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SWOT Analysis Template for Technology Planning Needs Assessment What is the current reality in our school?

Name: Wayne Cordy ITEC 7410, Semester: Spring, 2014

ESSENTIAL CONDITION ONE: Effective Instructional Uses of Technology Embedded in Standards-Based, Student-Centered Learning ISTE Definition: Use of information and communication technology (ICT) to facilitate engaging approaches to learning. Guiding Questions: How is technology being used in our school? How frequently is it being used? By whom? For what purposes? To what extent is student technology use targeted toward student achievement of the Georgia Learning Standards (GPSs, QCCs)? To what extent is student technology use aligned to research-based, best practices that are most likely to support student engagement, deep understanding of content, and transfer of knowledge? Is day-to-day instruction aligned to research-based best practices? (See Creighton Chapters 5, 7) Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats Based on the survey data collected, 50% of staff members stated that they use technology consistently during the day. Each classroom in our building is equipped with a Promethean Board, student computers, and each teacher has access to IPads for student use. Our school has a fully functioning computer lab. Each teacher in our school has a school issued laptop for developing lessons and delivering daily instruction. According to the survey data, only 38% of staff members feel either comfortable or very comfortable with technology compared to 50% of staff members who do not feel comfortable with technology. Consistent technology usage was not observed in all grades and classrooms. Daily interaction with technology may only be limited to Compass Learning or drill and practice. Technology is not being used consistently to support the development and use of higher According to survey data, 54% of our staff members are available and willing to provide instruction on how to use certain technology tools and how to integrate these tools into the curriculum. Mobile computer carts may be a strategy we implement to expand meaningful use of technology by students. Professional learning groups can be formed to help focus on how to provide opportunities for the development of higher skills among all learners through the use of technology. Many teachers want to implement technology properly but do not feel they have the skill to implement them properly. Some teachers do not see the merit in using technology consistently. Our existing technology structure may limit access to technology. For example, our gifted class is located in the computer lab which limits the number of visitors and users. IPads have to be checked and returned within a limited amount of time which causes users to evaluate if its

SWOT Analysis Template for Technology Planning Needs Assessment What is the current reality in our school?
Technology is used on a regular order thinking skills. basis for communication and data keeping by teachers. Technology is not consistently implemented throughout the Compass Learning is used by curriculum and in some cases is teachers to meet the individual relegated to only math and needs of students while also reading. helping students achieve Georgia Learning Standards. Technology is used to differentiate the content delivered to diverse students. Summary/Gap Analysis: At Oakhurst Elementary School, teachers use technology for various purposes including email, lesson planning, conducting lessons, etc. Technology is included in our School Improvement Plan with our focus on Compass Leaning to reinforce concepts and skills practice while also developing 21st century skills. This is also mentioned as a way to differentiate instruction for all learners. Many teachers use Compass Learning with other software to differentiate instruction in their classroom. Our school has many tools at its disposal for teachers and students use including Promethean boards, computers, IPad, etc. Differentiation is also a feature of all lessons and technology is expected to be included within lessons consistently. During the course of this year, we have not had one technology centered professional learning opportunity provided in house for teachers. Our professional learning thus far this year has focused on using constructivist practices to develop reading skills among students but technology was not featured except for the mentioning of software or subscriptions. According to my survey data, technology usage by teachers is not consistent. This is not shocking when 50% of staff members stated that they feel less than comfortable about their use of technology. From this, I can ascertain that we must work to change this by providing targeted professional learning to mitigate teacher skills in this area. It is not enough to just provide technology to teachers, we must show them how to use these tools properly. I believe peer mentors would also be a great use of resources to expand the technology knowledge base of our staff and move their use of technology in the right direction. We have many skilled staff members that could serve as mentors and work directly with staff members on their skill development. Moreover, I believe that we could form professional learning groups that could support each other in developing technology skills and providing new insights on how to use technology to develop student mastery of content along with developing higher order thinking skills among every learner. Using many free online tools such as Khan Academy, our available technology could be used to develop higher order thinking skills among all students. Our computer lab could be used more frequently if we can find another space for our gifted class to meet. We have a diverse amount of technology available to us. worthwhile to check them out and use. Lack of funds for mobile computer carts may limit successful implementation.

SWOT Analysis Template for Technology Planning Needs Assessment What is the current reality in our school?
Our goal is to consistently integrate technology among the grades but we must also be weary not to just look for consistent use but how these tools are being used. In order to do this, I think our culture must support our intentions. From the beginning of the year and frequently throughout, we must provide examples of how technology can be used to support the curriculum in various ways without taking away from other areas. If we want teachers to use the tools available, we must make sure that they are readily available and eliminate obstacles. For example, we may explore other classroom spaces for our gifted class so that the computer lab is a standalone location where classes can come to use the available technology regularly. Using mobile computer carts may provide a solution to our computer lab issue if moving the gifted classroom is not an option. Even if it is an option, using mobile carts would provide access to more computers for students to use during the day. During these conversations, it must be stressed that while our school supports Compass Learning for drill and practice, our other technology tools can be used to develop higher order thinking skills in conjunction with Compass Learning. We must also work to provide quality feedback to teachers frequently on their technology use with students. These changes would stress the importance of technology and its merit in student learning. Data Sources: Technology Survey/ School Improvement Plan

ESSENTIAL CONDITION TWO: Shared Vision ISTE Definition: Proactive leadership in developing a shared vision for educational technology among school personnel, students, parents, and the community. Guiding Questions: Is there an official vision for technology use in the district/school? Is it aligned to research-best practices? Is it aligned to state and national visions? Are teachers, administrators, parents, students, and other community members aware of the vision? To what extent do teachers, administrators, parents, students, and other community members have a vision for how technology can be used to enhance student learning? What do they believe about technology and what types of technology uses we should encourage in the future? Are their visions similar or different? To what extent are their beliefs about these ideal, preferred technology uses in the future aligned to research and best practice? To what extent do educators view technology as critical for improving student achievement of the GPS/QCCs? To preparing tomorrows workforce? For motivating digital-age learners? What strategies have been deployed to date to create a research-based shared vision? What needs to be done to achieve broad-scale adoption of a research-based vision for technology use that is likely to lead to improved student achievement? Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats

SWOT Analysis Template for Technology Planning Needs Assessment What is the current reality in our school?
Staff survey data shows that teachers at Oakhurst see the value in using technology with students to develop knowledge and skills needed in the 21st century. Oakhurst Elementary follows the City Schools of Decatur Technology Plan. Our district plan aligns with the NET-S Standards for use of technology among students. Our school improvement plan lays out specifics about how technology will be used to meet the needs of various student groups (ESS, gifted, disadvantaged). Although we have a district level technology vision, our school does not have its own vision about technology. Staff survey data shows that staff members believe we are only scratching the surface when it comes to using technology in our classrooms. Oakhursts SIP mention of technology use is minimal and does not focus on its role in developing higher order skills. NET-S is not implemented within our building and teachers have not received professional learning on these standards. Professional learning has not been provided consistently in the use of the various tools we have available. Summary/Gap Analysis: Oakhurst Elementary shows a commitment to technology but our focus in our School Improvement Plan does not support this. Indeed, our plan focuses on how we can use software (Compass Learning) to meet the needs of various students but it leaves out any discussion of how other tools will be used to meet these needs while also developing higher order thinking skills. While our school follows the City Schools of Decatur Technology Plan, our school does not have its own vision for technology use. Our school has also limited its professional learning focus to reading and other subjects but has not included technology within its focus. Although our district technology plan focuses on NET-S implementation, our school has not yet implemented these standards among its teachers and students. Many teachers at Oakhurst Elementary see the value in using technology among students while others lack this view. Moreover, our technology integration at our school is viewed as limited by many teachers. Our districts plan includes a clear and precise vision for technology implementation including goals for improving instruction. Professional learning opportunities could be provided to strengthen teacher knowledge of technology standards and how these standards could be linked with the new Common Core standards. At Oakhurst, there is not a consistent view about technology and its role in the learning process. Our school lacks a clear message about how technology integration should look within our school culture. Our schools focus on technology is limited to software and leaves out a focus on using tools to improve instruction. The emphasis on the roll out of Common Core standards has taken the focus off of technology integration.

SWOT Analysis Template for Technology Planning Needs Assessment What is the current reality in our school?
In order to strengthen our technology integration, we must develop a technology vision for Oakhurst that provides a clear direction for technology integration in our school. We must also strengthen our focus on the integration of technology standards within our curriculum. Through professional learning, we could introduce these standards and help teachers see how these standards could be combined within lessons they are already implementing. We must also show the value of technology standards along with the Common Core standards through actions and words. For example, feedback during observations should include a focus on technology standards. Furthermore, our SIP must be updated to include technology consistently to improve instruction and learning among students. Our focus must not be on one type of technology and should include various student centered strategies for using these tools to improve student learning. In summary, to create a shared vision about technology integration among all stakeholders, our school must first adopt a clear vision that focuses on improving instruction while valuing the implementation of technology standards by teachers. We must work to ensure that this vision is understood and shared by all stakeholders. Our focus must be on meeting Common Core standards while also emphasizing the importance of NET-S throughout the curriculum. Data Sources: Survey Data, Oakhurst SIP, and City Schools of Decatur Technology Plan

ESSENTIAL CONDITION THREE: Planning for Technology ISTE Definition: A systematic plan aligned with a shared vision for school effectiveness and student learning through the infusion of ICT and digital learning resources. Guiding Questions: Is there an adequate plan to guide technology use in your school? (either at the district or school level? Integrated into SIP?) What should be done to strengthen planning? Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats Our district has a progressive and focused plan for technology integration within our district. Our SIP states that technology will be used by teachers to Our districts technology plan is not integrated within our SIP. CSD allows for our SIP plan to be adjusted. Our mention of technology within our SIP does not provide Given our new principal, a systematic approach to Oakhurst is in the position to integrating various forms of fully implement the district Without a clear vision about technology integration, we cannot adequately provide solid planning which will lead to successful integration. Our school lacks knowledge

SWOT Analysis Template for Technology Planning Needs Assessment What is the current reality in our school?
differentiate content for various learners. It explicitly states that Compass Learning will be the means in which teachers are expected to provide this instruction. technology within the curriculum. Specifically, our plan does not provide key information (objectives, benchmarks, key people, or timelines) about how technology will help us to meet our curriculum goals. technology policy within our school culture, which provides a clear outline for proper technology integration. and skills when it comes to researched best practices for technology integration with primary students.

Summary/Gap Analysis: Oakhurst Elementary School integrates technology into the school improvement plan to support various learners in their development. Our focus on developing student content skills based on their level using Compass Learning is a great use of technology. However, we need to broaden our focus to include diverse technologies to not only remediate and extend but develop essential 21st century skills such as creativity, communication, collaboration, and problem solving. Moreover, given that our district provides us with a thorough path to integrate various technology into the curriculum, we must work to ensure that our SIP relates to the goals stated within this plan. By following the goals stated within the districts plan, we have a consistent path to follow and clear benchmarks to work towards. Moreover, we must work to create a clear vision for technology for our school to provide a clear focus for all our stakeholders. Without a clear vision, we cannot engage in a systematic planning process that will lead to successful integration throughout the school. By establishing a vision, we can also ensure that our goal is clear and that staff members can work to meet this goal. This will also ensure that professional learning is focused and directly related to the needs of our staff. Thus, we can use professional learning to strengthen our staffs knowledge of research based strategies for technology integration and expand the use of various technologies by promoting their use during various events including staff meetings, professional learning communities, and mentorships. When our vision is clear and employed, our goal for improving technology at Oakhurst will be attainable. Data Sources: School Improvement Plan, City Schools of Decatur Technology Policy

ESSENTIAL CONDITION FOUR: Equitable Access ISTE Definition: Robust and reliable access to current and emerging technologies and digital resources. Guiding Questions: To what extent do students, teachers, administrators, and parents have access to computers and digital resources necessary to support engaging, standards-based, student-centered learning? To what extent is technology arrange/distributed to maximize access for engaging, standards-based, student-centered

SWOT Analysis Template for Technology Planning Needs Assessment What is the current reality in our school?
learning? What tools are needed and why? Do students/parents/community need/have beyond school access to support the vision for learning? Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats Each classroom is equipped Although technology is Classrooms have five Technical support is slow and with technology to help support provided within each computers in each classroom not responsive to the needs of students in their mastery of classroom, technical issues are for student use and a printer. staff including software standards and to provide prevalent with them. updates, internet access, student centered learning. Oakhurst has school wide Witechnical problems, etc. Student access to technology is Fi internet access and hard Teachers have school issued limited to many drill and wired internet connections. Due to the problems with laptops to email parents and practice activities. technical support, many other staff members, plan Our school has diverse teachers hesitate to expand lessons, implement technology School issued laptops are technology tools that could be their use of technology. rich lessons, and develop usually relegated to basic uses used to expand student products to use with students. rather than more complex uses exposure and develop student Many teachers lack the such as creating content. knowledge of how to use these knowledge and skill to use the All classrooms are equipped tools to display their various forms of technology with a Promethean Board and Our computer lab is occupied understanding of content. available due to limited time to projector to provide more by the gifted classroom and this learn how to use these tools or interactive content to students. restricts access to the lab. The Our computer lab offers a rich a failure to see the connection media center limits student use place for students to access with these tools during the Our school features a computer of computers to completing technology regularly and use learning process. lab with a class set of Accelerated Reader rather than various types of software. computers and a media center for other purposes. Teachers do not have a with computers for students to Our media center could provide common vision for technology use. Many computers on the cart access to technology before and its use within our school require frequent updates that school and after school. culture. Grade level carts with twenty are not accessible without a computers are used to provide password from our computer Our school has many school Our media center hours are additional computers for technology specialist. leaders that could help with inconsistent and do not student use. technical support and the promote usage among Economically disadvantaged development of skills to community members. Many students have access to students are limited to access to improve the implementation of various forms of technology at technology at school. technology within the Grade level carts do not have a home. classroom such as the creation systematic plan for

SWOT Analysis Template for Technology Planning Needs Assessment What is the current reality in our school?
Infinite Campus provides access to student assessment scores and related information. Summary/Gap Analysis: of technology rich content for lessons. implementation.

Oakhurst Elementary is a technology rich community that offers its students and staff an abundance of technology tools to use to develop student learning and promote student engagement. Each classroom has five computers including two laptops for students to use in meeting standards. All classrooms within the school have a Promethean Board that offers students interactive learning opportunities daily. Each grade level is provided with a computer cart that provides additional computers for classroom use. Most times, grade levels divide computers among classrooms. Teachers are also provided with a Mac Book to use for various professional purposes including creating documents, email, and accessing digital content. Our school also features a computer lab with a class set of computers and a media center with computers. Infinite Campus provides parents with access to student assessment information. Most students in our district have access to various forms of technology at home. Consequently, although our school has many technology resources in our classrooms, there are many technical issues that provide barriers for their usage. For example, we have many mobile computers with access to Wi-Fi, however, if the Wi-Fi is not reliable, it hinders student and teacher use of these tools during instruction. This continues the stigma that is felt amongst teachers about the use of technology during the learning process. Our use of technology is often limited to drill and practice rather than the development of higher order thinking skills on a regular basis. We must work to expand student access beyond basic uses to more complex usage to further develop student 21st century skills. Economically disadvantaged students are limited in their use of technology at school and if we continue to limit exposure to technology to only drill and practice activities, we limit student opportunities to expand their knowledge of these technologies and the further development of essential 21s t century skills students will need. Leadership must instill within staff the urgency to use the many tools we have to encourage the develop of these skills by creating a shared vision that promotes the use of our technology to meet content standards while developing essential skills that students will need in the 21st century. This shared vision will help provide teachers with a clear purpose when instituting technology within their classroom and professional practice. As a school, we must adjust structures that hinder the usage of technology among various members of our community including students and staff. Our computer lab must become a standalone site or we may need to create a mobile lab for teachers to use with their students to ensure that the student population has access to these tools. Moreover, we must expand access to computers in the media center for all community members by providing additional times for students to access computers. To expand our communitys use of technology, we may also provide times for families to use these tools as well. I believe we must also work with our community to develop their computer skills by using our teacher leaders to provide learning and exploration opportunities for families. Additionally, we must use our technology leaders to expand the technical support provided to our teachers and help them in their development of technology lessons. Our school offers a variety of technology leaders that are willing to support our staff in

SWOT Analysis Template for Technology Planning Needs Assessment What is the current reality in our school?
their development of skills. Professional learning, led by technology leaders, will provide staff members with ways to combat many of the technical problems that exist within the classroom. We must harness this power to improve the consistency of technology integration within our school. Without a change in many of our structures and a shared vision among members of the community, we may not progress in integrating technology consistently throughout our school and within our community. Data Sources: Survey Data, Oakhurst SIP, and City Schools of Decatur Technology Plan

ESSENTIAL CONDITION FIVE: Skilled Personnel ISTE Definition: Educators and support staff skilled in the use of ICT appropriate for their job responsibilities. Guiding Questions: To what extent are educators and support staff skilled in the use of technology appropriate for their job responsibilities? What do they currently know and are able to do? What are knowledge and skills do they need to acquire? (Note: No need to discuss professional learning here. Discuss knowledge and skills. This is your needs assessment for professional learning. The essential conditions focus on personnel, which includes administrators, staff, technology specialists, and teachers. However, in this limited project, you may be wise to focus primarily or even solely on teachers; although you may choose to address the proficiency of other educators/staff IF the need is critical. You must include an assessment of teacher proficiencies. Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats 38% of staff members in our 62% of staff members in our There are many free tutorials There are minimal professional building feel comfortable with building do not feel for using a variety of development opportunities technology. comfortable with the technology. provided to match the current technology. needs in our teachers 44% of staff members feel Our school has many technology knowledge and comfortable with technology Most uses of technology are technology leaders who are skills. tools in our building. limited to basic skills and do skilled in various technologies not reflect more complex uses and who are willing to provide We do not have a common Staff members in our building of technology by teachers. learning opportunities for staff vision for how to integrate use a variety of tools daily to members. technology within the foster student learning 38% of staff members do not curriculum. including Mac computers, feel that they use technology Many staff members are email, Microsoft Office, effectively. willing to grow in their Learning about technology and Promethean Software, AR, knowledge of a variety of how to integrate these skills can Compass Learning, etc. Staff members feel limited in technologies used in our be time consuming and given

SWOT Analysis Template for Technology Planning Needs Assessment What is the current reality in our school?
Most staff members indicate that they use Compass Learning and Promethean more than any other software. 62% of staff members feel that their use technology is effective. 44% of staff members are willing to provide training to others about technology tools. Summary/Gap Analysis: their use of technology due to a lack of knowledge of troubleshooting and of various forms of technology. Teachers lack authorization and access to update software such as plug ins or troubleshoot basic functions such as adding printers on classroom computers. building. our heavy focus on Common Core, teachers may not have the time to dedicate to learning.

Oakhurst Elementary has an impressive amount of technologies available to staff and staff members use a variety of tools to implement instruction. 62% of staff members feel that their use technology is effective. The range of technology used by teachers in our building ranges from email software to web site design. Moreover, 44% of staff members feel comfortable with technology tools in our building. Moreover, more than half of our staff members feel their use of technology is effective. However, 38% of staff members do not feel that they use technology effectively. Many staff members indicate that they use technology to provide interactive lessons using Promethean software and Compass Learning. Consequently, we have improvements that can be made. 56% of staff members in our building do not feel comfortable with technology. This number is low compared to the diverse number of technologies available in our school. In order to boost this number, we must create a shared vision that focuses on the importance of technology and knowledge of it use. Our leadership team must indicate this importance by providing an equal focus on technology skills as with other important content for teachers. Moreover, our school has many staff members that are willing to help develop the technology skills of teachers in our building and we must be willing to use these resources to improve the knowledge of technology in our building and skills needed to access these tools. We must also provide opportunities for teachers to learn how to use the tools provided in more complex ways to better serve them professionally. Again, we can use our technology leaders to help provide models and support for integrating these tools in new and exciting ways. Additionally, we must find ways to restructure the technical support system to provide access to willing teachers who are skilled in various technologies for authorization to update software and troubleshoot basic commands such as adding printers. Teachers may also attend essential training provided by technical support to be granted this access. Finally, we must take advantage of some of the free resources available to us in terms of learning about technology tools. There are many free resources including YouTube videos and online learning modules that provide accessible resources for teachers to use at their own pace. In order to make progress, our school has to have a clear shared vision for technology within our school culture.

SWOT Analysis Template for Technology Planning Needs Assessment What is the current reality in our school?
Data Sources: Technology Survey, School Improvement Plan

ESSENTIAL CONDITION SIX: Ongoing Professional Learning ISTE Definition: Technology-related professional learning plans and opportunities with dedicated time to practice and share ideas. Guiding Questions: What professional learning opportunities are available to educators? Are they well-attended? Why or why not? Are the current professional learning opportunities matched to the knowledge and skills educators need to acquire? (see Skilled Personnel) Do professional learning opportunities reflect the national standards for professional learning (NSDC)? Do educators have both formal and informal opportunities to learn? Is technology-related professional learning integrated into all professional learning opportunities or isolated as a separate topic? How must professional learning improve/change in order to achieve the shared vision? Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats Our district provides off site 81% of staff members feel that Technology leaders can lead a Technology learning is professional learning regularly professional learning for variety of professional learning presented in isolation from on various tools including technology is not consistent. opportunities in house based on other professional learning Promethean technology which staff needs. opportunities and appears to are led by our districts School level technology take place irregularly. instructional technology professional is a one size fits all Leadership could have the specialist. approach. district technology specialist Technology professional lead need based professional learning does not match our 82% of our staff members are Teachers indicated frequently learning to meet staff needs staff skill and knowledge level. willing to attend professional on the survey that they would within the building. learning opportunities. like more opportunities to learn Technology professional more about the software Professional learning learning does not focus on the Our districts professional featured on our school communities could be created national and state technology learning does foster teacher use computers and how to use these to foster the building of skills standards. of tools to gain skills and tools effectively. and knowledge of various tools knowledge during the learning within our school or emerging Due to the lack of a clear process. technology. vision, there is not a shared Ongoing support is not consensus as to how

SWOT Analysis Template for Technology Planning Needs Assessment What is the current reality in our school?
44% of staff members are willing to provide training to others about technology tools provided to teachers with professional learning opportunities. Technology mentors could be created to provide ongoing support after professional learning opportunities. technology should be integrated.

There are many free professional learning resources available for staff members to develop skills at their own pace or to learn more about tools of interest. Summary/Gap Analysis: The City Schools of Decatur provides professional learning opportunities for all staff within the district but these opportunities focus on the basic uses of certain tools and do not focus on developing teacher use of tools in diverse ways. Usually, these professional learning opportunities focus on how to use the tools rather than how to integrate them into the learning environment. A vast majority of staff members are willing to attend professional learning that provides active learning and chances to learn how to integrate our abundant amount of tools effectively in the classroom. We must take advantage of this interest and provide targeted learning experiences for our staff members. At the beginning of the year, I believe that our staff members should complete a needs survey and the leadership team should work with technology leaders in the building to plan consistent professional learning opportunities throughout the year to target the skills and knowledge needed by staff. Moreover, after conducting professional learning, technology mentors would provide ongoing support as teachers integrate these tools into practice. Our focus has to be on using these tools to enhance the curriculum and not as items to fill time. Leadership may also consider asking the district technology specialist to provide need based technology professional learning opportunities on site and provide follow up support with staff members. In addition, since time and funds are limited, staff members may also use free online professional learning resources to gain knowledge and skills with particular technologies. I propose also that we create professional learning communities to further the conversation about technology tools and to provide another avenue for providing support for the use of our available resources. We must also create a shared vision of technology and work to make sure that our work matches our words. From this vision, technology integration should acknowledge the need for professional growth though professional learning. Data Sources: Technology Survey, City Schools of Decatur Technology Plan

SWOT Analysis Template for Technology Planning Needs Assessment What is the current reality in our school?
ESSENTIAL CONDITION SEVEN: Technical Support ISTE Definition: Consistent and reliable assistance for maintaining, renewing, and using ICT and digital resources. Guiding Questions: To what extent is available equipment operable and reliable for instruction? Is there tech assistance available for technical issues when they arise? How responsive is tech support? Are current down time averages acceptable? Is tech support knowledgeable? What training might they need? In addition to break/fix issues, are support staff available to help with instructional issues when teachers try to use technology in the classroom? Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats Our school has a part-time technology specialist on site to provide technical support. 68% of staff members feel that technical support is ineffective. Our technology specialist is not skilled in troubleshooting common technology problems including the Promethean Boards, Adobe software, internet connections, etc. The technology specialist is not responsive to staff needs and is slow to attend to problems. It was also noted that he may or may not fully complete technical support tasks. Staff and students computers are not updated regularly with the latest software updates or plugins. Student laptops are slow and We have many technology leaders, who may be willing to work with the technology specialist to provide support to other teachers. A system could be used to integrate these leaders into the technical support structure. Our media specialist is very skilled and knowledgeable with a variety of technology related issues. Professional learning communities that include the technology specialist could be formed to help improve our technology specialists skills and knowledge of various technologies. Our technology specialist is part-time and may lack the time to participate in professional learning opportunities. Technology leaders may feel overwhelmed to take on more responsibilities in addition to their teaching duties.

SWOT Analysis Template for Technology Planning Needs Assessment What is the current reality in our school?
must be restarted frequently. These computers may also lack essential updates or plugins. Internet connections are not reliable and not all devices connect to the network properly. Many Promethean boards have connection issues and are outdated. Summary/Gap Analysis: With so many tools and teachers at various levels in their knowledge and skills, technical support is essential to meet the needs of our staff members. Our technology specialist is part-time and given his time limit, he seems unable to keep up with the demands of staff. Many indicated long response times in their responses about technical support. This is problematic if we want to grow the effectiveness of our technology integration with our students. Moreover, our technology specialist seems perplexed with many common problems and at times may not fully complete the task in which he has begun. For example, he may start an update but may not wait to see if the update completes before leaving. In addition, our Wi-Fi connection is spotty and many devices do not connect properly to the internet connection. Student laptops and computers are problematic as many do not have the proper plugins or software update for students to use them effectively. These problems have caused frustration with implementing these tools within our classrooms. In order to move forward in our efforts to grow effective technology integration with our students, we must provide the proper support for teachers. To do this, our technical support personnel must develop their skills through professional learning regularly and be held accountable for demonstrating their professional growth. I think we must also hold our technical support personnel accountable first and foremost for completing his job effectively. If not, a professional growth plan should be implemented and carried out. Due to a lack of funding, a full time technology specialist may not be feasible but we have many skilled personnel that are willing to assist when needed. As a school we must restructure the way we offer technical support by including these technology leaders to increase responsiveness and effectiveness. We may also want to include our media specialist into this pool to further the effective use of our resources. By using our resources more effectively, we can provide more coverage and support for our staff, which will lead to more effective implementation of technology within our school. Data Sources: Technology Survey

SWOT Analysis Template for Technology Planning Needs Assessment What is the current reality in our school?
ESSENTIAL CONDITION EIGHT: Curriculum Framework ISTE Definition: Content standards and related digital curriculum resources Guiding Questions: To what extent are educators, students, and parents aware of student technology standards? (QCCs/NET-S) Are technology standards aligned to content standards to help teachers integrate technology skills into day-to-day instruction and not teach technology as a separate subject? To what extent are there digital curriculum resources available to teachers so that they can integrate technology into the GPS/QCCs as appropriate? How is student technology literacy assessed? Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats Oakhurst Elementary has a Technology standards are not Since our Common Core With the implementation of variety of digital curriculum implemented within our school. standards are fairly new, our Common Core standards, many resources available to teachers Teachers, students, and parents school has the opportunity to teachers may view for integrating into the are not aware of national or link these standards with implementing new technology curriculum. These resources state technology standards. national and state technology standards with these standards include digital books, Therefore, these standards are standards as both easily align as increasing their workload. interactive textbooks, access to not integrated within the with each other. video sites, and online blended curriculum. Teachers, parents, and students learning with Compass Technology leaders are are not aware of technology Learning. The variety of digital resources available to provide standards. are not known to all staff professional learning on the Our digital content is aligned members or are not being used best practices with Our district assesses technology with Common Core standards consistently within the implementing technology literacy in only one grade level. and Georgia content standards. curriculum. standards within the No plan exists on integrating curriculum. technology standards Digital literacy is assessed in throughout the district and eighth grade with an online Our media specialist can providing more assessment assessment. provide ongoing support for opportunities for student how to use digital content technology literacy. within the classroom setting for teachers. Summary/Gap Analysis:

SWOT Analysis Template for Technology Planning Needs Assessment What is the current reality in our school?
Along with many school districts around Georgia, our school is implementing the new Common Core standards and are learning how to use our many digital resources efficiently to meet these standards. Our school has an abundance of digital content such as video streaming services such as United Streaming, online books, interactive e-books, and online blended learning software with Compass Learning. Although we have access to a variety of digital resources, they are not being implemented consistently within the curriculum. Furthermore, our school does not implement national or state technology standards within our curriculum. However, the City Schools of Decatur technology plan states that eighth grade students are assessed on their technology literacy. If students are to be ready for this assessment, we must first ensure that national technology standards are integrated consistently within our curriculum and provide ongoing assessments in other grades to assess the growth of student technology literacy within our district. In order to make growth in this area, our school needs to develop a clear vision about technology integration that supports the integration of national standards (specifically, NET-S) within our curriculum and provide a plan to support our teachers in their implementation of these technology standards. Our new Common Core standards focus on developing higher order and critical thinking among students and NET-S focuses on the development of these areas as well. Leadership must work to instill within the teachers the importance of both Common Core and NET-S standards and establish a link between both standards. We must use our technology leaders to provide professional learning opportunities that focus on how integrate NET-S standards using best practices to improve student learning. These professional learning opportunities must include ongoing support for teachers in their use of NET-S. Moreover, our media specialist should also work with teachers on how to integrate digital resources consistently with students and show teachers how to link these resources to the Common Core standards and NET-S standards. In addition, technology leaders and the media specialist should work together to create assessments to evaluate student technology literacy within our school and use this data to reflect on student technology literacy in our school. Finally, we must make sure that our parents are aware of NET-S standards and how these standards reflect the needs of our students in the 21st century. By making these improvements, we can make sure that our school is making growth in linking our content standards with digital resources and integrating NET-S within our curriculum. Data Sources: School Improvement Plan, Survey Data, City Schools of Decatur Technology Plan

SWOT Analysis Template for Technology Planning Needs Assessment What is the current reality in our school?
Appendix A SWOT Analysis Survey Professional Learning 1. What is your comfort level with the technology tools and software in your classroom/school? 4- Very Comfortable 3- Comfortable 2-Ok 1- Needs Improvement 2. How consistently has professional learning for technology been provided within our school? 3. What type of professional learning opportunities for technology would be helpful in your teaching practice? 4. Which software/ technology tools do you use daily in your instruction? How effective is your use of these tools? What could make your use of these tools/software more effective? 5. Which technology tools or software would you like more training with? Why? 6. With professional learning opportunities, which learning strategies are beneficial for you as a learner? 7. How willing are you to attend training? Which type of training would you like? (Whole Day, Half-Day, Mentor) Technical Support 1. On a scale of 1-4, how effective is technical support? 1- Not Effective 2- Somewhat Effective 3-Effective 4- Very Effective 2. On average, about how long do you have to wait before an issue is resolved? 3. How would you describe technical support in our school? 4. What improvements or changes would you make to technical support?

SWOT Analysis Template for Technology Planning Needs Assessment What is the current reality in our school?
5. What are the characteristics you look for in technical support? Skilled Personnel 1. What is your comfort level with technology? How willing are you to provide training to others about technology tools? 2. How do you view technology being used in the classroom? 3. How often do you use technology consistently during your work day? 4. What are some challenges or roadblocks in your use of technology? 5. What do you enjoy about using technology in the classroom? What do you dislike about using technology in the classroom? 6. What professional learning would enhance your technology skills?

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