Professional Learning and Program Evaluation
Standard 5: Professional Learning & Program Evaluation
Candidates demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to conduct needs assessments, develop technology-based professional learning programs, and design and implement regular and rigorous program evaluations to assess effectiveness and impact on student learning.
Candidates demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to conduct needs assessments, develop technology-based professional learning programs, and design and implement regular and rigorous program evaluations to assess effectiveness and impact on student learning.
- Element 5.1 Needs Assessment - Candidates conduct needs assessments to determine school-wide, faculty, grade-level, and subject area strengths and weaknesses to inform the content and delivery of technology- based professional learning programs.
- Element 5.2 Professional Learning - Candidates develop and implement technology-based professional learning that aligns to state and national professional learning standards, integrates technology to support face-to- face and online components, models principles of adult learning, and promotes best practices in teaching, learning, and assessment.
- Element 5.3 Program Evaluation - Candidates design and implement program evaluations to determine the overall effectiveness of professional learning on deepening teacher content knowledge, improving teacher pedagogical skills and/or increasing student learning.
FRER 7130: Technology Plan Evaluation and Update
The final project for FRER 7130 demonstrates evaluation and upgrade of a school district technology plan. One of the collaborators on the project was an employee of Harris County Schools, and cited that their facilities, equipment, and plan was very outdated, with no immediate plans for resolution from the district governing body. The group selected her county, due to the dire need for revisions. We felt that selecting a more technologically proficient district would not be less productive and less beneficial. The plan embedded below is a good starting pointing for Harris County Schools to begin to bring themselves into the technological present. The classmate did share our work with the Harris county technology director, but I am unaware of what recommendations were actually implemented.
The implementation of Bring Your Own Technology coincided with the completion of this project. It quickly became clear that the BYOT Policy resented a double edged sword. A positive aspect is that BYOT has somewhat leveled the current equipment upgrade delinquency issues by allowing students to supply their own devices. They are utilizing computers, phones and tablets that are typically two years more current than the school's own supplies. Unfortunately, very few schools are equipped to handle the extreme bandwidth clearance that BYOT needs to function. An average high school student body ranges between 800 and 2400 hundred students. If only 40 percent of them are utilizing the wifi system at once, all users find themselves in a non functioning state.
In my own school, it is often a major challenge just to take attendance over the wifi at certain times, specifically when students are between classes or at lunch.
The implementation of Bring Your Own Technology coincided with the completion of this project. It quickly became clear that the BYOT Policy resented a double edged sword. A positive aspect is that BYOT has somewhat leveled the current equipment upgrade delinquency issues by allowing students to supply their own devices. They are utilizing computers, phones and tablets that are typically two years more current than the school's own supplies. Unfortunately, very few schools are equipped to handle the extreme bandwidth clearance that BYOT needs to function. An average high school student body ranges between 800 and 2400 hundred students. If only 40 percent of them are utilizing the wifi system at once, all users find themselves in a non functioning state.
In my own school, it is often a major challenge just to take attendance over the wifi at certain times, specifically when students are between classes or at lunch.
Standards Achieved
Elements 5.1, 5.3
FRIT 8132: Digital Video for Professional Learning
The final project for FRIT 8132 was to write, direct and develop a professional instructional video on assembly and operation of a technological presentation device. My school had just recently purchased a portable Public Address System. It was apparent upon purchasing the equipment that I was the only individual with the ability to operate and assemble the system. As I could not always attend each function, I possessed a great need to educate teachers and students alike.
Once, again my final product is rich in humor. with high quality production values. The cast includes actors and singers that were part of my non-major dance class, they truly brought the project to life creating an indispensable resource. The video is now part of departmental protocol for students each and every year, creating a virtual army of technologically savvy dance students.
Once, again my final product is rich in humor. with high quality production values. The cast includes actors and singers that were part of my non-major dance class, they truly brought the project to life creating an indispensable resource. The video is now part of departmental protocol for students each and every year, creating a virtual army of technologically savvy dance students.
Digital Story Boards
The story boards embedded below were a preliminary portion of the assignment. In the beginning of the project, the story boarding process was painstaking at best but actually saved me hours and hours when it came to principal photography. The artifact demonstrates the absolute need for planning in any presentation.
Standards Achieved
Element 5.2
FRIT 7090: Doctoral Program Needs Assessment
The final Needs Assessment Assignment included below, completed the NA portion of FRIT 7090. Myself and two classmates were responsible for determining the need for a Doctoral program for Instructional Technology for Georgia Southern University. The thoroughness of needs assessment was a necessity when considering just how many governing bodies control the creation of such a track at the university level. I chose to include the document due to the extremely thorough nature of the report and its document appendix. All of the necessary stipulations and bylaws were gathered from the eight governing bodies. I would consider this artifact to be the most thorough of any that I have completed.
Standards Achieved
Element 5.1
FRIT 7090: TKES Plan Program Evaluation
The final project for the Program Evaluation portion of FRIT 7090 and one of the most daunting assignments of the entire graduate program is included below. Myself and two colleagues completed a Program Evaluation. The subject matter of the task was one of my choosing, The Teacher Keys Effectiveness System. As an educator in Georgia, I have been evaluated by the TKES model over the last three years, maintaining an exemplary record.
While there were some misconceptions as to my justifications to evaluate this system being personal, it is actually the efficiency of the expected amount of evaluations administrators must complete. Currently, the TKES system's requires of administrators to evaluate each teacher a total of six times per year. The true trial seems to be the systems software interface an its instability to not crash mid sentence. I worked with two classmates to create the final evaluation document did reflect the difficulty that administrators faced when evaluating an entire staff. As a teacher, I have found it difficult to navigate the system and to maintain my own evaluations as well as upload documents/certificates to the site. I would hope that as the years progress, that the state of Georgia or at least the TKES staff, would look into streamlining the process for teachers and administrators alike. I have shared this Program Evaluation with my administration. They stated that while helpful, that the implementation of TKES was a state mandate and they would share my findings with the district authorities.
While there were some misconceptions as to my justifications to evaluate this system being personal, it is actually the efficiency of the expected amount of evaluations administrators must complete. Currently, the TKES system's requires of administrators to evaluate each teacher a total of six times per year. The true trial seems to be the systems software interface an its instability to not crash mid sentence. I worked with two classmates to create the final evaluation document did reflect the difficulty that administrators faced when evaluating an entire staff. As a teacher, I have found it difficult to navigate the system and to maintain my own evaluations as well as upload documents/certificates to the site. I would hope that as the years progress, that the state of Georgia or at least the TKES staff, would look into streamlining the process for teachers and administrators alike. I have shared this Program Evaluation with my administration. They stated that while helpful, that the implementation of TKES was a state mandate and they would share my findings with the district authorities.
Standards Achieved
Elements 5.1, 5.3
FRIT 7739: Needs Assessment -Face to Face Staff Development Workshop
The following Needs assessment was included as an assignment from FRIT 7739. It accurately measures the the dynamic of the current secondary arts faculty in the SCCPSS district. The NA was a precursor to the actual workshop and includes several surveys, pre and post data. I found that while most of the faculty was incredibly eager to have students begin work on digital portfolios, there were very hesitant in taking on more responsibility and the majority possessed very little knowledge in web hosting, web site design, or prior experience with any website building applications such Weebly, Wix, or PbWorks. The end result of the Needs Assessment clearly demonstrated a need for teacher education. If the district plans to implement an online module disseminated by teachers and support staff, it is going to take a lot of familiarization with Weebly and some Professional Development sessions actually perusing and using the online module in order for them to look competent.
Standards Achieved
Elements 5.1, 5.3