Dear NAIS:
It is the time of year again when you solicit nominations for the NAIS Board, and it is very generous of you to do so. There are many fine educators and school supporters on the NAIS board now, but I believe there is something missing from the mix. As a fairly close observer of our terrific independent school association over the past several years, I have been increasingly awed by the growing role of our ed tech directors as a enormously valuable NAIS brain trust.
Our ed tech directors are not just expert in, and informing us about, educational technology; increasingly as you listen to them and see what they are doing, you recognize that these folks are leading the way in thinking about and guiding us fellow independent school educators
- in how learning is changing,
- in shaping schools and the classrooms of the future,
- in effective professional development for our faculties,
- in communication and collaboration among independent school educators,
- and in the nature and process of change in schools.
These folks are excellent educators and great promoters of our independent schools; as members of the board, they can and will greatly and positively influence the agenda that is set and the advances that we make for our association.
I have a list of about a dozen suggestions below, but this is by no means an exhaustive list. I am not lobbying for any particular candidate– these folks are all great– but I do want to implore our association to add an educational (or academic) technology director to the board.
Howard Levin is Director of Academic Technology at Urban School (CA), and a main contributor to that school’s excellent Center for Innovative Teaching. He is a guru, I think, about the intersection of technology and teaching, and is very thoughtful and articulate (and widely published) on how our students can and should use laptops for organizing, publishing, communicating and collaborating online.
Chris Bigenho, at Greenhill School, has been an architect of the NAIS schools of the future program at the Annual Conference, and provided a terrific service at last year’s annual conference as the mastermind of the shared blog and twitter feed for NAIS attendees. He consults widely and blogs brilliantly; he is a sharp thinker about cognitive development and draws upon that knowledge to inform and shape our understanding about technology and learning in a very impressive way.
Liz Davis is Director Academic Tech at Belmont Hill School (and let’s just say it is cool to have a woman running ed. tech at an all-boys school!). Liz writes brilliantly for her blog, the Power of Educational Technology, and she has over 4000 followers on Twitter, whichI think is the highest number I have seen for anyone inside of NAIS. I saw Liz at EdubloggerCon East, which she organized and oversaw, and I was struck as she said something that I know more and more Ed. Tech people are thinking: “I wish my title didn’t seem to limit my role to technology, because the more I think and act and lead in Academic Technology, the more I am really leading in academics broadly.”
Jason Ramsden is CTO at Ravenscroft (NC), and has been a prolific presenter (and live-blogger) at NAIS. He has thought hard about using technology for school communications, and has been a key organizer for professional development and innovation activities in the NC association of independent schools.
Demetri Orlando is now Tech Director at BB&N (MA), and is the architect and mastermind of the incredibly valuable ise-net, the independent school educators ning. For this accomplishment alone, and for the way in which it puts Demetri at the center of the conversation among independent school educators nationally, Demetri is well suited for an NAIS board seat. Demetri also blogged very interestingly about the 2010 NAIS AC. Like so many others on this list, his thinking and intellectual leadership is anything but limited to technology: he has written about professional development, the qualities of a graduate from our school, and 21st century teaching and learning.
arvind grover is director of Ed. Tech at the Hewitt School, (NY); blogs at 21 apples: learning in the 21st century; and I know him best for his work hosting (and running) a podcast with two others (below) called Ed Tech Talk: 21st century learning. In that project particularly Arvind is helping to guide and influence the conversation broadly about how our schools need to meet the needs of the fast changing world we live in.
Vinnie Vrotny is Director of Academic Technology at North Shore Country Day (IL), and blogs at Multi-Faceted Refractions. He has been a terrific presenter at the Laptop Institute, and holds a Google Teacher Academy certificate. He is part of the trio, with Arvind above and Alex below, who run the Ed Tech Talk: 21st century learning.
Alex Ragone is Director of Technology at the Collegiate School (NY), and is also a part of EdTechTalk: 21st century learning. He blogs thoughtfully at http://alexragone.wordpress.com/.
Fred Bartels is IT Director at Rye Country Day (NY), and writes frequently on the ISED List-serve. He is also the founder of a Ning, Iscoop: A Community of Independent School Teachers Exploring Online and Blended Learning. Fred is a provocative gadfly, and more than happy to challenge the status quo; he writes with a passion and fierceness not often seen in our oh-so-civil association; his membership on the NAIS board would certainly stir up those meetings!
Kerry Richardson is Director of Academic Tech at Brooklyn Friends. She has been a stimulating tweeter at NAIS annual conferences, including the POCC conference, and she is a great thinker about teaching and learning in our schools:
Richard Kassissieh is Director of Information Technology at Catlin Gabel School (OR). He blogs about technology and learning quite acutely at KassBlog.
Matt Scully is Ed. Tech Director at Providence Day School (NC), and blogs at Engage the Learner.
Sarah Hanawald, I am afraid, doesn’t quite make my list right now, but it is illustrative to recognize why she doesn’t. Previously an ed. tech director at Greensboro Day School (NC), (and were she still, she’d certainly be on this list), and still a terrific contributor to ise-net, she is now the new Academic Director at Cannon School (NC). This is something I predict will begin happening with greater frequency: our Ed. Tech directors will increasingly become our Academic Directors, and then our next generation of Heads.
I am sure I left some folks off, to whom I apologize; readers, please use the comment box to add additional suggestions.
——-
Updated:
William Stites is Tech Director at Montclair Kimberly Academy (NJ), and “blogger-in-chief” at edsocialmedia; he has been a presenter at the NAIS conferences over the years, winning the Leading Edge Award for Technology in 2004 for MKA’s online faculty development program.
Elizabeth Helfant runs Instructional Tech at Mary Institute and St. Louis Country Day School (MO). She has her own wiki devoted to professional development and a blog on Digital Learning Environments.
Dolores Gende is Instructional Tech. Director at Parish Day School (TX). She blogs at Journey in Technology.
The NAIS board at present is composed primarily of school-heads, but there are a few who are not heads. If we want our association to be governed by those who are most informed and thoughtful about the future of our schools, and most effective at communicating and networking with and throughout our association membership, we should add an educational technology director to the board!
Sincerely,
Jonathan Martin (not an educational technology director!).
21k12 
August 14, 2010 at 5:40 pm
You are so right. For some time now it has been clear that tech directors – so often hired because they understand how to connect the technological dots – have become learning specialists within our schools. The people you list are amazing educator leaders, teachers and learners.
For some years now I have been aware that it is the tech departments in our schools that harbor the learning specialists and master teachers.
Maybe it’s that “just in time” not “just in case mentality”. And my hat is off to any person who is an effective teacher of “technology” – I don’t know where they find the fortitude, endurance, patience and restraint.
August 15, 2010 at 11:32 am
This is a great list, there were all but 2 I hadn’t been following on Twitter or have known of for years… each would be great.
I think that it is becoming increasingly more important for Ed. Tech Directors or Tech Directors (depending on you organizational structure) to be involved. They touch so many different areas of school and have responsibility in supporting all areas of school to not have them at the highest levels of administration would be counterproductive.
August 15, 2010 at 1:53 pm
The men and women proposed on your list are giants in their field. I have followed most of them for years now. They have proved themselves time and time again.
August 15, 2010 at 3:53 pm
Jonathan,
What a great and timely idea and thank you for taking the time and effort to compile this wonderful list. My question now is how can we “push” this idea forward in a meaningful way to make it happen. Beyond tweeting your letter how can spread the word?
Thanks,
Brendan
August 15, 2010 at 5:30 pm
Great idea and timely. This is both a wise and refreshing approach. The role of the tech director is evolving — so let the conversation begin not only at the NAIS Board but other association boards as well.
August 15, 2010 at 7:34 pm
Thanks, Jonathan: couldn’t agree more. Please nominate any or all of these talented folks, or encourage them to self-nominate at http://www.nais.org/about/index.cfm?ItemNumber=146149&sn.ItemNumber=1483&tn.ItemNumber=76263
I’ll pass along your recommendation as well to the chair of the board and the chair of the Governance Committee.
PFB
August 16, 2010 at 12:19 pm
Wow, just to see myself up there with that list of people is such an honor! Thanks so much, Jonathan. I look forward to seeing how NAIS’ new board selections go.
August 17, 2010 at 6:23 pm
Jonathan you are too kind! I agree with Arvind, it is an honor to be included on your list. And I am also thrilled to see that I follow and have met face to face almost everyone you have mentioned. Thanks so much!
August 17, 2010 at 7:53 pm
I am honored to be included on this list, but who are we going to nominate? One of our voices should be included. Someone needs to step up and self-nominate.
Arvind, Jason, Liz, and Fred – I am calling you out.
August 17, 2010 at 8:02 pm
Matt:
I am going to put in my nominations, several of them, this weekend I think; we have until October 15. My intent, and obviously my intent is not meant to preclude anyone else’s project, is to not campaign for any individual, but rather for as many edtech nominations as we can get into NAIS, and then let the governance committee take it from there.
August 18, 2010 at 10:44 am
Jonathan-
I am honored to be included in this select group, thank you. :).
Perhaps this group itself should be the basis for an NAIS edtech committee akin to the current NYSAIS edtech committee? I will forward that idea to Pat Bassett-
August 19, 2010 at 7:07 am
Jonathan,
I am extremely humbled to have been included on your list. What a wonderful group of folks. And I am pleased to know that I follow, have connected with, or met in person the majority of the individuals listed here.
Thank you for such a thoughtful and insightful post.
Sincerely,
Jason
August 20, 2010 at 3:47 pm
Like many of the others listed in the post above, I too am humbled and honored to be included with this group. Like Jason, I have had ghe pleasure to connect and work with all of these fine folks either through our show at 21st Century Learning, in the ISeNet and Ised communities, or through other interactions.
Working with this group of individuals has pushed me and changed my outlook and I feel that I am a better educator as a result of the new connections that I have made.
I hope that someone from this group does make it to the NAIS board and represent the new changes in thinking.
August 21, 2010 at 7:36 am
Because of your blog post, I am seriously thinking of nominating myself for the NAIS board. Thanks again for including me on this amazing list of technology directors!
However, as you pointed out in your post, it looks like the entire board is made up of school Heads. Do we really think they would consider me? I don’t want to go through the effort of applying if I don’t have a chance of being considered.
August 21, 2010 at 1:40 pm
Hi Liz:
Glad you are thinking about this, and I am going to nominate you myself! I agree– maybe this is a longshot, but I thought it was worth doing. Some thoughts:
1. I wrote above that it is mostly, but not exclusively, Heads who are on the NAIS board now; there is one who is a VP-Admin and Finance.
2. Even if it were entirely Heads, one of my main points is that close observers should be noticing that some of the most creative thinking,and best collaboration and communication is happening among our Ed. Tech directors, and if the NAIS board is seriously about planning our association’s future, these are the kind of people we need on our board.
3. I would hope you will take some strong encouragement in making your application from Pat Basset (above, no. 6), our NAIS President, who says that “he couldn’t agree more” with my post, and that he will forward it to the Governance committee. That seems a pretty strong endorsement that at the minimum, the association will welcome and genuinely consider Ed. Tech director nominations!
September 15, 2010 at 5:54 pm
Thank you Jonathan,
As the one who “jumped ship,” (although that is definitely a hello wave in my photo!) I’d like to say that I am reveling in my new position, the challenges it brings and just thoroughly enjoying every day. In terms of your comments, I find that I am constantly drawing upon my former life. Ed tech requires thinking deeply about how students and teachers learn, responding to a near-constant flow of information, and delving into almost every aspect of independent school education–from early childhood assessment to alumni development.
A friend of mine is a professional futurist and I’ve often felt that ed tech types are the futurists of education. Not everyone likes that term, but it seems apt here.
Cheers! I’m honored to be among these professionals who teach me so much.
Sarah
September 16, 2010 at 4:38 am
Thanks Jonathan, I just nominated you! Your blog is inspiring. I continue to be impressed by NAIS’s leadership and guidance on issues of sustainability, diversity, and technology. Pat and everyone are doing an amazing job of shaping the national conversation around these topics.
September 28, 2010 at 9:19 am
Jonathan, I think you are right on target with your recommendation. Having someone on the NAIS board that understands the complexity of technology integration and the power of new tools to enhance our organizations would provide all members of the board with a strong foundation from which to make decisions. However, as a person who has been working with technology in schools for 46 years, I would suggest that you set out a more substantial set of qualifications for such a role. I urge you to consider that the role of a Technology Director is not as much to set Curricular Goals, but to understand and imagine the myriad ways in which schools can enhance their classrooms and systems while providing their students with the tools that will serve them in college and beyond. To that end, I think that an appropriate technology member of the NAIS board should have:
A firm Grounding in technology fundamentals: Ask the question “Does this person use and promote effective word processing standards, spreadsheet basics, presentation skills as well as promoting an active discussion of the new communication fundamentals of blogging and social networks?” If you ask a college admissions officer or a personnel manager in any current field, these are the skills they are looking for or assuming.
Does this person have education and training in how to provide education that promotes the “21st Century” skills that Howard Gardner and others discuss?” Many of your nominees talk about these skills, but is there evidence that they have any idea about specific pedagogical initiatives that promote them?
Technology in schools runs through every aspect of the organization. A skilled technology director has an understanding of planning, budget, information management, scheduling systems, library systems, personnel management systems, calendaring, and networking, No one person can be expert in all of these areas, but the ability to understand how all of these technological components impacts a school and interact allows decisions to be made in a context larger than simply “pie in the sky.” I believe that this perspective is one of the fundamental needs of any board at either the local or national level.
Finally, does this person have any technology skills? In other words, as any member of an orchestra can read music, every technology specialist should have a skilled understanding of how a technology works. I equate blogging, twittering, and word processing as simply communication avenues – just like telephone usage, they are necessary, but do not provide any evidence of technology expertise. Instead, I would hope a person nominated for this role could program or design a web page or create a database or manage a network or skillfully use digital photo or video editing tools. Combining the fundamental understanding of technology and how it can be skillfully used to create in one of these areas with system understanding would make a person a very powerful resource for any board.
Finally, I feel that one of the fundamental challenges we all face today in our country and our schools is how to identify authoritative sources of knowledge. Reading the blogs of many of the Tech Directors that you have nominated has provided very little substance. I cannot answer most of these questions from reading their blogs or listening to them at conferences. I see a lot of sizzle with no steak –“where’s the beef?” Anyone can read an article on critical thinking skills and say we should strive for more of it. World Peace would be nice too. The challenge is how to do it. Setting the targets is really an Academic Committee’s job. The skilled technology director understands both the target and the tools. With imagination and support, I agree with you that a person with the skills listed above could bring about more effective board governance.