1. Describe the purposes for and various
stages of formative evaluation of technology plan.
The purpose of a formative evaluation is to
see if the technology plan is effective and efficient. It is also needed to
assess the function and workability of the plan. The plan needs to be connected
to the instructional goals of the district. In addition to the instructional
goals, the plan should address other key issues:
- Flexibility
- Longevity
- Upgradability
- Scalability
When assessing the
technology plan it is important to keep a few questions in mind, such as:
- Who are our internal and external evaluators?
- What assumptions did we have? Do we need to clear any
misunderstood intentions?
- What expectations did we have? Will we meet our
expectations?
- What results have we achieved?
- Do we want to change the project or plan goals?
(Education, n.d.)
2. Describe your instruments used in a formative evaluation.
According to the Dick and Carey model, the
reason for an evaluation is to provide data for revising and improving materials
(Dick and Carey, n.d.). The instruments that can be used in the formative
evaluation are surveys, interviews, STaR chart results, and observations.
Interviews of the district technology department and various teachers and
administrators at the junior high will be conducted to see if they feel the
technology plan is sufficient. Polleverywhere.com allows a user to create open
ended or multiple choice questions for participates to answer using their
cellphones, iPads, or computers. It allows for live responses in presentations,
classrooms, or anywhere and can be used for anything (Poll, 2012). Polleverywhere.com
would be administered to the junior high staff during a meeting so everyone
could see how the campus feels about technology and the technology plan. STaR
chart results can also be analyzed to see if the plan is effective.
Observations throughout the junior high will also be used as part of the
assessment tools.
3. Collect data according to a formative evaluation plan for a given set of technology plan or instructor presentation.
Since the technology plan is created around
the areas of technology, funding, and management, data will be collected in
those areas as well. Each area will be addressed in the various forms using the
various tools of evaluation.
Technology
StaR Chart results, observations, and surveys
will be used to collect data in this area. The district technology director and
I will work together to analyze the STaR chart results and the results of the
surveys.
Funding
With the help of the technology director,
interviews with the district administrators in charge of finances will be
conducted. I will also interview junior high administrators to find out about
campus funding for technology and if the technology plan is effective and
efficient in this area.
Management
Observations, surveys using
polleverywhere.com, and interviews will help determine if the management part
of the technology plan is working. Surveys and interviews will be conducted on
the junior high campus.
References:
Dick and Carey. (n.d.). Retrieved April 8, 2012 from http://www.personal.psu.edu/wxh139/Dick_Carey.htm
Education leadership toolkit. (n.d). Assessing the plan.
Retrieved April 8, 2012 from http://www.nsba.org/sbot/toolkit/atp.html
Poll Everywhere. (2012). Retrieved April 8, 2012 from www.polleverywhere.com
My district also use STaR charts to determine the technology needs but do you feel that really reflect or give a true picture of what is needed? I find that some of our staff do not take the survey ceriously.
ReplyDeleteIn some cases, I think it does truly reflect what is needed, but I agree with you that many teachers do not take it seriously. I know there have been times when I have rushed through it just because I had other things to do. A couple of years ago my school gave away cameras to the teachers that got it completed by a certain date. I think there needs to be a greater emphasis placed on its importance.
ReplyDeleteThe STaR chart is a great evaluation tool to check the progress of teachers, campus, and district evaluation process. However, is the STaR chart a part of your objectives and evaluation process? If so, have you written in the ability to fund the technology plan through additional funding and grants to help supplement funding? “There has been a gap between the potential of technology and its measurable impact on learning. Buying a cart of laptops or wiring a school is no longer the end goal. New federal priorities tell us that the ultimate result must be an increase in student achievement, and if technology can support this result and prove its worth, then technology can be an integral component of a grant application.” (Love, 2011, p. 60)
ReplyDeleteLove, P. (2011). The New Approach to Reeling in Tech Funding. District Administration, 47(3), 60,.
Lindsey,
ReplyDeleteFYI - The STaR Chart is a tool designed for use in technology planning, budgeting for resources, and evaluation of progress in local technology projects. All applications for state funded technology grants require a complete campus or district STaR Chart profile to be filed with the application as an indicator of current status and progress and as a formative and/or summative evaluation tool.
Texas Education Agency. (2006). Texas Campus STaR Chart. Retrieved April 1, 2012, from http://starcharat.epsilen.com/docs/TxCSC.pdf