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: Needs Assessment
Individual Teacher Technology Assessment
Reflection:
The artifacts used to display evidence of the needs assessment are and Individual Teacher Technology Assessment and a school Needs Assessment.
Both of these artifacts provide evidence of strengths and weaknesses within schools, faculty, content, and programs.
During the Individual Teacher Technology Assessment, the teacher had several weaknesses when it came to technology. One such weakness was her
comfort level with technology. It was important to allow the teacher to address her weaknesses in order to take ownership for them. The teacher was provided adequate time and training in order to improve the weaknesses and feel comfortable in the classroom.
After much discussion with the teacher, additional information was obtained as to her personal needs and goals as related to the integration of technology within the classroom. Three main areas for improvement were identified - building a repertoire of basic troubleshooting strategies, identifying technology-rich resources to support learning and integrating technology tools throughout the content areas. Multiple experiences were provided. The first was basic troubleshooting such as connecting to the Internet. Additionally, she suggested discussing how to find resources on the Internet she could use in the classroom. Finally, we discussed reviewing her current lesson plans and incorporating more of the items from the questionnaire into them. Multiple experiences were provided to the teacher in order to achieve her goal of integrating technology into her classroom.
The second artifact is the Needs Assessment from the school. This Needs Assessment evaluated content, faculty, professional learning, and student population in order to determine where the needs were. It is important to address student learning needs immediately in order to achieve student success and growth.
A strength the Needs Assessment shows is the abundance of professional learning in the school. Teachers have many opportunities throughout the year to grow. Another strength is having teachers determine professional learning opportunities they would like to participate in. This creates a sense of ownership and will likely allow the teachers to use what they have learned.
As a teacher, it is imperative to continually grow professionally. It would be beneficial to use Needs Assessments in the classroom. Each teacher needs an inventory of their strengths and weaknesses. By doing this, instruction can be modified and student achievement can increase. With the diverse student population, it is essential teachers learn to change.
The experience of creating a Needs Assessment can be an eye opener. It is important to analyze your school in order to determine where strengths and weaknesses are. Capitalizing on identified strengths and weaknesses can promote a deeper understanding of potential areas of improvement. Additionally, doing an individualized technology assessment could also be beneficial to teachers. This could allow them to see where they need improvement when using technology in the classroom. Since technology creates real-world, authentic learning scenarios, it is imperative teachers are confident and using technology day to day.
Artifact: Needs Assessment
Individual Teacher Technology Assessment
Reflection:
The artifacts used to display evidence of the needs assessment are and Individual Teacher Technology Assessment and a school Needs Assessment.
Both of these artifacts provide evidence of strengths and weaknesses within schools, faculty, content, and programs.
During the Individual Teacher Technology Assessment, the teacher had several weaknesses when it came to technology. One such weakness was her
comfort level with technology. It was important to allow the teacher to address her weaknesses in order to take ownership for them. The teacher was provided adequate time and training in order to improve the weaknesses and feel comfortable in the classroom.
After much discussion with the teacher, additional information was obtained as to her personal needs and goals as related to the integration of technology within the classroom. Three main areas for improvement were identified - building a repertoire of basic troubleshooting strategies, identifying technology-rich resources to support learning and integrating technology tools throughout the content areas. Multiple experiences were provided. The first was basic troubleshooting such as connecting to the Internet. Additionally, she suggested discussing how to find resources on the Internet she could use in the classroom. Finally, we discussed reviewing her current lesson plans and incorporating more of the items from the questionnaire into them. Multiple experiences were provided to the teacher in order to achieve her goal of integrating technology into her classroom.
The second artifact is the Needs Assessment from the school. This Needs Assessment evaluated content, faculty, professional learning, and student population in order to determine where the needs were. It is important to address student learning needs immediately in order to achieve student success and growth.
A strength the Needs Assessment shows is the abundance of professional learning in the school. Teachers have many opportunities throughout the year to grow. Another strength is having teachers determine professional learning opportunities they would like to participate in. This creates a sense of ownership and will likely allow the teachers to use what they have learned.
As a teacher, it is imperative to continually grow professionally. It would be beneficial to use Needs Assessments in the classroom. Each teacher needs an inventory of their strengths and weaknesses. By doing this, instruction can be modified and student achievement can increase. With the diverse student population, it is essential teachers learn to change.
The experience of creating a Needs Assessment can be an eye opener. It is important to analyze your school in order to determine where strengths and weaknesses are. Capitalizing on identified strengths and weaknesses can promote a deeper understanding of potential areas of improvement. Additionally, doing an individualized technology assessment could also be beneficial to teachers. This could allow them to see where they need improvement when using technology in the classroom. Since technology creates real-world, authentic learning scenarios, it is imperative teachers are confident and using technology day to day.