Technology Directors should be Educators?

Maybe the title is misleading but what I mean is, how much of a role do your technology directors play in the educational use of technology as well as professional development and the overall pedagogy of technology use and education? It seems to me that too many districts (mine) have a disconnect between overseeing the technological needs of a district and the educational needs of a district in using that technology. What is the leadership like in your district?

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Permalink Reply by Evaggelos on January 3, 2011 at 4:56pm

What happens when you also throw the district budget in the mix? You get a terribly difficult job for the director. I am retired technology director who left because he had become a glorified technician. It really bothers me to talk about it, but school districts are not like private companies. Most districts are being run from the various central administration building offices with a top down approach. The top officials don't know what the students look like and some of them have never written a lesson plan or never taught. In addition to all that I was not a part of a bargaining unit and I hope you know what that means...you can be fired on the spot with no reason.

When I was first hired I thought I would be leading the district as an educator in the field of technology. Boy I was wrong. I missed being in the classroom. You mentioned the word pedagogy. I wonder how many people really understand the meaning of that word. I tried to be a pedagog but there were a few obstacles in front of me: my superiors, the budget, bureaucracy, to mention a few.

Now I am very happily working for a private company and I have my life back. I think technology directors have a very difficult job to do and I have a lot of empathy for them. I am sorry for being such a downer today.

Sincerely,

Evaggelos

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