Additional Information
The training that's required will depend on how the job is structured.
"Theoretically, having some certification is nice, but technology coordinators
for the College of Liberal Arts are instructors first and technology coordinators
second," says David M. Merchant. He is both an English instructor and a technology
coordinator for the School of Literature and Language at Louisiana Tech University.
"Consequently, the education required is a master's in the area the instructor
will teach, with either additional education and/or experience involving tech
support."
If you're aiming at a senior administrative post, you might want to consider
a graduate degree in educational technology.
"I had completed my master's in educational technology and design, and
this led to more involvement with the division and our online programming,"
says Darren Gasper. He is the superintendent of education for a rural school
division.
"When I moved into a superintendent role, this experience and educational
background made the technology department and Integration program a good fit."
No matter what you study, be sure to work on your customer relations skills.
"Too many tech support people do not know how to communicate with non-tech
people," says Merchant. "Good communication can speed up troubleshooting or
meeting the technology needs of their non-tech faculty and staff."
Gasper agrees. "[A]s much as the skills and knowledge of IT are important,
our best people in this role are really good listeners," he says. "It's
tough to find people who have both a strong technical background and understand
the needs of a classroom from an educator/end user perspective. Those that
can listen to their clients and communicate back and forth are the most successful."
"I don't think training alone is enough," says Lisa Read. She's the technology
coordinator for a school district. "Natural aptitude and the ability to see
ways to leverage technology inventively [are also important]."