Leadership Initiatives for Cyberlearning in STEM Education

University Corporation For Atmospheric Res, Boulder CO

Investigators

Abstract

In this project the NSDL Resource Center is partnering with the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) to develop and implement a K-12 Technology Leadership Certification Program focused on Chief Technology Officers (CTOs), the professionals within states and school districts most responsible for the vision, planning, and operations of educational technology systems. The intellectual merit of this project lies in its recognition that to take advantage of advances in information and communications technologies (ICT) that encourage transformative-enabling changes in the nation's education systems, there is a critical need to develop leadership within K-12 schools for innovative and effective use of cyberlearning tools and resources for STEM disciplines. Furthermore, CoSN is a critical leader in the field of K-12 technology administration and the work builds on CoSN's 18 years of experience in helping to build capacity for US school district technology CTOs and its substantive work in identifying and developing a Framework of Essential Skills of the K-12 CTOs. Through the establishment of a rigorous credentialing system that equips and empowers district technology leaders with the skills and abilities needed to position them as educational leaders (not just technology leaders), NSDL and CoSN are providing a mechanism that works within existing frameworks of state and district school systems: i) to effectively operationalize the leadership skills of the CTO, ii) to elevate and certify the CTO's professional acumen and expertise, and iii) to help administrators, teachers, and students in K-12 education integrate innovative and effective use of cyberlearning tools, resources, and capacity-building skills. The project is exerting a broad impact on the CTO professional community by helping identify leaders who are gaining interpersonal, technical, and educational skills and abilities that help instantiate effective and innovative technology use. Furthermore, this project offers a potential model for developing and evaluating similar leadership programs for curriculum supervisors, library and media specialists, pre-service education faculty, and other key constituents of the full K-16 STEM education enterprise.