ITEC 7410/EDL 7105 SWOT Analysis Template for Assessment of Eight ISTE Essential Conditions

Name: Jared Fowler Semester: ITEC 7410, Spring 2021

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, CCSs)?
● 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?
Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats
Administrators and teachers use The school is not a 1:1 school. A professional development Google There is hardware (Activboards)
technology to communicate with Classroom has been created by the reaching the point that it needs to be
students and parents. Students rarely use technology to central office. updated.
engage higher-order thinking skills.
Teachers use technology to deliver It is mainly lesson delivery, Teachers are motivated to try new Teachers do not believe there is
instruction, collect assessment data, assignment submission, or delivery forms of technology. enough student-access to devices to
and differentiate instruction that is of assessments. fully implement technology into their
aligned with the standards. The district Instructional Technology classrooms.
Students’ inability to use the Coordinator and Digital Learning
Students use technology for research, technology provided to them. Specialist provide occasional
daily assignments, major projects, Students struggle to use Google professional development
and communication. Classroom and the added extensions. opportunities and research-based
resources through Google Classroom.
Hardware such as Activboards and District-level apprehension to allow
Chromebooks are used daily. students to BYOD. The district lacks The school is currently looking at
the staff and wants to avoid the grants and federal funding to advance
Software such as Google Classroom, liability of having to troubleshoot toward becoming a 1:1 school.
Edulastic, and Gimkit are used daily personally-owned devices.
to deliver and enhance instruction. There are currently three teachers at
There is no mention of inequitable the school enrolled in an ITEC
Smaller student population compared access due to SES or gender in the program that will provide on-site
to other schools in the district. technology plan. sources for coaching opportunities.

Summary of Results/Conclusions:
Coahulla Creek High School has a moderate level of technology usage. The technology usage for staff and students is currently increasing due to the changing
educational landscape. A technology use survey was conducted for the staff of Coahulla Creek. 72% of the staff surveyed stated they use technology every
day in their classroom with an additional 20% saying they use technology 3-4 times a week. 44% of the staff reported that students use technology every day
in the classroom with an additional 16% using technology 3-4 times a week. The staff reported using technology for communication purposes, content
delivery, research, differentiation, data collection, and assessing student learning. Staff reported students using technology to play games, turn-in assignments,
research topics, and complete assessments. Technology is being utilized but not to engage students in higher-order thinking activities. The most significant
 ITEC 7410/EDL 7105 SWOT Analysis Template for Assessment of Eight ISTE Essential Conditions

threat is the lack of access which is acknowledged in the survey and the school’s technology plan. Many students do not have a device in their home and a
portion of the students do not have access to the internet inside the home. 88% of the teachers surveyed believe technology is a critical component to
improving student performance in the Georgia Performance Standards. The school is not 1:1, so teachers feel limited in their ability to utilize technology to
engage students in higher-order thinking activities through technology. Coahulla Creek does have the smallest student population in the district, so reaching a
1:1 ratio will be easier to achieve. The district is hesitant to adopt a BYOD policy because they do not have the personnel to troubleshoot personal devices and
it does not want to held liable for personal devices if troubleshot by a school employee. An additional threat is a lack of professional development. 24% of the
staff surveyed don’t feel they have been adequately trained to engage students in technology-based higher-order thinking activities.

Recommendations from Analysis:

According to the ISTE Standards for Education Leaders (2017), leaders should support educators in using technology to advance learning. The ISTE
Standards for Educators (2017) states educators should improve their teaching practices by learning to leverage technology to improve student learning.
Professional development must go beyond just understanding how to use particular software, extension, or add-on. If teachers just use technology to simply
try something new then they miss the opportunity to utilize technology to support the needs of students in the learning situation (Hobgood & Ormsby, 2011).
Teachers need to receive professional development focusing on harnessing the power of technology to engage students in higher-order thinking skills.
Professional development should be focused on making the staff aware of the ISTE Standards for Students and Educators. The district or school could utilize
the already established professional development classroom to deliver two-week modules teaching the ISTE Standards. In these modules, teachers would be
introduced to each ISTE Standard and its components. The module could provide exemplar videos and lesson plans to help teachers comprehend the
standards.

Zheng et al. (2016) conducted a study and found schools that implemented a 1:1 device program on average experienced a significant positive impact on
student testing in the key content areas as well as developed some 21 st-century skills. The school needs to make every effort to progress toward a 1:1 device
program. Access limitations are not limited to access to devices. Many homes do not have internet access as well. There are grants available through
companies like T-Mobile to provide personal hotspots at a reduced cost. A recommendation of these situations is to reach out to as many of the larger flooring
companies in the community as possible. A significant amount of the community works in these flooring mills. The school could work with the flooring
companies to offer devices and internet access to these employees and/or their children. Having a device in the home with internet access would benefit the
students and the employees of the company as well.

Supporting Sources:
ISTE Standards for Educational Leaders (2017). https://www.iste.org/standards/for-education-leaders

ISTE Standards for Educators (2017). https://www.iste.org/standards/for-educators

Hobgood, B., & Ormsby, L. (2011) Inclusion in the 21st-century classroom: Differentiating with technology. LEARN North Carolina.
http://web.archive.org/web/20180125110137/www.learnnc.org/lp/editions/every-learner/6776/

Zheng, B., Warschauer, M., Lin, C. H., & Chang, C. (2016). Learning in one-to-one laptop environments: A meta-analysis and research synthesis. Review of
Educational Research, 86(4), 1–33.
 ITEC 7410/EDL 7105 SWOT Analysis Template for Assessment of Eight ISTE Essential Conditions

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 use 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/CCSs? To preparing tomorrow’s 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?
Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats
The district has a three-year Coahulla Creek’s Technology Plan The school is currently increasing its Stakeholders (teachers) have limited
technology plan in place and and School Improvement Plan are student-access to technology through involvement in the development of
reevaluates it twice a year for re- two separate documents. the purchase of 4 additional the shared vision.
approval or amendments. Chromebook carts.
A majority of the staff is unfamiliar Lack of professional development is
Each student and teacher has a G- with the technology vision for the There are 846 Chromebooks some of a threat to the shared vision. Many
Suite account to help support the district and school. which are on order and some have teachers don’t feel they are trained
development of digital learners. not been issued out yet. well enough to fully embrace the
A majority of the staff is unfamiliar shared vision.
All the teachers surveyed expressed with the ISTE standards for teachers There are 65 Chromeboxes available
their belief that technology is a and students. in the school. The technology being provided is
critical component in the classroom under a singular vision. There is little
and the education of every student. to no input from stakeholders, so
stakeholders must accommodate the
provided hardware and software.

Summary of Results/Conclusions:
A strength for the school is the shared vision of the importance of technology among the staff. 100% of the staff surveyed stated they believe technology
education and implementation in schools is a critical component for preparing tomorrow’s workforce. The district and school have a three-year technology
plan that is re-evaluated twice a year. A majority of the stakeholders (teachers) don’t have much input into the technology plan or shared vision for the school
or district. The district provides a singular learning platform for all students and teachers through G-Suite. A weakness among the staff is their knowledge of
the district’s and school’s technology plans. The plans clearly state the vision for technology use inside the school and classroom. 68% of the staff surveyed
said they were not familiar with the district’s technology plan and 60% said they were not familiar with the school’s technology plan. Additionally, 80% of the
staff said they had not heard of the ISTE standards for teachers and 84% said they had not heard of the ISTE standards for students. A weakness would be
 ITEC 7410/EDL 7105 SWOT Analysis Template for Assessment of Eight ISTE Essential Conditions

teachers’ creativity and individualism are limited due to a singular learning system and the security settings established by the district. The school is currently
working towards a 1:1 ratio as it continues to purchase devices for the school. The school would still need to assist families with addressing limited access
inside the home.

Recommendations from Analysis:

The ISTE Essential Condition (2017) of a Shared Vision explains how leadership should be proactive in developing a common vision for educational
technology among all stakeholders. This shared vision is built upon a common goal or plan for educational technology in the classroom. Professional
development on the district’s and school’s technology plans would make all stakeholders aware of the current status of educational technology within the
system. Teachers also need to have continued professional development on the ISTE Standards. 21 st-Century Learning (2018) explains how the ISTE standard
provides a roadmap to guide teachers’ and students’ use of technology in more purposeful and learner-centered ways. The combination of educating teachers
on current technology plans and the ISTE Standards will be or provide a solid foundation for the continued development of educational technology
implementation in a school. Professional development for the technology plans can be covered in mandatory training twice a year. The technology plans could
be covered during pre-planning by administrators or a member of the technology committee. The plans could be revisited during teacher workdays following
the Christmas holidays. Professional development for the ISTE standards could take place within the professional development Google Classroom or there are
multiple webinars and tutorials found online.

A shared vision does not involve just stakeholders within the school system or building. The Children’s Partnership (2010) explains how providing parents
with digital devices and training is a wise investment because not only do the students receive assistance at home, but parents develop 21 st-century job skills.
Providing community classes over the summer months for parents would be a benefit to developing a shared vision. Teachers who are technology leaders
within the school could be provided with different incentives to provide these classes to the community.

Supporting Sources:
ISTE Essential Conditions (2017). https://www.iste.org/standards/essential-conditions

Children’s Partnership (2010). Empowering parents through technology to improve the odds for children. Digital Opportunity for Youth.
https://www.childrenspartnership.org/research/empowering-parents-through-technology/

21st Century Learning International. (2020, April 29). ISTE standards professional development. https://www.21c-learning.com/iste-standards-professional-
development/.

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?)
 ITEC 7410/EDL 7105 SWOT Analysis Template for Assessment of Eight ISTE Essential Conditions

● What should be done to strengthen planning?

● In what ways does your school address the needs of diverse populations in the school or district to include how race, gender, socio-economic, and
geographic diversity giving consideration to how these factors commonly affect K-12 students’ access to school and beyond-school access to high-
speed Internet, modern computing devices, software, knowledgeable technology mentors, culturally-relevant digital content, and other affordances
critical to technology literacy acquisition.
Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats
The district’s technology plan is The school is not a 1:1 school. There are currently three teachers at Teachers are hesitant to take days off
currently in place until July 31, 2021. the school enrolled in an ITEC or give up their planning period for
Some of the Chromebooks in program which could be a source of professional development.
Students have access to circulation have been “refurbished” in-house training for teachers.
Chromebooks and Chromeboxes in and no longer receive security
the school. updates through Google. Some of Involve community stakeholders in
these devices have crashed and been the technology improvement plan.
Coahulla Creek has a technology returned. They may be willing to provide
plan which is closely aligned with funding to help achieve the plan’s
the district technology plan. There is no current plan in place to goals.
address equitable access from home
for each student.

Summary of Results/Conclusions:
The technology plan is current and is reevaluated twice a year. Coahulla Creek’s technology plan is closely aligned with the district’s plan to create a singular
vision for technology. Even though the school is not 1:1, students do have access to Chromebooks and Chromeboxes inside the school building. A significant
weakness is access to and quality of devices available. There is also a lack of familiarity with the technology plans and standards. 68% of the staff surveyed
said they were not familiar with the district’s technology plan and 60% said they were not familiar with the school’s technology plan. Additionally, 80% of the
staff said they had not heard of the ISTE standards for teachers and 84% said they had not heard of the ISTE standards for students. There is no mention of
addressing inequitable access due to SES or gender in any of the technology plans. Many of the Chromebooks in circulation within the school have been
“refurbished” by the technology department, so many of these devices are not functioning as efficiently as newer devices. The district does potential partners
in the flooring industry who could help with funding to purchase and update technology in the schools. A significant portion of the community is employed in
the flooring mills in the district.

Recommendations from Analysis:

The ISTE Essential Condition (2017) for Implementation Planning addresses all aspects of the program including infrastructure, professional development,
and reevaluation of the technology plan. The district and school need to begin incorporating technology aspects into the school improvement plan (SIP).
Administrators and technology teams will work together to begin merging the current technology plan and SIP while ensuring they align with the ISTE
Standards and Essential Conditions.

Warschauer (2004) recommends having mechanisms in place to ensure funds are being directed to schools with higher populations of low-socioeconomic
students, ELL students, or students with disabilities. The district should re-evaluate how funds are distributed to the schools based on these recommendations.
In these schools, students who received free and/or reduced lunch would be prioritized to receive assistance in the form of devices and personal hotspots for
 ITEC 7410/EDL 7105 SWOT Analysis Template for Assessment of Eight ISTE Essential Conditions

the home. The district could reach out to its community partners to help with funding certain special needs programs as well. The ISTE Essential Condition of
Community Engagement explains how communities can provide financial, material, and volunteer support at all stages of planning and implementation.

The district and school should address gender representation in STEM fields in a variety of ways. Sara Ring (2008) recommends schools provide professional
role models, service-oriented projects, teacher training, and student-run clubs as a few methods to address gender stereotypes in the STEM fields. Schools
could establish committees with the work-based learning coordinator to reach out to local businesses to provide female role models. Females could be
encouraged to enter STEM fields beginning in middle school. Professional development in gender equality could be provided during professional
development days. Schools could allow for student-run clubs focusing on STEM fields to be organized thereby allowing females to develop community and
support for females with similar interests.

Supporting Sources
ISTE Essential Conditions (2017). https://www.iste.org/standards/essential-conditions

Ring, S. (2008, May 19). Tech gURLs: Closing the technological gender gap. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/computer-science-technology-gender-gap.

Warschauer, M., & Knobel, M. (2004). Technology and equity in schooling: Deconstructing the digital divide. Educational Policy, 18(4), 562–588.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0895904804266469

ESSENTIAL CONDITION FOUR: Equitable Access (Specifically Low SES and gender groups)

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?
● To what extent are strategies needed to address equity issues among Low SES and gender groups? What are examples of strategies that would
benefit your school/district? (required)
● Do students/parents/community need/have beyond school access to support the shared vision for learning?
Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats
Each student and teacher has a G- Not all families in the district have The school system could partner with Some parents are hesitant to accept
Suite account to help support the access to devices or the internet at local internet providers or T-Mobile devices from the school out of fear of
development of digital learners. home. to offer a discounted price to provide being liable if the device were to be
internet services in the home at a damaged.
Each teacher in the school system is The school does not provide discounted price.
provided with a laptop. equitable access since it is not 1:1. The school has been forced to supply
The school could offer before and “refurbished” Chromebooks that do
after-school programs to increase not function as well as newer
devices.
 ITEC 7410/EDL 7105 SWOT Analysis Template for Assessment of Eight ISTE Essential Conditions

There is no mention of addressing student access to complete

inequitable access due to SES or assignments, tasks, or projects.
gender in the technology plans.
Coahulla Creek’s weekly newsletter,
Facebook page, or Twitter account
could provide digital learning tips or
resources within the community.

Summary of Results/Conclusions:
Equitable access is the most significant weakness in both the district and school’s technology plans. The district does a sufficient job of providing devices,
software, and hardware to teachers. Each teacher is provided with a laptop and a variety of hardware within the classroom to enhance teaching practices. The
district does provide a common learning management system account for all staff and students through G-Suite. The school system is not 1:1 but is moving in
the right direction. The school district is currently an 88:1 ratio for students to devices. The district and school do not have any specific plans in place to
address equitable access due to SES or gender. There are portions of the community who do not have internet access inside the home whether due to SES or
geographical reasons. Some parents are hesitant to accept school-issued devices because they are afraid of the device being broken and then be held liable for
the replacement of the device. The district could partner with community stakeholders to provide in-home devices for employees and their children.
Companies like T-Mobile have programs to offer internet at discounted prices. Community stakeholders could be utilized to offset the cost of these programs
for their employees and their children.

Recommendations from Analysis:

The ISTE Essential Condition (2017) of Equitable Access states not only is the number of devices available important, but it is equally important to have a
plan to utilize what devices you have to meet the learning and teaching needs. The ISTE Standard for Educators states teachers must advocate for equitable
access to educational technology to meet the diverse needs of all students. Therefore, teachers should have more input into technology usage in their room,
particularly BYOD policies. A recommendation for increased access is the adoption of a bring your own device (BYOD) policy within the school system.
Implementing a BYOD policy would allow schools to reallocate school-issued devices to students in need. Eric Sheninger (2015) recommends gathering
stakeholders to establish a shared vision for the BYOD program to ensure student learning is its focus.

The district and/or school could reach out to local businesses to aid in funding programs to offer devices and personal hotspots to students of low SES. The
programs could be based on acceptance into the free and/or reduced lunch program. The district/school could apply for more grants to help with funding a 1:1
initiative. The district/school could seek grants for reduced-cost personal hotspot plans through T-Mobile or Spectrum.

Supporting Sources:
ISTE Essential Conditions (2017). https://www.iste.org/standards/essential-conditions

ISTE Standards for Educators (2017). https://www.iste.org/standards/for-educators

Sheninger, E. (2015, January 11). The drivers of a successful BYOD initiative [web log]. http://esheninger.blogspot.com/2015/01/the-drivers-of-successful-
byod.html?m=1.
 ITEC 7410/EDL 7105 SWOT Analysis Template for Assessment of Eight ISTE Essential Conditions

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.)
Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats
The district and school have New technology is provided with Teachers are willing to train their Teachers feel too overwhelmed to
provided a variety of software and minimal initial training. Follow-up peers. Teachers provided training on research, learn, and practice new
hardware to enhance teaching pieces of training do not occur. Edpuzzle to peers in pre-planning. technology skills.
practices. Teachers do not utilize technologies
to their fullest potential. Teachers freely share resources with The teachers need to be trained on
There is an abundance of tutorials staff and offer assistance upon available technologies, so they can in
available through G-Suite and on Teachers find resources they would request. turn train the students in their
YouTube. like to use, but the school district has classrooms.
not approved the software or There are currently three teachers at
enforces its strictly G-Suite policy. the school enrolled in an ITEC
program which could be a source of
in-house training for teachers.

Summary of Results/Conclusions:
A majority of the staff are comfortable using technology. 76% of the staff surveyed said they believe they have been adequately trained on the technology
they are using in the classroom. 72% of the staff surveyed stated they use technology every day in their classroom with an additional 20% saying they use
technology 3-4 times a week. Teachers currently use technology in a variety of ways but lack the training to utilize technology to achieve technology-
enhanced high-order thinking activities. A weakness is the 24% of the staff who don’t believe they have been adequately trained. Much of the training is one
and done type training. There is minimal follow-up after the initial training. The staff identified a desire for increased training on G-Suite, extensions, add-ons,
cell phones in the classroom, and increased student training in technology. Some staff would like to try additional software and online tools, but the district
restricts technology to the G-Suite learning management system (LMS). Teachers who are more familiar or have advanced skills with particular resources are
willing to train their peers. Some teachers feel overwhelmed at the idea of having to research, learn, and implement a new tool or skill during the school year.

Recommendations from Analysis:

The ISTE Standards for Educators (2017) states educators should facilitate learning by creating learning opportunities for students to use higher-order
thinking skills to solve problems through design and computational thinking. For this type of facilitation to take place, there must be professional development
for teachers and digital literacy training for students. Edutopia (2008) states project-based learning is an effective way to integrate technology into the
 ITEC 7410/EDL 7105 SWOT Analysis Template for Assessment of Eight ISTE Essential Conditions

curriculum and can help students gain a deeper knowledge of the content they are studying. Professional development for project-based learning will take
place every nine weeks and will consist of a two-week module. The module will provide recommended resources, videos, and examples of activities to be
utilized.

Coahulla Creek will provide digital literacy training for students during the first week of school and during weekly advisement time. The topics will include
navigating and using the G-Suite LMS, troubleshooting devices, proper research techniques, and digital citizenship. Additional classes will be provided based
on periodic teacher and student surveys. The ISTE Standards for Coaching (2017) states coaches should design professional learning based on needs
assessments and build the capacity of stakeholders to put the ISTE Standards into practice. Coahulla Creek will utilize the three personnel who are currently
enrolled in ITEC programs as coaches to educate and train the teachers and staff on the ISTE Standards and Essential Conditions.

The ISTE Standards for Educational Leaders (2017) states leaders should communicate with stakeholders to gather input and engage in a continuous
improvement cycle. The district and school administration will survey stakeholders about additional technology resources that could be utilized within the
classroom. The district/school will make every effort to meet the request of the stakeholders. The district will refrain from restricting teachers to utilizing
certain technology resources simply based on standardization.

Supporting Sources:
Edutopia. (2008, February 29). Why teach with project-based learning?: Providing students with a well-rounded classroom experience. Edutopia.
https://www.edutopia.org/project-learning-introduction.

ISTE Standards for Coaches (2017). https://www.iste.org/standards/for-coaches

ISTE Standards for Educational Leaders (2017). https://www.iste.org/standards/for-education-leaders

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/Learning Forward)?
● 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?
Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats
The district has an established Currently, no new pieces of training Teachers are willing to pilot new Teachers are hesitant to give up their
Google Classroom devoted to have been offered in the Google resources. free time or planning periods to
attend professional development.
 ITEC 7410/EDL 7105 SWOT Analysis Template for Assessment of Eight ISTE Essential Conditions

professional development in Classroom since September 29, There are currently three teachers at
technology. 2020. the school enrolled in an ITEC Many times the professional
program which could be a source of development opportunities provided
The school and district offer Not many teachers attend the in-house training for teachers. by the school and district don’t apply
mandatory and optional pieces of optional training sessions. to all teachers, so many teachers are
training devoted to the not invested.
implementation of technology.
There isn’t much follow-up after
Teachers are allowed to lead their professional learning, so most is
professional development sessions. learning is just surface level.

Summary of Results/Conclusions:
Before the pandemic, ongoing professional development was sporadic. It mainly occurred on staff workdays and occasionally during a planning period. The
pieces of training held before the pandemic were a combination of mandatory and optional. The mandatory periods of training had good attendance, but
attendance for the optional periods of training was sporadic. Many teachers aren’t willing to forfeit their planning period to attend professional development.
There has been a significant decrease in professional development since the beginning of the school year. The district did create a Google Classroom for
professional development on certain elements of the G-Suite platform, but no training has been offered since September 29, 2020. Most of the training is
surface-level training with little to no follow-up. There has been some training inside the school provided by members of the staff who researched, piloted,
and recommended resources to the staff. The technology use survey identified a desire for increased training on G-Suite, extensions, add-ons, cell phones in
the classroom, and increased student training in technology. There are teachers in the school who are willing to pilot new technology resources within the
classroom setting.

Recommendations from Analysis:

The ISTE Essential Conditions (2017) identifies Ongoing Professional Development as one of the 14 critical elements to effectively leverage technology for
learning. The district will establish instructional technology coaches within the schools to facilitate on-going professional development. These coaches will
work one-on-one with educators to develop an understanding of the effective use of technology to improve student learning. The instructional technology
coach can be the media specialist or a teacher who is provided with extra planning period(s) to allow for instructional coaching to take place. The ISTE
Standards for Coaches states coaches should develop relationships with teachers that encourage them to try new instructional strategies. Coaches can
accomplish this by personalizing support from educators. Jim Knight (2017) explains how instructional coaches need to work with educators to identify the
current reality of the classroom, set professional goals, introduce and educate different teaching strategies, and provide support until goals are met. This kind
of coaching requires time and attention, so establishing coaches inside the school can have a profound impact on the shared vision of the stakeholders.

Many educators are hesitant to give up planning or personal time to attend optional professional development. Teachers should receive incentives for
attending professional development. There is a wide range of possibilities to reward stakeholders for participating in professional development. Mary Dean
(2019) explains providing incentives that relieve teacher burnout and recognize the teachers for the extra work they put into their practice. Incentives can
include providing an extra planning period, casual dress, gift cards provided by local businesses, or duty coverage. Administrators could have a points system
in place for teachers to earn certain rewards. Professional development attendance and teacher morale will improve with the implementation of a reward
system.

Supporting Sources:
Dean, M. (2019, December 5). 4 Reasons why your PBIS program needs teacher incentives [web log]. https://www.classcraft.com/blog/reasons-your-pbis-
program-needs-teacher-incentives/.
 ITEC 7410/EDL 7105 SWOT Analysis Template for Assessment of Eight ISTE Essential Conditions

ISTE Standards for Coaches (2017). https://www.iste.org/standards/for-coaches

Knight, J. (2017). The Impact Cycle. [VitalSource Bookshelf]. https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781544317793/

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?
Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats
The school has a fast Wi-Fi network. In-house technology personnel are The media specialist and several The security settings on teacher
shared between schools, so it may teachers are very knowledgeable laptops limit teachers’ ability to
Technology support is provided in- take one or two days for an issue to about resolving technology issues. troubleshoot technology issues.
house and through the central office. be addressed after submitting a work
order. The technical support staff is limited
Each teacher has a laptop and each and can be re-routed to bigger issues
classroom has a projector. Several of the “refurbished” in other schools.
Chromebooks have had operating
system issues and had to be returned. The Activboards are becoming
obsolete and the support staff is
limited in their abilities to extend the
life of the boards.
Summary of Results/Conclusions:
The district provides excellent technical support personnel and a highly efficient WiFi network within the schools. The laptops provided to school personnel
are well maintained and updated regularly. These dedicated are respectful of teachers and of instructional time. The district utilizes a system where work-
orders are submitted online and the technician can be rated on the service provided. Limited technical support personnel is a significant threat. Most of the
time, a technician is required to cover multiple schools which places him/her in a particular school building on certain days. This means some issues must wait
to be resolved within a day or two. Some of the software and hardware (Activboards) in the district is becoming outdated. The technicians do a great job of
“putting a band-aid on it”, but they can only do so much. The media specialists are being trained to handle certain levels of technical issues, but their abilities
are limited as well.

Recommendations from Analysis:

The ISTE Essential Condition (2017) of Technical Support explains how consistent and reliable technical support removes obstacles and allows teachers to
utilize technology more effectively for teaching and learning. The district should provide permanent in-house technicians for each high school and middle
 ITEC 7410/EDL 7105 SWOT Analysis Template for Assessment of Eight ISTE Essential Conditions

school. This technician will be housed in the schools to ensure the network is functioning at an optimal level and to provide technical support within the same
day. The ISTE Essential Condition (2017) of Engaged Communities suggests working with local businesses and utilities to whom can provide materials and
volunteer support for technical issues as well. Bernie Poole (2012) explains that every teacher should be able to troubleshoot technical issues that consistently
occur during a class period. Every teacher should receive training on troubleshooting basic operating system issues. Teachers should receive initial training at
the beginning of the school year. Then a library of tutorials will be cataloged in the district’s professional development Google Classroom. There should also
be a page devoted to these tutorials on the district’s technology department website as a secondary source and as an initial source for parents and students.

The ISTE Standard for Educational Leaders (2017) states leaders should ensure students have access to the technology necessary that supports an engaging
learning environment. Hardware that is not functioning properly and outdated can have a significant impact on a technology-driven learning environment. The
district and school will look at funding to reallocate funds to ensure technology is up-to-date and functioning properly. A committee will be established to
contact community stakeholders about providing monetary donations or equipment to aid in addressing out-of-date technology in the schools.

Supporting Sources:
Poole, B. (2012, March 10). What every teacher should know about technology. https://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech/tech227.shtml.

ISTE Essential Conditions (2017). https://www.iste.org/standards/essential-conditions

ISTE Standards for Educational Leaders (2017). https://www.iste.org/standards/for-education-leaders

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? (ISTE Standards for Students)
● 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/CCS as appropriate?
● How is student technology literacy assessed?
Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats
Instructional Technology goals in There is no identifiable alignment The current educational dynamic Lack of access limits teachers’
place to: with the ISTE standards in the created by the pandemic would be a ability to incorporate technology into
 Use approved software technology plan. great opportunity to introduce the everyday instruction.
programs and ISTE standards to teachers, parents,
accompanying materials to The only assessment of student and students. Some parents don’t want the
support research-based technology literacy is the students’ responsibility of taking care of or
instructional strategies. capability to perform daily tasks. The G-Suite platform offers free being liable for a device.
 Increase the ratio of digital tutorials for staff, parents, and
assignments that align to the The district’s Instructional students. Community’s reluctance or inability
4Cs. Technology Department page is hard to use technology impacts the
to locate from the district website. students’ access to technology.
 ITEC 7410/EDL 7105 SWOT Analysis Template for Assessment of Eight ISTE Essential Conditions

 Incorporate digital Professional development is already

citizenship best practices. provided through Google Classroom,
 Use district-provided tools so the ISTE standards could be
for data-based instructional covered one at a time for teachers
decision-making and through this platform.
design.
Staff Readiness goals include:
 Provide training to improve
and support digital
instruction as it relates to
each curriculum area.
 Help build and maintain
professional development
platforms to serve faculty.

The district’s Instructional

Technology Department provides
resources on their webpage.

Summary of Results/Conclusions:
The school and district have plans in place to address many of the issues being faced. The goals for Instructional Technology and Staff Readiness show
growth towards full adoption of the technology plan. The Instructional Technology Department for the district has a collection of great resources on their
webpage, but it is difficult to find from the district’s main page. A weakness of the curriculum framework is the implementation of the plan. There is no
reference to or visible alignment with the ISTE standards. The only current assessment of student technology literacy is through the daily use of devices and
online resources. Once again, 68% of the staff surveyed said they were not familiar with the district’s technology plan and 60% said they were not familiar
with the school’s technology plan. Additionally, 80% of the staff said they had not heard of the ISTE standards for teachers and 84% said they had not heard
of the ISTE standards for students. Now is a great opportunity to introduce the ISTE standards within the school system. All staff needs to be directed to
familiarize themselves with the district and school technology plan. Increased access to devices will also aid in the implementation of the curriculum
framework. Increased professional development will increase the rate of adoption of the curriculum framework. Increased access to devices along with
training for parents and students will increase the adoption of the curriculum framework within the community.

Recommendations from Analysis:

The ISTE Essential Condition (2017) for Curriculum Framework explains how technology should be woven into the curriculum to optimize its benefits of
developing higher-order thinking skills. Eric Sheninger (2019) explains how if the instructional design is flawed then technology will only increase the speed
of failure. Teachers need training on how to engage students in higher-order thinking activities. Educators will receive professional development on problem-
based learning as a precursor to technology training. Youki Terada (2021) explains how classrooms that utilize project-based learning outperform traditional
classrooms regardless of grade level, SES, or reading ability. Professional development for project-based learning will take place every nine weeks and will
consist of a two-week module. The module will provide recommended resources, videos, and examples of activities to be utilized. Technology is then
implemented to support and enhance the learning experience. Educators will receive training on the ISTE Standards and Essential Conditions. As mentioned
 ITEC 7410/EDL 7105 SWOT Analysis Template for Assessment of Eight ISTE Essential Conditions

above, this training will take place synchronously in whole group training and asynchronously through modules in the professional development Google
Classroom. The staff will also receive professional development on the technology plans for both the district and Coahulla Creek.

A committee will be established to serve as a public relations committee to communicate with parents the technology plan for Coahulla Creek and the district.
Parents will be made aware of the resources available on the district and school website. Training for parents will be offered during the summer months and
the schedule will be finalized by the last month of school. The schedule will be posted on the school’s and district’s websites, social media pages, and through
the Infinite Campus messaging system.

Supporting Sources:
ISTE Essential Conditions (2017). https://www.iste.org/standards/essential-conditions

Sheninger, E. (2019). Digital Leadership. [VitalSource Bookshelf]. Retrieved from https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781544350820/

Terada, Y. (2021, February 21). New research makes a powerful case for PBL. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/article/new-research-makes-powerful-
case-pbl

References

21st Century Learning International. (2020, April 29). ISTE standards professional development. https://www.21c-learning.com/iste-standards-professional-
development/.

Children’s Partnership (2010). Empowering parents through technology to improve the odds for children. Digital Opportunity for Youth.
https://www.childrenspartnership.org/research/empowering-parents-through-technology/

Dean, M. (2019, December 5). 4 Reasons why your PBIS program needs teacher incentives [web log]. https://www.classcraft.com/blog/reasons-your-pbis-
program-needs-teacher-incentives/.

Edutopia. (2008, February 29). Why teach with project-based learning?: Providing students with a well-rounded classroom experience. Edutopia.
https://www.edutopia.org/project-learning-introduction.

Hobgood, B., & Ormsby, L. (2011) Inclusion in the 21st-century classroom: Differentiating with technology. LEARN North Carolina.
http://web.archive.org/web/20180125110137/www.learnnc.org/lp/editions/every-learner/6776/

ISTE Essential Conditions (2017). https://www.iste.org/standards/essential-conditions

ISTE Standards for Coaches (2017). https://www.iste.org/standards/for-coaches

ISTE Standards for Educators (2017). https://www.iste.org/standards/for-educators

ISTE Standards for Educational Leaders (2017). https://www.iste.org/standards/for-education-leaders

 ITEC 7410/EDL 7105 SWOT Analysis Template for Assessment of Eight ISTE Essential Conditions

Knight, J. (2017). The Impact Cycle. [VitalSource Bookshelf]. https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781544317793/

Poole, B. (2012, March 10). What every teacher should know about technology. https://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech/tech227.shtml.

Ring, S. (2008, May 19). Tech gURLs: Closing the technological gender gap. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/computer-science-technology-gender-gap.

Sheninger, E. (2019). Digital Leadership. [VitalSource Bookshelf]. Retrieved from https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781544350820/

Sheninger, E. (2015, January 11). The drivers of a successful BYOD initiative [web log]. http://esheninger.blogspot.com/2015/01/the-drivers-of-successful-
byod.html?m=1.

Terada, Y. (2021, February 21). New research makes a powerful case for PBL. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/article/new-research-makes-powerful-case-
pbl.

Warschauer, M., & Knobel, M. (2004). Technology and equity in schooling: Deconstructing the digital divide. Educational Policy, 18(4), 562–588.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0895904804266469

Zheng, B., Warschauer, M., Lin, C. H., & Chang, C. (2016). Learning in one-to-one laptop environments: A meta-analysis and research synthesis. Review of
Educational Research, 86(4), 1–33.