1.2 - Strategic Planning
Candidates facilitate the design, development, implementation, communication, and evaluation of technology-infused strategic plans. (PSC 1.2/ISTE 1b)
Artifact: Current Reality
Reflection:
The Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, and Threat (SWOT) Analysis was completed as a class assignment to determine the current reality of technology integration at Lee County High School 9th Grade Campus. In this assignment, I was to use ISTE’s eight Essential Conditions to examine the strengths and weaknesses evident in the school (ISTE, 2012). The analysis was completed as an individual class assignment but was created in collaboration with the instructional supervisor, mentor, and faculty members.
In Standard 1.2, candidates demonstrate mastery of strategic planning by providing evidence of facilitating the design, development, implementation, communication, and evaluation of technology-infused strategic plans. The artifact provided in the portfolio establishes my ability to assess the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats related to the integration of technology into instruction in order to develop and later implement a strategic improvement plan based on this analysis. The first step to design and develop a strategic plan is to determine analysis questions, in this case a faculty survey and several individual interview. These questions were used to determine the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to complete the SWOT analysis. The information contained in the analysis was used to guide part of the 2014-2015 strategic plan related to instructional technology and was shared with instructional supervisors, the technology committee, and the school leadership team. This group worked collaboratively to determine the professional development needs for the 2014-2015 school year.
Once the plan was generated, the instructional supervisor, the instructional technology specialists, and the technology committee implemented the plan by first communicating the SWOT analysis and the corresponding strategic plan to relevant stakeholders, first system instructional staff for approval and then the faculty of the school. The communication of the plan ensured that faculty and support staff knew the current state of the school and knew the purpose of the goals of the strategic plan. Once the plan was approved by system level staff, the strategic plan was implemented. I assisted in the implementation of the plan as one of the instructional technology specialists by providing appropriate professional development outlined in the strategic plan. Data related to the achievement of short term goals are evaluated by instructional technology staff, system instructional staff, school administrators, and the school leadership team at the culmination of the plan and consists of lesson plan analysis, walkthrough data, teacher interview responses, and survey responses.
Completing the SWOT Analysis was a meaningful learning experience because I learned how to determine the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to technology integration in an objective manner. I also learned that recognizing the current reality of the school is essential in creating a strategic plan and corresponding goals. It is also critical to communicate both the plan and the current reality to relevant stakeholders to obtain proper buy-in from those implementing it. If I were to go back and complete the analysis again, I would ask more specific questions to better guide the creation of the plan. My questions were adequate for the completion of the SWOT analysis but not specific enough to create specific goals for the strategic plan. I would like to incorporate both types of questions into one questionnaire or generate questions in a manner that would allow me to complete the SWOT analysis with the information needed for the strategic plan. Teachers need to know that you value their time and asking them to complete two different questionnaires with similar information is not very effective.
The effect on school improvement and faculty development can be seen in the results of the evaluation of the strategic plan, through lesson plan analysis, walkthrough data, teacher interview responses, and survey responses. Since the results of the SWOT analysis drove the design and development of the strategic plan, changes in the current reality from year to year can be assessed in the same manner as the strategic plan. There was some improvement in the use of technology in lessons throughout the school and teachers felt their skill levels improved over the implementation of the plan. Student learning effects are more difficult to see but could be assessed through analysis of student work or student interviews.
ISTE (2012). Essential conditions: Necessary conditions to effectively leverage technology for learning. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards/standards-for-students/nets-for-students-essential-conditions.
The Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, and Threat (SWOT) Analysis was completed as a class assignment to determine the current reality of technology integration at Lee County High School 9th Grade Campus. In this assignment, I was to use ISTE’s eight Essential Conditions to examine the strengths and weaknesses evident in the school (ISTE, 2012). The analysis was completed as an individual class assignment but was created in collaboration with the instructional supervisor, mentor, and faculty members.
In Standard 1.2, candidates demonstrate mastery of strategic planning by providing evidence of facilitating the design, development, implementation, communication, and evaluation of technology-infused strategic plans. The artifact provided in the portfolio establishes my ability to assess the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats related to the integration of technology into instruction in order to develop and later implement a strategic improvement plan based on this analysis. The first step to design and develop a strategic plan is to determine analysis questions, in this case a faculty survey and several individual interview. These questions were used to determine the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to complete the SWOT analysis. The information contained in the analysis was used to guide part of the 2014-2015 strategic plan related to instructional technology and was shared with instructional supervisors, the technology committee, and the school leadership team. This group worked collaboratively to determine the professional development needs for the 2014-2015 school year.
Once the plan was generated, the instructional supervisor, the instructional technology specialists, and the technology committee implemented the plan by first communicating the SWOT analysis and the corresponding strategic plan to relevant stakeholders, first system instructional staff for approval and then the faculty of the school. The communication of the plan ensured that faculty and support staff knew the current state of the school and knew the purpose of the goals of the strategic plan. Once the plan was approved by system level staff, the strategic plan was implemented. I assisted in the implementation of the plan as one of the instructional technology specialists by providing appropriate professional development outlined in the strategic plan. Data related to the achievement of short term goals are evaluated by instructional technology staff, system instructional staff, school administrators, and the school leadership team at the culmination of the plan and consists of lesson plan analysis, walkthrough data, teacher interview responses, and survey responses.
Completing the SWOT Analysis was a meaningful learning experience because I learned how to determine the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to technology integration in an objective manner. I also learned that recognizing the current reality of the school is essential in creating a strategic plan and corresponding goals. It is also critical to communicate both the plan and the current reality to relevant stakeholders to obtain proper buy-in from those implementing it. If I were to go back and complete the analysis again, I would ask more specific questions to better guide the creation of the plan. My questions were adequate for the completion of the SWOT analysis but not specific enough to create specific goals for the strategic plan. I would like to incorporate both types of questions into one questionnaire or generate questions in a manner that would allow me to complete the SWOT analysis with the information needed for the strategic plan. Teachers need to know that you value their time and asking them to complete two different questionnaires with similar information is not very effective.
The effect on school improvement and faculty development can be seen in the results of the evaluation of the strategic plan, through lesson plan analysis, walkthrough data, teacher interview responses, and survey responses. Since the results of the SWOT analysis drove the design and development of the strategic plan, changes in the current reality from year to year can be assessed in the same manner as the strategic plan. There was some improvement in the use of technology in lessons throughout the school and teachers felt their skill levels improved over the implementation of the plan. Student learning effects are more difficult to see but could be assessed through analysis of student work or student interviews.
ISTE (2012). Essential conditions: Necessary conditions to effectively leverage technology for learning. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards/standards-for-students/nets-for-students-essential-conditions.