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: Individual Teacher Technology Assessment
Reflection:
The artifact “Individual Teacher Technology Assessment” was created in ITEC 7460 Professional Learning and Technology Innovation. This artifact was created to assess the needs of the teacher I coached during spring 2014 and to develop a plan for instructional technology coaching. I assessed Ms. M. utilizing a survey made up of LoTi-type questions, a survey made up of adopter-level questions, and two interviews. Overall, I found that Ms. M. would likely be a challenge based upon her refusal to use online testing with quick feedback with her students. I also found that it would be necessary to focus mainly on the partnership approach to coaching so that Ms. M. was less resistant.
The element of Needs Assessment under the Standard of Professional Learning and Program Evaluation was mastered with this artifact in several different ways. I did conduct a needs assessment for instructional technology coaching with one faculty member. This needs assessment addressed Ms. M.’s strengths and weaknesses such that I was able to come up with a plan to inform my subsequent meetings with Ms. M. throughout our coaching process.
While completing this artifact, I learned a great deal about needs assessment. The big takeaway I have from doing this needs assessment is that doing it once at the beginning of a coaching process is not enough. A needs assessment is something that is ongoing and evolving. Throughout the semester, I was constantly having to shift my strategies so that Ms. M. and I could connect and come up with things to help her to evolve her classroom in a way that was acceptable to her. One thing that I would change in this artifact is that I think I was a bit ambitious in how many things I thought we could get done within our semester. The reality is that I should have focused more on what Ms. M. wanted to do instead of trying to force my own agenda.
The work that went into creating this artifact will impact faculty development as I have a greater grasp of how to more effectively coach a colleague. I need to focus on the relationships that must be developed in order to effectively coach. This will definitely impact my coaching in the future as I have a more realistic view of how it must work. The impact of this on my coaching can be evaluated by the positive impact the information had on designing the coaching sessions.
The artifact “Individual Teacher Technology Assessment” was created in ITEC 7460 Professional Learning and Technology Innovation. This artifact was created to assess the needs of the teacher I coached during spring 2014 and to develop a plan for instructional technology coaching. I assessed Ms. M. utilizing a survey made up of LoTi-type questions, a survey made up of adopter-level questions, and two interviews. Overall, I found that Ms. M. would likely be a challenge based upon her refusal to use online testing with quick feedback with her students. I also found that it would be necessary to focus mainly on the partnership approach to coaching so that Ms. M. was less resistant.
The element of Needs Assessment under the Standard of Professional Learning and Program Evaluation was mastered with this artifact in several different ways. I did conduct a needs assessment for instructional technology coaching with one faculty member. This needs assessment addressed Ms. M.’s strengths and weaknesses such that I was able to come up with a plan to inform my subsequent meetings with Ms. M. throughout our coaching process.
While completing this artifact, I learned a great deal about needs assessment. The big takeaway I have from doing this needs assessment is that doing it once at the beginning of a coaching process is not enough. A needs assessment is something that is ongoing and evolving. Throughout the semester, I was constantly having to shift my strategies so that Ms. M. and I could connect and come up with things to help her to evolve her classroom in a way that was acceptable to her. One thing that I would change in this artifact is that I think I was a bit ambitious in how many things I thought we could get done within our semester. The reality is that I should have focused more on what Ms. M. wanted to do instead of trying to force my own agenda.
The work that went into creating this artifact will impact faculty development as I have a greater grasp of how to more effectively coach a colleague. I need to focus on the relationships that must be developed in order to effectively coach. This will definitely impact my coaching in the future as I have a more realistic view of how it must work. The impact of this on my coaching can be evaluated by the positive impact the information had on designing the coaching sessions.