Member Spotlight

Nathan Davidson, CETL®

Nathan Davidson, CETL®, serves as Vice President of Partnerships at Five Star Technology Solutions, where he focuses on casting vision, building relationships, and establishing strategic partnerships across K-12 education, corporate entities, and organizations. His work centers on delivering innovative services and solutions that address the evolving needs of K-12 schools. He was also recently elected to serve as a corporate member on the CoSN Board!

1.  How long have you been a member of CoSN? 

“I’ve been a CoSN member for 14 years."

2.  Why did you join CoSN? What do you enjoy about being a member?

“Indiana launched its state CoSN chapter around 2010, and my district’s CTO, who was helping lead the initiative, introduced me to CoSN. As an aspiring technology leader, I was immediately drawn to CoSN’s resources, events, and community—three attributes I still value most as a member. It’s truly a privilege to connect with others who are passionate about Ed Tech leadership and advocacy."

3.  What CoSN Committee are you a part of?

"I’m currently part of the Certification Governance Committee service as Chair of the Industry/International Subcommittee. Previously, I’ve served on the CETL Exam Committee. Recently, I was just elected to one of the corporate seats to serve on the CoSN Board."

4.  How did you get into the field of educational technology?

"Out of college, my goal was to find a job as a Social Studies teacher. When that turned into an unsuccessful venture, I became a supervisor at a now defunct retail store called Incredible Universe. While there, I received a call from a family friend who was an administrator at a small, rural school district in eastern Indiana. She asked if I would be interested in applying for their open Director of Technology position. I applied, interviewed and was offered my first position in educational technology in July of 1996."

5.  What does your daily work entail?

"That’s a big question! The vast majority of my work is focused on casting vision, building relationships and establishing partnerships (K12, corporate, organizational). Everything I do is centered around providing services and solutions that meet the needs of K12 schools. I attend a number of conferences to network/present, organize local and regional events around Ed Tech topics and connect with other CTOs and superintendents to have conversations around their needs and what’s 'keeping them up at night'."

6. What are the biggest challenges and opportunities you see in the future of educational technology?

"I feel the biggest challenges are the speed at which technology is advancing vs. the speed of adoption and the global need to shift education from synchronous to asynchronous learning pathways. There are certainly some schools doing this. The reality is that learning is that students today need to have multiple pathways to success that involve being able to learn and advance at their own pace.

This is where the opportunity lies. Technology, such as Artificial Intelligence, give students the ability to accelerate their learning through sparking product creation, engaging tutors and augmenting authentic experiences. Teachers now have the enhanced ability to create lesson plans more efficiently, rethink assessment and personalize learning through modern technology. These are both exciting and anxious prospects."

7. Who has been a significant mentor or inspiration in your career?

"There have been so many people. Pete Just, Julie Johnston, Libby Lawrie, Tere Payne, Garry DeRossett and Dr. Jason Roseberry are a few who have had a significant impact on my career. Those individuals supported me, believed in me and helped instill in me the skills and confidence to achieve success."

8.  What is your favorite book and/ or TV show you've enjoyed recently?

"Book: The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer

TV Show: Vanderpump Rules (Don’t judge. My wife is watching this so I’m just watching with her.)"

9.  What is your favorite holiday food or tradition?

"Our favorite holiday tradition is making homemade noodles at Thanksgiving. This also happens to be our favorite holiday food."

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