First, we began working with our 8th grade teachers to prepare them for their 1:1 implementation in 2015-16. We began meeting with them in January to answer questions that they had about the devices, curriculum, Google Drive, and working with an LMS. We continued to meet and provide professional development, culminating with a half day PD session on using our LMS and working with Google Drive and Chromebooks in May.
About a month prior to this training, our team of Technology Integration Specialists were informed by our Director of Instructional Technology that she was leaving to work for an LMS company. We were quite shocked by this news and it created a lot of turmoil, anxiety, and uncertainty as to who would replace our leader. In May, I was asked to represent our team on the interview committee and we recommended a candidate that we felt would be a good replacement. Meanwhile a few other district office employees also announced their departure and in doing so the superintendent decided to make a few structural changes to the department. Unknown to our team at the time, the new candidate who we recommended to replace our Director of Instructional Technology was instead offered the position of Director of Curriculum for STEM.
Without knowing what was happening at the district office at this point, I thought that everything was all set for next year. We all thought we had a new Director of Instructional Technology, our EdTech team was still intact and we would move into next year and hit the ground running. I was quite surprised by what happened next. Two days before the end of the school year, as we were all looking forward to summer, the EdTech team received an email from the Chief Academic Officer. The email stated that a new position would be posted in the next day or two. The position was for Teacher on Special Assignment - Instructional Technology. HUH? What was this all about.
It turned out that one of the recently vacated positions at the district office was a bargaining unit position previously held by the Gifted Coordinator. That left the need to replace the position with another bargaining unit employee and many of my colleagues felt that I would be a great candidate. I applied and received the position in June of 2015. I am now a TOSA - Instructional Technology for the entire school district. This will keep me even more busy, but I will try to post here as much as I can.
If you serve in a similar role, please contact me as I would love to hear more about what you are doing would like to be able to support each other through this blog.
And so a new journey begins...