Technology Needs Assessment

Nickey Grandea

MEDT 8462

June 24, 2018

Introduction

My name is Nickey Grandea, and I have been an educator since 1997.

I began teaching at Whitewater Middle School in 2011 as a special education

teacher, and I transitioned to a general education science teacher in 2013. I

currently teach sixth grade science. Whitewater Middle School has

approximately 930 students, 75 faculty members, along with one principal,

two assistant principals, and two full time counselors.

The Needs Assessment Process

Completing a needs assessment is a complex process. It begins with

the creation of a survey to determine the stakeholder’s perceptions of the

current technology, including their comfort level with the use of existing

technology, desired professional development related to existing technology,

and hardware and software needed to fully implement curricula and support

students in the classroom. Additionally, an interview was developed to

further probe specific stakeholders regarding technology needs and

preferred methods of delivering professional development. In order to

distribute the survey to stakeholders, it was created in Google Forms and

sent via e-mail. Twenty-two responses were collected over 5 days (June 11-
14) from teachers in all academic areas, including connections, as well as

from paraprofessionals who work directly with students. Interviews were

conducted on June 13 and 14, 2018; the media specialist and an assistant

principal were interviewed.

Once the data was collected from surveys and interviews, the process

of analyzing the data began. Google Forms creates charts and graphs from

the survey data collected automatically. These graphs made it easy to look

at the data quickly to see areas of greatest need. The interviews were a bit

more challenging to analyze; however, there were noticeable similarities

between needs identified in the surveys and the interviews. In order to

meet the deadline for submitting the needs assessment, all of the analysis

took place during a one week time span, from June 17-23, 2018.

After the data was analyzed, a chart was created to identify the needs,

causes, consequences, and difficulty to correct. Based on this chart, the

highest priority needs were selected. Research was conducted to determine

the best solutions for each need. Solutions were then created to correct the

need. Some solutions do not require additional funding or require only

minimal funding that can be accomplished through the school. Others

require significant funding that will go beyond the school budget. Finally, a

report was created to detail this process, identify the needs specifically, and

explain the solutions for each need.

 Currently Available Technology

Whitewater Middle School made several technological advances during

the 2017-2018 school year. All classrooms were equipped with an

interactive Promethean Panel display during the school year. Each

Promethean Panel came with a teacher laptop and docking station, a

document camera, and specific software applications to allow for effective

instruction using the panel. Additionally, each student in the school was

assigned a Chromebook with a protective case/bag to be utilized at school

and at home. Each classroom had an existing set of ten Chromebooks that

have remained in the classrooms even after student Chromebooks were

issued. Classrooms also have two touchscreen student desktop computers.

All of the academic halls (6th, 7th, and 8th) and the media center have

computer labs equipped with approximately thirty desktop computers. The

school is equipped with technology to live stream from the media center to

the Promethean Panels in the classrooms. The wireless network in place is

sufficient to allow an entire grade level to participate in online Milestones

testing simultaneously while other grade levels were also able to use the

network for instructional purposes.

Each content area on each grade level adopted textbooks that provide

content to teachers and students electronically. These resources include

electronic textbooks, workbooks, testing resources, enrichment and

remediation resources, and virtual reality programs. The school system also
provides access to several online academic programs including Google Suite,

Nearpod, Dreambox, MobyMax, and ThinkCERCA. Students access many

district resources using a Google sign on. Some may be downloaded for use

without internet access.

Additionally, Fayette County provides Blackboard as they county-wide

Learning Management System as well as Infinite Campus to manage grades.

The two systems interface to transfer information between them. Both

programs provide access to parents and students regarding student grades,

assignments, and overall student progress. Teachers and parents may

communicate through either application.

Description of Stakeholders

Stakeholders involved in the survey and interview process for this

needs assessment include teachers, paraprofessionals (who work directly

with students in the classroom), media specialist, and administrators. The

survey participants include twenty-two teachers and paraprofessionals. The

survey was sent to all members of the faculty and staff and was open for

responses from June 11-14, 2018. Approximately 85% of the respondents

have been teaching for more than ten years. The distribution of content

areas taught by the respondents was fairly equal, with math making up the

highest percentage (28.6%) and English/Language Arts being the smallest

(9.5%). Just over 90% of teachers report that they are comfortable or
extremely comfortable using technology in the classroom. Input of teachers

is extremely valuable as they are the individuals responsible for

implementing the instructional technology in the classroom and determining

the success of tool or application in that setting.

In addition to surveys, interviews were conducted with the school

media specialist and the assistant principal responsible for curriculum and

instruction. Dr. Becky Warren has been the media specialist at Whitewater

Middle School for six years and was previously a media specialist in an

elementary school in Fayette County. She, in conjunction with the

technology specialist, is responsible for conducting professional development

at the school level regarding several new instructional technology initiatives.

She is knowledgeable in the ways technology is used within the school and

often assists teachers in the implementation of new technology tools and

applications. The assistant principal interviewed, Mr. Jason Barnes, has

been at Whitewater Middle School for approximately a year and a half. He is

a former middle school teacher and coach. He is also responsible for

conducting and evaluating professional development at the school level. Mr.

Barnes encourages teachers to implement lesson plans that incorporate

technology and to utilize the instructional resources already in place.

 Major Outcomes

Analysis of the data collected revealed several needs that require

attention. The need for professional development was identified in several

areas. First, 63.7% of teachers expressed that they would like additional

professional development regarding the learning management system,

Blackboard. Some just need new ideas to improve their utilization of

Blackboard, and others need more in-depth assistance. Mr. Barnes supports

this need by stating that “Blackboard is an excellent resource in a variety of

arenas, and most teachers do not use it to their fullest capabilities or

completely overuse it” (2018). Another need identified for professional

development is in the area of screen recording/video recording. 72.7% of

teachers expressed a need for help in this area, with 50% wanting to use

this technology but needing help and 22.7% who have no knowledge of this

technology but want to know more. Blogging is another area that teachers

are interested learning more about, with 59% expressing an interest in more

professional development. And, 45.5% of teachers would like to know more

about using social media in the classroom.

Through the interview and survey processes, virtual reality goggles

were mentioned several times as a need. According to Dr. Warren, virtual

reality goggles increase student engagement in lessons and should be

utilized to increase retention of important information (2018). This piece of

hardware was the only one mentioned by any staff members. Kuta software
and virtual dissection modules were software applications that teachers

mentioned as a technology need in their classrooms.

Priority Needs

The following table details the data used to prioritize the needs

identified in the previous section. The evaluation criteria include the impact

of the need on teaching and learning in the classroom and the impact on

student engagement in the classroom.

DIFFICULTY
NEED CAUSES CONSEQUENCES TO CORRECT
(LOW, MEDIUM,
HIGH)
Blackboard  Previous professional  Blackboard will not be High
Professional development was utilized to its full
Development introductory potential
 Staff have mastered  Teachers will continue
previous learning and to overuse Blackboard
need new ways to  New teachers will not
utilize the LMS be able to use the LMS
 Teachers need
strategies to
incorporate Blackboard
along with other
research based teaching
practices so that
Blackboard is not
overused.
 New teachers require
PD
to get started
Screen  Teachers have not been  Teachers must spend Medium
recording/Video exposed to this valuable planning time
recording technology. exploring programs on
Professional  Both teachers and their own and
Development students could use this potentially never fully
tool in class, for utilize the resource due
projects, for blended to lack of training.
learning.  Communication of ideas
will be limited without
this tool.
Blogging  Many teachers have  Students will not have Medium
Professional limited knowledge of the opportunity to
Development what blogging is and express themselves
how it can be useful in though this type of
education. online journaling.

Social Media  Social media use has  Without PD, social Medium
Professional been restricted in media will continue to
Development schools due to ethical be used infrequently due
concerns. to the causes explained
 Teachers would like to to the left.
provide opportunities  Student engagement
for engagement and will suffer due to the
collaboration, but they lack of integration.
are unsure of how to
use social media
appropriately.
Virtual Reality  This technology is  Student engagement High
Goggles relatively new. will suffer due to lack of
 It is costly to purchase. integration.
 Must have software  Students will be less
programs to utilize the familiar with the
hardware. technology.
 The software programs
that accompany
textbooks cannot be
utilized without the
hardware.

The highest priority needs are Blackboard professional development

and virtual reality goggles. Teachers must utilize Blackboard effectively to

facilitate student learning. When Blackboard is under-utilized, the

capabilities to assist student learning, especially in the areas of engagement

and differentiation, are not realized. If teachers over-utilize Blackboard,

students may not benefit from the richness of interacting with others in the

learning environment. Professional development will help the faculty find a

balance. Virtual reality goggles are hardware that is required to utilize

virtual reality software. This software allows students to “visit” locations and

situations that are not otherwise possible in the classroom setting. Students

are actively engaged in this experience as they explore their virtual worlds.

Action Plan

In order to meet the needs identified above, the following actions must

be taken. First, in regard to Blackboard professional development, this

action will be taken at the school level. Our school and county based

technology specialists can provide professional development opportunities in

small group settings. Qualified teachers could also provide support to other

teachers as needed. The faculty and staff verified in their survey results

that they prefer professional development to be delivered in this way. It is

recommended that the sessions be differentiated by skill level and interest to

provide the maximum benefit. Surveys would be a great way to determine

the needed topics for training by each teacher so that groups could be

created prior to the professional development being delivered.

In regards to the need for virtual reality goggles, this need will require

support beyond the building level. In order to provide consistent access to

virtual reality experiences that will benefit students academically and

increase engagement, a kit of thirty devices per grade level is necessary. If

each grade level has a kit to utilize, students could participate in lessons

approximately once per week. Because the lessons are typically

approximately twenty minutes in duration, only one teacher could utilize

each kit per day. According to Aquilaeducation.com and BestBuy.com, each

VR kit of thirty devices has a cost of $7,850-$8,160. To purchase kits that

are also augmented reality (AR) capable, the cost increases to approximately

$9,500 per kit of fifteen devices on both websites. Because professional

development will be needed to properly implement virtual environments in

the classroom, a free online course may be completed prior to teacher use of

the equipment.

Appendix

Survey Data:
 Interview of Jason Barnes

(Whitewater Middle School Administrator)

Interviewer What is your name and current job title?

Administrator Jason Barnes, Assistant Principal/ ILT – Whitewater Middle

Interviewer How long have you worked in this position?

Administrator 1.5 years

Based on your observations and experiences, how comfortable
Interviewer are teachers in this school with integrating technology into
instruction?
We have varying degrees of comfortability using technology
for instruction. Some teachers are still apprehensive about
using technology and prefer using other teaching strategies
that might be less effective. Other teachers completely
Administrator overuse technology and use it as the only source of
instruction. The challenge in the school is to equip our
teachers with the right mix of teaching strategies including
integrating technology as a resource to compliment other
strategies.
Which instructional technology applications are being utilized
Interviewer
effectively at WMS?
In February, we introduced 1:1 Chromebooks for every
student. This has enabled our school to use technology in
ways were not able to before. Blackboard is used the most.
Blackboard is a valuable resource for teachers, parents, and
stakeholders when used appropriately. We also introduced our
teachers to Near Pod which provides interactive student
Administrator
resources on a variety of subjects. Infinite Campus is our main
student information resource. For our Response to
Intervention students, we use Star Math and Scholastic
Inventory as universal screeners to obtain student data. We
also provide resources such as MobyMax, Reading Plus, and
Dreambox for our students.
Which instructional technology applications could be better
Interviewer
utilized?
We could do a better job implementing Blackboard universally
throughout the school. Blackboard is an excellent resource in
Administrator
a variety of arenas and most teachers do not use it to their
fullest capabilities or completely overuse it.
Is there a plan for technology related staff development next
Interviewer
year?
Yes, using technology as a tool to improve student
Administrator
engagement is always a priority. The most effective way to
 determine what technology is most effective is to have
teachers deliver this professional development based on what
works for them. Teachers are usually more receptive of
Professional Learning that has a practical use for colleagues in
the building.
Describe one example of a lesson with excellent technology
Interviewer
integration.
We used the Nearpod Digital Medial lessons and resources
multiple times this year as a school-wide initiative. The
Administrator
lessons were instrumental in the Digital Media Certification
were able to obtain from Common Sense Media.
Describe one example of a lesson where technology
Interviewer
integration could have improved the lesson.
“Cookie-cutter” Blackboard lessons sometimes do not offer the
Administrator
differentiation in learning that is effective for all learners.
What hardware do teachers at WMS need to be able to fully
Interviewer
implement their curricula?
Our teachers have a variety of Hardware resources. Each
room is equipped with an interactive Promethean board and
Administrator personal laptop. Each teacher also a desktop computer. All of
our students are issued a Chromebook and each classroom
has an additional set of Chromebooks for student use.
What software do teachers at WMS need to be able to fully
Interviewer
implement their curricula?
That depends on the subject area being taught. Different
subjects need different software. Our district coordinators do a
Administrator
great job of providing different software resources for the
different subjects in the school.
Interviewer Is Blackboard being implemented consistently at WMS?
Most people are using it in some variety. Some are not using
it to the fullest capabilities and some are over using it and
Administrator providing no other means of instructional strategies. Finding
the right balance is something we will need to do. Professional
learning will help.
Interviewer Is further staff development for Blackboard planned?

Administrator Yes
How do you prefer to deliver staff development for technology
Interviewer
initiatives?
The best practice for delivering professional learning is to have
Administrator
teacher redeliver what works for them. This gives the
 technology instant credibility and also helps cultivate
leadership amongst teachers in the school.

Interview of Becky Warren

(Whitewater Middle School Media Specialist)

Interviewer What is your name and current job title?

Media
Rebecca W. Warren, Middle School Media Specialist
Specialist
Interviewer How long have you worked in this position?
Media
16 years in media; 9 years in the classroom
Specialist
Based on your observations and experiences, how comfortable
Interviewer are teachers in this school with integrating technology into
instruction?
This past year, 2017-2018, has been a year packed with new
Media technology and programs. I find that teachers are willing to try
Specialist and integrate technology, but not at the frenetic pace asked of
us this previous school year.
Which instructional technology applications are being utilized
Interviewer
effectively at WMS?
The most recently and effectively used applications at our
Media school are Blackboard, NearPod, the Google Education
Specialist Platform/Apps, BrainPOP, Discovery Education, Safari
Montage, Scholastic Star Math and Reading Counts.
Which instructional technology applications could be better
Interviewer
utilized?
From my media perspective, I would like to see (and I could
Media
do a better job of teaching) more usage of Galileo and GaleNet
Specialist
databases.
Is there a plan for technology related staff development next
Interviewer
year?
Because our county has purchased so many new technology
related pieces of equipment and applications, there are plans
for related staff development. The issues often associated with
Media training are: not enough time spent on new equipment and/or
Specialist programs for users to know what questions to ask prior to
training; the over-abundance of equipment/programs and not
being able to associate portions of training with the correct
platform; the overwhelming feeling of knowing the time spent
 in training could be better utilized on direct instruction with
students; and, forgetting techniques learned in training
sessions before having a chance to apply them.
Describe one example of a lesson with excellent technology
Interviewer
integration.
During the months of January and February 2018, our school
Media participated in a series of teaching Digital Citizenship lessons
Specialist using NearPod. The lessons were well organized, the content
was relevant, and students were actively engaged.
Describe one example of a lesson where technology
Interviewer
integration could have improved the lesson.
In my experience, students are more attentive when a
different piece of technology is introduced as part of a lesson.
I have used Virtual Reality goggles in several sessions and the
Media interest level has risen significantly. Perhaps if some type of
Specialist interactive technology such as this was included when
discussing the beginning of-the-year, required student
behavior policies and procedures, students would be more apt
to remember the specifics before making a bad decision.
What hardware do teachers at WMS need to be able to fully
Interviewer
implement their curricula?
Teachers need more practice with using the Dell teacher
Media
computer and active pen in conjunction with our new
Specialist
Connected Classroom Active Panels.
What software do teachers at WMS need to be able to fully
Interviewer
implement their curricula?
Both Safari Montage and Discovery Education have such a vast
Media
wealth of information, activities, and complete lesson plans for
Specialist
which we haven’t even scratched the surface.
Interviewer Is Blackboard being implemented consistently at WMS?
Not all teachers at WMS have fully embraced Blackboard as of
Media the end of school year 2017 - 2018. The comment I most
Specialist often hear is, “Why can’t we just keep using Google
Classroom? I like it much better!”
Interviewer Is further staff development for Blackboard planned?
Media
Yes, ongoing staff development is planned for Blackboard.
Specialist
How do you prefer to deliver staff development for technology
Interviewer
initiatives?
Teachers are SO overwhelmed with parent conferences,
Media
required school and team meetings, etc. during their planning
Specialist
times that the staff development trainings can only be
effective if they are conducted during VERY short periods of
time during planning--nothing after school.