21st Century CIOs for 21st Century Schools
Friday, November 16th, 2007
by Antonio
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The technology landscape keeps changing and anyone working in schools over the past several years can tell you that. When I was hired as the CIO at my current school in 2002, using terms like podcasting, blogging and wikis were words very few faculty members would have recognized. Six years later, many of Worcester Academy’s teachers are experimenting with each of these read/write/web technologies looking to find new ways to use Web 2.0 to enhance the educational process. In fact, there is no question that in many of our schools, tech savvy teachers are doing the same and taking the leap into a vast realm of instructional possibilities.
Yet many researchers, educational pundits and bloggers would say that these tools are only being utilized sporadically in schools across the United States. Regardless of the size of your school, its geographic location, limited versus vast resources, the 21st century is squarely upon us, and as highlighted in a number of recent studies on the topic suggest that the potential of recent innovations in technology have gone more or less underutilized. In turn, it is believed that much of the investment our schools have made in recent years will have little systemic impact on teaching and learning. The important question for our schools clearly becomes are we able to measure and substantiate our investments in educational technology and its ability to impact the learning process? As schools face increasing costs and pressure to justify technology fees, 1 to 1 laptop programs and staffing expenses continue to rise, this question will remain squarely in the minds of many school leaders and boards. In order to prepare students adequately for the 21st century, smart, strategic and mission based decisions will be required to leverage the full potential that these rich resources have if they are to truly impact the learning process.
So why is it that when it comes to integrating technology in the classroom, many schools struggle with making the shift into the 21st century? Is it enough to simply be content with the “early adopters” and ignore the overwhelming evidence that college graduates entering the workplace will be expected to function at the highest level of technology proficiency and creative fluency. One strategy that often goes under recognized is that we may need to redefine the role and nature of technology leadership within our schools and administrative structures.
Schools have traditionally looked to technology leaders to maintain and oversee the operating of a school’s information technology systems. This included working printers, making sure that email was up and running, and that attendance could be taken. Often, the role was filled by a tech savvy teacher who found themselves neck deep in issues beyond their ability or control. At times, this created an environment where technology became a scapegoat for a host of school issues. As a result, many schools have transitioned toward the model of hiring a school Chief Information Officer or CIO who possessed an understanding of the “T” in information technology. This approach solved part of the challenge, however, in order to see education truly enter the 21st century, an emphasis on CIOs with a detailed understanding of education and a perspective on institutional strategic goals and mission must give way. Many might be asking, do such technology leaders exist?
Outside of education, IT executives must understand total cost of ownership, security, return on investment, vendors and outsourcing, and while the CIO within a school must also understand these critical issues, we need to recognize that we are in the business of teaching and learning. Our schools have become extremely sophisticated, high tech organizations, running complex relational databases, information web portals, advancement and finance systems and increasingly sophisticated network architectures. At the same time, teachers are asking for SmartBoards, blog hosting, access to Second Life, and wikis. Students and teachers produce multimedia projects, create original films, tackle design projects, evaluate and study scientific data, publish print and digital publications, and program complex robots. It is this distinction in our practice that places an enormous emphasis on the CIO to leverage and manage information technology in order to meet the mission of the school. Furthermore, Business Managers and Advancement and Admission Directors will tell you that information is the lifeblood of a school; teachers and students use it every day, administrators need to cull it in order to make data driven decisions and FIX THIS. CIOs need to embrace and capitalize on that reality, and in doing so we truly put the “I” back in CIO.
A first step should include placing technology leadership squarely at the executive leadership level, reporting within one or two levels of a school’s Superintendent or Head of School. Secondly, Attending professional development opportunities that focus on curriculum, instruction and assessment, and developing a deeper understanding of the academic program of their school is crucial. Technology leaders must work towards building stronger communication and political savvy skills in order to remain squarely at the decision making table. And lastly, they need to increase their fluency in the language of business AND education. Department chairs and curriculum coordinators use a very different vocabulary from CFOs and Business Managers.
10 Key Questions:
- Where does the current IT Director/CIO sit in the management chain?
- Are their frequent opportunities to communicate with other top leadership within the organization?
- Does the CIO sit at the executive cabinet or leadership team level of a school system?
- How and to what degree are top IT leaders in your institution beyond IT?
- Is the technology leadership participating in non-IT decisions?
- Is the CIO connected to the curriculum leaders within your school?
- How often does the CIO work directly with faculty and students?
- Does professional development focus exclusively on IT or does it include pedagogy?
- What other areas does the IT leadership oversee? Does it include communications, library and media services?
- Is the CIO allowed to provide strategies on how technology can meet institutional goals?
A better understanding that the role of CIO included business partner, classic IT support provider, integrator, informaticist, strategic thinker and educator, as well as a redefining of attributes and job description have given way to great strides at my school, and I believe can serve as the missing piece in a school’s strategic, 21st century, educational puzzle.
