Sam Gladstein's List: TCI508

Teacher leaders assume a wide range of roles to support school and student success. Whether these roles are assigned formally or shared informally, they build the entire school's capacity to improve. Because teachers can lead in a variety of ways, many teachers can serve as leaders among their peers.
So what are some of the leadership options available to teachers? The following 10 roles are a sampling of the many ways teachers can contribute to their schools' success

The U.S. Department of Education recently released Transforming American Education: Learning Powered by Technology. Here, Karen Cator, director of the Office of Educational Technology, talks with Educational Leadership about the highlights of that plan and the national vision for schools.

Federal ed tech funds are increasingly being used to boost teacher effectiveness, scale up successful programs, and increase academic achievement, according to a new report from the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA), a major education technology advocacy group.

Founded in the fall of 2001, the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) is the principal association serving, supporting and representing U.S. state and territorial educational technology leadership. SETDA works in partnership with like-minded individuals and organizations as a forum for inter-state collaboration, cooperation, and best practices. Learn more >

ISSUE: Knowledgeable and effective school leaders are extremely important in determining whether technology use will improve learning for all students. Many school administrators may be uncomfortable providing leadership in technology areas, however. They may be uncertain about implementing effective technology leadership strategies in ways that will improve learning, or they may believe their own knowledge of technology is inadequate to make meaningful recommendations. Because technology is credited as being a significant factor in increasing productivity in many industries, some people believe that more effective use of technology in schools could do more to improve educational opportunities and quality. Research indicates that while there are poor uses of technology in education, appropriate technology use can be very beneficial in increasing educational productivity (Byrom & Bingham, 2001; Clements & Sarama, 2003; Mann, Shakeshaft, Becker, & Kottkamp, 1999; Valdez, McNabb, Foertsch, Anderson, Hawkes, & Raack, 2000; Wenglinsky, 1998).




This Critical Issue focuses on leadership qualities of superintendents and principals, responses to change, and effective uses of technology as major themes associated with technology leadership. It is not concerned with the more technical leadership provided by information technology and network specialists, however. First, the Critical Issue will examine important findings associated with leadership in general and considerations specific to education. Next, it will provide summaries of major factors associated with change in general and their implications for education. Finally, it will examine research findings and best practices as they impact technology leadership and educational productivity.

"collection of recent research and best practices provides answers and can help
you plan the best approach for your students. The resources are divided into the
following categories:"

One of SETDA's goals is to provide members with up-to-date tools, research, and reports.  Listed below are compiled resources to assist members in the identification of best practices and state research. 

The Office of Educational Technology (OET), in the Office of the Secretary, provides leadership for transforming education through the power of technology. OET develops national educational technology policy and advocates for the transition from print-based to digital learning. OET supports the President’s and Secretary’s priorities by:

Promoting equity of access by ensuring a device for every learner and supporting broadband connections where they live and learn.
Supporting powered-up educators and a robust ecosystem of entrepreneurs and innovators.
Leading cutting-edge research in learning analytics and data to provide new types of evidence and customize and improve learning.

Connected Educators is the online home of the Connected Online Communities of Practice (COCP) project. In collaboration with a wide range of educational organizations and educators, COCP is increasing the quality, accessibility, and connectedness of existing and emerging online communities of practice.

Voices from the Learning Revolution
Welcome to the Voices from the Learning Revolution Blog. Here you'll find stories about connected and shifted learning.

Founded in 1992, the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) is the premier professional association for school district technology leaders. CoSN is committed to providing the leadership, community and advocacy tools essential for the success of these leaders. 

K-12 Online Learning: A Survey of U.S. School District Administrators explores the nature of online learning in K-12 schools and establishes base data for more extensive future studies. This study was based on a national survey of American school district chief administrators during the 2005-2006 academic year. It is one of the first studies to collect data on and compare fully online and blended learning (part online and part traditional face-to-face instruction) in K-12 schools. The distinction between fully online and blended learning is a most important refinement of previous studies on this topic.

Preparing Teachers for the
"Schools That Technology Built":
Evaluation of a Program to Train
Teachers for Virtual Schoolin

The rapid and constant pace of change in technology is creating both opportunities and challenges for schools.
The opportunities include greater access to rich, multimedia content, the increasing use of online coursetaking to offer classes not otherwise available, the widespread availability of mobile computing devices that can access the Internet, the expanding role of social networking tools for learning and professional development, and the growing interest in the power of digital games for more personalized learning.