CFISD Kristina Coen

 
1. Describe the purposes for and various stages of formative evaluation of technology plan.

A formative evaluation is critical in order to test various aspects of instructional material in order to verify that the set goals are being meet. Therefore, improvements can be made changes and adjustments are still possible based upon the information gathered during the formative evaluation. Consider that your plan is still “forming” thus, having fresh set of eyes give input of the material will help polish and finalize your plan.

Dick and Carey have established four stages of the formative evaluation:

1.     Expert Review: Experts review a draft version of your material

2.     One to One: One learner at a time reviews the material with the evaluator. The evaluator makes notes as an observer.  

3.     Small Group: Similar to the One to One step except now the process is done within a controlled group setting.

4.     Field Test: The evaluator observes the instructional material in a realistic environment with learners.

At each stage expect changes to be made in order to ensure that the goals are reached. Whether if a technology plan is a created for a campus or an entire district it will involve a great deal of change for all of those it will encompass. Creating checkpoints in the form of formative evaluations prior to the final roll of the technology is essential for a smooth implementation of the new plan. A technology plan is your road map toward the 21^st century skill sets that we aim for yet if the directions we receive from our road map are unclear our distance will be a bumpy one.

2. Describe your instruments used in a formative evaluation.

Currently the only tool that is used regularly and district wide is the STaR Chart. Yet, I can truly believe that many teachers do not understand the weight that the data this survey collects can carry. I can say this with confidence because I distinctly remember my first year of teaching and just clicking randomly at the survey. No one told why I had to take it or what the information was for. It was just drilled repeatedly to take it or else.

There are several different types of instruments that will be used from example; I have listed classroom observations as part of the formative evaluation process. I believe for the data to be collected to be valid and useful a uniform rubric should be used. With a clearly written rubric both teachers and observers will share a common understanding of both goals and expectations. This is a sample rubric that will be used:

I also plan on using surveys periodically in order to create a baseline of data to compare progress or areas of weakness. Since the surveys will be tons more often they will not need to be as long as the STaR chart and will be customized to fit the exact goals of the district’s technology plan. I plan on using Google Docs to create and review data from these surveys. I know that other services exist but I am a great deal of positive experience using Google Docs and offers a great deal of flexibility for free I believe this is the ideal program to use. Sample of data collected using Google Docs (Forms). 

In addition interview will be conducted in order to expand on information gathered from the surveys and classroom observations. I believe that interviews should maintain a level of confidentiality in order to be able to gain the trust of those being interviewed. If the person being interview is fearful that anything negative or critical they may say during the interview will affect them during the summative evaluation many individuals will not speak freely. And the information gathered therefore will be tainted and useless.  

3. Collect data according to a formative evaluation plan for a given set of technology plan or instructor presentation.

I was able to conduct a survey on a small group of administrators. Not all administrators had completed the survey at the time of this post therefore I will report on the information I have at hand.

• Eighty percent of those that survey reported that they agreed teachers needed more training and year round support in technology integration. 
• Yet only twenty-five percent of them felt that current technology was meeting the changing needs of the district. 
• All of those surveyed reported that they worried about the status of the budget over the next few years and the lasting effects it will have in the classroom.   

(Survey: Changes to Our Current Technology Plan, April 4, 2012)

References:

Dick, W., Carey, L., & Carey, J. O. (2001). The systematic design of instruction (5th ed.). New York: Longman.

Garrison, C., & Ehringhaus, M. (n.d.). Formative and Summative Assessment in the Classroom. Association for Middle Level Education - AMLE. Retrieved October 11, 2011, from http://www.amle.org/Publications/WebExclusive/Assessment/tabid/1120/Default.aspx 
Interviews are not supported in bibliographies by APA. Please cite it as an in-text citation.