Chicago Director Of Technology Services Prepares Students For The Future
Keith Bockwoldt serves as director of technology services, which is equivalent to a chief technology officer, at Township High School District 214, Arlington Heights, IL. He serves the community in a leadership capacity with a focus on instructional technology integration and innovation. Another aspect of his job focuses on all information management operations.
Bockwoldt started his education in technology at Moraine Valley Community College where he received an Associate of Applied Science degree in internet technologies. He then went on to Governors State University to complete his Bachelor of Arts, graduating with honors. He then went on to complete his Master of Science in computer science. Bockwoldt is a Certified Education Technology Leader (CETL) and holds many industry certifications with Cisco, Microsoft, Comptia and VMware. He is also the chair of Smart Education Networks by Design (SEND), which is a Consortium of School Networking (CoSN) initiative.
What are the scope and responsibilities of your current role?
"My role encompasses managing all technology in the district. This includes more than 12,000 iPads, 6,000 computers, learning management systems, instructional technology systems, voice over IP phones, video distribution system, cloud infrastructure, virtualization, public address system, security systems and network infrastructure, to name a few. Consider managing just about everything that plugs in the wall and all devices, whether wireless or hardwired."
What is your favorite part of your daily duties?
"My favorite part of my daily duties is working with students and technology. It's a great feeling knowing you're helping prepare students for the future. I enjoy speaking with students and teachers about what they like or dislike about a particular technology their using. Youth today are fortunate to be growing up in era where the world is globally connected. Technology changes so rapidly; it's hard to imagine what it will be like in five years."
Do you feel your education prepared you for your current role?
"Absolutely! My education prepared me for not only understanding many different types of technology, but more importantly, [my education helped me] in my role of guiding a large high school district. I'm privileged to work with so many talented people to help our students achieve their goals. Without my education, we wouldn't have been able to achieve the many successes we've experienced."
Do you have any advice for people who desire to pursue a similar career?
"Technology is an ever-growing and changing field. There is so much demand in all areas that I encourage students and people of any age to explore the possibilities within the field. There is no limit to what you can achieve. A person that wants to get into this field must be willing to constantly be learning and have patience when solving complex problems. It's very rewarding, but is also not for everyone."
Michelle Guilbeau is a writer, reviewer, teacher and business owner. She also has experience in school administration, literacy coaching and is proud founder of CraftKitsForKids.com and MichelleGuilbeau.com Michelle enjoys sharing her knowledge of cities, food, travel, education and parenting issues with her readers. Her work can be found on Examiner.com.
