Just a quick question about the IT-Coordinator role

[fafster]

Who traditionally takes on the role of IT Coordinator? Is it the Head of ICT, or is it the network manager?

 

Just curious as I'm being asked to take on extra roles in anticipation of the current head of ICT/ICT coordinator retiring.

[pete]

Here, it's the head of curriculum ict. Though I (NM) have semi-seriously offered to take over the role. There's nothing (afaik) that says "it coordinator must be a teacher", but you must understand IT from a teacher's perspective.

 

The idea behind the IT coordinator here is "how can we use IT to improve teaching and learning? What effect will doing $foo have on teachers?". As a teacher he'll think of and see things that I'll miss and vice versa. But those roles aren't set in stone - there's crossover between the two of us. Best person for the task at hand and all that.

 

The extra roles open the door to increased pay, stress and something new and possibly interesting to do.

[penfold]

I thought that you needed a teaching qualification in order to be an IT Co-ordinator? I actually dont see why you need it as pete says, the job is how IT can be used to aid teaching. However whenever I have seen one advertised it always says you need to be a qualified teacher.

 

If you are being lined up to take over the duties of the IT Co-ordinator find out how much they are currently being paid, because I think it will have something to do with TLR and a set amount for more responsibility. I would doubt that you will be looking to get the same money, but there is no reason why they can ask you to do the same job for less.

[fafster]

Just reading this thread: http://www.edugeek.net/forums/courses-training/9819-how-do-you-become-ict-coordinator-tech.html

 

Seems that it's not really the ICT-Co role that I want, as the teaching and learning isn't what I'm really after. Having said that, the roles that I'm being asked to fulfill aren't exactly purely technical, either...

[witch]

You don't 'have' to be a teacher but I believe the thinking is that you would need to really understand the issues around teaching and so only a teacher is likely to be able to do it. I would have thought that if you had a close relationship with the IT teaching and really 'got' their problems etc you would be OK

In one of our local first schools (Reception to Year4) the IT tech is also an HLTA and the IT co-ordinator - she teaches all the discrete IT and so has a good overview of both technical and teaching issues

[jcollings]

Who traditionally takes on the role of IT Coordinator? Is it the Head of ICT, or is it the network manager?

 

Just curious as I'm being asked to take on extra roles in anticipation of the current head of ICT/ICT coordinator retiring.

 

It doesn't have to be either of those people really. One of our local schools ICT coordinator was a PE teacher - very good at it he was too.