Club Commons Advisor

The selection of a Club Commons advisor will obviously be impacted by a number of local factors unique to individual schools. Our purpose here is not to establish a set of criteria for a Club advisor, but simply to bring up a few important points that could influence the selection decision.

First, it is not critical that a Club Commons advisor be the most technically savvy teacher in a school, although an interest in educational technology is clearly helpful. Nor does the advisor need to be any more informed about the DLC than any other staff member. It is not the advisor's responsibility to train students in the use of DLC tools or resources. DLC trainers will take care of that.

Far more important than technical expertise, a Club advisor should relate well with kids and be genuinely supportive of providing students with significant, meaningful roles to serve in their school community.

Related to the above point, a Club advisor should be interested in learning about and exploring other options through which students can assume leadership roles in their schools and communities, whether or not those opportunities are related to technology or the DLC. The DLC's Club Commons partners can offer a number of potential student leadership opportunities having little or nothing to do with technology.

The ideal Club Commons advisor is an educator who is well regarded by her/his peers. Some staff members may not be ready to fully embrace the notion of students providing support and assistance in the integration of technology into their teaching practice. A respected colleague can help with that shift in thinking.

A few final thoughts:

• Having had previous experience in advising student groups is always an advantage.
• As the saying goes: "If you want to get something done, ask a busy person." While true, having an hour or two per week of available time is an important consideration.
• And finally, depending on school policies, an advisor may not necessarily be a teacher. If a dedicated nonteaching staff member, para-pro, or parent meets some of the above criteria, that may be the direction to go.