Swot Template Revised

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

Name: Connie Brantley ITEC 7410, Semester: Summer

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 use
technology daily by
using Infinite Campus
for attendance and
grading
Every classroom in our
school has at least one
computer with Internet
access
SMARTboards in every
classroom in the school,
with the exception of
the art classroom and
the computer labs
Each school has its own
computer lab with at
least 28 computers
located there
There are not student
computers located in
every classroom;
therefore, students cant
utilize technology as
often
When students have
access, is it meaningful?
Students use Office to
create presentations,
reports, charts, and
graphs very minimally
Newer technology and
software platforms
arent aligned with
CCGPS plans
Teachers dont want to
change and use
technology stuck in a
rut

STEM classes are being
offered to Middle
school math/science
teachers
Media Specialist trains
and works with teachers
on new technologies as
they become available
Teachers collaborate
with each other and
share technology ideas
with each other
Data-driven classrooms
implementations
BYOT has been
mentioned but not
brought to the forefront
Teachers arent
comfortable with
technology in the
classroom
Teachers dont utilize
what tools that are
available to them
Lack of funds for
Professional Learning
on available technology
or future technology

Summary/Gap Analysis:
Johnson County Middle/High School has technology spread throughout the building. The utilization of the technology is as varied as
the educators in the building though. We do not have a consistency throughout the building with using what we have. Those that are
comfortable do and those that are not comfortable dont. Administrators have mentioned the need for indicating technology in lesson
plans but I am not sure that it is being checked to see if it is there.
In several classrooms, there is only one computer and that is the teachers. It is a handicap for the students to be able to utilize
technology when there are not enough computers for student use. With grading and attendance being taken on the teachers computers
it is almost impossible to have students use this computer. Concern rests with what the teachers and students are doing with the
technology when they are using it; are they learning or just doing the minimum?
It has been indicated at some District Level meeting that BYOT has been mentioned, but no one has took this on as a goal for our
school. Right now, we have to get special permission to use cell phones if we want in a specific lesson. Students do bring iPads or
tablets to school but we had at least four of these stolen last year with three of those being teachers. This definitely makes it hard to
sell this new concept to the parents and community.

Data Sources:
Teacher interviews and conversation
Parent surveys
Student interviews and conversation

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?
There is a
district/school vision for
technology use
Teachers are able to
increase parent
communication through
technology with Infinite
Campus
Students are provided
with afterschool
tutoring that integrate
supplemental
instruction with
computer skills
The school does have a
website available for
parents and the
community
Teachers are
encouraged to
incorporate technology
into their lesson plans
that support CCGPS

The district/school
vision for technology
use is not aligned with
research-best practices
but administrators are
aware of the best
practices
The school website
doesnt contain up-to-
date curriculum
information for parents
and the community
Professional learning
communities, school
leaders and teachers do
not stay abreast of
current research related
to technology and how
to use it
Few students have
access to technology
other than at school
Teachers are aware of
the technology plan but
not involved with
writing it

To acquire and augment
collaborative
partnerships
Teachers are provided
with
Teachers have the
opportunity to use web-
based activities to
enhance instruction
using GPS standards
Community members
are allowed access to
computer use at the
school
Community members
and parents are invited
to tour the school and
take surveys to help
improve the school on-
line

Teachers do not share a
common view for how
technology should be
implemented in the
classroom
No strategies have been
utilized to create a
research-based shared
vision
Parents are not offered
training on how to use
Infinite Campus to
check on a students
progress
No follow-up is done
with teachers on
carrying out technology
lesson plans
Teachers rotate when
teaching afterschool,
which lends itself to no
consistency with
technology
Johnson County Middle/High School does have a vision for preparing our students for the future. It actually states we want to prepare
them to meet or exceed standards, graduate on time and pursue post-secondary options. This cant be done without the infusion of
technology. Parents have access to Infinite Campus with acquired log-ins to check on student grades, discipline, and attendance; yet,
they arent given proper training to use the access given. The technology planning includes teachers from the building on paper, but I
am not sure that the meetings ever took place. Students are given the opportunity for after-school tutoring with an implementation of
technology within the lessons. However, in afterschool the teachers rotate days that they teach so therefore, different teachers have
different comfort levels with technology and on some days the students have no interaction with technology at all. There is a school
website that is available to everyone and it does have links to various state agencies related to education. Parents could actually use
this to see that standards and requirements are being met at the school. The problem with the website is that it is not kept up-to-date
and should be updated more regularly. Teachers are using technology in their lesson plans and becoming more familiar with the latest
technology tools for use, but sometimes the plans dont get followed through.

Data Sources:
Parent surveys
Student surveys and interviews/conversation
Teacher surveys and interviews/conversation

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?

There is a district level
Technology plan in
place that each school
has a part in

There is no technology
plan for just the
Middle/High School
During professional

The Media Specialists
attend a quarterly
meeting to stay abreast
of new tools and

Teachers may have
never seen the
technology plan or are
aware that we have one
Teachers are involved
in professional learning
on a weekly basis
Teachers are involved
in collaboration
frequently within the
school
A technology
integration rubric has
been developed to assist
teachers/administrators
with incorporating best
practices for technology
integration
The technology plan is
integrated into the
School Improvement
Plan

learning there is no
leader to drive the
technology component
Not all teachers
implement technology
into their lessons
The only time some
students have access to
computers at school is
for test practice using
various sites
technologies available
Newer teachers are
adept with new
technologies available
and use them at least
weekly in their
classrooms
Websites are available
to help the teachers that
are weak in the
technology area
Collaborative leader
needs to be able to
assist the teachers in
planning lessons with
technology infused
throughout
School nor district has
no Technology Coach

Johnson County School District does have a Technology Plan. Johnson County Middle/High School does not, but each school is
included individually in the District plan. It does guide technology use for the district and does include a rubric for technology
integration within the classroom. Technology has been integrated into the School Improvement Plan for the current year. There are
several steps that need to be addressed to strengthen the plan. Teachers should be aware of the Technology plan and most definitely
the rubric. To my knowledge, teachers have never seen it. A technology team at the school level should be developed and
implemented that help guide the decisions for technology use in the classroom.

Data Sources:
Teacher surveys
Student surveys
Conversation within the community


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 Language Arts
classroom has two
computers for use
Administrators
acknowledge that
technology is no longer
an extra but is a basic
for our students
All students have full
access to all programs
at the school
Assistive technology
devices are available to
students with
disabilities
Students have access to
modern computers in
classrooms, labs and the
media center and
printing is available
when needed
Students have access to
resources such as
Providing access to
computers in all the
regular education
classrooms in our
school
Updating
networks/infrastructure
to ensure reliability with
the current technology
Enrolling students that
have no technology at
home in an Early
Intervention Program
55% of our students are
raised by grandparents
with most of those
having no/limited
technology outside of
school
Teachers are provided
the tools but not trained
on the most recent
innovations
Parent involvement at a
minimum
classroom based
instructional software
and web-based
databases
Professional learning is
aligned to integrate,
innovate, and infuse
technology into the
classroom

Students, teachers and administrators at Johnson County Middle/High School have access on a daily basis to the most recent
technologies available. On the other hand, once the students are away from the school the majority of them have no computer access
other than the town library, nor do their parents. Some of the students that have computer access at home, have no Internet access
which renders them handicapped in most of the assigned work. Teachers have to take this into account daily, which makes their jobs
more difficult to give homework which requires technology.
Technology access is maximized for students and teachers by having at least one computer in the classroom. Usually, the teachers
computer is utilized for the SMARTboard and record-keeping; so therefore if there is not another available computer in the classroom
the students have to access the Media Center or Computer labs to use the computers. Teachers can sign up for the computer labs or
Media Center at their discretion based on technology-integrated lesson plans.
The tools that are needed are reliable and stable Internet access for research; this has increased this year with the increased band-width
that has been installed in the building. Yearly maintenance on the school network and servers is a must if we are going to keep up with
the most recent technology trends. Professional Development for teachers (especially the new ones) to assist with new hardware and
newest innovations in technology.
With our school system being a Title I district and very poor; we dont have the means of providing access to all of our students and
their homes. The ideal situation would be for every home to have a computer and access to the Internet but this is not the case. Parents
are invited throughout the year to come in to the school for training on various programs that are provided (Infinite Campus for
Parents) but the parents that would seemingly need to take advantage of this never show.

Data Sources:
Parent surveys
Parent sign-in sheets for programs/trainings
Teacher surveys
Student surveys

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.
Teachers for the most
part are skilled to use
the technology required
for grading/attendance
on a daily basis
Teachers use the SLDS
that is accessed through
Infinite Campus to get
current data
Instructional coaches in
the Middle and High
school work with the
teachers to aid/support
them with the
technology provided

Support staff are not
skilled on using
technology
No data team is in place
to ensure consistency or
reliability
Collaboration provided
once a month for all
teachers
held on a weekly basis
No consistency for what
we use one teacher
may use or develop one
thing and another
something else
SLDS is required for
teachers to use but no
training has been done

Teachers are skilled in the use of technology that is appropriate for their responsibilities. All teachers have been trained and utilize
Infinite Campus which is used every day for attendance and grading. Teachers are required to use the SLDS portion of the program to
chart growth or retention of current students. Teachers have had to learn to use this tool on their own and develop how best to use it.
Support staff is not trained on Infinite Campus and are not familiar with the system at all, which is a handicap when they are helping
in the classroom.
Teachers that have been on staff longer than five years can utilize the SMARTboard and are proficient with using it. New teachers
have been given a classroom with a SMARTboard but most of them have never used one. Most of them have been in classrooms in
college classes with one, but we need to work on their proficiency and training with being able to use them. As stated before, 99% of
the staff is proficient with Infinite Campus which is the hub for our attendance and grading. Teachers are also very efficient with USA
Test Prep in both schools. This is used mainly with getting ready for standardized tests in the Spring.
Teachers need to be equipped with current technology software and hardware that helps engage the learners in their classrooms.
This could greatly be enhanced if we had a Technology Coach that could work directly with the teachers and keep the administrators
and teachers abreast of the newest enhancements for learning. There is a wealth of new technologies available, but by the time they are
implemented and all of the teachers are trained and fluent it seems it is old and there are other new things on the horizon.

Data Sources:
Teacher Surveys
Administrator Surveys
Technology Plan
Parent Surveys
Student Surveys

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?

Professional learning is
provided for teachers
In-house Professional
learning communities
meet on a weekly basis
Professional learning
communities involve
learning and discuss
engaging the learner
through technology
New teachers
participate in
differentiated PLC that
focus on behavior
management,
instructional practices,
and use of technology
New teachers are given
a mentor for the year
Peer Observations are
done twice during the
school year

Teachers/administrators
dont stay up-to-date with
current research on
technology and what works
best
Formal opportunities for
learning are minimal
Only one Technology
Director for the system so
needs are not met in a
timely manner
Teachers maintain that they
dont have time to
implement new technology
Same teachers are sent to
training over and over

RESA does come in
and provide
for teachers from time
to time
Lexile training for
Media Specialist who
will redeliver to
teachers

No funding for off-
campus Professional
Development for
teachers this is very
limited
Technology issues are
not given top priority
is done as a checklist
item and then forgotten
No involvement of
some teachers in
training; tends to be the
same ones over and
over


Professional Learning in our building does include some of the National Standards, but a very minute few. Most of the PL in our
school is built around CCRP, CCGPS, and 5 Step, Thinking Maps and LKES. This is what seems to be the most important to our
District Administration at this time.
Educators are allowed formal and informal training. The problem with most of the formal training is that the teachers that are sent for
training are the same people over and over. I think it would work better if we have varied teachers going and redelivering at various
times. All teachers are involved in informal training as they are involved in Book Studies and collaborative meetings on a weekly
basis through PLs.
Technology hasnt been a top priority in our building for a while; I think this eludes itself to the fact that we have had no funds for any
new technologies. I do feel however, that it is important for new people to have training to the technology that they are walking in to
use in their classroom. Also, training for all as new technologies and upgrades to what we have as they become available would be of
great benefit for everyone. Windows8 and Microsoft 2010 are new for some and there has been no training at all on any of these new
programs.
Professional Learning must become embedded in learning how to break down and use data. It must also become a place for new
teachers to learn more than where the copier is located if it is going to be effective. They need to learn how to best use their
SmartBoard and ELMO vs. just being introduced to it. We also must have follow-up; our teachers dont need an hour of PL a week
and then that topic is never brought up again. We need to be consistent and carry out what we take away from the meeting other than
just in the minutes being read and typed.

Data Sources:
Collaborative minutes
Sign-In Sheets
Teacher Surveys

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?
Every classroom in
JCMHS has 2
computers in each
classroom with Internet
access
Band-width was
increased over the
school year
All Math classes have
graphing calculators
Teach computer
classes/keyboarding
skills to all 7
th
& 8
th

graders

No Professional
Development for
Teachers to assist with
new hardware
Not all teachers
integrate technology
into their lesson plans
on a weekly basis
There is a Teacher
Technology Integration
Rubric developed at the
District level, but none
of the teachers have
seen it
Technology Based
Professional Learning is
offered to the Media
Specialists three times a
year (one-day sessions)
No training for
administrators on
technology integrated
instruction
System and school
websites are there, but
are not kept up-to-date
No parent technology
classes for the parents
EVER
Not enough tech
support to cover three
schools and central
office
Programs are not
updated as needed
Most of the equipment, I would say 90% of it is operable and available. The equipment is there, for instance, in the library I have 12
desk tops for use by the students or teachers with 2 laser printers. The problem is that we are all still working off of Microsoft Office
2003, this is a major problem. Students work at home and work and at school and these are not compatible. I, personally, have been
asking for an upgrade for the last five year, to no avail. Most of the classrooms, except for the Business Labs, are still working with
old programs also.
Tech assistance is there, we have a wonderful e-ticket system that we use. The problem is no one checks it to see that the job gets
done. We have one technology director and a service contractor that come into the system one day a week. So the only person
checking the tickets is the tech director which means things might get done and you might be waiting for 2-3 weeks. Shouldnt
someone over the tech director be checking? Some people get things done quicker than others and it is not necessarily the one that
might need it the most. Down times are average for some things. The problem here is, for instance; a projector bulb goes out on the
SMARTboard, this should be something that is already on-hand and teachers shouldnt have to wait for order and delivery. Our
teachers depend heavily on these for teaching and learning.
Tech support is knowledgeable, I am just not sure that they use their time wisely. The contractor seems to know more than the
Director that we have and that is a downfall on our part because he is only there once a week. As a Media Specialist, I try to help all
that I can, but that is limited because I am the lone person in the Media Center and cant leave. Time is the main concern here and
prioritizing what has to be done. To my knowledge, the Tech Director has never had any SMARTboard or Projector training therefore
is ineffective when issues arise. He does know hardware and software but that is as far as it goes.
Support staff cannot help with instructional issues at all. Our Technology Director has no education degree or background. He is an
Administrator in name only, which is very sad, because it is a real limitation. It think if you are going to work in a school system as a
Technology Director you should be required to have an Education background at the least.

Data Sources:
Teacher Surveys
Parent Surveys
Student Surveys
List of Trainings attended

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?
Administration is aware
of technology literacy
for teachers and
students
Evaluations have been
done via surveys by
parents and students to
determine technology
effectiveness and needs
Teacher Technology
Skills Continuum was
developed and has 4
levels
National and State
Technology Standards
are eluded to in the
continuum
Do have Internet Safety
Policy and Access
Policy given to every
student for parent
signature at the
beginning of the school
year

Evaluation plan for
assessing technology
use in the classroom is
never used
Teachers arent aware
of National and State
Technology Standards
Rubric for assessing
technology use in the
classroom hasnt been
developed

Teachers are made
aware of new programs,
upgrades, etc. through
the Media Center
75% of the teachers
research and become
their own drivers of
technology in their
classroom
No follow-up with
Technology Integration
in lesson plans
Not a top priority by
administration
Teachers not
knowledgeable of the
basics, ex. Excel,
PowerPoint, etc.
I am not sure that our students or parents are aware at all that there are technology standards even written. Some of our teachers arent
aware of the fact. This is a real handicap because these teachers could be getting so much help with lesson plans and teaching. Parents
definitely arent aware as it has never been mentioned on any of the surveys they have done concerning technology and the school.
Parents are aware of Infinite Campus and checking their childs grades via the Internet, but there was never any training for this. If
you wanted the log-in information, you were given this and you basically had to learn own your own.
Some teachers are incorporating technology into their lessons on a regular basis, others not so much. Those that are, for the most part,
do a really good job of carrying out the technology part and the lesson flows as a result. The problem here is that our administrators
are not looking for this and not requiring it on their end. It makes for some real inconsistencies with our students. Some of them want
to learn and enhance and others are very intimidated by technology.
The digital curriculum resources are there but for most they have to want it to get it. Most of the teachers use the old adage of I dont
have time to do what I am supposed to be doing, much less add anything else to it. This is a valid point, but my feeling is that the
technology would only help them not hinder them. To my knowledge, there were know faculty meetings or presentations done last
year that showed any available or existing technology enhancements for the classroom.
The goal is stated in the Technology Plan that by 8
th
grade all students will be technology literate, and will type x wpm, use
presentation software to create and re-deliver projects, use any and all technology equipment available in the classroom while
presenting, and effectively browse and search the Internet as a resource. It sounds really good but other than the Keyboarding classes
taught in 7
th
and 8
th
grade with teacher assessments, I am not sure there are any mainstreamed assessments that measure this.

Data Sources:
Technology Plan
Teacher Surveys
Student/Parent Surveys
Minutes/Notes from PL or Faculty Meetings

Swot Template Revised

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Swot Template Revised

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

SWOT Analysis Template for Technology Planning Needs Assessment

What is the current reality in our school?

You might also like