Reflections on Technology Assessments

I completed the Preassessment before the course began, and found that I do not know much about the technology plan and the goals for improvement in technology. I left the classroom before the STAR chart began, and so I do not have first hand knowledge of that, either. I have had training related to technology. I am proficient in using Word, Excel, and Powerpoint, and I use them daily in my current job. I use Adobe Professional daily as well.

The first assessment on the assignment was the Technology Applications Inventory. I rated myself "yes" or "no" on questions from four categories; Foundations, Information Acquisition, Solving Problems, and Communication. I had the most "yes" responses in Foundations, which was not a surprise to me since I have been out of the classroom for quite a while. I had 14 "yes" responses compared to 4 "no" responses in that area. In Information Acquisition, I had 5 "yes" and 5 "no" responses, meaning I was pretty equal in both. In Solving Problems, I had a higher number of "no" responses than "yes". I think this is because the training that I have attended in the past several years related to technology was more focused on administrative technology applications instead of teaching applications. In Communications, I had 7 "yes" responses and 5 "no" responses. I am able to communicate effectively using technology, but there is more that I can learn to improve this skill.

The second assessment was the SEDTA teacher survey. I had hard time deciding whether to complete the teacher, building, or district survey because none of the surveys really fit my exact position as a district administrator. I chose the teacher survey because it was the most applicable to what I do. The survey was very lengthy, and asked about the extent to which technology is utilized in the classroom by teachers and students. I found that teachers in my school are expected to use technology to communicate with other staff members, parents, and even students. There is an expectation that technology will be integrated into content area lessons with increasing frequency. Both the building level and district level adminstration support the use of technology by teachers and students. This is evident in the district's long range technology plan, and in the campus improvement plan. This year, our campus improvement team decided to use stimulus (AARA) funding to purchase addtional technology for classrooms. We are purchasing document cameras, flip cameras, and smart boards to assist teachers with utilizing technology to enhance learning.

We use technology in our teaching frequently. For example, in the science lab, teachers use the projector and computer to display Internet resources related to science concepts being taught. Document cameras are used to demonstrate how to complete assignments, such as lab documents and science journals. In the reading content, document cameras are used to show literature as it is read during a whole group lesson. In bilingual classrooms, teachers use the document camera to display correctly completed homework and classwork to increase comprehension for students who are learning English.

Technology is used by teachers and administrators to gather and store data related to student performance. There is an expectation that teachers are able to navigate the mclass and Voyager websites for reading data and the COMPASS, for all other data related to assessment and intervention for students within the district.

Students go to the computer lab on a rotating basis and additionally when teachers sign up. They learn keyboarding beginning in third or fourth grade. There is more of a focus on it as students get olddr, but we try to expose them early so that they can use word processing and other applications effectively. Students also use computers within the classroom to complete research and as a station for learning in reading and math. We use programs such as Write Outloud, Word, and Powerpoint for students to complete written projects. Students do not use excel often in elementary school.

Although this second survey did not provide a way to score and categorize the responses, I did feel that my responses were similar to the first survey in that I had much more foundational knowledge than information acquisition and problem solving. Most teachers are really embracing technology and embedding it into their teaching. There are some who are less comfortable, and the district and school is providing training to assist them in integrating technology.