Jeremy Easley Swot

SWOT Analysis for Technology Planning Needs Assessment
What is the current reality in our school?

Name: Jeremy Easley ITEC 7410, Semester: Summer 2014

ESSENTIAL CONDITION ONE: Effective Instructional Uses of Technology Embedded in Standards-Based,
Student-Centered Learning

ISTE Definition: Use of information and communication technology (ICT) to facilitate engaging approaches to learning.
Guiding Questions:
How is technology being used in our school? How frequently is it being used? By whom? For what purposes?
To what extent is student technology use targeted toward student achievement of the Georgia Learning Standards (GPSs,
QCCs)?
To what extent is student technology use aligned to research-based, best practices that are most likely to support student
engagement, deep understanding of content, and transfer of knowledge? Is day-to-day instruction aligned to research-based
best practices? (See Creighton Chapters 5, 7)
Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats
Teachers and students are
excited about technology
integration. Teachers are
generally excited about
professional learning sessions
that are centered on technology.
They have accepted the fact
that technology is an important
part of society and it is playing
a larger part in todays
education as well.

Teachers sometimes get used to
only using technology to
practice skills or concepts that
they introduced in class. There
arent may innovative and
groundbreaking uses for
technology being explored in
these classrooms. This is not
completely the teachers fault.
They know that these practice
sites produce good results and
help students gain improved
scores, so this is what they use.
Todays students are identified
as iGeneration students
because they are driven by
technology innovation.
Students are open to the use of
technology and they engage in
its use on a daily basis.
In subjects such as
mathematics, students EOCT
test scores are lower than the
state average. In this subject, or
any subject that is
underperforming, teachers are
asked to produce increased
results and an emphasis is taken
away from technology
integration.
Summary/Gap Analysis:
Teachers are becoming increasingly receptive to technology integration and the various techniques they can use to become more
skilled in its practices. Numerous teachers have expressed interest in attending more professional learnings that will increase their
technology integration skill level. Students are also using technology in their lessons on a daily basis. The scheduler for the computer
lab is always booked solid and reservations must be made weeks in advanced to gain access.
The most common uses for technology by teachers are guided practice sites. These sites sometimes use games to help students
practice concepts they may have learned in math. Most teachers are familiar with Cool Math Games. Students are playing games and
practicing math. There are some good reviews for this site, but this use of technology is lacking originality and innovation. Teachers
should explore more sites that challenge the students and promote abstract thought.
Students are increasingly adept at the use of technology. The use of social media, design programs, game development, the newest
hardware, and even coding have become daily norms for them. These technologically advanced students are providing teachers with
the opportunities to try new techniques that enhance learning.
Teachers must keep in mind that most subjects are tested subjects that have an end of the year assessment that accompanies the
course. While technology integration is a goal that teachers should strive for, the performance standards should drive the technology
and not the use itself. Test scores will experience a significant decline if the performance standards are no longer the focus.

ESSENTIAL CONDITION TWO: Shared Vision

ISTE Definition: Proactive leadership in developing a shared vision for educational technology among school personnel, students,
parents, and the community.
Guiding Questions:
Is there an official vision for technology use in the district/school? Is it aligned to research-best practices? Is it aligned to
state and national visions? Are teachers, administrators, parents, students, and other community members aware of the vision?
To what extent do teachers, administrators, parents, students, and other community members have a vision for how technology
can be used to enhance student learning? What do they believe about technology and what types of technology uses we should
encourage in the future? Are their visions similar or different? To what extent are their beliefs about these ideal, preferred
technology uses in the future aligned to research and best practice?
To what extent do educators view technology as critical for improving student achievement of the GPS/QCCs? To preparing
tomorrows workforce? For motivating digital-age learners?
What strategies have been deployed to date to create a research-based shared vision?
What needs to be done to achieve broad-scale adoption of a research-based vision for technology use that is likely to lead to
improved student achievement?
Teachers are using technology
to help students master the
GPS/QCCs. Teachers are
using standards based computer
programs such as Georgia Test
Prep to sharpen skills and
practice the use of these skills
There is not a clear vision for
technology on the county or the
school website. All though the
mission of the school does
include the innovative use of
technology, there is not a vision
for technology on the district or
Without a clear vision, the
technology leaders of the
district and schools have the
opportunity to create a vision
for technology that is aligned to
best practices and that is also
aligned to the state and national
Without a shared vision or any
vision, there is the potential for
discrepancies in the goals on
administrators, technology
leaders, teachers, students,
schools, and the district. The
lack of a shared vision could
as well.

school website. visions. It is also an
opportunity to educate teachers,
parents, administrators,
students, and the community on
how a vision for technology
can be used to enhance
learning.
also cause divides between
school officials, teachers, and
the community.
Teachers have found that there are programs that are a great source of practicing skills that students have learned and the continued
use of these programs help students master GPS/QCC standards. The 9
th
grade academy teachers have come together and decided that
they all will use GA Test Prep to help sharpen skills in preparation of End of Course Tests or Benchmarks. They use the data from
these programs to help direct the focus of classroom education.
It is more than an alarming fact that there is not a vision for technology for the district or the schools. That is an indicator for the
importance that is placed on technology in the district and the schools it serves. The mission of the school does reference the use of
innovative technology, but that is not at all close to having a specific vision.
Although it is a bit disheartening to not have a vision for technology, it is presents a great opportunity to develop an effective vision.
There are numerous visions for technology that have been implemented, revised, and perfected. The technology leaders have the
opportunity to learn from the schools and districts that have been in the developmental phases of a technology vision. They can learn
from other districts trials, tribulations, and triumphs.
With that being said, there are administrators and teachers that have their own unofficial vision for technology and the longer the
district waits to develop a shared vision, the tougher it will be to get these administrators and teachers to share in this vision. There
must be continuity for a shared vision to work and the longer the district takes to develop one, the harder it will be to attain that
continuity.
Data Sources:

ESSENTIAL CONDITION THREE: Planning for Technology

ISTE Definition: A systematic plan aligned with a shared vision for school effectiveness and student learning through the infusion of
ICT and digital learning resources.
Guiding Questions:
Is there an adequate plan to guide technology use in your school? (either at the district or school level? Integrated into SIP?)
What should be done to strengthen planning?
The county technology
department is there to support
the needs of the teachers and
the students. The instructional
technology department
promotes the use of technology
of students in the classroom.
They provide interactive
equipment for the use of
students and teachers. Social
media and digital citizenship
are referenced as branches of
the county strategic plan.

The schools Strategic Plan
does not include a plan to guide
technology use. There is
mention of digital citizenship in
the strategic plan, but there is
not a mention of how to guide
students to become digital
citizens.
There are plans that can be
adapted to fit the needs of the
district or its schools.
Without a plan in place,
teachers will not receive the
proper support to integrate
technology that assists students
in mastery of the standards.

There is a technology department in the county and a technology specialist in each school that is there for the support of the teachers
and students. This department and these specialists promote the use of technology and they provide interactive equipment and support
for the equipment they provide.
The problem is that there isnt a plan on how they want teachers to use equipment and technology software. The teachers have just
naturally assumed that they are supposed to use technology to better teach the standards. So now the schools are left without a shared
vision or a plan on how to integrate the technology at their disposal.
Data Sources:

ESSENTIAL CONDITION FOUR: Equitable Access

ISTE Definition: Robust and reliable access to current and emerging technologies and digital resources.
Guiding Questions:
To what extent do students, teachers, administrators, and parents have access to computers and digital resources necessary to
support engaging, standards-based, student-centered learning?
To what extent is technology arrange/distributed to maximize access for engaging, standards-based, student-centered
learning?
What tools are needed and why?
Do students/parents/community need/have beyond school access to support the vision for learning?
Every teacher in the school is
assigned a laptop or has a
desktop computer in their
classroom. Some teachers are
taking part in a pilot program
where they are assigned an ipad
and must report on how they
use them in education. Each
classroom is also equipped with
a projector, document viewer,
interactive clickers, and an
interactive tablet. There are
computer labs that students
have access to, and there are
also computers available to
them in the media center as
well.

Our school is equipped with
two computer labs that have 32
computers in each and a library
that has 40 computers. This
means that only 3 out of
roughly 100 teachers
(excluding teachers that have a
lab in their classroom already)
have access to computer
technology per block. With
four blocks per day, only
twelve teachers can have access
to a computer lab per day.
There are grant possibilities for
teachers that would like to
write grants and receive extra
funding for technologies or the
technologies themselves
provided for the school.
Although the number of
computers for student use in
this school is not ideal, students
and teachers still have access to
computers. Teachers have the
ability to take an entire class to
the computer or the library to
have class. Students that have
study or an off period can go to
the library to use a computer as
well.
In an ideal world, teachers
could assign students to
research a certain subject at
home for homework. The
reality is, most students do not
have access to a computer
outside of school. This confines
the teacher to finishing all
activities that involve
technology in school.
All teachers have access to a computer on a daily basis, and in the majority of cases, they have the ability to take their laptops home to
finish work or complete research for future assignments. This is a major asset to the teachers, because some teachers do not have
computers at home, so complete access to a computer is a major asset. The access to various hardware devices allow teachers to
interesting and engaging.
The fact that reservations for the scheduler must be made weeks in advanced has been a problem for quite some time. There are not
enough computer labs to adequately service the student body. Teachers are learning great techniques and are developing new ideas
that they arent getting the opportunity to use because of the low availability. It would be helpful to have at least three to four mobile
labs with either mini laptops or ipads. This will help with the low availability.
Teachers that have experience in grant writing could help out by writing grants to gain extra funds for technology or have technology
donated to the school. It doesnt cost the school anything except the time and effort of willing individuals. It is also important to keep
in mind that the low availability of computers does not stop the integration of technology, it may slow it down a bit, but it should not
stop the process. Teachers are encouraged to come up with a rotation that is beneficial to all teachers, so that everyone has an
opportunity to integrate technology in their lessons.
Data Sources:

ESSENTIAL CONDITION FIVE: Skilled Personnel

ISTE Definition: Educators and support staff skilled in the use of ICT appropriate for their job responsibilities.
Guiding Questions:
To what extent are educators and support staff skilled in the use of technology appropriate for their job responsibilities?
What do they currently know and are able to do?
What are knowledge and skills do they need to acquire?

(Note: No need to discuss professional learning here. Discuss knowledge and skills. This is your needs assessment for professional
learning. The essential conditions focus on personnel, which includes administrators, staff, technology specialists, and teachers.
However, in this limited project, you may be wise to focus primarily or even solely on teachers; although you may choose to address
the proficiency of other educators/staff IF the need is critical. You must include an assessment of teacher proficiencies.
There is a qualified technology
specialist that is employed at
the each school in the district.
Each specialist has at least a
Masters degree in Instructional
Technology. This specialist is
responsible for software and
hardware updates, as well as
trouble shooting. They are
responsible for trainings on
how to use certain
technologies. Most schools also
have a computer technician.
They are responsible mostly for
repairs to devices and
responsible for everyday
Often times, these technology
specialists get overwhelmed
with the issues that teachers
face on a day to day basis. A
simple email could take the
specialist a couple of days to
get to. The Instructional
Technology specialist should
provide more techniques in
reference to technology
integration. Teachers have not
received formal training on
how to appropriately integrate
technology.
There are teachers that are
currently enrolled in graduate
courses to become proficient at
using technology in the
classroom and possibly gain a
position as a Technology
Coach. With more trained
teachers in the building, there
are more teachers that can
advise and mentor their
colleagues that may have
questions or concerns.
The lack of importance that the
county and the school places on
technology may discourage
teachers from wanting to
expand their knowledge of
technology.
troubleshooting assistance.
Both of these specialists
provide absolute support to the
teachers.
Having numerous trained technology specialists would be a great situation for any school. Especially for a school that has a vision for
technology integration. One technology specialist can serve an entire school, but they definitely will have their work cut out for
themselves. There should also be a true IT specialist in the building as well to help with hardware issues. These guys are sometimes
underappreciated because teachers tend to forget about them until they have hardware issues.
A technology coach in the building helps technology integration as well. A technology coach can help guide and advise teachers as
they begin to use more in their classroom more often. These coaches can also provide trainings that introduce the newest web 2.0 tools
and how to use them.
If there isnt funding available for a technology coach, teachers should be encouraged to continue their education in Instructional
Technology. This will allow teachers to gain experience as leaders as well as becoming mentors to teachers that are new to technology
integration.
Data Sources:

ESSENTIAL CONDITION SIX: Ongoing Professional Learning

ISTE Definition: Technology-related professional learning plans and opportunities with dedicated time to practice and share ideas.
Guiding Questions:
What professional learning opportunities are available to educators? Are they well-attended? Why or why not?
Are the current professional learning opportunities matched to the knowledge and skills educators need to acquire? (see
Skilled Personnel)
Do professional learning opportunities reflect the national standards for professional learning (NSDC)?
Do educators have both formal and informal opportunities to learn?
Is technology-related professional learning integrated into all professional learning opportunities or isolated as a separate
topic?
How must professional learning improve/change in order to achieve the shared vision?
The district has a qualified staff
dedicated to professional
learning opportunities. They
Although the district and the
schools it serves place the
utmost importance on
Professional learning provides
teachers with the opportunity to
learn new skills and collaborate
These professional learning
sessions do not take into
account that many teachers do
have designated a person to
head the technology integration
department and have conducted
professional learnings
concerning some web 2.0 tools
such as remind 101.
Attendances to professional
learning sessions are
mandatory. The district sets the
expectation that Professional
Learning sessions are to be
treated with the utmost
importance. Every school in the
county expects 100% of all
teachers to professional
learning sessions.
professional learning, they do
not place much importance of
technology sessions. The last
professional learning day did
not include many options for
technology integration. There
were some sessions that talked
about technology tools, but did
not go in depth about how to
use them in the classroom.
with teachers from other
schools. These technology
professional learning sessions
have the potential of sparking
the interest of teachers who are
not familiar with technology.
From there, teachers have the
chance to pursuit their interest
and become technology leaders
in their school.
not know how to integrate
technology properly. Teachers
are shown these nice and new
tools and let loose to do as they
please.
This district and these schools place a great amount of importance on professional learning and how they can support their teachers. In
recent years, this district has bused the teachers from their home school to one location and took attendance to ensure 100% attendance
or close to it. They have a staff that is dedicated and they also have a specialist in charge of technology integration and they also
conduct professional learning sessions related to technology.
Professional learning sessions are a great introduce new skills and techniques to all the teachers in the county. Teachers can also take
the new skills they learned and collaborate on how to use them with teachers from different schools. These sessions also have the
potential to inspire teachers to become technology leaders.
The issue appears with the importance that the district places on technology integration. Teachers are not given many choices for
sessions that discuss the integration of technology or the many uses of technology. It is clear that technology is a priority, but it just
isnt one of the biggest priorities. On the county website, there is a list of the notes from previous professional learning sessions, and
only one of the links is for a technology centered session.
Data Sources:

ESSENTIAL CONDITION SEVEN: Technical Support

ISTE Definition: Consistent and reliable assistance for maintaining, renewing, and using ICT and digital resources.
Guiding Questions:
To what extent is available equipment operable and reliable for instruction?
Is there tech assistance available for technical issues when they arise? How responsive is tech support? Are current down
time averages acceptable?
Is tech support knowledgeable? What training might they need?
In addition to break/fix issues, are support staff available to help with instructional issues when teachers try to use technology
in the classroom?
The district provides a
technical support department
that is highly qualified and is
dedicated to supporting each
school. Each school has a
technical support specialist that
is qualified to handle technical
issues that teachers face on a
daily basis. Technical support
specialists handle each problem
with care and are extremely
thorough. The 21
st
century
classroom equipment that is
issued to teachers functions
well and is reliable for
everyday use.

Teachers were asked not to
email or contact in anyway, the
technical support specialist
assigned to that particular
school. Teachers were asked to
send any technical issues to the
help desk portal on the teacher
page. Teachers were told that
the technical support specialist
received direct assignments
from the county office and that
all technical issues should be
sent to the help desk. Many
teachers have sent messages to
the help desk, and have not
received any correspondence to
date.
Teachers that have a technical
support background will have a
chance to step in and lend a
hand if needed. Parents and
community members that have
a technical background have
the opportunity to become
more involve with a school.
If teachers continue to have
issues with technology, they are
more likely to stop using it all
together. When a majority of
teachers give up on technology,
the idea of a vision for
technology fades away as well.
The district places great importance into the technical support for the teachers and the students of its schools. Each school is assigned
a qualified technician that is equipped to service the needs of the teachers and students. The district also ensures that the issued
equipment is reliable and functional.
There are issues with the availability of the support technicians. Teachers are not allowed to contact technicians directly and must send
all technology issues to the help desk. The help desk was flooded with issues the first week and technicians were immediately backed
up. They had more work than they could handle in a timely manner, and the teachers were not getting their problems fixed.
In the future, if this problem persists, teachers will begin to give up on technology all together. Why keep attempting to use something
if it doesnt work and you cant get someone to help you? Why would veteran teachers continue to put themselves through that? If
teachers give up on technology integration, the idea of a vision for technology fades as well.

Data Sources:

ESSENTIAL CONDITION EIGHT: Curriculum Framework

ISTE Definition: Content standards and related digital curriculum resources
Guiding Questions:
To what extent are educators, students, and parents aware of student technology standards? (QCCs/NET-S)
Are technology standards aligned to content standards to help teachers integrate technology skills into day-to-day instruction
and not teach technology as a separate subject?
To what extent are there digital curriculum resources available to teachers so that they can integrate technology into the
GPS/QCCs as appropriate?
How is student technology literacy assessed?
The media center specialist has
provided a small assortment of
digital curriculum resources
that teachers can use.

The district has not posted the
technology standards and
schools do not place
importance of the technology
standards. There isnt an
expectation for the students,
parents, or teachers to align the
NET-S to the QCCs.
There is a need for a
technology leader to align the
QCCs with the NET-S and
share their work with the
district.
With a small supply of digital
curriculum resources, teachers
are not able to integrate
technology into the standards
appropriately.
The district is not very strong in this particular area. There are media specialists that assist teachers with digital resources to help
incorporate technology into the curriculum, but the resources are in limited supply. There are teachers that care about aligning the
technology standards with the content standards, so there is always hope. In the near future, hopefully there will be a technology
leader that will align the standards and share this new knowledge with the district.
Data Sources:

Jeremy Easley Swot

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SWOT Analysis for Technology Planning Needs Assessment

What is the current reality in our school?

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