1.2 Strategic Planning
Candidates facilitate the design, development, implementation, communication, and evaluation of technology-infused strategic plans. (PSC 1.2/ISTE 1b)
Artifact: SWOT Analysis/Current Reality Report
Reflection:
The SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) Analysis or Current Reality Report was completed for ITEC 7410 Instructional Technology Leadership, and provides an analysis of the ISTE Essential Conditions at Woodland High School. I collected data from the school improvement plan and the technology survey I administered for my action research project in EDRS 8900, and sorted data into strengths, or data that suggests ways the school meets the specific condition, weaknesses, or data that suggests ways the school falls short of meeting the conditions, opportunities to meet the condition in the future, and threats to future implementation of the condition.
The SWOT Analysis demonstrates my ability to facilitate the design and development of a technology infused strategic plan. To create a technology-infused strategic plan, one must first understand not only what is desired, but also where the school currently stands in meeting those desired outcomes. For this SWOT analysis, the desired outcomes are the ISTE Essential Conditions for effective technology implementation. In the SWOT analysis, I analyze eight of those essential conditions, including effective uses of technology embedded in standards-based, student-centered learning, shared vision, planning for technology, equitable access, skilled personnel, ongoing professional learning, technical support, and curriculum framework, and discuss how my current school fares in terms of meeting each of these characteristics of effective technology implementation. The SWOT analysis not only notes the strengths and weaknesses of the school, but opportunities for growth in each area, a key component to creating a strategic plan. Many of these opportunities involve personnel or structures already in place in the school that can be used to leverage the technology strategic plan. Through the SWOT analysis, I suggest the need for a technology component to the school’s vision statement, as well as a separate technology plan to guide the acquisition of resources, related professional development, and student use of digital tools to improve student-learning outcomes.
The artifact also demonstrates my ability to implement a technology-infused strategic plan. Specific suggestions for implementation including using the Technology Focus Team to facilitate professional learning, hiring a full-time technology coach, and further exploring the school BYOD policy to take advantage of the technology resources students already bring to school each day. Again, using the Technology Focus Team and a full-time technology coach would assist the school in communicating the shared technology vision and the technology plan. Since the Technology Focus Team comprises members from all major academic departments, dissemination of information throughout all areas of the school building will be promoted. Likewise, the school should involve the community and parents in creating the shared vision and then communicating the strategic plan to those outside the school.
Finally, the SWOT analysis includes the provision that new technology resources and professional learning should be evaluated regularly to ensure that all technology is being used to increase student achievement. Teachers, the technology focus team, and the technology coach can be responsible for methodically determining whether certain technology initiatives are effective or ineffective in promoting student achievement. Student perception surveys and parent perception surveys would be valuable additions to quantitative evidence for this purpose. Likewise, the technology plan itself should be accompanied with an action plan including specific timelines and benchmarks that can be useful in reevaluating the technology plan each year according to how the school is progressing.
In completing this artifact, I learned how to evaluate all elements of a school institution in order to make objective statements about the extent to which the school meets certain conditions. I also was able to find opportunities for improvement within the school building itself, as well as identify threats that should be controlled for future implementation to be successful. The SWOT analysis is a powerful, strategic method for examining all facets of an organization. If I were to complete the SWOT analysis again, especially during the school year (this SWOT analysis was created during the summer semester), I would administer a survey specifically addressing many of the ISTE Essential Conditions in order to gather relevant data helpful in creating a shared vision and a shared strategic plan. Currently, the SWOT analysis relies on a survey I administered during a previous class and my own observations of school functions. I was fortunate in that many of the questions on my survey were relevant to the SWOT analysis, but some categories simply were not covered in the survey and so my own biased observations are the primary source of data. A properly administered survey would provide more reliable data.
The SWOT analysis should have a direct influence on school improvement. The SWOT analysis should lead to an action plan that could be a critical component of a technology-infused school improvement plan. All initiatives at a school should ultimately be connected to improved student achievement, and the SWOT analysis identifies the technology gaps that should be addressed in the school improvement plan.
The SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) Analysis or Current Reality Report was completed for ITEC 7410 Instructional Technology Leadership, and provides an analysis of the ISTE Essential Conditions at Woodland High School. I collected data from the school improvement plan and the technology survey I administered for my action research project in EDRS 8900, and sorted data into strengths, or data that suggests ways the school meets the specific condition, weaknesses, or data that suggests ways the school falls short of meeting the conditions, opportunities to meet the condition in the future, and threats to future implementation of the condition.
The SWOT Analysis demonstrates my ability to facilitate the design and development of a technology infused strategic plan. To create a technology-infused strategic plan, one must first understand not only what is desired, but also where the school currently stands in meeting those desired outcomes. For this SWOT analysis, the desired outcomes are the ISTE Essential Conditions for effective technology implementation. In the SWOT analysis, I analyze eight of those essential conditions, including effective uses of technology embedded in standards-based, student-centered learning, shared vision, planning for technology, equitable access, skilled personnel, ongoing professional learning, technical support, and curriculum framework, and discuss how my current school fares in terms of meeting each of these characteristics of effective technology implementation. The SWOT analysis not only notes the strengths and weaknesses of the school, but opportunities for growth in each area, a key component to creating a strategic plan. Many of these opportunities involve personnel or structures already in place in the school that can be used to leverage the technology strategic plan. Through the SWOT analysis, I suggest the need for a technology component to the school’s vision statement, as well as a separate technology plan to guide the acquisition of resources, related professional development, and student use of digital tools to improve student-learning outcomes.
The artifact also demonstrates my ability to implement a technology-infused strategic plan. Specific suggestions for implementation including using the Technology Focus Team to facilitate professional learning, hiring a full-time technology coach, and further exploring the school BYOD policy to take advantage of the technology resources students already bring to school each day. Again, using the Technology Focus Team and a full-time technology coach would assist the school in communicating the shared technology vision and the technology plan. Since the Technology Focus Team comprises members from all major academic departments, dissemination of information throughout all areas of the school building will be promoted. Likewise, the school should involve the community and parents in creating the shared vision and then communicating the strategic plan to those outside the school.
Finally, the SWOT analysis includes the provision that new technology resources and professional learning should be evaluated regularly to ensure that all technology is being used to increase student achievement. Teachers, the technology focus team, and the technology coach can be responsible for methodically determining whether certain technology initiatives are effective or ineffective in promoting student achievement. Student perception surveys and parent perception surveys would be valuable additions to quantitative evidence for this purpose. Likewise, the technology plan itself should be accompanied with an action plan including specific timelines and benchmarks that can be useful in reevaluating the technology plan each year according to how the school is progressing.
In completing this artifact, I learned how to evaluate all elements of a school institution in order to make objective statements about the extent to which the school meets certain conditions. I also was able to find opportunities for improvement within the school building itself, as well as identify threats that should be controlled for future implementation to be successful. The SWOT analysis is a powerful, strategic method for examining all facets of an organization. If I were to complete the SWOT analysis again, especially during the school year (this SWOT analysis was created during the summer semester), I would administer a survey specifically addressing many of the ISTE Essential Conditions in order to gather relevant data helpful in creating a shared vision and a shared strategic plan. Currently, the SWOT analysis relies on a survey I administered during a previous class and my own observations of school functions. I was fortunate in that many of the questions on my survey were relevant to the SWOT analysis, but some categories simply were not covered in the survey and so my own biased observations are the primary source of data. A properly administered survey would provide more reliable data.
The SWOT analysis should have a direct influence on school improvement. The SWOT analysis should lead to an action plan that could be a critical component of a technology-infused school improvement plan. All initiatives at a school should ultimately be connected to improved student achievement, and the SWOT analysis identifies the technology gaps that should be addressed in the school improvement plan.