job title

Technology Integration Specialist, Technology Facilitator, Technology Coach, Technology Coordinator… lots of job titles for what those with degrees in instructional or educational technology do. Going back to the 90s, the usual job title was technology coordinator. The technology coordinator was mainly the person who kept all the technology working.

As we moved into the 2000s, the graduate training and expectations from K-12 administrators began to change. I remember having chats with members of my cohort at UVA about the shift from technical to curriculum support. We also discussed the possibility of a new title for the technology coordinator. Those discussions led to the article Fulfilling the Need for a Technology Integration Specialist by Mark Hofer, Barbara Chamberlin, and Tammy Scott. Definitely worth reading to see where we were in 2004 as we think about where we are today and where we are headed in the field of instructional technology.

I feel strongly that one’s job title is very important and should communicate what we do. My previous post gets at this. In searching for an image to add to this post, I ran across the thinking of George Couros, who wrote a similar piece in his blog. What we do is not about technology but about learning. Enough said/written. 🙂

I remember attending an international job fair in 2002, wondering if school leaders were looking for instructional technologists or old-style technology coordinators. It quickly became evident that many international schools had shifted as school heads said, “We need instructional leaders. We have technicians to fix things”.

The Edtech Co-Op podcast and this blog consistently describe the need to make the guiding principle in our field to be one of working to support teaching and learning, especially in the use of information, communication, and creativity. Technology is a part of the process, but the more important skills among many include design, communication, collaboration, and leadership (more on this in a future post). As for job titles, I tried in a couple of my schools to change my title to “learning or instructional specialist/coach.” I recently ran across some titles using “innovator, innovation” as part of the title, among other choices.

It will be interesting when my wife and I return to international teaching as to whether cutting-edge schools have made this change or will be up for the possibility. We hope that potential schools will have already combined library and instructional technology services into the combined Information and Communication Literacies (ICL) approach that has taken root at my last two schools in the US.

While I have written a few job descriptions for my position at schools over the years, I can say the one handed to me at my start at Washington International School is a gem. While I don’t like the job title, I do really like what the authors produced.

 

Primary School Learning & Technology Coordinator
Washington International Primary School

The Primary School Learning & Technology Coordinator is a campus-wide leadership role responsible for the effective and meaningful integration of technology across the curriculum. A member of the Information Services team, the Learning & Technology Coordinator ensures that digital tools and resources are integrated in a fashion that reflects the school’s mission and instructional objectives. Reports to: Director of Information Services

Curriculum & Instructional Coordination

  • Coordinates, assesses, and implements a sustainable plan for integrating the WIS Standards for the Connected Learner across the primary school curriculum.

  • Collaborates with Middle/Upper School Learning & Technology Coordinator and Director of Information Services to develop, implement, and sustain a preK-12 continuum of standards and instructional integration.

  • Develops, maintains, and organizes an instructional planning tool that is utilized for all IT/IL projects.

  • Leads regular meetings with instructional team to share information, identify instructional objectives, plan for instruction, and implement embedded support and coordination.

  • Collaborates with subject area leaders, curriculum coordinator and administration to plan instructional integration across the academic year.

  • Researches and explores instructional resources for implementation in the primary school curriculum.

  • Provides frequent feedback to primary school faculty members about the use of instructional technology in their curriculum.

  • Promotes ethical use of information and technology through respect for intellectual property and adhering to appropriate laws.

Instructional Resource Management

  • Collaborates with PS Librarian to ensure that use of Library is coordinated and effectively utilized for integration of standards.

  • Provides oversight of development, implementation, and assessment of all instructional technology resources on Primary School campus.

  • Advises Director of Information Services on acquisition of software, hardware, and other digital resources for implementation in curriculum.

Professional Development

  • Coordinates professional development program for Primary School faculty.

  • Assesses and communicates professional development needs and interests of Primary School teachers.

  • Collaborates with PS Librarian and Director of Information Services to offer varied and relevant professional development opportunities.

  • Provides embedded professional support for teachers, with the goal to move them across a continuum of competence and towards independence of technology use.

  • Takes initiative to develop co-teaching and instructional support framework; collaborate with faculty members to facilitate learning opportunities for all students.

  • Develop training and support materials for use of technology resources; take a lead role in coordinating, disseminating, and using these resources in professional development with faculty members.

  • Collaborate with Director of Information Services to assess professional development program on an ongoing basis.

Technical Support

  • Collaborate with Help Desk Coordinator in conducting Level I troubleshooting, where appropriate.

  • Promote and facilitate effective reporting of problems and issues to Help Desk Coordinator.

Teacher

  • Acts as a curricular leader and participates in instructional planning, including attending subject, grade level and division meetings as requested.

  • Works daily with students and staff in classrooms or project studio areas, on integrated projects that enhance technology skills.

  • Continually explores and updates knowledge and skills in pedagogy, information literacy and technology in order to enhance and expand students’ learning and achievement.

Team Member

  • As member of Information Services team, works collaboratively with team members to develop shared sense of responsibility, collaboration, and support.

  • Uses public forum to support team goals, objectives, and philosophies.

  • Participates in active communication with team members to identify issues of concern among faculty, staff, students and parents; collaborates to arrive at common solutions that will address these issues.

  • Serves as lead mentor/ coordinator in divisional IT mentorship groups.

Next Post: What we do

Image Source  Note: The idea for using this image came from George Couros.