Needs+Analysis+02Heuer

Mary Heuer

**Needs Analysis Report** Mary Heuer Alloway Creek  Intermediate  School is one of four schools in the Littlestown  Area  School District. It serves approximately 340 students in grades four and five. The vision statement of Alloway Creek  Intermediate  School states in part that, “Through the use of a challenging curricular program that implements diverse instructional practices, the educational community of Alloway  Creek  Intermediate  School is committed to the total education of each student. Various, ongoing assessments will be implemented to evaluate student achievement. Research-based interventions, including remediation, differentiated instruction, and enrichment, will be utilized to ensure optimal success.” There are no set requirements for teachers to incorporate technology in instruction or to instruct their students in using word processing programs or computer applications. Due to concern with meeting the rigorous requirements of PSSA, technology has been used mostly to track performance data which is analyzed to determine areas of needs in reading, writing, and math. Teachers have received training in using Performance Tracker for this purpose. Teachers who do not have the skills necessary to incorporate technology in their instruction or to instruct students in using word processing programs should receive training. Currently the ability and willingness of teachers to incorporate technology in delivery of instruction and provide instruction in word processing at Alloway Creek varies greatly. ** Learning **** Opportunity **** : ** Training solutions could include a variety of delivery methods including an overview of technology resources at a faculty meeting during the regular workday, peer coaching during team time, instruction in the computer lab during team time provided by a team member comfortable with the program, teachers made aware by email of the technology notebook available on the district web site, and instructional videos. I propose that training begin in as simple and least time consuming method as possible. I feel that would be instruction in the computer lab during team time provided by a skilled team member. Dr. Mitzel, building principal, expects that teachers have weekly team meetings that address specific issues and the training as purposed here would meet his requirements. There is a school wide planning/meeting time from 8:00-8:45 daily and common team meeting/planning times every afternoon. All students will be able to create word documents in an efficient manner. All teachers will feel comfortable in teaching word processing in a lab setting. Students will begin sixth grade with basic word processing skills. Students who experience a great deal of difficulty with handwriting will have a tool to aid them in producing written assignments. 1.The school district will get a greater return on investment of technology dollars. 2. The district will have a training model that if successful can be used in introducing new technologies as they are made available. Teachers are being given scanners and ceiling mounted projectors for their classrooms in the near future. A survey was completed by seventeen out of twenty teachers (fourth, fifth, reading, and learning support) at Alloway Creek. Teachers rated questions from one to four to indicate their strong agreement, agreement, disagreement, and strong disagreement concerning their comfort levels and use of available technologies. For each teacher, the lowest total possible was a six, indicating strong agreement with all statements. The highest total possible score was a 36 indicating strong disagreement. Scores ranged from a total of six to sixteen. Although the survey was anonymous, the faculty is small at Alloway Creek and I have a good idea of which teachers are at the high and low ends. For each question on the survey, a range of seventeen to 68 points was possible. Teachers were most comfortable with using Compass Learning and Performance Tracker. Teachers were least comfortable with using Moodle, PVAAS, and teaching word processing skills to their students. I am proposing that during grade level team meetings, a subject matter expert demonstrate/model for team members the steps to use in taking students to the computer lab to use a word processing program to complete, save, and print a document. The instructor will use the projector to show each step involved. The use of the projector by the instructor will model for the teachers how they can use this tool in instructing their students. Instructor’s observations and questioning will give an overall idea of the understanding of the trainees. At the end of the training sessions, teachers will complete a brief mock assignment and a brief evaluation of the training. Computer lab sign out sheets will indicate if lab use has increased and by which teachers. Students documents saved on the shared drive can be viewed by teacher trainer. Students selected randomly by the teacher trainer can be interviewed and asked to demonstrate how they use a word processing program. If this team approach is successful the model can be used for additional training. Specific behavior management concerns although suggestions for getting students started and keeping students on task will be given. Curriculum standards other than a reminder that all instruction must be directly related to the curriculum standards. For example, fifth grade social studies students should not be completing a report on a foreign country as that is not part of the fifth grade curriculum. Training would be done in-house during the regular contracted teaching day incurring no monetary cost to the school district. Conducting the training during team meeting times would not require the expense of hiring substitute teachers.
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draft 1. The task not being performed to standard: Computer labs are not being used for the majority of the school day. This is evident because computer labs are signed out online. The electronic sign out forms have few entries. Our building's focus is intensely focused on meeting AYP in reading and math on the 2010 PSSA. Training and inservicing teachers to instruct students in acquiring skills needed use basic technology is not occurring. 2. The required performances: All teachers should have the skills and comfort level to instruct students in the computer labs. Skills include using word processing programs, basic commands such as copy and paste, spell checker, and accessing information on the internet. 3. Actual performances: Some of the teachers at AC do not use the computer labs to provide instruction and are not aware of how available technology can be directly related to curriculum. 4. A summary of the causes of the performance deficiency:Both lack of training in using technology in instruction and the rigorous reading and math curriculum leaves very little time for incorporating technology. 5. How the causes were determined: A survey using Google docs was sent to AC teachers. Teachers surveyed included all full time teachers at AC- 7 regular education 4th grade teachers, 8 regular education teachers, 3 learning support teachers, and 2 LIU#12 teachers of students with severe disabilities. The survey shows a variety of skills and comfort levels as of September 13, 2009 with 8 surveys submitted. As of Sept. 18, 2009 seventeen surveys were returned. 6. A detailed cost-benefit analysis use to determine the projected return on investment. Funds may not be necessary to increase usage of the computer labs and available technology.