Sandra Paul became an educator thanks to a happy accident. She was studying computer technology at the University of the Virgin Islands and was asked to help teachers in the education department switch from Macs to PCs. After Paul helped these educators learn about her new computers, the dean of the education department was impressed with her skills as an educator.
“She told me, ‘You would be a very good teacher,’” Paul recalls.
Paul decided to combine his passion for technology and his newfound passion for education and pursue a career in educational technology. She has worked in this field since the early 1990s and is currently the Director of technology for Union Public Schools in New Jersey. She was recently honored with the Innovative tech Director Award at tech & Learning’s Innovative Leader Awards during a Regional Leadership Summit in New Jersey
As a woman of color in a field dominated by white men, Paul has had to overcome obstacles due to racism and sexism, in addition to the standard challenges that CTOs face, including limited funding for technology access for all. She has also had to overcome the numerous issues that all school IT departments face, such as cybersecurity threats.
Paul offers advice for those starting their careers in educational technology.
<h2 id="1-tips-for-new-edtech-professionals-find-a-mentor-xa0″>1. Tips for New edtech Professionals: Find a Mentor
Paul advises those entering the educational technology profession to look for someone who they believe will provide mentorship.
Paul never had a mentor, but he feels connecting with one early in his career would have made things easier. “There were a lot of difficult moments where I had to deal with a difficult technological problem, and I had to do it on my own,” he says. Not being able to call someone on the phone and think about technical solutions can be overwhelming. Finding someone you can trust to provide guidance and advice is invaluable.
2. Get involved with professional organizations
“Joining organizations is very helpful,” says Paul, who has been a member of ISTE and other education professional organizations since the 1990s. They give him access to presentations, white papers, debates, videos and best practices for managing countless situations and challenges facing modern educational technology leaders.
“All of those things add a lot to your plate, but they also encourage you and give you guidance on how to move forward,” he says. “Any new person who wants to enter this field should not do it by themselves. It’s a little more overwhelming than when I was just hooking up printers or fixing PCs.”
3. Be creative to get financing
Funding, or lack thereof, is something every educational technology leader will likely have to deal with during their career. “Due to financial constraints, it is not possible to impact as many children as I would like,” says Paul.
To overcome this in his own career, Paul says he had to look beyond the district’s budget and ask, ‘Is there alternative funding I can consider?’ For example, grants or donations or that kind of thing.”
Getting creative in this way can help provide more access to technology to more students, even when school budgets are tight, which, let’s face it, they almost always are.
4. Model student success
If you are a woman or minority working in educational IT, your success can help encourage students to follow your path and potentially even let them know that there is a future for them in a lucrative STEM field.
Paul has not lost sight of that in her career and it is one of the things that has motivated her during difficult times. “I will not give up because I see that it is important for female and minority students to see me as a role model in the IT field,” she says.
