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Certified Technology Education Leader Credits

As part of my educational specialist degree, I had to work toward completing the requirements for the Certified Education Technology Leader. According to their website, “The CETL® program is the only practice-based certification program available to education technology leaders that bridges technical knowledge, understanding of the educational environment, leadership and vision, and the management of technology and support resources needed to integrate technology across the curriculum to advance student outcomes.” (CoSN, 2026). This program is designed for teacher leaders to advance their knowledge in skills in leadership and technology. 

Part of the program requires at least 35 field experience items throughout the course. Each field experience item needs to fall under three categories, either as an observer, participant, or leader. Below are three examples of field experiences that I completed for my graduate school program. 

Artificial Intelligence Committee Member

This school year, our school district has determined a need for a district-wide AI policy in all our schools. The superintendent and assistant superintendent decided that our district should first have an overarching district policy on AI that will guide each school in the creation of their own AI policy. The superintendent selected a few staff members from each school to join a committee. Each committee was tasked with creating a section or two of the district’s AI policy. I was asked to be on the Governance and Leadership in AI committee. Our committee met multiple times over the course of the semester. Each committee shared the same outline and worked together to determine policy for integrating AI into the school system. Our final meeting was held via Zoom. The members of our committee worked together to outline what we believed the district’s AI policy should look like in accordance with governance and leadership. Our meeting lasted 2 hours and was successful in determining and writing out fully our governance and leadership in AI policy. 


Girl Innovators 

In the summer of 2025, I was invited to attend our diocese’s monthly principals meeting. I was asked by the superintendent to present my STEM-based girls’ club initiative called Girl Innovators. During my presentation, I spoke about the reason a girls’ STEM club is needed in today’s schools. I also explained the purpose of the club, the logistics of how the students will register for Girl Innovators, and how clubs will be managed and teacher-led. The principals asked many challenging questions about the program, asking for clarification on some of the aspects of the club and what I would need from them to help make the club successful. After the presentation was completed, the principals were excited about the prospect of this club and how they can help make the endeavor successful. Girl Innovators’ first year of implementation was a great success, with over 120 girls participating in the program. The EXPO was exciting, with almost all of the girls attending the fun-filled STEM day. Students were able to participate in STEM breakout sessions led by middle school girls, participate in a mobile planetarium called the Star Lab, and attend our local science center science demonstration! 


Keynote Speaker

At the beginning of our school year, our diocesan district all joined together for a day of professional development. As a district, we meet twice a year to discuss new innovations and ideas in the education field. This year our keynote speaker was Dr. Tim Hogan, PhD. who is the author of Cultural Hurricane. His presentation was centered around technology and how schools today are impacted by students’ overwhelming use of technology. He discussed how the world today is in a “cultural hurricane”, meaning that we are surrounded by technology that connects us (sometimes too much) to each other. His discussion brought us to the importance of connecting with our students and guiding our students to connect with each other. In order for our schools to reach their full potential and goals, he instructed us to cultivate hope in our students and teach them to be grounded and in the present moment. This leads students to be physically healthier, sharper, and interpersonally sensitive, something that students are missing so much in today’s overscheduled and overstimulated world. 


All of these field experiences led to a greater understanding of technology and leadership, fulfilling many of the requirements and responsibilities of a Certified Education Technology Leader. 


References

Certified Education Technology Leadership. Value of the CETL. Consortium of School 

Networking. https://www.cosn.org/careers-certification/cetl-certification/value-of-the-cetl/

Hogan, T. (2021, September 8). The gift of cultural hurricanes: Tools to rebuild authentic spirituality. Kendall Hunt Publishing. 



 

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