Thanks to a new program at the University of Minnesota, rising technology stars can enjoy higher learning. The threeyear- old Center for the Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Education (www.schooltechleadership.org) combines classroom and distance learning for a 15-credit program designed to train the next generation of district technology coordinators. Earlier this summer, it was certified by the University Council for Educational Administration. Director Scott McLeod says the curriculum spans 13 months, beginning and ending with six-day sessions on campus in St. Paul. In the interim, participants engage in a Web-based distance learning component and a one-credit leadership project of their choice. “The whole idea of the program is to expose people to technology they haven’t seen before,” he says. “We want to give our students a richer and deeper understanding of what the technology side of school leadership looks like.” So far, the program has received rave reviews from the 35 people who’ve paid between $6,000 and $9,000 each to participate. Though a founding grant from the Department of Education expired this summer, McLeod says the program now supports itself.
Matt Villano, former editor for CRN, is a California-based freelance writer.
