Singleton SWOT Analysis For Technology Planning Needs Assessment

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

Name: Larry Singleton
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
Experienced and
successful teachers
Students with high levels
of access to digital tools
and resources
Blackboard Learning
Management System has
been purchased and will
be implemented in our
system.
Weaknesses
Teachers resistant to
adding technology to their
established pedagogy
Inadequate funding for
Professional Learning
No established practice of
Professional Learning at
the school or in the
system
Opportunities
Implementation of
technology can be
facilitated at higher, more
effective levels of
Modification and
Redefinition (EdTech,
2015)
Implementation of the
Blackboard Learning
Management System
necessitates a major
teacher training program
Threats
Implementation of
technology may be
targeted at lower, less
effective levels defined as
Substitution and
Augmentation (EdTech,
2015)
Possibilities of problems
with the implementation
of the Blackboard
Learning Management
System
Summary/Gap Analysis: The fact that technology usage by the majority of teachers at our school is very low enhances the opportunity

for development of effective instructional uses of technology. The fact that there is currently no established professional learning
practice within the school system creates the opportunity for introduction of methods and strategies that will be embraced by teachers.
Research based practices focused on student-centric learning can be incorporated into the training curriculum for teachers. The
addition of technology that simply substitutes or augments existing practices can be discouraged in the training and practices of
modification and redefinition can be taught. The training program necessary for teacher usage of the Blackboard LMS will provide
the best possible chance to achieve this essential condition. Also, teachers at my school will be encouraged to join the Technology
Tools for Teachers (3T) digital Professional Learning Community (PLC) to earn badges for the tools they use, share experiences and
rate technology tools they use or have tried, participate in a local discussion forum about each tool, suggest new tools to add to the
site, read national reviews about various tools with direct links to Graphite by Common Sense Media, learn how to use new tools with
the help of embedded tutorial videos.
Data Sources: The performance dashboard in Blackboard (which is the LMS I use to host 3T) will provide me with records of teacher
participation and activities on the site. Data on the number and percentage of teachers participating and the number of badges earned
will provide valid information on the level of instructional technology being implemented by teachers (badges require evidence and
verification of consistent and effective use of a tool).
The system-wide implementation of Blackboard will have records of teacher training and system accountability for usage by
individual teachers which will provide valid data on use of that technology.
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?
Strengths
Our school Principal has

strong leadership skills
There are a couple of
other teachers like me
who are leaders and want
to see our school follow a
technology vision
Our county and school
vision states that our
students will be capable
of living and working
effectively, responsibly
and productively in a
global environment.
(Fayette County Board of
Education, 2015)
A strong STEM Team of
innovative, dedicated
educators
Weaknesses
Our school is ranked 23rd

in the state (U.S. News &
World Report, 2015) and,
as such the need for a
greater vision is blurred.
Many teachers who have
experienced years of
success with traditional
pedagogy view the
implementation of
technology as
unnecessary.
Opportunities
The absence of a shared

technology vision (the
official vision does not
mention technology)
provides a great
opportunity to establish
one for our school alone.
The soft skills described
in the official vision lend
themselves to technology
oriented goals and
objectives.
A Science, Technology,
Engineering & Math
(STEM) program at our
school will include a
shared technology vision.
Threats
The absence of a shared

technology vision allows
for disjointed efforts or no
efforts at all to seek
school improvement.
Leadership at the county
level is weak. The idea of
a shared vision is likely
to be established as their
vision. Thus, our school
will resist
Summary/Gap Analysis: The fact that our school does not have a shared vision for technology planning is because our leadership has
waited on the county central office, which controls the budget for technology implementation, to take the lead. The absence of
proactive leadership at the county level has served to hinder the advancement of technology implementation at our school. In the past
Special Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) funds have been earmarked and spent on technology hardware without a shared vision plan
in place. Those hardware expenditures were not accompanied by commensurate efforts and expenditures on professional development
geared toward anything more than operational instruction. This irresponsible type of action is reflective of the poor system leaders

who control the budget. Fortunately our school has leadership capable of developing a shared vision for educational technology
among school personnel, students, parents, and the community in spite of those weaknesses of our countys leadership. The effort we
have begun in planning a STEM Program at our school, without specific mandates from the county about how to do it, gives us a great
opportunity to develop a shared vision for the implementation of technology within that program. As the STEM Program is
implemented following that vision opportunities to extend those strategies and practices to other curriculum at our school will emerge.
Data Sources: Data showing the success of our school by state and national rankings is available online. (U.S. News & World Report,
2015)
The actual data for analysis of this condition is simply a matter of whether or not proactive leadership in developing a shared vision
for educational technology among school personnel, students, parents, and the community is evident. It follows logically that
evidence of such proactive leadership would be manifest in the publication of a shared vision that is specifically focused on
technology integration, or strategies within the overall strategic plan for the system that does not use the adverb appropriately in
defining strategies for integration of technology into the curriculum (see the Data Sources section of Essential Condition Three).
The existing data for a shared technology vision is simply not available!
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?
Strengths
Our school has many

faculty members who are
intellectually capable of
Weaknesses
Our school has many

faculty members who do
not think a technology
Opportunities
The absence of a plan

provides the opportunity
to create one, and do it
Threats
Implementation of a plan
for infusion of ICT and
digital learning resources

effective planning.
plan should apply to

them. They are
successful, their students
have high achievement
and if it [isnt] [broken]
dont fix it.
because it is desired by
the stakeholders not
mandated by the
authorities.
The development of an
autonomous STEM
Program at our school is
likely to be supported by
the county office.
requires money and

county control of funds
poses a threat to any
locally developed plans.
The county staff tends to
believe they know whats
best, and want to impose
their plans for all of the
schools in our county.
Summary/Gap Analysis: As mentioned in essential condition two, the lack of a shared vision for school effectiveness and student
learning through the infusion of ICT and digital learning resources in our school diminishes the necessity for a technology plan. Lack
of control over, or even input into, the allocation of budget funds for technology implementation and training further hinders any such
initiative at our school. However, the current development of a STEM Program which will follow a shared vision in implementation of
a technology plan for enhancement of student learning provides our school with a unique opportunity to operate outside of the control
and influence of county leadership.
Data Sources: A rather crude method of data collection, yet revealing, is a simple count of the number of times the word technology
or computer appears in our schools or our countys Strategic Plans. A qualitative analysis of the context relative to a shared vision for
technology would serve as a reasonable metric of this essential condition. For example, at present our county Strategic Plan mentions
technology five times in the context of strategies for appropriate (whatever that means) integration of technology into the curriculum,
once in the context of the school nutrition program, once in identification of Career Technical programs and the word appears three
times in definition of STEM. The word computer occurs once in the context of the bus transportation system. In the plan for our high
school the word computer is absent and technology occurs once in the context of effective' operational processes along with
transportation, facilities/maintenance, school nutrition and health services.
The failure of these strategic plans to address technology integration in a detailed or substantive way is indicative of our systems
failure to substantively address this essential condition. A similar qualitative analysis of strategic plans that are updated annually will
indicate a movement toward the necessary focus, or the development of separate technology plans for the school and/or the system
that included the collection of data is necessary for this condition to be met.
ESSENTIAL CONDITION FOUR: Equitable Access (Specifically address 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?
Do students/parents/community need/have beyond school access to support the vision for learning?
Strengths
A large majority of
students at our school
have access to digital
tools and resources.
Weaknesses
Limited bandwidth on
school networks
Opportunities
A shift to blended
learning practices that
leverage the faster
internet access that the
majority of students have
at home
Threats
Insufficient funding for

the necessary fiber optic
infrastructure to bring
network speed to
adequate levels
Summary/Gap Analysis: Robust and reliable access to current emerging technologies and digital resources is often limited by the
inadequate network internet service available for students and teachers in our classrooms. Because of our location in an affluent
residential community, but in a county with limited commercial/industrial development due to no direct interstate highway access, the
property tax resources are typically less than most other Metro Atlanta school systems. Our situation with respect to equitable access is
somewhat the reverse of most others. In our community students have better access to the internet outside of school. This unique
situation lends itself to broad use of blended learning techniques that have been documented as effective in increasing student
engagement and achievement. (Horn & Staker, 2011) Granted, there are a small percentage of students who do not have technology
access equal to the majority of students at our school. Efforts to identify those few students and find solutions to their individual
needs and circumstances are very possible within the resources that exist at our school and in our community.
Data Sources: Peachtree City has the fifth highest Median Household Income of the cities in Georgia. (Zip Atlas, 2013) Community
income level data may suffice for speculation about digital access of students but cannot serve as justification for an assumption that a

gap is non-existent; data from surveys would be more appropriate. Use of data from national, regional, or state studies would not
serve to quantify the situation in our community. Various student surveys and information collected in student records would provide
information that could be aggregated into summative and informative data about the actual status of equitable access. Upon inquiry of
the Principal at our school it was discovered that no such data exists. In this situation action must be taken to collect the data
necessary to meet this essential condition.
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
Faculty members at our

school possess a high
level of basic computer
skills, and are capable of
self-learning new skills
with minimal training.
A newly selected Media
Specialist at our school
has moved into that
position from the
Weaknesses
Skill levels in the use of

technology tools for
teaching at our school are
minimal. The use of a
computer connected to a
screen with control by a
device called a MOBI is
the highest level of ICT
achieved by a few
teachers.
Opportunities
As our system launches

the Blackboard LMS
teachers are more likely
to seek to expand their
personal levels of
technology
implementation.
The teachers who are
tasked and challenged to
launch the STEM
Threats
State mandated Teacher

Keys Effectiveness
System (TKES) may lead
to teacher efforts to
demonstrate the use of
technology in their
classrooms because their
evaluation will reflect it.
There is a risk because
such demonstrations may

classroom where she
modeled technology use
in her practice.
Faculty members at our

school lack incentive to
learn new ICT skills.
Money wasted on
technology like Smart
boards and MOBIs is
discouraging to teachers.
Program will use

technology rich practices
and serve as models for
other teachers to follow.
be for show and not

because teachers have
truly found the value of
technology and
incorporated it into their
practices.
County incompetence
Summary/Gap Analysis: It is all about incentive. The personnel at our school are capable of learning and using technology tools and
resources to enhance their teaching but they are not compelled to do so by their own initiative. The TKES system of evaluation is a
threat because it can be gamed by teachers who know how to put on a dog and pony show, and administrators who get
hoodwinked by those demonstrations. If such insincere responses to efforts that promote the use of technology to enhance teaching
and improve student achievement are allowed, the true objectives of a technology plan will not be accomplished. The teachers at our
school do not embrace the latest technologies that are available. A few years ago our county had lots of SPLOST money to spend on
technology. Decisions were made to equip all classrooms with inferior technology (the details are a whole other sad story in
bureaucratic snafu). This experience has left many teachers with a mistrust of county efforts to provide them with worthwhile tools
and resources for school improvement.
Data Sources: I have discussed this with our Principal and she is in favor of conducting a survey of our teachers to identify the
various levels of academic degrees and what the majors are. One of the outcomes of such a survey would be the identification of
teachers who have earned, or are working toward, an advanced degree in Instructional Technology. That same survey would ask
teachers questions about their Level of Technology Implementation (LoTI) and self-assessment of their skills related to integration of
technology into the curriculum. I will be submitting a draft of that survey to the Principal for approval and subsequent distribution.
Another source of data is the performance dashboard in Blackboard (which is the LMS I use to host 3T) will provide me with records
of teacher participation and activities on the site. Data on the number and percentage of teachers participating and the number of
badges earned will provide valid information on the level of instructional technology being implemented by teachers (badges require
evidence and verification of consistent and effective use of a tool).
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?
Strengths
Our school has teachers

who are ready, willing
and able to learn.
Our school prides itself as
a school of excellence and
we dont want to lose that
identification.
Weaknesses
Our county offices have a

track record of ineffective
Professional Learning
(PL) efforts.
Learning opportunities for
teachers at our school are
very limited in frequency
and scope. They do not
follow the National Staff
Development Council
(NSDC) standards.
(NSDC, 2015)
All professional learning
opportunities are lumped
together; technology
focused learning is not
separated.
The primary expenditure
of money for PL
controlled by our school
Opportunities
A digital Professional
Learning Community
(PLC) resource called
Technology Tools for
Teachers (3T) is available
for self-learning and
sharing experiences with
ICT.
The implementation of
Blackboard LMS in our
school will necessitate
training and hopefully
that training will include
learning about teaching
enhancements in addition
to the nuts and bolts of
navigating the LMS.
Threats
Professional learning
initiatives that come from
county staff are unlikely
to be focused on the
unique needs of our
school.
Dollars for PL are limited
Initiatives that look good
on paper but in reality are
a waste of time and
money are always a
possibility in a
bureaucratic system.
Teachers are expected to
do more with their time
every year and are
inherently left with
insufficient time to
accomplish all they are
asked to do. That time

is for conferences that
some of the teachers
attend throughout the
year.
shortage is an everpresent threat to PL
Summary/Gap Analysis: The weaknesses and threats in this analysis paint a clear picture of a long way our school needs to go in
development of an ongoing professional learning environment for our teachers. This may not be a politically correct thought but I
honestly believe that students, on average, who attend our school, are genetically and culturally predisposed to high achievement. As
a result of this, and a matching record of impressive achievement on AP exams I believe a degree of complacency has set in. For this
reason professional learning has not been deemed necessary and made a priority. The attitude among teachers and administrators has
slid onto the slippery slope of if it [isnt] [broken] dont fix it, that can lead to stagnation!
Data Sources: Data on AP scores place our school 23rd in the state. (U.S. News & World Report, 2015) The performance dashboard in
Blackboard (which is the LMS I use to host 3T) will provide me with records of teacher participation and activities on the site. Data
on the number and percentage of teachers participating and the number of badges earned will provide valid information on the level of
instructional technology being implemented by teachers (badges require evidence and verification of consistent and effective use of a
tool).
The system-wide implementation of Blackboard will have records of teacher training and system accountability for usage by
individual teachers which will provide valid data on use of that technology.
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 talent for providing
strong technical support
to teachers exists within
our system.
The existing talent within

our system for providing
to teachers has not been
mobilized.
A concerted effort to
mobilize and manage the
talent that exists within
our system to provide
to teachers would solve
this essential condition.
A failure to mobilize and

manage the talent that
exists within our system
to provide strong
technical support to
teachers will perpetuate
the absence of this
essential condition.
Summary/Gap Analysis: I am not trying to over simplify my analysis here, I am calling it as I see it. Our county system is poorly
managed, void of true leadership, and blind to the need of teachers for professional support. In six years of teaching I have observed
the dysfunction of a system that would quickly go out of business if it were forced to compete in the real world. Having said that, the
essential condition of Technical Support can be achieved with leadership from the Superintendent and the IT Director who simply
need to commit themselves and the resources they manage to step aside from a mindset that has them practicing governance and step
into an attitude that is focused on service to the classrooms.
Data Sources: Data with regard to teacher perceptions of this essential condition could also be obtained from the Teacher Survey
planned for analysis of teacher academic degrees and LoTI skills. Questions structured to identify positives and negatives of our
technical support system will be useful in establishing this essential condition.
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?
Strengths
Teachers at our school are

fully capable of
integrating technology
standards into their course
objectives.
Digital curriculum
resources for integration
of technology into
GPS/QCCs as appropriate
are widely available
online.
Weaknesses
Less than 10% of teachers

are aware of technology
standards like NETS-S,
and even fewer students
or parents.
No system of student
technology literacy
assessment is used at our
school
Opportunities
Implementation of the
Blackboard LMS will
offer teachers with a
simple procedure for
aligning course and
technology standards with
content, assignments and
assessments. Student
performance against, and
mastery of those
standards can be tracked
within that system.
The STEM Program at
our school will be the first
courses to integrate
technology standards into
the STEM Curricula and
all stakeholders will be
made aware of that
enhancement to those
courses.
A technology literacy
assessment for students
could be easily
implemented within all
courses where students
use computer
workstations.
Threats
The input of standards in

the Blackboard LMS is a
function limited to system
administrators. It is a
very real possibility that
this task will not be done
in a timely manner, if at
all, by county staff and
thus lead to frustration on
the part of all teachers
who see the value of
those digital tools.
If the integration of
technology standards is
mandated and placed on
teachers as one more
thing to do without
teacher buy-in to the
value, this essential
condition will be
threatened.

Summary/Gap Analysis: My final analysis of essential conditions for implementation of a technology plan, on the subject of
curriculum frameworks is essentially the same as the other seven conditions. The teachers at our school are not currently practicing,
nor are they prepared to practice, the integration of technology standards with GPS/QCCs. Te fact that this condition does not
currently exist lends to the possibility of a positive outcome; if the proper actions are taken, we have the opportunity to build
something from the ground up and avoid the pitfalls of doing it because it is required and our motivation to do the work is extrinsic.
If we embark on the development of this condition and others identified in this analysis, and we do it because we are intrinsically
motivated to do so, we can begin the process toward a viable and successful technology plan that has the interest, support and
involvement of all stakeholders. The fact that we are developing a STEM Program within a subset of our student and teacher
population, and a technology focus will facilitate our achievement of these essential conditions, improves the chances that we can
achieve great success with the program and model that success as the program grows and develops into a model for teaching and
learning in every classroom.
Data Sources: Data for analysis of this essential condition in our county and at our school will be dependent on data that is collected
about teacher usage of the Blackboard LMS as it is implemented over the course of the next two years. The metric that must be
evaluated is a feature within Blackboard called alignment. Content, assignments, rubric categories, test/quiz questions, discussion
forum threads, etc. can all be aligned to standards (called goals in Blackboard) and subsequently analyzed for student by student
mastery of skills within those standards. This is exactly the kind of data that needs to be collected and analyzed by teachers,
department chairs, school administrators, and county coordinators. This is an essential condition that will easily drive efforts by all to
practice technological innovation in the teaching/learning environments that we create.
References
EdTech. (2015). SAMR Model Explained for Teachers. Retrieved from Educational Technology and Mobile Learning:
http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2013/06/samr-model-explained-for-teachers.html
Fayette County Board of Education. (2015, June). Fayette Vision 20/20. Retrieved from FCBOE:
https://eboard.eboardsolutions.com/StrategicPlan/PlanDetail.aspx?S=4067&PID=2160
Horn, M. B., & Staker, H. C. (2011). The Rise of K-12 Blended Learning. Retrieved from Innosight Institute:
http://www.leadcommission.org/sites/default/files/The%20Rise%20of%20K-12%20Blended%20Learning_0.pdf

NSDC. (2015). NSDC Standards and Tools Help Strengthen Professional Development. Retrieved from sedl.org:
http://www.sedl.org/pubs/sedl-letter/v19n01/nsdc-standards-tools.html
U.S. News & World Report. (2015). Education - Best High Schools in Georgia. Retrieved from U.S. News & World Report:
http://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/georgia/rankings?
schooltypepublic=y&int=c0b4c1&schooltypemagnet=y&state=GA&schooltypecharter=y&page=2
Zip Atlas. (2013). Cities with the Highest Median Household Income in Georgia. Retrieved from ZipAtlas.com:
http://zipatlas.com/us/ga/city-comparison/median-household-income.htm

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Singleton SWOT Analysis for Technology Planning Needs Assessment

What is the current reality in our school?

ITEC 7410, Semester: Summer

ESSENTIAL CONDITION ONE: Effective Instructional Uses of Technology Embedded in Standards-Based,