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)
Artifact:
Individual Teacher Technology Assessment
Reflection:
The Individual Teacher Technology Needs Assessment I developed in ITEC 7460 demonstrates my ability to conduct a needs assessment to determine my colleague’s areas of strengths and weaknesses. The artifact also shows my ability use the needs assessment to inform the content and delivery of technology-based professional learning program. During this experience, I completed a needs assessment with a colleague on my third-grade team at our school. The purpose of this artifact was to evaluate Ms. G’s strength and weaknesses in integrating technology as well as understanding her feelings toward adopting to change.
The Individual Technology Needs Assessment demonstrates my ability to conduct a needs assessment. During this process, I used several sources to collect data that would give me a greater understanding of my colleague and how to adapt and assist with her instructional needs. To start, I collaborated with members from my ITEC 7460 class to create questions used in two surveys, Adopter Level Survey and LoTi Survey, and a face-to-face interview. In order for me to get a clearer understanding of how Mrs. G’s feelings were towards adopting to new technology, I provided her with a ten question Adopter survey. According to the survey, she loved to learn about new technologies and is one of the first to experiment with and use them. Her use of technology was mostly for working purposes and she was willing to share and model new technology ideas with colleagues. The technology platforms that Mrs. G used most often were Office 365 and YouTube. Her students used digital technology to collaborate with peers a few times a month. Knowing this, I made it a goal to turn from “a few times a month” to a weekly collaboration by using fun and engaging tools such as Kahoot and Plickers. Mrs. G also marked that she liked to have new technology modeled during lunch and learn sessions and learned about new tools and technology through social media as well as from colleagues.
The LoTi Survey included ten questions to gather information specific to the current level of technology use and amount of technology she integrated within her daily instruction. From the results, I learned that Mrs. G used technology in the classroom to enhance students learning and understanding of concepts. She also used digital tools to communicate and collaborate with students, parents, and peers through Class Dojo, TenMarks, and Istation. During our interview she explained that technology was used to instruct students before, during, and after a lesson and discussed the process in further details. After conducting surveys with the three instruments, the information I gathered allowed me to determine her strengths, opportunities for growth and to inform the content and delivery of the technology-based professional learning. The needs assessments informed my decision to focus the professional learning towards a peer-coaching model. Additionally, the data informed me on how I should design the structure of the coaching model, the length of time and strategies I would use to meet my colleagues needs.
Developing this artifact taught me the significance of analyzing multiple data sources. I learned that it is important to develop questions and surveys that are brief and effective when it comes to collecting information that will assess educator’s technology needs. Additionally, I learned how to assess teachers using the LoTi framework which I had never experience before until attending this class. The data I gathered from the Individual Teacher Technology Assessments, face-to-face interview and observation allowed me to focus on a coaching strategy, peer coaching, designed to assist with the technology needs of my colleague. This was my first experience with utilizing assessments to drive the design of a professional learning and I found it to be very effective. To improve the quality of this artifact, I would reflect and research more on best practices that provide peer coaching support for teachers who struggle with technology use. Also, it would be beneficial to give quarterly surveys to assess the needs of current staff members. This will inform administration and school leaders of the amount of professional learning and mentors needed.
The artifact impacts staff development as it gives coaches I was able to evaluate the strength and weakness of one teacher and show her the areas in which she can develop and strengthen her effective use of technology. This was assessed by conducting another survey after the sessions and comparing her strengths and weaknesses. Assessing attitudes towards technology integration will reveal faculty disposition and inform future professional developments.
Reflection:
The Individual Teacher Technology Needs Assessment I developed in ITEC 7460 demonstrates my ability to conduct a needs assessment to determine my colleague’s areas of strengths and weaknesses. The artifact also shows my ability use the needs assessment to inform the content and delivery of technology-based professional learning program. During this experience, I completed a needs assessment with a colleague on my third-grade team at our school. The purpose of this artifact was to evaluate Ms. G’s strength and weaknesses in integrating technology as well as understanding her feelings toward adopting to change.
The Individual Technology Needs Assessment demonstrates my ability to conduct a needs assessment. During this process, I used several sources to collect data that would give me a greater understanding of my colleague and how to adapt and assist with her instructional needs. To start, I collaborated with members from my ITEC 7460 class to create questions used in two surveys, Adopter Level Survey and LoTi Survey, and a face-to-face interview. In order for me to get a clearer understanding of how Mrs. G’s feelings were towards adopting to new technology, I provided her with a ten question Adopter survey. According to the survey, she loved to learn about new technologies and is one of the first to experiment with and use them. Her use of technology was mostly for working purposes and she was willing to share and model new technology ideas with colleagues. The technology platforms that Mrs. G used most often were Office 365 and YouTube. Her students used digital technology to collaborate with peers a few times a month. Knowing this, I made it a goal to turn from “a few times a month” to a weekly collaboration by using fun and engaging tools such as Kahoot and Plickers. Mrs. G also marked that she liked to have new technology modeled during lunch and learn sessions and learned about new tools and technology through social media as well as from colleagues.
The LoTi Survey included ten questions to gather information specific to the current level of technology use and amount of technology she integrated within her daily instruction. From the results, I learned that Mrs. G used technology in the classroom to enhance students learning and understanding of concepts. She also used digital tools to communicate and collaborate with students, parents, and peers through Class Dojo, TenMarks, and Istation. During our interview she explained that technology was used to instruct students before, during, and after a lesson and discussed the process in further details. After conducting surveys with the three instruments, the information I gathered allowed me to determine her strengths, opportunities for growth and to inform the content and delivery of the technology-based professional learning. The needs assessments informed my decision to focus the professional learning towards a peer-coaching model. Additionally, the data informed me on how I should design the structure of the coaching model, the length of time and strategies I would use to meet my colleagues needs.
Developing this artifact taught me the significance of analyzing multiple data sources. I learned that it is important to develop questions and surveys that are brief and effective when it comes to collecting information that will assess educator’s technology needs. Additionally, I learned how to assess teachers using the LoTi framework which I had never experience before until attending this class. The data I gathered from the Individual Teacher Technology Assessments, face-to-face interview and observation allowed me to focus on a coaching strategy, peer coaching, designed to assist with the technology needs of my colleague. This was my first experience with utilizing assessments to drive the design of a professional learning and I found it to be very effective. To improve the quality of this artifact, I would reflect and research more on best practices that provide peer coaching support for teachers who struggle with technology use. Also, it would be beneficial to give quarterly surveys to assess the needs of current staff members. This will inform administration and school leaders of the amount of professional learning and mentors needed.
The artifact impacts staff development as it gives coaches I was able to evaluate the strength and weakness of one teacher and show her the areas in which she can develop and strengthen her effective use of technology. This was assessed by conducting another survey after the sessions and comparing her strengths and weaknesses. Assessing attitudes towards technology integration will reveal faculty disposition and inform future professional developments.