5.

1 Candidates conduct needs assessments to determine school-wide, faculty, grade-level, and

subject area strengths and weaknesses to inform content and delivery of technology-based
professional learning programs.

Description

The Individual Teacher Technology Assessment artifact created for the ITEC 7460

Professional Learning & Technology Innovation course was designed to assess the needs of our

staff in order to create a technology-enhanced learning plan for professional learning purposes.

The purpose of this artifact was for me to conduct a needs assessment in the form of two surveys

for my collaborating teacher in an effort to identify the technology needs that needed to be

addressed within her classroom. After completion of the surveys, I analyzed the results to

determine the best area of development as well as the best plan to address the teacher’s

comfortability with this needed change. From these survey results, I was able to collaborate with

the teacher and create goals, action plans, and follow-up meetings for developing a better

assessment process through the use of digital tools.

Standard Mastery

The Individual Teacher Technology Assessment artifact demonstrates my mastery of the

standard through addressing strengths and weaknesses to inform content and delivery of

technology-based professional learning programs. Through creating two surveys, I was able to

gain the knowledge needed to evaluate faculty needs and then develop a plan to best address

those needs through the use of professional coaching. In collaborating with our faculty, I was

able to inform the content for the professional learning plan and address the needs of our staff in

the manner in which they best receive information. Through the needs assessments, I was able

to best identify solutions to issues that our staff was having with regards to implementing sound

technology practices within their classrooms. Once I was able to establish best practices
available for effective technology-enhanced solutions, our staff was able to incorporate those

practices in the manner that best served them.

Learning Gained

In creating the Individual Technology Teacher Assessment artifact, I was able to deepen

my knowledge of the need to create solid and trustworthy colleague relationships. Through the

process of working with my collaborating teacher, I was able to maintain the idea that we were

both learning through this process together and we both had equal roles in creating goals, action

plans, and follow-up meetings. By maintaining this solid foundation, the collaborating teacher

and I were very successful with implementing best practices for assessment within her classroom

structure.

Through reflecting on the process of this artifact, for the future I would like to them

develop a school-wide professional development with the collaborating teacher’s testimonials.

In doing this, other staff members will then be more likely to address areas within their own

classrooms that may be in need of reevaluation. Since the faculty would be able to see the

effectiveness of working in a collaborative relationship, they would be more willing to accept

coaching and any needed change.

Impact on School Improvement, Faculty Development, or Student Learning

Through creating needs assessments, I was able to impact faculty development through

addressing strengths and weaknesses to inform the content and the delivery of a technology-

based learning program. The information gained about classroom needs and comfort level of

adopting change, gave me the opportunity to effectively collaborate with our staff. At

completing of this coaching process, our staff will impact student learning through providing

effective technology-based learning opportunities within their own classrooms.