Supporters of educational technology need to change their message when talking with stakeholders, and they need to advocate more forcefully for change in higher education: These were the key points made during a special roundtable discussion featuring past board chairs of the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN).

Aimed at celebrating CoSN's 15th anniversary, the event took place during the nonprofit organization's annual conference in San Francisco March 28.

Seven former chairs of the group's board of directors, as well as many other industry leaders, gathered for an informal conversation centered on the question: Given the needs of today's learners, as well as the current context of technology in most school districts, what are the most important ed-tech leadership issues that are not receiving attention?

In a spirited, hour-long discussion, participants touched on a variety of issues--from the need for a formal certification process for school district chief technology officers, to the lack of federal leadership on educational technology under the Bush administration.

But two themes stood out in particular: (1) the need to shift the focus in the national dialogue about educational technology from the technology itself to the changes it enables in teaching and learning, and (2) the need to overhaul teacher education in the United States to produce a new generation of educators who are not only comfortable with technology, but expect it to be used in schools.

'A new vocabulary'

Cheryl Williams, a former CoSN board chair who is now vice president of marketing for the San Francisco-based professional development firm Teachscape, said ed-tech leaders need to "bridge the divide between technology and teaching." She noted that many conversations about school technology fail to make the vital connection between the two--thereby empowering critics who argue that technology isn't necessary in schools.

"We need a new vocabulary for discussing [educational technology] with stakeholders," Williams said.

To illustrate her point, she referred to arguments made by the Bush administration in justifying the elimination of federal funding devoted to school technology.

"The administration says, 'It's not about technology, it's about teaching.' Well, yeah, that's what we've been doing all along," Williams said.

Sheryl Abshire, administrative coordinator of technology for the Calcasieu Parish School System in Louisiana and another former CoSN board chair, cited another reason stakeholders sometimes balk at funding for educational technology: Many people don't understand the ongoing commitment it takes to sustain a strong ed-tech program.

"We still have people who think that, because schools are wired and because we've reduced the student-to-computer ratio, the work is done," she said.

Cheryl Lemke, president of ed-tech research firm The Metiri Group, said research points to the essential value of such "21st-century" skills as critical thinking, problem solving, creativity, innovation, and collaboration--skills that educational technology, when used effectively in schools, can help foster.