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 Assessment was completed for course ITEC 7460, Professional Learning and Technology Innovation. For this assignment we were asked to develop a LoTi-based assessment and use it to assess one willing colleague. We were also asked to determine their adopter profile as described by Change Theory. The LoTi-based assessment was created in a small collaborative group working together in this course and the final artifact was completed alone.
Standard 5.1, Needs Assessment asks that 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. As a technology coach it is important to know the current strengths and weaknesses of your collaborating teacher(s). Knowing what they already know in relation to technology can help inform the content and delivery of technology-based professional learning. For this artifact, I conducted a needs assessment to determine my colleague’s current LoTi and personal computer use levels as well as the technology currently available to him. This information along with assessing that he is a late adopter was then used to plan for technology integration strategies that would build from his currents uses and strengths.
Through completing this assignment, I learned to develop and facilitate a needs assessment for technology use. The LoTi and Change Theory questions were very helpful in helping me find an appropriate starting point with my colleague. Knowing his strengths and weaknesses and a little about his adopter habits helped me plan for working with him to improve his use of instructional technology. One thing I would change about this experience is that I would have liked to have developed my own questions instead of having to use the ones created by the group. While several of the questions were ones I would probably have asked, there were some that I would have preferred to replace.
The work I completed for this artifact impacted faculty development by addressing the technology needs of an individual teacher. As a result of working with this teacher, student learning was also impacted. Coaching a teacher in the use of instructional technology also impacted my own professional learning, as I learned to assess his needs and use his current strengths and weaknesses to inform my instruction.
The Individual Teacher Technology Assessment was completed for course ITEC 7460, Professional Learning and Technology Innovation. For this assignment we were asked to develop a LoTi-based assessment and use it to assess one willing colleague. We were also asked to determine their adopter profile as described by Change Theory. The LoTi-based assessment was created in a small collaborative group working together in this course and the final artifact was completed alone.
Standard 5.1, Needs Assessment asks that 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. As a technology coach it is important to know the current strengths and weaknesses of your collaborating teacher(s). Knowing what they already know in relation to technology can help inform the content and delivery of technology-based professional learning. For this artifact, I conducted a needs assessment to determine my colleague’s current LoTi and personal computer use levels as well as the technology currently available to him. This information along with assessing that he is a late adopter was then used to plan for technology integration strategies that would build from his currents uses and strengths.
Through completing this assignment, I learned to develop and facilitate a needs assessment for technology use. The LoTi and Change Theory questions were very helpful in helping me find an appropriate starting point with my colleague. Knowing his strengths and weaknesses and a little about his adopter habits helped me plan for working with him to improve his use of instructional technology. One thing I would change about this experience is that I would have liked to have developed my own questions instead of having to use the ones created by the group. While several of the questions were ones I would probably have asked, there were some that I would have preferred to replace.
The work I completed for this artifact impacted faculty development by addressing the technology needs of an individual teacher. As a result of working with this teacher, student learning was also impacted. Coaching a teacher in the use of instructional technology also impacted my own professional learning, as I learned to assess his needs and use his current strengths and weaknesses to inform my instruction.