5.1 Needs Assessment
Candidates conduct needs assessments to determine school-wide, faculty, grade-level, and subject area strengths and weaknesses to inform the content and delivery of technology-based professional learning programs. (PSC 5.1/ISTE 4a)
Artifacts: Individual Teacher Technology Assessment
Loti Questionaire
Adopter Level Survey
Reflection:
In ITEC 7460, we were asked to determine a technology needs assessment in our school. I created a survey on how the teachers at Hand in Hand use technology and I asked them to elaborate on how they use specific technologies they all possess. Additionally, I sent these teachers a LoTi Questionnaire, through Google Docs, to determine their strengths and weaknesses on integrating technology in their teaching. These two assessments helped me determine which teachers needed professional learning in integrating technology into their teaching.
These artifacts demonstrate mastery of standard 5.1 because I used surveys to determine school-wide what teachers’ strengths and weakness were so that I could provide professional learning to those in need. I narrowed my focus to one candidate who was new to our faculty, Mrs. E. She was returning to the classroom after many years of staying home with her own children and was very eager to learn all she could. After meeting with her we determined we would communicate through Word Press as she could ask questions and make more in-depth comments about the survey questions after hours. Through Word Press and coaching sessions, she indicated students rarely have choice in digital tools, rarely collaborate beyond the classroom walls, and she has spent little time on teaching students how to use the digital tools in her classroom. Mrs. E. indicated she uses technology for planning student activities through lesson plans and SMARTBoard activities, putting her in the driver’s seat but rarely allowing students to do the driving. Mrs. E. indicated she is overwhelmed learning what is expected of her as she returns to the classroom, however, she was eager for me to coach her on using technology for student learning.
Coaching a colleague was a very rewarding experience and I learned a great deal about planning, organization, and communication. As this teacher was in close proximity to me it was easy to keep the communication lines open especially, with the additional help of Word Press. Since Mrs. E. was last in classroom many new technologies have been introduced and she felt very ill equipped to use them. We began with using her SMARTBoard and I showed her it was more than a very large projector. When I demonstrated how she could use it as a language experience chart allowing her students to participate using the SMART pen, she applauded. The day after this demonstration I saw from the hall her allowing students to write their responses on the SMARTBoard. She was also amazed and thrilled to see the capabilities of SMART Notebook and the ways she could allow her students to have more freedom with the SMARTBoard without fear of them mishandling it.
I also showed her how to navigate Infinite Campus and to use the SLDS function that is a vast resource of student interactive games that work nicely on the SMARTBoard. Mrs. E. began to see you can give kindergarten students more freedom of choice and allow them to do the driving. The method Mrs. E. was using technology was all teacher directed and my goal was to show her how to use it in more meaningful and engaging ways. She began to see the difference between teacher directed use and child initiated use.
This was a marvelous experience for me and I hope it was for my colleague. In the future, I will ask more specific questions surrounding the technology we use at our school. I especially would like to ask more open ended questions on how a teacher would use a specific tool. This coaching experience had some unexpected positive impacts. I witnessed my colleague passing on to other teachers what she had learned in our sessions and on several occasions another colleague would eavesdrop in on our session and take away something new for themselves. Therefore, I believe it had a positive impact school wide as word of mouth spreads rather fast. In the future, I would like to see more of professional learning at Hand in Hand on implementing good sound teaching methods that use digital tools and not just how to operate the tool.
In ITEC 7460, we were asked to determine a technology needs assessment in our school. I created a survey on how the teachers at Hand in Hand use technology and I asked them to elaborate on how they use specific technologies they all possess. Additionally, I sent these teachers a LoTi Questionnaire, through Google Docs, to determine their strengths and weaknesses on integrating technology in their teaching. These two assessments helped me determine which teachers needed professional learning in integrating technology into their teaching.
These artifacts demonstrate mastery of standard 5.1 because I used surveys to determine school-wide what teachers’ strengths and weakness were so that I could provide professional learning to those in need. I narrowed my focus to one candidate who was new to our faculty, Mrs. E. She was returning to the classroom after many years of staying home with her own children and was very eager to learn all she could. After meeting with her we determined we would communicate through Word Press as she could ask questions and make more in-depth comments about the survey questions after hours. Through Word Press and coaching sessions, she indicated students rarely have choice in digital tools, rarely collaborate beyond the classroom walls, and she has spent little time on teaching students how to use the digital tools in her classroom. Mrs. E. indicated she uses technology for planning student activities through lesson plans and SMARTBoard activities, putting her in the driver’s seat but rarely allowing students to do the driving. Mrs. E. indicated she is overwhelmed learning what is expected of her as she returns to the classroom, however, she was eager for me to coach her on using technology for student learning.
Coaching a colleague was a very rewarding experience and I learned a great deal about planning, organization, and communication. As this teacher was in close proximity to me it was easy to keep the communication lines open especially, with the additional help of Word Press. Since Mrs. E. was last in classroom many new technologies have been introduced and she felt very ill equipped to use them. We began with using her SMARTBoard and I showed her it was more than a very large projector. When I demonstrated how she could use it as a language experience chart allowing her students to participate using the SMART pen, she applauded. The day after this demonstration I saw from the hall her allowing students to write their responses on the SMARTBoard. She was also amazed and thrilled to see the capabilities of SMART Notebook and the ways she could allow her students to have more freedom with the SMARTBoard without fear of them mishandling it.
I also showed her how to navigate Infinite Campus and to use the SLDS function that is a vast resource of student interactive games that work nicely on the SMARTBoard. Mrs. E. began to see you can give kindergarten students more freedom of choice and allow them to do the driving. The method Mrs. E. was using technology was all teacher directed and my goal was to show her how to use it in more meaningful and engaging ways. She began to see the difference between teacher directed use and child initiated use.
This was a marvelous experience for me and I hope it was for my colleague. In the future, I will ask more specific questions surrounding the technology we use at our school. I especially would like to ask more open ended questions on how a teacher would use a specific tool. This coaching experience had some unexpected positive impacts. I witnessed my colleague passing on to other teachers what she had learned in our sessions and on several occasions another colleague would eavesdrop in on our session and take away something new for themselves. Therefore, I believe it had a positive impact school wide as word of mouth spreads rather fast. In the future, I would like to see more of professional learning at Hand in Hand on implementing good sound teaching methods that use digital tools and not just how to operate the tool.