Leadership in Educational Technology
EDTC 801 NJCU Leadership in Educational Technology
This course is the initial intensive summer seminar for incoming doctoral cohort candidates. This is a foundation course which outlines the expectations and practices of the program. It also introduces candidates to the program’s mission of preparing effective leaders for an interdependent world.
Reflections: In this introductory course, I had the first experience experience at team building with my cohort. With all the disparate views and backgrounds, we did come out together and worked on team projects. The most exciting part of the course was the presentation of the group website. I was assigned the role of the webmaster. One lasting memory from this course was Dr. Zieger's free 'standing ovations' for those who were in need of some mood uplifting.
EDTC 802 Principles of Educational Technology Leadership
This course focuses on concepts and strategies necessary for a leader in a technologically rich learning environment. Topics include strategic planning, leadership styles, institutional change processes, and policy issues in educational technology.
Reflections: This course helped me understand how to implement large-scale technology project in a school district. It also helped me understand the leadership role in educational technology. I was also able to study mind-mapping, a strategy for learning and memorizing facts and informational text. This strategy would serve as a gateway to my research in memorization later on.
EDTC 804 - Global Issues in Educational Technology Leadership
This course will investigate educational technology through a global perspective. The issues covered will include development strategies, diversity, cultural values, and the systemic role educational technology plays in global economic development. The course will focus on a cross-cultural examination of contemporary academic and workplace skills.
Reflections: This course exposed me to issues and concerns of educational technology at a global level. I studied educational programs in Scandinavian countries. I also studied teacher evaluation processes around the world. In this course, we created a college-level technology course as a group.
EDTC 813 Using Integrated Software across the Curriculum
Students will examine the patterns of traditional use, current issues and emergent trends of digital technology in learning and develop an expertise to function as entrepreneurs in establishing new products or services. They will assess integration strategies that support and enhance educational experiences across a diverse array of learners and analyze professional development and training initiatives in technology for relevant stakeholders.
Reflections: Peter Senge was a consensus hero of this course. His book 'The Fifth Discipline' showed me how organizational thinking impacts individual thinking, or vice versa. We also created group projects for Flipped classroom instruction. This course also emphasized the importance of equity in the implementation of educational technology, so all students, regardless of their disabilities, could benefit.
EDTC 815 Administration and Supervision of Technology
This course prepares candidates to assume a leadership role and administrative responsibilities associated with technology facilitators professionals who promote the development and implementation of technology infrastructure, procedures, policies, plans, and budgets for P-12 schools. An analysis of district-wide and school curriculum needs, state agency mandates and federal imperatives as well as personnel roles and services will be conducted.
Reflections: A hands-on learning experience in groups, this course dealt with the decision-making processes in the roles of tech leaders. Creating professional development programs was of direct relevance to my professional responsibilities as a department chairperson. We also realized how budget cuts have forced classroom teachers to serve as tech coordinators across the board.
