The first technology assessment was the Technology Applications Inventory. As I completed this inventory I found that I have a reasonable amount of knowledge of "Foundations" and "Solving Problems." I do understand and use a variety of files as well as storage devices. I do a great deal with a digital camera but paused at the sentence that stated the files are seldom over 125k. This seems like a small amount for the digital files we use today. Our school district is always trying to move ahead with technology and I have opportunities to participate in the domains named above. "Information Acquisition" was an area in which I feel I need to work to improve my knowledge of many of the areas listed. As I read many of the statements I realized I am unsure of determining accuracy and validity. I had some degree of knowledge but did not feel confident enough to check yes as an answer. My greatest area of weakness was Communication. I have participated in distance learning but do not have the knowledge required to produce or implement it myself. While I use spreadsheets often I am not comfortable with all of the available tools. I am working toward improving that weakness. In summary I would say that I have some knowledge of most of the areas listed in the inventory but not a great enough knowledge to check yes.
For the second assessment I completed the SETDA Teacher Survey. As I stated in the previous paragraph my district makes a great effort to stay current in technology applications. There is a goal to use technology to increase student performance. There is also an ongoing effort to evaluate that usage and is effectiveness. I use technology daily in both my teaching and my personal life. Students use technology to complete research, develop projects, practice academic skills, and more. Teachers are expected to use technology daily. There are many programs available for student assessment and presentation tools are available. Many day-to-day processes including lunch count and gradebook, are completed using online tools. I have a working knowledge of most of the programs listed and I am increasing my skill level daily. I regularly think about ways to implement technology and work with our campus instructional technologist on a regular basis. I use technology to manage student assessment. All teachers have a website and email, as well as access to a server, digital camera, document cameras and most of the technologies listed. Technical support is available and usually has a quick turn-around. Most of our technology is new and high quality. Most of the schools have an equal availability of technology but our newest schools have been built to meet a high standard of technology usage. Improving technology throughout the district is an ongoing process. Students have technology available at schools but many classrooms, including my own, only have 2-3 student computers. Laptops are available on a portable cart. All schools have at least one computer lab. The best summary of technology in our district and schools is that it is considered of great importance and we are moving forward as quickly as funds will allow. Our superintendent and school board believe that technology is of utmost importance in the lives of our students.
One of my greatest strengths in instructional technology is my willingness to learn and try new things. Since technology changes daily it always seems to be a "new thing." I am always willing and excited to attend training. I make the most out of new opportunities and share the information I gain with my colleagues. As a veteran teacher of 19 years I can remember being the first person on my campus to type my lesson plans on a word processor and print them. Now we are required to save our plans on a server. My husband is an information systems manager and he has always worked to keep me aware of available technology. This knowledge is a strength. Another strength is being able to work with people and understand their perspective. I try to understand where each person is coming from and how their previous experiences are affecting their present learning. One of my weaknesses is the amount of time needed to learn about the new technologies and put them to use. It requires time to understand and implement programs. While I believe I have a strength of understanding people’s perspectives I also have a weakness that causes me to be frustrated with people who are not willing to change. It is hard for me to understand why people do not want to at least try something new. Taking these things into consideration I try to always present new opportunities with enthusiasm and kindness. Teachers feel comfortable coming to me to ask questions and share their ideas.
I found that I personally need to work to expand my technology usage to give my students more opportunities. I have had my students complete projects but wonder how I could have them interacting with the technology daily. I use a document camera and projector on a daily basis as well as the connection to my computer. I am aware though that this is more of a display than interaction. When students come forward to use the system or display their work it becomes more interactive. One of my goals is to find ways to utilize this technology better in my math classes. Previously I taught other subjects and found more opportunities to use web searches and other activities in reading and social studies. Now that I teach only math I am struggling to find new ideas.
In the Applications Inventory I found that while I have a good amount of general knowledge it would be appropriate for me to gain a deeper knowledge of many areas. It would be helpful to learn more about the network and systems used by our district. I also need to find opportunities to learn more about videoconferencing and other communication skills. I consider myself to be a technology literate person but was still unsure about some of the items on the checklist. The SETDA Teacher Survey was so detailed and specific that I find it difficult to address all areas. Win general what I have discovered fits with what I had already suspected and that is- our district is moving in the right direction where technology is concerned. They have set technology at the forefront for both professional and student learning. Looking through the survey I realize all the opportunities that are available for us. Unfortunately I know that I am not personally making the most of all of those opportunities. This is something I am working to improve. The newest schools in the district have even more available to them but there is an action plan in place to improve availability to all campuses. An area concern for some campuses, including my own, is that many of the families do not have access to technology in their homes. Creating web pages and other online opportunities are not as affective when internet is not available at home. It takes time and effort to utilize the available free services at the school or library. It also requires transportation that many of our families do not have. This is an area of weakness that must be addressed.
I believe that the assessments were accurate as I was honest in completing them. I am curious about the appropriateness of the first assessment. Some of the statements did not seem appropriate for an instructional leader but instead for someone in a technology position. On one hand I believe that a principal needs knowledge of the systems of their building and district but on the other hand some of these addressed very technical areas that may not be necessary, Perhaps this class will help me to see better the needs of a leader concerning technology knowledge.
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