Standard 1.2 Strategic PlanningCandidates facilitate the design, development, implementation, communication, and evaluation of technology-infused strategic plans. (PSC 1.2/ISTE 1b)
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As part of a course in instructional technology leadership during the summer of 2016 I was required to complete a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis of technology at McConnell Middle School. This analysis is presented here as an artifact demonstrating mastery of ISTE standard 1.2 and was informed by the eight ISTE essential conditions. The SWOT directly addresses technology planning, implementation and evaluation and was completed along with suggestions for improvements.
This was an enjoyable project as it forced me to take a hard look at a specific element of my job with new eyes while following a detailed model in a disciplined way. Some of the findings were not surprising. However, some findings were unanticipated and, as the process was far more formal and standardized than my usual procedure. The reflection provided a better base to build an strategic improvement plan upon. The design and development of future plans will benefit from this experience.
My plan is to take those parts of this process that produced results which were unique from the results produced by my usual methods of reflection and evaluation and add them to my current end of year practices. This will produce a hybrid methodology which should give me even more data to use in planning for the next year. Once combined with survey results, research, and reports from data teams the SWOT will provide a great deal of valuable insight which can inform the implementation and the evaluation of our technology-infused strategic plans.
This process of evaluation, reflection and harsh self-critique where warranted resulted in significant changes in budgeting and planning for the following year at McConnell Middle School. For example, due to processes related to the completion of this SWOT, two software pilots were cut, due to poor ROI, and thirty five additional Chromebooks were ordered with the money saved. Of equal importance was the way in which I learned to use the SWOT process to reshape the general budget debate. In many past years competing groups have lobbied me for their pet projects right up until the moment I walked into my principal’s office to sit down and make my final recommendations often with little real evidence to back up my plans. This year was the first time I felt I had solid, objective evidence behind my recommendations. In the future, I plan to train the entire school improvement team in SWOT which should bring a higher quality of analysis to the evaluation of programs and plans.
I also changed the focus of my department’s input within our LSIC (Local School Improvement Committee) to include specific professional development proposals to address items uncovered in the SWOT. Staff members and I also had several very positive discussions during the SWOT process about ways to not only address identified weaknesses and threats but also ways to enhance and build on our strengths and opportunities. Many of these discussions have led to ideas that have since become bullet point on our school improvement plans. This means that our local school improvement plans were seriously impacted by this project. The inclusion in both the school technology plan as well as the school improvement plan will lead to even more rigorous assessment as we look at student achievement, class observation data, and survey results. We will further evaluate this process by looking at student and staff surveys this year and determining how these changes are being perceived by staff and students.
This was an enjoyable project as it forced me to take a hard look at a specific element of my job with new eyes while following a detailed model in a disciplined way. Some of the findings were not surprising. However, some findings were unanticipated and, as the process was far more formal and standardized than my usual procedure. The reflection provided a better base to build an strategic improvement plan upon. The design and development of future plans will benefit from this experience.
My plan is to take those parts of this process that produced results which were unique from the results produced by my usual methods of reflection and evaluation and add them to my current end of year practices. This will produce a hybrid methodology which should give me even more data to use in planning for the next year. Once combined with survey results, research, and reports from data teams the SWOT will provide a great deal of valuable insight which can inform the implementation and the evaluation of our technology-infused strategic plans.
This process of evaluation, reflection and harsh self-critique where warranted resulted in significant changes in budgeting and planning for the following year at McConnell Middle School. For example, due to processes related to the completion of this SWOT, two software pilots were cut, due to poor ROI, and thirty five additional Chromebooks were ordered with the money saved. Of equal importance was the way in which I learned to use the SWOT process to reshape the general budget debate. In many past years competing groups have lobbied me for their pet projects right up until the moment I walked into my principal’s office to sit down and make my final recommendations often with little real evidence to back up my plans. This year was the first time I felt I had solid, objective evidence behind my recommendations. In the future, I plan to train the entire school improvement team in SWOT which should bring a higher quality of analysis to the evaluation of programs and plans.
I also changed the focus of my department’s input within our LSIC (Local School Improvement Committee) to include specific professional development proposals to address items uncovered in the SWOT. Staff members and I also had several very positive discussions during the SWOT process about ways to not only address identified weaknesses and threats but also ways to enhance and build on our strengths and opportunities. Many of these discussions have led to ideas that have since become bullet point on our school improvement plans. This means that our local school improvement plans were seriously impacted by this project. The inclusion in both the school technology plan as well as the school improvement plan will lead to even more rigorous assessment as we look at student achievement, class observation data, and survey results. We will further evaluate this process by looking at student and staff surveys this year and determining how these changes are being perceived by staff and students.