Ideas such as blended learning, flipped classrooms, personalized learning, and 1:1 computing have taken center stage in this upheaval of traditional learning environments. When you look at those terms, there is one underlying theme that becomes apparent. All of these ideas rely on access. Access to technology and access to the Internet, yet every day in this country, millions of students are affected by ineffective technology departments that don’t see this shift. If you don’t believe me, just ask five of your friends how they feel about the technology or the technology support staff in their district. I can almost guarantee you that at least two of those friends will not have positive things to say about their IT department. Students and staff lose countless instructional hours due to a lack of planning and inefficient operations on the part of the tech department.

The role of a technology director within a school district is rapidly changing, but many individuals in this role do not seem to comprehend this premise. This book takes a deep dive into what it takes to excel at leading technology an ever changing environment.

Technology leadership in K-12 has expanded from just designing and maintaining technology systems to understanding how your decisions will dramatically affect every student that walks through the door. It’s also a role that can no longer be done in isolation as a “one off” aspect of the district. The content consists of strategies and ideas to help other CIOs move forward with a fresh look on IT.

This book is a great addition to the COSN curriculum for the Certified Educational Technology Leadership exam. Even though its is written in a conversational format, it could be used as a companion CETL study guide. Please note, this is not an approved COSN resource. As someone who has gone through the CETL course, I believe it aligns well. Reviews of the book on Amazon also support the idea of this text as a CETL study guide.

“Mike has created a field hide for new K-12 technology leaders. I used it as a study guide for CoSN CETL certification. A fantastic book. Thank you, Mike.”