is a very big shift in focus and thinking for me, so I know it will take me a bit to adjust my focus.  I will admit that it feels a little foreign and even unpleasant to shift my focus to the large organization and away from students.  It has me pondering my goals, looking at my original reasons for becoming an educator, and internally exploring my current ideas and goals as an educator.  Where can I do the most good for students? In the classroom? At the helm of a school? Contributing to the making of decisions that affect the entire organization?  These are big questions to ponder, and important ones.  I am looking forward to my journey in this class as one that will help me dig into these questions.  I will try to lean in and embrace the discomfort of learning about something that feels foreign, as it is absolutely necessary to investigate  the concept of EA for a school district because "Having a single source of reference is essential to avoiding waste and duplication in large, complex organizations" (Bernard, 2012, Location 538), and one large, over-arching structure is necessary as the only point of reference.  

References:
Bernard, S. A. (2012). An introduction to enterprise architecture.

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