| Nine: Assessment & Evaluation
Your technology plan needs to be evaluated on a regular basis.
A routine evaluation process is the best way to fine-tune and
re-focus your technology efforts. You should not wait until
the end of a three-year plan to evaluate its effectiveness.
Monitor the implementation component of your plans and review
the timetable. There are several research methods that you can
use to evaluate the impact your technology plan has had on teaching
and learning in your school. Consider the following questions:
- How are students using technology?
- How much time, or how frequently, do students use technology
in school?
- What curriculum areas are most connected with technology?
What areas of learning are being enhanced by utilizing technology?
- What skills and performance standards are students acquiring
related to the use of technology?
- What areas of staff development are desired?
Strategies for Assessment
Put together a volunteer focus group representing different audience
groups to conduct interviews or surveys.
Recruit help from local universities, corporations, and community
groups who have in-house research departments.
Include a budget for evaluation in funding proposals.
Review teacher portfolios to assess student and teacher progress.
Alice Hom, a MetLife Fellow in the Teachers
Network Policy Institute has done extensive work on this
topic. Her policy paper , The
Power of Teacher Portfolios for Professional Development
identifies the advantages of utilizing portfolios for teacher
professional growth.
Develop a rubric for your goals and objectives. Take a look
at the April '98 issue of The
School Administrator for sample rubrics.
As this workshop comes to a close, I'd like to share a quote
from the late Albert Shanker (former president of the American
Federation of Teachers) "Providing teachers with technology
and the training to use it will not automatically transform
our schools, but it's an important step toward getting us the
productive, world-class education system that we need."
Do share any tips, comments or strategies you have used to
develop your technology plan. We'd love to hear from you. |
