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Technology Coordinator: It's Not as Easy as You Think

When someone says technology coordinator, my first thought is someone who helps teachers and students with technology needs. I honestly never thought about all of the roles a technology coordinator must fill. According to Frazier and Hearrington (2017), this person “plays a major role in the success of a school or district” (p. 14).

Frazier and Hearrington (2017) state that some of the responsibilities of a technology coordinator include:
  • Supporting and facilitating the integration of technology
  • Providing technical support
  • Providing professional development opportunities for teachers
  • Modeling effective use of technology
  • Setting goals for the school
  • Ensuring safety measures are in place when it come to technology

Not only does the technology coordinator at my school fulfill these roles, she is also in charge of running our STEAM lab. She is responsible for planning and implementing weekly lessons for every class in our building. So not only is she responsible for all things technology, she is also responsible for all things teacher. Wow! That's a lot of responsibility!

via GIPHY

Safety

As a teacher, one of my top priorities is keeping my students safe. With all of the resources available, I now have to think about internet safety. Security and protection should be a priority of a technology coordinator also. Frazier and Hearrington (2017) believe that the technology coordinator should be concerned with “physical security, user authentications, and the training of users on their responsibilities for security of property and information” (p. 114). Shelby County Schools has firewalls in place to protect students from accessing websites or online material that is inappropriate. Teachers also have access to Securly, which allows teachers to login and see the screens of all students. Securly has many features which makes teaching with technology easier for elementary school teachers. We can push websites to students, shut down websites that students are viewing, and even send messages to students. This is really "fun" to do when a substitute is present and students think they don't have to work on the assignments that were left for them. 🤣

Another way to keep students safe is by teaching them how to be good digital citizens. This is one of the lessons taught to students by the technology coordinator. Moorefield-Lang (2020) defines digital citizenship as appropriate behavior while using technology. To ensure that teachers understand the importance of online safety, teachers at my school attended a professional development session lead by our technology coordinator. She shared Common Sense Education as a resource for digital citizenship lessons. This site has information for parents and educators. Since we are a kindergarten through second grade school, we use lots of songs and videos. Below is a video that could be shared with students learning about digital citizenship.  


I feel that students should not only be taught how to be good digital citizens, but also about being digital leaders. Sheninger (2019) believes that digital leaders use technology, along with creative thinking, to bring about change. He continues by saying that digital leaders find ways to use technology to achieve goals and to positively impact, connect with, and communicate with others. Moorefield-Lang (2020) also supports this belief by saying that we should use technology to help our world, not hinder it.

As Frazier and Hearrington (2017) point out, technology is an integral part of "teaching, learning, communications, record keeping, and all aspects of the administration of any educational enterprise" (p. 14). Therefore, it is imperative that there are knowledgeable technology coordinators available to support and teach the people in their buildings. When this happens, technology can "positively affect teaching and learning" (Frazier & Hearrington, 2017, p. 111).


References

Common Sense Education. (n.d.). Everything you need to teach digital citizenship. https://www.commonsense.org/education/digital-citizenship

Common Sense Education. (2019, August 8). We the digital citizens [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-N7lRYMmbXU

Frazier, M., & Hearrington, D. (2017). The technology coordinator’s handbook (3rd ed.). International Society for Technology in Education.

Giphy. Late night with Seth Meyers. https://media.giphy.com/media/If9DvbHHowI1SWKLae/giphy.gif

Moorefield-Lang, H. (2020). Learners’ legacies as digital citizens. Knowledge Quest, 49(1), 24–27.

PlanBook (n.d.). Digital leadership: Teaching students to shape their online communities. https://blog.planbook.com/digital-leadership/

Sheninger, E. (2019). Digital leadership: Changing paradigms for changing times (2nd ed.). Corwin.

Comments

  1. The Hi-Tech Teacher, Valerie MatsonFebruary 15, 2022 at 5:23 PM

    Dana,

    I enjoyed reading your blog about the role and responsibilities of the technology coordinator. I knew technology coordinators wear many hats, but after completing the reading and having our group discussion, I have an even deeper appreciation for them! I liked reading about your personal experience with the technology coordinator at your school, and how she works with both teachers and students. It is important for technology coordinators to provide teachers with both tools and training. "A successful professional development program allows a school district to prepare teachers (and, in turn, students) to use technology as a natural part of the curriculum" (Frazier and Hearrington, 2017, p. 38). It sounds like your school is working hard to do just that.
    One way our school system has addressed providing professional development is through micro-learning experiences with a tool called MobileMind. Kathryn Nieves describes what micro-learning is and it's benefits in a recent article published with Edutopia. She states that this type of professional development is an effective way to address the financial and time constraints associated with traditional professional development (Nieves, 2021).

    Thanks for sharing your interpretation of the material!
    -Valerie Matson

    References

    Frazier, M., & Hearrington, D. (2017). The technology coordinator’s handbook (3rd ed.). International Society for Technology in Education.

    Nieves, K. (2021, November 5). Just-in-time professional development for edtech tools. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/article/just-time-professional-development-edtech-tools

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wesley LawleyFebruary 18, 2022 at 10:36 AM

    I know you were referencing your school based Coordinator, but so much more could be added to your list -
    Supporting and facilitating the integration of technology, Providing technical support, Providing professional development opportunities for teachers, Modeling effective use of technology, Setting goals for the school, Ensuring safety measures are in place when it come to technology,
    Such As - Technology inventory, researching new items, troubleshooting that one employee that can't get into email once a week, managing student and teacher accounts for 30 programs, Providing advice on what TV, Computer, Phone, or tablet they should buy for home, Testing programs.

    I am glad that you focused on studen safety and citizenship. Many times good digital citizenship is overlooked. The students and teachers are so used to social media and being able to just say what they want, they do not realize the proper way to address people.

    ReplyDelete

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