School based leadership for instructional technology. Paper presented at the

From the beginning of the electronic computer era, corporate America fully embraced the new technology and became the primary customer for the myriad of hardware vendors. Eventually microcomputers, loaded with quality software, appeared on virtually every desk throughout all American corporations. However, Technology had a much more difficult time becoming integrated into the public schools. Today schools are scrambling to catch up with the children of the X-generation who arrive in kindergarten computer literate and tech-savvy. Having a technology leader properly certified will ensure that instructional technology is implemented and supported properly. According to the research, a state level certification credential for a school district level instructional technology leader in many states does not exist. Pennsylvania (PA) is one of the states that require such certification. The duties and responsibilities of PA technology leaders include hardware installation and troubleshooting, completing related paperwork, and managing the network infrastructure. One compelling finding was a clear division between those respondents with a technical background (technologists) who came to the school systems from the business environment, and those who were always professional educators and came to the position from the classroom