ACSA has entered into a partnership with the Consortium for School Networking, a national organization dedicated to advancing K-12 technology leadership.
Based in Washington, D.C., CoSN is the country’s premier voice for K-12 education leaders who use technology strategically to improve teaching and learning. The group provides products and services to support leadership development, advocacy, coalition building and awareness of emerging technologies.
Membership in CoSN includes technology leaders from school districts and state education agencies around the country; technology leaders who promote the use of technology for teaching and learning; policy makers interested in education technology; and private sector leaders, especially those who market technology-related products and services to education.
CoSN’s ongoing strategic focus includes leadership development, advocacy, coalition building and emerging technology. One of the organization’s key initiatives is “Empowering the 21st Century Superintendent,” which provides superintendents with the latest tools and resources they need to understand the transformative role of education technology, and lays out a blueprint for technology leadership and action. It is centered on five key themes:
• Strengthen District Leadership and Communication.
• Raise the Bar with 21st Century Skills.
• Transform Pedagogy with Compelling Learning Environments.
• Support Professional Development and Communities of Practice.
• Create Balanced Assessments.
The relationship with CoSN began when ACSA’s Technology Leadership Group approached CoSN’s Chief Executive Officer Keith Krueger to discuss the superintendents’ initiative and a possible partnership. TLG members met with Krueger at the Leadership 3.0 Symposium last spring.
Later, CoSN received a grant from the MacArthur Foundation to explore the policy and leadership barriers to the effective use of new media in schools. A group of 30 ACSA superintendents, curriculum experts and technology directors were surveyed on the role, problems and benefits of new media in schools.
ACSA’s Kathleen McCreery said the partnership with CoSN is the result of ACSA’s goal of becoming a leader in education technology.
“Students today are connected around the clock through their personal devices such as PDAs, cell phones, etc. They communicate with one another through instant messaging, e-mails and online connections,” McCreery said. “As educators, it is important that we build on their knowledge and create a 21st century learning environment in our schools.
“Education needs to be made relevant to our students’ lives and must help to creatively prepare them for the future.”
CoSN’s five themes on Empowering the 21st Century Superintendent will be the focus of a session at ACSA’s Superintendents’ Symposium, to be held Jan. 28-30 in Monterey.
“Empowering the 21st Century Superintendent to Achieve a Culture of Transformation Through Technology” will provide a rich set of tools and resources to help superintendents create a vision for using technology systemically to expand teaching and learning to meet the dynamic needs of today’s changing school systems.
The session is facilitated by CoSN’s Joan Kowal, superintendent in residence at Nova Southeastern University, as well as five California superintendents, including ACSA Technology Leadership Group Chair Greta Viguie and members Dick Bray, Superintendency Council president; and Kevin Silberberg, former Palo Alto Research Center intern and School Leader Development trainer. To register for the Superintendents’ Symposium, visit www.acsa.org/events.
For more information on CoSN, visit www.cosn.org.