1.2 Strategic Planning
Candidates facilitate the design, development, implementation, communication, and evaluation of technology-infused strategic plans. (PSC 1.2/ISTE 1b)
Artifact: SWOT Analysis
Reflection:
The artifact that I have decided to use for this standard is the SWOT Analysis. I created the Strength, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) Analysis during the summer of 2014 in ITEC 7410. The paper examines the strengths and weaknesses of technology use on our building.
Standard 1.2, Strategic Planning states, “Candidates facilitate the design, development, implementation, communication, and evaluation of technology-infused strategic plans.” This standard ensures that technology programs are developed and revised as needed to assist the students of a school. In the SWOT Analysis, the technology efforts of Cherokee Elementary were analyzed using eight different criteria. The SWOT Analysis was a thorough and reflective process that provided clear insight concerning the strengths and weaknesses of the use of technology within our school’s culture. The strengths of the school are the school has current, new technology, a technical assistant within the building, and teachers who are reflective about their technology practices. An area of growth or a weakness for the school is that it does not provide enough technology focused professional development so that teachers can adequately use the technology that is available. An opportunity that the school has is that we have everything we need to begin to implement quality technology professional development. All we have to do is plan to do so.
From completing the SWOT Analysis, I learned how behind my school is in preparing teachers to equip students with competitive technology skills. In my state, technology is not a focus. Our state’s goal is to be the fastest improving state in the nation, but there is no specific direction given on how technology can be used to achieve that goal. As a result of it not being a state focus, technology is not a major focus of my district or school. Unfortunately, the focus of my district seems to be on testing and improving scores on the state assessment. Nonetheless, I believe if students become deeply engaged with the content, test scores will likely increase without testing being the focus of instruction. It is hard to get administrators to realize that would occur.
The professional learning of teachers will be directly impacted by this artifact. I shared my findings from the assignment with my administrator as the topic of focus of a detailed discussion. Although he agrees with most of the information presented in the SWOT, he admits that working in an underperforming school presents more challenges than working in a school working in a school that already has a successful record of high student achievement. Due to the fact that test scores carry so much weight, sometimes the focus on things such as technology decreases. The principal has agreed to allotting PLC time to technology a couple of times a month. This assignment helped to begin a much needed conversation. We want to produce globally competitive students which will not happen until more attention is placed on technology focused professional development.
The artifact that I have decided to use for this standard is the SWOT Analysis. I created the Strength, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) Analysis during the summer of 2014 in ITEC 7410. The paper examines the strengths and weaknesses of technology use on our building.
Standard 1.2, Strategic Planning states, “Candidates facilitate the design, development, implementation, communication, and evaluation of technology-infused strategic plans.” This standard ensures that technology programs are developed and revised as needed to assist the students of a school. In the SWOT Analysis, the technology efforts of Cherokee Elementary were analyzed using eight different criteria. The SWOT Analysis was a thorough and reflective process that provided clear insight concerning the strengths and weaknesses of the use of technology within our school’s culture. The strengths of the school are the school has current, new technology, a technical assistant within the building, and teachers who are reflective about their technology practices. An area of growth or a weakness for the school is that it does not provide enough technology focused professional development so that teachers can adequately use the technology that is available. An opportunity that the school has is that we have everything we need to begin to implement quality technology professional development. All we have to do is plan to do so.
From completing the SWOT Analysis, I learned how behind my school is in preparing teachers to equip students with competitive technology skills. In my state, technology is not a focus. Our state’s goal is to be the fastest improving state in the nation, but there is no specific direction given on how technology can be used to achieve that goal. As a result of it not being a state focus, technology is not a major focus of my district or school. Unfortunately, the focus of my district seems to be on testing and improving scores on the state assessment. Nonetheless, I believe if students become deeply engaged with the content, test scores will likely increase without testing being the focus of instruction. It is hard to get administrators to realize that would occur.
The professional learning of teachers will be directly impacted by this artifact. I shared my findings from the assignment with my administrator as the topic of focus of a detailed discussion. Although he agrees with most of the information presented in the SWOT, he admits that working in an underperforming school presents more challenges than working in a school working in a school that already has a successful record of high student achievement. Due to the fact that test scores carry so much weight, sometimes the focus on things such as technology decreases. The principal has agreed to allotting PLC time to technology a couple of times a month. This assignment helped to begin a much needed conversation. We want to produce globally competitive students which will not happen until more attention is placed on technology focused professional development.