Talking Tech with Russ Jarowski

 
As we observe the Hour of Code here at CSW — a global celebration designed to broaden participation in the field of computer science — I thought I would take this opportunity to introduce you to Russ Jarowski, CSW’s Director of Strategic Technology. Russ came to CSW from the Berkshire Art and Technology Charter School in Adams, Massachusetts. Prior to this, Russ was Director of Technology at Miss Hall’s School (Pittsfield, MA). Russ holds two degrees from the University of Maryland/Baltimore, an M.S. in Human-Centered Computing and a B.S. in Information Systems. He is an active member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), and the International Society of Technology and Education (ISTE). Read on for a Q&A with Russ about his role here at CSW.

What are some of your goals as Director of Strategic Technology?

I was fortunate to come in with the school’s strategic plan already in process, so that’s provided me with a lot of guidance. A key part of the plan has to do with technology and systems, and the building of foundational infrastructure that will serve the school for years to come. My work has involved proactive research and the evaluation of new and emerging digital trends and capabilities. We want to maximize tech investment with an eye on cost-effectiveness.
I’m also hoping to establish and publish revised policies, procedures, and metrics for success.

What are your favorite parts of the job?

No day is the same here, and I love that. I really enjoy being able to interact with people from many different departments and disciplines, and I’ve been really impressed by the willingness of people here to come together and solve problems. I’m part of a group on campus dedicated to streamlining data and communications at CSW, and the people on that team are always ready and willing to pitch in and help tackle the questions that arise from our conversations. It’s nice to be able to work as a cohesive team and work together towards a common cause.

How do CSW’s values as a progressive school impact the work you do here?

At the end of the day, everything I do here is student-centered. I want to provide technology that enables students to explore the subjects they are studying. So that’s always on my mind. I’m always pushing to discover how technology can help further the student-centered ideology.

I also believe that the advantages of computer science and technology should be made available to everyone — regardless of who they are or where they come from. Steve Jobs once shared his belief that computer science should be a liberal art, and that everyone should have programming as part of their education. I agree that exposure is so important, so that people can realize that computer science really isn’t so intimidating. Anyone can learn, and not just a select few.

What’s been one of the highlights so far?

I’ve really enjoyed working with students here. Ivan Nikitovic '19 has been doing his student service work with me, and he’s been able to provide me with so much insight into what technology students here are exploring and using. I’ve also been so impressed by his ingenuity. He recently showed me that he took two broken computers, and used them to create one working computer.

Any tech tips or recommendations?

I like the Chrome extension called “The Great Suspender.” It enables people with multiple tabs open to put the tabs they aren’t using to “sleep” so they don’t use up as many resources. Tabs remain asleep until you manually wake them up. I have recommended this extension to several of our Faculty and Staff.

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CSW—a gender-inclusive day and boarding school for grades 9-12—is a national leader in progressive education. We live out our values of inquiry-based learning, student agency, and embracing diverse perspectives in every aspect of our student experience. Young people come to CSW to learn how to learn and then put what they learn into action—essential skills they carry into their futures as doers, makers, innovators, leaders, and exceptional humans who do meaningful work in the world.