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METAA CTO Certificate Course Syllabus - METAA

Partnership in Educational Professionalism (PEP)

Course number and title:  PRDV 76325: METAA Chief Technology Officer Certificate Course

Credits:   3

Class dates and times: Instructor-led online course with required weekly participation for 14 weeks

Location:   Online

Instructor:  Loretta Cannistraci
lcannistraci@techdirectors.org
781-775-2534

Jeff Liberman
jliberman@techdirectors.org
781-474-0622

Course Description: This rigorous course will build an understanding of the essential skills and knowledge in three areas of Leadership & Vision, Understanding the Educational Environment, and Managing Technology & Support Resources as outlined in the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) Framework of Essential Skills of the K-12 Chief Technology Officer (CTO). This course is designed for both prospective and current technology directors. Upon completion of this course, participants work will receive a course grade through Framingham State University. Their LiveBinder portfolio and final project will also be evaluated by members of the METAA Review Committee to determine the candidate’s eligibility for the METAA CTO Certificate. This certificate will give employers assurance that they will be hiring, or have hired, a technology administrator who possesses the necessary knowledge and skills to be an effective educational technology leader in the K-12 environment.

The 10 essential skill areas to be covered are:

  • Leadership and Vision (2 weeks)
  • Strategic Planning
  • Ethics and Policies
  • Instructional Focus and Professional Development
  • Team Building and Staffing
  • Information Technology Management
  • Communications Systems Management
  • Business Management
  • Data Management
  • Data Privacy and Security

Course Objectives: At the end of this course, participants will receive the course grade, be considered for the METAA certificate, and be able to:

  • Create a vision for how IT (Information Technology) will build your organization’s success
  • Shape and inform expectations for an IT-enabled enterprise
  • Create clear and appropriate IT governance
  • Weave together business and IT strategies
  • Build a new IS (Information Systems) organization
  • Build and nurture a high-performing team in an IS organization
  • Manage a new enterprise and associated IT tasks
  • Communicate IS performance in business-relevant language

Course Expectations: Since this is an online course, the attendance requirement is met through consistent engagement in skill area focused discussion activities. Participation will take place through asynchronous group activities. Students are expected to log into the course at least three times per week to stay current with assignments and expectations. Course participants whose responses and completion of activities do not meet the timelines each week impact the entire class. Please review the Online Discussion Rubric here.

Educational Requirements: A Master’s degree is highly recommended. Four years as technology director is necessary to be eligible to take the COSN CETL examination, but is not required for the METAA CTO certificate, or to take this course.

Time Commitment: During each week, the participant is expected to work independently within the posted deadlines. This comprises of approximately five hours a week which includes reading the material in each skill area and posting and responding in the online discussion with citations from the readings/research. It also includes the creation and maintenance of a Live Binder portfolio which will contain the student’s weekly discussions and reflections. The exact time required will vary from person to person.

Course Content and Requirements: Weekly schedule of the topics that will be covered and all assignments due for that week are listed in the Course Content document here.

Non-mandatory Zoom sessions are included in this course to allow students to ask questions related to the course organization and structure, and to deepen their knowledge relative to the 10 skill areas. The sessions will also provide students with information pertinent to the role of a CTO in Massachusetts.

Course Materials:

  • CoSN’s CETL Exam Preparation Materials: Become a Highly Capable School System Technology Leader (provided through tuition)
  • LiveBinder account (free electronic portfolio)
  • Access to FSU Canvas allowing for online communications

The coursework will make clear reference to CoSN’s Framework of Essential Skills of the K-12 CTO. The Frameworks can be accessed online at: https://www.cosn.org/careers-certification/framework-of-essential-skills/

Withdrawal from Course: If you need to withdraw from the course, it is NOT enough to simply stop participating in the course. You must formally email your withdrawal request to your instructors, as well as the FSU Registrar through Paula Hogard at phogard@framingham.edu. Otherwise, a failing grade may be entered for a course you have not completed. Tuition is non-refundable.

Grading Criteria:

Discussion Participation (40%)

The discussions are central to the online learning experience. The instructor will evaluate the learners’ levels of engagement in the on-line conversation and their abilities to raise ideas and questions that spark the thinking of others. These discussions are held in a threaded discussion board. All assigned readings and materials in this course are to be studied within the context of “information processing” rather than being able to recall each specific item. Your ability to process the information will not be measured in quizzes but by your participation in the discussion forums. The Online Discussion Rubric is included within the course materials.

There is the overarching expectation that postings are substantive and present new ideas as follows:

  • At least three postings each week including citations from readings:
    • Initial posting responds directly to the week’s question
    • A minimum of two additional postings that respond to postings of other students.
    • Postings build on the postings of others.
    • Postings present your own ideas and examples of application, such as in your (or others’) workplace.
    • Postings are supported by properly cited readings.
    • Postings are clearly written, with proper spelling and grammar.

    Live Binder Final Project and Weekly Reflections (30%)
    Participants will complete the electronic portfolio for submission to the METAA Review Committee. All participants will maintain an electronic portfolio through LiveBinder (www.livebinders.com) that allows the user to combine uploaded documents, links, and multi- media content into an electronic portfolio. The electronic portfolio will be organized according to the skill areas, and each section will contain any relevant work and research for each area. Students will also submit reflections into their LiveBinder each week. The Reflections Rubric is included within the course materials. Learners will explain their understanding of the required readings and reflect on specific questions associated with the course readings and online discussion. The final project will be a compilation of the materials required for this course. The portfolio is intended to be a living document and resource for the participant. Additionally, a combination of the course grade and the recommendation of the METAA Review Committee will determine eligibility to receive the METAA CTO Certificate.

    Final Essay (30%)
    At the end of the course, participants will be asked to write an essay that demonstrates learning throughout this course as a response to a scenario that technology directors may encounter in the work experience. Final Essay Rubric is included within the course materials. The essay response will be considered as 30% of the final grade and is also part of the portfolio to be reviewed by the METAA Review Committee to determine eligibility to receive the METAA CTO Certificate.