Narrative of ITC 5550 Final Product

Using Digital Technologies to Facilitate Systemic Improvement

Phase I: Needs Analysis

Identifying the Problem
In order to successfully implement a professional development program that has an
impact on the students in our school, we need to assess the needs of the school first. The North
Carolina Teacher Working Conditions survey was used to determine the needs of Holbrook
Middle School.
The problem with our system today is the lack of a shared vision with a focus to create
and produce 21st century life long learners who will collaborate and participate globally. The
main challenge in creating a shared vision and carrying out the vision is the lack of buy in from
all stakeholders, including parents, teachers, support staff, community members, etc. The buy in
from stakeholders not only includes sharing a vision but providing resources to carry out that
vision. We need to change our culture of education. I am committed to the value or importance
of a shared vision in changing our education culture to create 21st century learners using
technology as a tool.
Education needs to be the priority, the way we will change our students into collaborators
with careers that boost our economy and create a powerful and successful nation. Education is a
privilege, as well as an opportunity for our students to become contributing members of our
world. Policies should reflect and support the importance of every individuals involvement and
participation in learning. So many of the policies that are currently in place to promote a
conducive learning environment are not carried out successfully or given the adequate resources
to ensure success, or they are replaced with other priorities such as meeting other needs of the
student (meals, socialization, transportation). Educators, first and foremost, have to be the ones
to visualize this change, understand the importance of this change, and be willing to carry out the

change. The North Carolina Teaching Working Conditions Survey was used to recognize needs
within our school.

Internal
Strengths
1. County willing to invest in
technology. (2 chromebook carts per
school)
2. All schools are wireless
3. School administration on board
with doing what it takes to increase
technology use. (purchases and
professional development)
4. Tech savvy teachers spread out
evenly within grade levels/subject
areas
5. Structured PLCs in place which
can be a vehicle for change.
6. County employs technology
facilitators to provide PD for
teachers.

Weaknesses
1. Not enough technology available
for the number of students. (780
students, 3 labs, 2 carts)
2. WiFi is present but not
accessible by personal devices (yet).
3. No Title I funding but we were
fewer than 10 free lunch students
away last year.
4. One desktop per room.
5. Limited help from PTO
6. Some veteran staff members
resistant to change.

External
Opportunities
1. Technology mini grants
available yearly.
2. Board/County looking to add
more schools to a BYOD policy
already in place in a few schools.
3. Possibly qualifying for Title I
funding this year.

Threats
1. Lack of funding
2. Current assessments may not
reflect the actual student learning
impact of new pedagogy.

Goals
1. To create a technology usage plan that supports a culture of deep learning in our
school.
2. To provide a professional development plan to aid teachers in becoming a
willing, effective part of our technology plan.
3. To ensure that evaluation measures are in place with and end goal of continuous
improvement.

Redefining the Problem

One of the largest obstacles we face at Holbrook are the conditions that our teachers and
students is the issue of technology. The 2013-2014 Working Conditions Survey addressed
concerns that teachers have at Holbrook Middle School. When reviewing the data, the Holbrook
staff does not feel it has sufficient access to appropriate instructional materials, and only a little
over half of the staff feels there is sufficient access to instructional technology including
computers, printers, software, and internet access. After the adoption of Common Core
Curriculum Essential Standards, resources were not readily available for teachers in order to
support the curriculum. There is a lack of textbooks and supplemental materials for teachers to
use to implement the curriculum. With technology, there are only three computer labs for three
grade levels and over 750 students to utilize, two of which are updated and are able to support a
class of 32 students. Some classrooms have desktops, but the computers are ones that have been
surplused and are unable to support many of the software programs needed to utilize Common
Core Curriculum Essential Standards resources. Reliability and speed of the wireless internet
connectivity is a concern as well.
Holbrook Middle School does have support from the district with Curriculum
Instructional Specialist who assist teachers in providing resources or strategies to implement with
the new curriculum. Professional development is offered to educators in technology and in
content areas throughout the year and with a district wide Teaching and Learning Conference
once a year. Content and grade level teachers are provided time for Professional Learning
Communities to collaborate and plan for the curriculum. For technology, the school is able to
support the curriculum somewhat. However, on a positive note, the school did receive two
chromebook carts this year, with 30 chromebooks each, which is a step in the right direction.
If Holbrook Middle School is to address the needs of a shared vision and using
technology to reach goals towards the vision, all members of our staff would share a vision of

education being a priority, a change in culture and would implement the tools needed to grow
our students into 21st century learners who collaborate and experience deep learning. Our
school would be one where we all create the environment needed to have successful students,
and students would have the tools they need to be successful.
The following are ways we can address and work towards improving our understanding
of the problem. Obvious is that professional development should be differentiated for teachers
and should have sufficient follow up to ensure appropriate use in the classroom. Technology
needs be a focus of the training and needs to be readily available for implementation of the
professional development strategies. Data needs to collected and analyzed to communicate
results on productivity of the professional development.
My personal role will be to promote the need for change and in creating a shared vision
for deep learning. I will need to use my experience in this program and the tools that I find to be
successful to work towards the vision. My participation in collaborative groups and continuing
with professional development as well as leading these groups and training will be a part that I
can play as a teacher to successfully implement our vision.

Phase II: Strategies

The next phase of the product included determining professional development models
that could be used to best meet the needs identified in phase one. Several professional
development models would work well in implementing strategies, however, the procedures, staff
makeup, etc. were considered when choosing the best models for Holbrook Middle School to
utilize.

Cohort/Cadre
The cohort/cadre professional development model involves a group of people who begin
a professional development program at the same time and who support/mentor each other as they
work toward the completion of the program. The idea would be a group that chooses a focus or
shared vision to work towards, and with day to day involvement/participation become more
comfortable with the use of technology to reach that goal or vision while creating a meaningful,
deep learning experience.
Based on the needs analysis, Holbrook Middle School has a lack of shared vision and use
of technology in reaching a vision. The school provides a planning time for grade level content
areas to meet and plan, grade levels participate in PLCs (professional learning communities).
This is an excellent opportunity to use the professional development model of the cohort or
dacre. The model can be utilized and aligned within the PLC, grade level content area. Teachers
can work together to determine a topic that will use technology as a tool to master that concept
as well as involving both themselves and the students in a hands on learning environment. Much
like Project Based Learning (PBL), the cohort can collaborate with other specialists in the
community to use tools to build the content. The daily use of technology and resources
(specialists, data, tools) will develop teachers knowledge and confidence in the use of
technology, working within their PLCs will produce a more relevant learning environment and
dialogue in which teachers are more likely to carry out the vision. Data is already an important
component in the PLC process and administration is actively involved. Gaston County Schools
promotes vertical alignment planning, so PLCs can share between grade levels on the content
cohort or cadre.
Reflective Discussion/ Planning Model
A professional development model where professionals learn how to function as
reflective practitioners and making sense of their work in ways that are productive both for them

and the individuals. PLC members will meet weekly to discuss effectiveness/ productivity of the
lessons/strategy implementations. Teachers will discuss student engagement, participation, and
assessments. Changes will be made to lessons that will more effective if implemented
differently.
Professional Growth Processes Model
A professional development model where various assessment practices are used by
supervisors, peers, or self to improve and/or judge the quality of performance. PLC will include
vertical alignment teachers (between grade levels) and administration to assess classroom grades,
Common Formative Assessments (CFAs), benchmarks, and EOG test scores to determine if
lesson/teaching strategies are productive and make a pronounced impact on student learning.
Using the combination of cohort/cadre, reflective discussion and planning, to the
professional growth processes model allows small steps and advances in creating a truly
meaningful implementation of the shared vision.

Phase III: Evaluation Plan

The third phase of the product determines if the strategies used were effective in
teaching/ facilitating learning among educators to meet the needs of the school. In order to
properly evaluate the program, forms were created for all involved: students, community
partners, and teachers. Along with the data from the forms, other evidences of learning will be
used such as participation, engagement, attitudes, achievement, etc.
Three summative evaluation forms have been created as google forms to collect data.
The data collected, throughout the implementation of the project as well as the end, will
determine if the technology vision is being met, if the culture of the school is changing in the
direction of the new shared vision on integrated technology. If not, then data will be used in

determining the point where our school needs to begin in order to get on track for building on the
professional models we have in place or implementing other strategies in order to be more
effective. If the evaluation forms, methods illustrate growth toward the integration of
technology, a change in culture towards that, this indicates the programs effectiveness.
Data will include information from the google forms, student achievement data from
benchmarks and EOGs, classroom observations from administrative staff and teachers, student
classroom participation and grades, overall school culture, and high school data to determine if
our eighth graders are enrolling/ prepared for higher level courses.

References

Public Schools of North Carolina. (2014). Holbrook Middle School Result Details. Retrieved
from North Carolina Teacher Working Conditions Survey:
http://www.ncteachingconditions.org/results/report/152/63040#NC14_Instruction

Wagner, T. and Kegan, R. (2006). Change Leadership: A Practical Guide to Transforming Our
Schools. San Fransico, CA. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Fullen, M. and Langworthy, M. (2014). A Rich Seam. Boston, MA. Pearson.