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: School Environmental Analysis - Internal Culture (EDL 7100)
Reflection:
I chose an assignment completed in EDL 7100, Leadership Theory and Practice, as my artifact for Standard 5.1: Needs Assessment. This artifact is School Environmental Analysis – Internal Culture. This report was written during the summer of 2013. Due to school not being in session, information was collected via email. I sent a list of questions to 17 teachers and administrators from a variety of departments across Lambert High School that I thought would be likely to check their school email during the summer vacation. As a result, I received five replies from two departments, plus one administrator. I then compiled and analyzed the responses to determine current internal school culture and make recommendations for improvements in the areas of professional collaboration, congenial relationships, efficacy, and valuing diversity.
Analysis of my internal school culture allowed me to demonstrate mastery of Standard 5.1, which states 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.” The internal school environment analysis asked teachers and administrators to comment upon the strengths and weaknesses of the school in four areas. After seeing where the school was strong based upon the responses, recommendations were made for improvements that could make use of technology-based elements of professional learning, such as modules delivered via the learning management system and discussion boards to encourage congenial relationships.
As I work with the Professional Learning team to design professional learning for the school in the future, I plan to focus more on delivering lessons that model the ways that teachers should include technology in their lessons. Technology inclusion should always serve a purpose beyond just including technology. The use of technology should help to advance the lesson, to increase student knowledge or engagement, or to create real-life applicability. The same should be true of including technology in professional learning for teachers.
I chose an assignment completed in EDL 7100, Leadership Theory and Practice, as my artifact for Standard 5.1: Needs Assessment. This artifact is School Environmental Analysis – Internal Culture. This report was written during the summer of 2013. Due to school not being in session, information was collected via email. I sent a list of questions to 17 teachers and administrators from a variety of departments across Lambert High School that I thought would be likely to check their school email during the summer vacation. As a result, I received five replies from two departments, plus one administrator. I then compiled and analyzed the responses to determine current internal school culture and make recommendations for improvements in the areas of professional collaboration, congenial relationships, efficacy, and valuing diversity.
Analysis of my internal school culture allowed me to demonstrate mastery of Standard 5.1, which states 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.” The internal school environment analysis asked teachers and administrators to comment upon the strengths and weaknesses of the school in four areas. After seeing where the school was strong based upon the responses, recommendations were made for improvements that could make use of technology-based elements of professional learning, such as modules delivered via the learning management system and discussion boards to encourage congenial relationships.
As I work with the Professional Learning team to design professional learning for the school in the future, I plan to focus more on delivering lessons that model the ways that teachers should include technology in their lessons. Technology inclusion should always serve a purpose beyond just including technology. The use of technology should help to advance the lesson, to increase student knowledge or engagement, or to create real-life applicability. The same should be true of including technology in professional learning for teachers.
