SWOT Analysis Template for Technology Planning Needs Assessment

What is the current reality in our school?

Name: Carrie Settles

ITEC 7410, Semester: Summer 2015

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
Weaknesses
Opportunities
Threats
Technology use in our school is We are encouraged by the
E-class is a very expensive
Media center has collaborative not tied into instructional
district to use our D2L
program to run for an entire
work space. Space is arranged
theory, rather the primary focus platform, e-class in some
district, it leaves little room for
so students can plug-in and
is on the hardware and software capacity. Therefore there is a
more technology software that
collaborate at the same time.
that has been provided to us (or plethora of training
would also be beneficial.
that we can use for free)
opportunities at the district
All teachers have the following
level and school level to help
Not all community members
software as a part of e-class
Our e-class matrix mentions
teacher become more effective are pleased with GCPS
umbrella: Curriculum &
using GCPS, Quality plus
with using it. The district says technology budget.
Instruction, Professional
teaching standards for digital
the following about e-class:
Development & evaluation
use, but there is not mention of
Difficult to get support for new
tool, portal & collaboration
it in the LSPI or at any
programs teachers want to try,
tool, assessment tool,
stakeholder meetings.
E-class, while primarily a
if they cost money.
gradebook tool, student
communication tool, has places
information system, digital
Teachers are not held
in it (discussion postings, can
Teachers who have too much
content focus groups.
accountable for using
be grouped by levels, resources on their plate dont want to
technology that helps students
can be differentiated) that give learn e-class, and many will
All teachers have access to
learn at high levels nor are
rise to higher order thinking
resist Google for Education and
digital textbooks. All teachers
they being acknowledged for
and places for students to
how they can use the two
have access to course resources when they do!
collaborate and synthesize new together to promote high LOTI
and virtual collaborative
information. This tool is also a levels.

SWOT Analysis Template for Technology Planning Needs Assessment

What is the current reality in our school?
workspaces in the e-class
software programs and access
to a repository of pre-created
content for modules in e-class.
BHS ranks high in the teacher
and student use of e-class.
BHS continuously sends
teachers to technology
conferences and provides
Computer labs are used at 66%
of their capacity.
There are 9 computer labs. All
classrooms have 1 desk top, all
teachers have a laptop, all
classrooms equipped with a
LCD projector.
Many have response systems,
mobi tablets, promethean
boards, document cameras,
and tablets.

Teachers not updating the

calendar folder

way to embed widgets from

outside websites that align with
our content standards.
Principal and tech team just
approved Google for Education
in our school. All students will
have a Gmail for education
account; this allows us to
unleash the potential of Google
Drive for collaboration and best
practice technology use within
each of our content areas.

Test scores are highly

emphasized,
Teachers and administrators are
so busy; adding another
accountability piece to their
observation would possibly get
push-back.
Parents dont have ability to log
into their childs classes to see
the e-class pages; they do have
access to school website, but
not teacher e-class pages.

Our PLCs meet once a week,

this is a great place to
collaborate on incorporating the Teachers still using teachertechnology standards in their
centered lessons with
content area.
technology integration.
Our leadership team is already
observing teachers three times
a semester; it would be easy to
include a technology
component to their observation.
Our teachers are already
documenting 6 hours of
continuous improvement; it
would be easy to add a NETS/
standards component to it.

Summary/Gap Analysis:
There is an abundant amount of technology use in our school. Our teachers are held accountable to make sure there is a bare
minimum on their e-class page, however, they are not held accountable to the technology standards being included at any time in their
lesson planning and that technology is being used for higher level thinking skills such as synthesizing and creating.

SWOT Analysis Template for Technology Planning Needs Assessment

What is the current reality in our school?
Data Sources:e-class matrix, BHS e-class use statistical analysis, BHS technology presentation to the GCPS

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
Weaknesses
Opportunities
Threats
School has set technology goals Stakeholders are asked about
Stakeholders receive a lot of
The district has a very clear
within our LSPI, but not a real
what they would like to see as
surveys so this would likely be
technology Goal aligned to its plan, nor a real vision for
far as their needs with using
one that is ignored unless they
vision, Goal 5: GCPS will
technology.
technology.
see the importance of effective
meet the continuing and
technology integration.
changing demand for essential
The schools technology vision Our school utilizes surveys so
information through
is not well communicated with could easily send one out to
Even though the strategies are
technological systems and
the stakeholders nor is input
faculty to allow them to be a
research-based, they may still
processes that support effective about our vision sought after.
part of the shared vision
not be on board with
performance
process.
implementing a shared vision
and desired results.
Community and parents not a
that is going to use technology
part of the technology vision
The adopted vision could easily to increase student engagement
Gwinnett County recognizes
process (they are a part of the
be shared with the community
and learning.
the Local School Technology
goals process)
on our website, newsletters,

SWOT Analysis Template for Technology Planning Needs Assessment

What is the current reality in our school?
Coordinator (LSTC), Media
Specialist and Technology
Support Technician (TST) as
the foundational members of
the "Tech Team." Together,
they work closely with school
administration to support local
and county initiatives.
Our school goals align directly
with the district goals
Part of the Local School plan of
improvement: Teachers will
utilize technology effectively to
build lessons, increase student
participation during class, and
obtain and analyze student data,
all with the goal of increased
student learning and
achievement. In order to assist
in this objective, all teachers
will complete 6 hours of
continuous improvement
technology activities over the
course of the year. Teachers
may attend local or county staff
development opportunities,
among other routes, in order to
meet this goal.
School-Wide eClass
Integration: All teachers will
utilize eClass as the primary
digital resource for all students
to enhance classroom

twitter, and Facebook accounts.

SWOT Analysis Template for Technology Planning Needs Assessment

What is the current reality in our school?
instruction and student
achievement. Over the course
of the year, differentiated
professional learning sessions
and an eClass focus during
faculty, department, and
instructional team meetings
will allow this resource to be
pervasive across all classrooms.
Data analysis on access in
addition to teacher and student
surveys will be used to assess
usage and the overall
effectiveness of school-wide
eClass integration.
Summary/Gap Analysis:
Our leadership team and technology team do a great job of creating goals as a part of the LSPI, however, they do not have their own
vision for technology. When they do create one, they will need to seek input from the PTA and teachers to receive more buy-in for
their vision. Also, they should present the research on why effective technology use is important for student learning.
Data Sources: Local School plan of improvement (LSPI), Gwinnett County Public Schools 3 year technology plan (2012-2015),
BHS technology report.

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
Weaknesses
Opportunities
Threats

SWOT Analysis Template for Technology Planning Needs Assessment

What is the current reality in our school?
.
Excellent district plan to
integrate technology in our
schools
Our school includes technology
integration in our LSPI as a
part of our implementation
design.
There is also a technology plan
that includes staff
developments that will help
reach some of the goals

The technology plan doesnt

include a shared vision
The technology plan doesnt
include timelines and budget
considerations.
More time is spent with the
technology re-cap from
previous year than concrete
goals for the next year.

School supports the

technology goals with
technology staff developments,
eClass implementation, digital
equipment acquisition and
support, computer lab
scheduling and support, data
reporting and analysis, and
digital communications.

A lot of time is allocated to

eCLASS goals, which is not
always focused on
constructivist learning
strategies. This leaves less
time for other technologies to
fit into the plan.
Plan for technology use may
be seen as a hoop to jump
through and not meaningful to
the teachers if they do not have
a voice in its creation.

Summary/Gap Analysis:
There is a specific district plan in place for technology. Our school doesnt really have a plan in place, the technology team would
bode well to sit down and create the plan instead of just coming up with common goals for the following school year that assist with
the LSPI. A lot of time is spent on re-capping what was done the previous year instead of creating a shared vision and goal setting,
along with strategies to achieve those goals. Everyone is so tied up with the eClass roll-out that the time and energy has mostly gone
into getting teachers prepared to use it with their classes. That is really the plan and that needs to be addressed.
Data Sources: BHS LSPI
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?

SWOT Analysis Template for Technology Planning Needs Assessment

What is the current reality in our school?

What tools are needed and why?

Do students/parents/community need/have beyond school access to support the vision for learning?
Strengths
Weaknesses
Opportunities
Threats
Funding within our school. We
Last year we offered wholeBreakdown and synthesizing
Community support is
are limited to how many
faculty differentiated training
the data to determine the
significant. The Brookwood
teachers we can have and
on how to reach and teach
disparities of males versus
School Foundation provided a
teacher points. Right now our
gifted, SPED, and ESOL
females in sciences and
Grant (to me actually) to take
classes are still stuffed to the
students. Finding data using
technology courses hasnt been my sheltered ESOL
brim. Ideally, we could hire
technology resources allowed
done yet.
environmental science class to
more teachers so that we could
teachers to look up ACCESS
the Gwinnett Environmental & try what the research is saying
scores. The teachers who led
Our Robotics club is primarily Heritage center where students about girls in ESOL classes
this session (I was one of them) male therefore our new robotics used current technologies to
being taught without boys in
also demonstrated how to use
class we are offering for the
monitor stream quality and
the classroom so that they can
digital resources to differentiate first time is also male
hands-on lessons on quadrant
break the social stigmas that
by LEXILE levels. We also
dominated.
sampling & succession. These impede their learning.
offered last year ESOL GACE
students also use the classroom
preparation classes, in addition The Science Olympiad team is set of Nexus 7 tablets in my
If we are not number one on the
to holding a Brookwood TALC broken down into many
classroom (from another grant) CCRPI this year, number two
(Teaching Academic Language subjects and the engineering
still gets some money, then we
and Content) class to teach
related subjects are usually
We could essential write grants will lose some of the
teachers about culturally and
done by males. The females
to the BSF that would give us
established interventions that
linguistically diverse students.
take the life science events,
money to support after school
have been helping our at-risk
From those, we had several
rocks/fossils, etc.
programs that would encourage students be more successful.
science and social studies
female participation in science.
teachers get ESOL certified,
Most of the time when I share a This is a cluster-wide program
Mindset that all students have
which helps better serve our
computer lab with the SPED
and it would be beneficial to
equal opportunity to learn when
students. This collaboration
department, they are using
start in middle school.
they leave our building. Also
occurred in person, but the
USAtestprep.com, which is a
mindset that since some
digital resources were shared
drill and kill tool designed to Meet with a science vertical
students have a smart phone,
on-line.
help them with the state tests.
team, so science and
automatically assuming that
technology collaboration
they must have Internet at
Our special ed department has
begins early, this is a place to
home.
staff development geared
Our economically
begin researching female
toward assistive technology and disadvantaged population has
participation in science and

SWOT Analysis Template for Technology Planning Needs Assessment

What is the current reality in our school?
technology tools that help
improve their instruction. One
example listed in our
technology staff development
log was training on STORI

grown to over 30%.

Low SES families may not
have access to all of the digital
(on-line) resources we have
provided to ALL of our
students.

technology.

Our special ed department has

access to all of the computer
labs the regular ed staff does,
but they also have their very
own, as well.
Our new Robotics class will be
taught by a female instructor.
Our Science Olympiad team is
evenly distributed with males
and females.
Our data team has identified
students as as-risk with low
SES being one of the risk
factors.
Summary/Gap Analysis:
There is not a lot of focus in our schools in the disparity between males and females in the AP computer science course, robotics, and
other engineering courses. Time needs to be set aside to figure out ways to address this. Resources may need to be used to create
avenues for females be drawn back into math and science. Teachers need to be trained in supporting our low SES students more
effectively. The school needs to find ways to offer extra support to our low SES students and their parents.
Data Sources: BHS Staff development report, BHS data profile

ESSENTIAL CONDITION FIVE: Skilled Personnel

ISTE Definition: Educators and support staff skilled in the use of ICT appropriate for their job responsibilities.

SWOT Analysis Template for Technology Planning Needs Assessment

What is the current reality in our school?
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
District level funding
The testing software
All faculty and administration
Many teachers lack confidence opportunities for innovators
continuously changes (we went
has been trained on the use of
to try more engaging
leading staff developments
from Elements, which crashed
eCLASS.
technologies with their
and burned) to schoolnet. This
students.
Funding opportunities are
is very new and teachers are
All faculty can use their course
provided by the district and
not efficient in using schoolnet
resources, Microsoft office, and Most teachers use technology
cluster so that teachers can get
for data acquisition.
lotus notes for e-mail. Most
in the classroom, but lack
outside training.
faculty can use the gradebook
training on technology tools
The same few teachers getting
tool to communicate with
that have real-world
eCLASS training module is on the grant opportunities and are
parents.
applications.
the Brookwood Community,
being sent to the technology
easily accessible by all
conferences.
Most technology is used for
teachers.
class structure and outdated
Teachers are not utilizing
BHS has School innovators
word processing. The outdated Technology innovators are
technology appropriately to
(techsperts, technology
word
processing
tools
doesnt
easily
trained
and
disseminate
increase student engagement.
leaders, etc.) who do a
allow for real-time
information and training to
monthly hands-on
demonstration with their grade collaboration. The presentation their colleagues.
levels/department/course team tools they use are teachercentered.
New teacher mentoring
of a technology resource they
program helps teachers get
have used for an instructional
The eInstruction response
acquainted with available
activity, so they are certainly
systems
and
all
in
learning
are
software.
skilled and helpful to
for assessments, not critical
colleagues.
thinking
20 Continuous improvement

SWOT Analysis Template for Technology Planning Needs Assessment

What is the current reality in our school?
Some teachers can use
schoolnet to acquire data from
district level tests.

hour, 6 in technology, are

already mandated.

Many teachers have written

technology grants.
Many teachers can use the
eInstruction software for CPSs
Many teachers can use All in
Learning scanners
Many teachers can use the
document camera
Many teachers create their own
screencasts to put on their eclass homepages.
Many teachers use class blogs
and wikis
Many teachers
Summary/Gap Analysis:
Most teachers have the basic skills for structuring classroom and communicating with staff and parents. However, the vast majority
lacks the skills necessary to have truly engaged learners, using technology to differentiate instruction; they dont allow students to
create their own learning outcomes. Many teachers only use basic Microsoft word and powerpoint in their day to day instruction, and
the occasional testing software.
Data Sources: BHS data profile

SWOT Analysis Template for Technology Planning Needs Assessment

What is the current reality in our school?
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
Weaknesses
Opportunities
Threats
Teachers only attending the
School innovators offer
Increasing teacher knowledge
The technology sessions were
lunch & learns to document
eCLASS C&I course page
and use of instructional
taught as separate topics, with
their required hours, but not
lunch and learn sessions once
technology is a primary goal at the exception of the ones that
every two weeks, focusing on trying any new standards-based
BHS. We even offered an
aligned with eCLASS.
tech tools in the classroom.
a specific feature or function,
instructional technology PLU
or on questions from the
last year for 10 hours of tech
Follow-up is not a part of the
Teachers too busy to attend
faculty. Can be geared more
professional development.
technology lunch-n-learns, with towards collaboration tools
professional learning
the exception of a few followworkshops during the summer
and
21 separate technology-related ups for eCLASS.
and after school.

staff development opportunities

School innovators share a
were offered last school year,
National standards for
technology tip or lessonmany were ways to incorporate professional learning are not
learned in each faculty
eCLASS into daily instruction, addressed.
newsletter, these could be
geared towards fostering more
AP for staff
critical thinking in our
development/technology sends
schools.
out a survey every year (needs

assessment) to the staff. This is

School innovators starting to
one piece of the puzzle in the
offer quarterly classroom
creation of staff development
observation lessons for peer
opportunists for the following

SWOT Analysis Template for Technology Planning Needs Assessment

What is the current reality in our school?
school year.
Staff development
opportunities are offered during
the school day.

observations.
Documentation of the service
hours already in place allow for
meaningful reflection on the
technology strategy they
implemented.

PLCs can attend the lunch &

learns together offering
another avenue for
collaboration.

District offers a Digital

Learning Conference every
summer. The content is then
placed on eCLASS in its own
community.

Summary/Gap Analysis:
There is already an infrastructure in place for teachers to have staff development incorporated into the school day. Teacher-leaders get
the opportunity to lead these sessions, however more training and purposeful sessions to ensure constructivist learning being
emphasized.
Data Sources: BHS staff development report

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

SWOT Analysis Template for Technology Planning Needs Assessment

What is the current reality in our school?
Very skilled and knowledgeable There is only one Technology
Technology Support
Support Technician for a staff
Technician.
of almost 300.
Online reporting of tech issues,
usually resolved quickly.
LSTC, Media Specialists, and
Lead Innovator teachers can all
provide basic troubleshooting
support.
Lead innovators (teachers) also
help with eCLASS issues and
issues from the program they
taught at lunch-n-learns.

LCD projector aging, they

continue to break leaving
teachers without.
Laptops need a re-imaging,
again. Batteries not keeping
charge.

innovator teachers would be

willing to get trained on some
basic trouble shooting for the
county.
GCPS has a strong relationship
with IBM, they could train
these groups of teachers.
Many trouble-shooting videos
are available on the Internet.

Repairs can be costly, almost

cheaper just to purchase new
equipment.

Teachers are afraid the Internet

wont work seriously impeding
lessons built around technology
use, back-up plans are time
consuming.
Many teachers leave desktop
computers with repair issues
undocumented, so they just stay
broken.
Teachers get frustrated when
they computer labs are
occupied by testing, so stop
trying to schedule them.

Network unreliable, especially

during the China Cyber
Attacks!
Summary/Gap Analysis:
There could be more training for the lead innovators, they usually volunteer to help out because they have prior knowledge from
outside the field, or they are self-taught via Internet. This would help the tech team resolve issues in a more timely manner. The
Internet connectivity was a huge problem this past school year, so this needs to be addressed if we want teachers to plan more webbased activities.
Data Sources:

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)

SWOT Analysis Template for Technology Planning Needs Assessment

What is the current reality in our school?

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
Weaknesses
Opportunities
Threats
Educators, students, and
Media Specialists are already
Not every teacher is willing to
All teachers know the
parents are not well informed
willing to work with classes in take time to schedule time with
technology goals in the LSPI.
about technology standards in
the media center on how to use the media specialists as it is.
my school.
the Internet for research, how
Teachers are encouraged to use
to use easybib.com, prezi, etc.
Teachers are very busy so
the eCLASS in accordance
Student technology literacy is
They would be willing to
technology standards will not
with GCPS Quality plus
not formally assessed.
incorporate an informal survey be addressed.
teaching strategies.
to the 9th graders on their
Teachers have varying
current technology literacy.
Teachers in PLCs may have
All content areas have access to expectations of what students
different opinions on how
repositories of digital resources should be able to do for
PLCs can view the Technology much technology should be in
to support their instruction.
coursework on the computer.
standards and collaborate on
the lessons.
ways they will fit into their
content.
Teachers assume since their 21st
century learners are digital
Vertical team meetings would
natives, they will automatically
be a great place to also
use technology safely.
collaborate on the incorporation
of tech standards into their
curriculum.
Summary/Gap Analysis:
The LSPI contains the goals for the school and while technology integration is a part of this, our stakeholders are not aware of the
NETS standards. Our school would benefit from an informal audit on our current technology philosophy utilizing the essential
conditions rubric. It would also be helpful if with the course information on our on-line repository, they also add content resources that
already have the NETS standards included.
Data Sources: BHS LSPI