When I first started teaching in the early 2000s, the job of a technology coordinator or technology leader in a school district was not a well-defined position. I remember only one technology director and possibly one or two network specialists in my whole school district in my first years of teaching. As a classroom teacher, I never interacted with them, as they were always behind the scenes setting up equipment and network infrastructure. I did not have any intention of pursuing instructional technology as a career path, let alone being a technology leader. But as the demand for and availability of technology resources grew over the years, my interest in finding a variety of digital tools to enhance student learning increased. Now, almost twenty years later, I consider myself fairly experienced with instructional technology and I enjoy finding ways to reimagine my teaching through technology. I’ve recently begun to consider a career change towards an instructional technology coach or technology leader. This reflection paper examines five essential topics of technology leadership, and how I will apply what I have learned in this course to help me be an effective technology leader. 

Leadership Topic #1: Visionary Thinking and Strategic Planning

An educational technology leader must have a vision for the use of technology in a school district and a comprehensive plan of how to implement this vision. This vision begins with the cooperative efforts of