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Historic Opportunity for District Tech Leadership:

Minnesota/CoSN April, 2010

Kari M. Arfstrom, PhDChief Membership and Marketing Officer

karfstrom@cosn.org

CoSN Mission

Empowering K-12 district technology leaders to use technology strategically to improve teaching and learning

The primary challenge we face in using technology effectively in education is human, not technical.

For that reason, CoSN focuses on Leadership and Policy.

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CoSN 2009 - 2012 Goals

1) Increasing the skills and competencies of district technology leaders as defined Framework of Essential Skills for K-12 CTOs (v. 2.0)

2) Enabling educational leaders to understand the strategic benefit of technology and demonstrate the value of having a CTO at the cabinet level

3) Building capacity of CTO state chapters and providing regional professional development for districts of all sizes

4) Advocating for a vision and necessary resources in support of the role of technology in advancing 21st century learning

Who are CoSN Members?

Our membership includes a unique blend of education and technology leaders, policy makers, and influencers from the public and private sectors.

Our core audience are district technology leaders, a.k.a.:

Chief Technology Officers [CTOs] Chief Information Officers [CIOs] Instructional Technology Directors Administrative Technology Directors

Historic Opportunity

• Districts are increasingly hiring CTOs• Little professional development for this

audience • Few places for them to gather • CTOs are the strategic focus for CoSN• District-level CTOs are beginning to

create new state organizations• United we are better equipped to offer

key services CTOs want and need.

Form a collaboration that promotes the success of both the state chapter and CoSN.

CoSN cannot continue to do important work on behalf of district technology leaders without the support and membership within each state.

Not replicate but leverage work of other state organizations.

State/National Goal

• State organizations can leverage the resources and services CoSN already provides.

• CoSN gains a strong network at the state level.• Given the small audience and their limited

resources, it is more effective to offer one compelling membership package than for organizations to compete for scarce resources.

CoSN chapters currently exist in California, Colorado, Florida Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland,

Massachusetts, New Mexico, Pennsylvania and Texas.We are in conversations with 10 other states

and a province.

Individual State Chapters

We require unified dues with state chapters. This provides full membership in both organizations, including leadership and voting rights. (statewide and ESA pricing is available).

Organizational Issues

• Large Districts >15k students(CoSN dues $1,000 yr + chapter dues $150 = $1,150)

• Medium Districts 2,500 – 14,999 students (CoSN dues $750 yr + chapter dues $100 = $850)

• Small districts <2,500 students (CoSN dues $250 yr + chapter dues $50 = $300)

How Chapters Utilize CoSN National Benefits

• Host a CTO Forum

• Schedule state-wide conference calls immediately following webinars to continue conversation

• Schedule face-to-face meetings on state specific topics (e.g., passing of state bonds)

• Use the ETAN state pages to create action alerts on state issues

CoSN Member Benefits

• Peer to Peer Connections/Networking

• EdTechNext Reports

• Annual CoSN Compendium & Monographs

• www.cosn.org/myCoSN members-only site

• Free Webinar Series

• Representation in Washington DC

• Opportunities to volunteer (governance, committees, advisory)

• eNewsletters - CoSN Member Bulletin (twice a month), Washington Update (monthly)

• Discounts on annual K-12 School Networking Conference & CTO Clinic

Essential Skills

www.cosn.org/framework

CoSN Annual Compendium

Annual leadership monographs. Free to CoSN members. 7th Annual Monograph Topics:

• The Green Computing Imperative 

•  Educators and the Long Tail: Implications for Teaching and Professional Development

• Web 2.0 in Education: Policy, Practice and Progress

• 21st Century Networks for 21st Century Schools: Making the Case for Broadband

• The Future of Textbooks: Evolutionary, Revolutionary or More of the Same?

• Working Together: How ESAs Help Small Districts Meet Their Technology and Service Needs

CoSN Initiatives

A Dozen Highly Rated Leadership Initiatives providing tools and resources for K-12 technology leaders on key challenges.

CoSN Leadership Initiatives

• Framework of Essential Skills for K-12 CTOs (v. 2.0)

• Budgeting with Total Cost of Ownership

• Calculating the Value of Investment

• Cyber Security

• Data-driven Decision Making

• Emerging Technologies/Horizon Report & Toolkit

• Empowering the 21st Century Superintendent

• Green Computing

• IT Crisis Preparedness

• Mastering the Moment and Weathering the Storm

• One-to-One Computing

• Open Technologies in K-12

• Small District Technology Leadership

• Web 2.0 Policy & Leadership

Resources/Initiatives

National Grant: Exploring Policy & Leadership Barriers to Effective Use of Web 2.0 in Schools

Funded by the MacArthur Foundation

AUDIENCE Superintendents, Curriculum Directors & CTO’s

How To Engage Superintendents & District Leaders?

Role of the Educational Leaders & Technology

www.SuperintendentEmpower.org

EdTechNext Reports

4-6 page reports on current emerging technologies in education.

FREE for CoSN members

Topics available:

3G Services

Cloud Computing

Social Networking

Internet2

Instant Messaging

Ultra Light Weight Portable Devices

Learning Objects

Webinar Series

The 2010-22 series will be announced in July.

Archived Webinars for Review•Crisis Preparedness for the Potential Impact of the H1N1 Flu on Schools•Input into the National Education Technology Plan •Using the Economic Stimulus Dollars for Education Transformation •Refreshed CoSN Framework of Essential Skills•The Role of Education in Rebuilding the World and What Must Change•Innovative Technology Strategies for Drop-Out Prevention•Emerging Technology Trends in K-12 Education•Filtering vs. Collaboration in a Web 2.0 World

CoSN Annual Conference March 14-16, 2011

Hilton New Orleans Riverside

Plus regional CTO Clinics/Symposiums

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CoSN Contact Information

CoSN 1025 Vermont Ave., NW Suite 1010 Washington, DC 20005

202-861-2676 866-267-8747

Membership@cosn.org