The Essential Role of Integrating Technology Content and Skills into University Principal Preparation Programs

“Just-in-time” delivery of goods and services was the call to action phrase of the 1990's, but in the 21" Century, just-in-time is too late. University leaders in principal preparation programs must not only respond to the call of the field, but also anticipate the needs even before school administrators recognize the content and skills necessary with which to lead. As building principals become increasingly accountable for integrating technology into instruction and infrastructure, principal preparation programs are more accountable to prepare principals to succeed in their leadership roles, acknowledge the impact of principals on student achievement and teacher performance, and accept our responsibility to reinvent preparation programs instead of just reforming them.

Understanding the critical need for highly qualified administrators, today's preparation programs must contain essential technology content, be flexible and individualized, infused with real-world problem solving, based on current research, provide access through alternative delivery modes, and focus on state and national leadership standards.
In FHSU faculty considered the research that identified the principal as having an indirect positive impact on student learning through influencing the teacher (Quinn 2002

Research Questions
In order to reinvent a program that reflected our program mission and core values of teaching and coaching ethical leaders of learning, the following research questions were asked: 1.
How will we effectively teach and coach ethical leaders of learning so they are successful in leading, inspiring, and influencing students and teachers in the school? all in response to a new context or societal need" (Wagoner, 2006 (Pink, 2006). The question for principal preparation programs then becomes: How does higher education adequately respond to this call for action and prepare school principals to lead second order change in their school buildings, and at the same time retool themselves and their principal candidates with the essential technologies for the job?
A starting point is to define what principals need to know and be able to do as pivotal leaders in their buildings and then define what technology should be threaded into their leadership preparation program.
A primary consideration in this process must be given to identifying technology that will ultimately lead to improving learning and instruction. Instructional leadership can be defined in terms of a series of behaviors that are designed to impact classroom instruction (Quinn 2002, p. 447 An empirical investigation of prevalence and effect, Anderson-Dexter's research confirmed that although technology infrastructure is important, the principal's technology leadership skills are even more important in effecting the use of technology as a learning and productivity tool in schools (Anderson, Dexter, 2005 What measures and indicators will be used to assess candidate learning?

Essential
Question: How will faculty assure themselves and others that content is delivered as intended, that teaching and learning processes are being implemented consistently, and that assessments are performed as planned and their results used effectively? (pp. 163-164) As a result of the program audit, faculty took the following New PC Tablets were placed in use by faculty as part of an FHSU faculty pilot program and a video conference room was upgraded to include the blended technology components.

Conclusion
Transforming a 30 year-old building principal program cannot be done overnight. It is very much like constructing an airplane in flight! During the transformation process, passengers were already aboard the flight on their journey to a masters degree in educational administration.
We could not stop their journey while we reflected, investigated, interviewed, and planned. In fact, our passengers became part of the collaboration and enriched the process with their insights. In reflection, faculty now know that the journey is never-ending, technology is changing daily, and passengers will always be boarding at different junctures during the continuous process of improving the principal preparation program at Fort Hays State University. Future plans for our program include • Desktop-to-desktop conferencing will be facilitated through Elluminate software.
• Technology clinical experiences will continue to be course specific, and a new course will be added to train entering candidates in the program software necessary for them to learn in a blended technology delivery mode.
• Faculty will continue to utilize the five domains as a model to continue on an annual basis planning, evaluating, refining, and implementing the program.

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The superintendent endorsement program will be the next target curriculum for realignment.