By way of background, I received a Bachelor’s of Science undergraduate degree in Business Administration at Framingham State University in 2002.  My first positions after graduation were at a bankruptcy law firm, providing financial counseling, and at an elementary school, as a technology support specialist.  As I straddled these two very different careers at the same time, my focus was in completing graduate courses in financial planning and also become a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) practitioner, a highly rigorous professional certification.  In time and through the support of my wife, I realized my true passion was in the field of educational technology. With this in mind, I took a major leap of faith.  In 2010, I transitioned to a full-time position as a Technology Integration Coordinator with more financial, educational, and leadership responsibilities, leaving behind my career at the law firm and my financial planning aspirations.
In 2012, with a desire to increase my credibility as a technology leader, I began my graduate studies at Framingham State University and simultaneously completed a graduate-level certificate program in instructional technology proficiency.  Early into classwork and the application of my learning with my faculty and students, I realized that the energy I put forth was often returned, in multiples, through improvements to our district and student outcomes. In 2015, I received my Master’s in Education degree in Curriculum and Instructional Technology, graduating summa cum laude.  The knowledge and skills I have attained to this point in my life and career have been invaluable to my professional growth, allowing me to remain as Director of Technology & Digital Learning.
As I continue on my career path, I intend to hone my knowledge and transformative leadership skills, which is necessary for my field.  Most recently, I completed a rigorous graduate certificate program through Consortium for School Networking (CoSN), a nationwide professional association of school technology leaders, which led me to become a Certified Educational Technology Leader (CETL®), of which I am one of only 17 in Massachusetts.  It is with this continuing need for growth and knowledge, that I am pursuing a doctoral degree in Transformative Leadership at the University of New England.
As I enter my 18th year in education, every day I realize that my passion lies in preparing students for the rigors of life beyond school, developing their essential skills across all content areas that will ultimately help ensure students are in a position to graduate high school, attend university and are career-ready. Effective leadership in this ever-changing area of educational technology is what my faculty and fellow administrators require of myself and my department. I have built a strong capacity to manage and maintain efficient systems in my department, even when faced with budget constraints. This efficiency is directly related to my efforts to develop myself professionally. It is my personal philosophy that being an educator in the field of technology means being a highly informed instructional leader. I take great pride in the amount of effort I put forth to maintain an up-to-date understanding of today’s technology and being responsive to administration and faculty requests and needs. I am constantly considering technology through the lens of what it means to teach and learn.
In addition to my experience, my professional learning community and curriculum-related coursework have given me the knowledge and confidence to make informed, on-the-spot decisions. In the dynamic field of education, I believe this ability is one of my greatest strengths.
Luke Callahan