Running Head: TECHNOLOGY NEEDS ASSESSMENT 1

Technology Needs Assessment

Kaitlin Jezequel

University of West Georgia

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Introduction

Kaitlin Jezequel, the individual conducting the needs assessment and writing this

synopsis, is a certified P-12 art teacher, currently working at a middle school in the Cobb County

School District. This middle school is considered one of the most diverse schools in the county

with almost equal thirds of Caucasian, African-American, and Hispanic students. The school has

approximately seven hundred students spread throughout sixth through eighth grade. The socio-

economic status of this school is very diverse as well, with some of the students living in a trailer

park or Section 8 government housing, while others live in million dollar homes. This middle

school is also unique because it has a program for students who are deaf or hard of hearing

(DHH). Along with the school having classes specifically designed for students who are DHH,

there are three American Sign Language interpreters who travel throughout the school to various

classes to translate for these students. There is one principal and two assistant principals who

serve as leaders for this school.

Ms. Jezequel is one of about forty five teachers at her school. Throughout the day, Ms.

Jezequel teaches six classes and has one planning period. Two of her classes are sixth grade, two

of the classes are seventh grade, and two of the classes are eighth grade students. One of these

eighth grade classes is an advanced level art class that students apply for at the end of their

seventh grade year. After successful completion of the advanced level art class requirements,

these eighth grade students will receive a high school art credit, which enables them to exempt

the secondary school comprehensive art class and immediately take high level visual arts classes

as a freshman. Ms. Jezequel is very involved in having her students create elaborate art displays

throughout the school and participating in art shows and competitions throughout the county.
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Ms. Jezequel is also an extracurricular coach for the junior varsity color guard that consists of

middle school students.

Needs Assessment Process

This technology needs assessment was created to determine the needs for technology for

the above stated middle school. The first step for this needs assessment was to construct a survey

to send to some of the administration and staff members addressing various aspects of the

technology at the aforementioned school. The survey was completed via Survey Monkey and

consisted of ten questions. The survey link was sent via email to teachers and administrators

early in the semester so there would be sufficient time for data to be analyzed. This survey and

results can be found in Appendix A.

After the surveys were completed, five candidates who completed the survey were

selected to be interviewed about their in depth thoughts regarding the school’s technology needs.

These interviews were completed over a period of two weeks, working around the selected

interviewees’ planning periods and personal lives. Among the people selected to be interviewed

were three teachers, the media center specialist, and the principal of the school. The results of the

survey and interview were analyzed over a period of a few weeks which allowed time to interpret

the collected data and conclude where the greatest technology needs within the school existed,

and how these needs could best be addressed. The interview guiding questions and responses can

be found in Appendix B.

Current Technology at School

The current technology at the school consists of seemingly basic resources. Each full time

teacher has a county issued laptop. Most of the classrooms are equipped with an interactive
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whiteboard such as a Smart Board or Promethean board. Most classrooms have a printer, but

many of these are outdated and do not work consistently. There are three computer labs with

desktop computers, however, there are not enough desktops for each student in every class as the

class sizes are quite large (most classes have at least 30 students, some have upwards of 45

adolescents on the roster). There are laptop carts and iPads that can be checked out of the media

center, but again, there are limited numbers of these and typically not enough for every student in

classes larger than 30 individuals. There are a few copier machines at the school, but they are

often jammed and/or do not work correctly. Some classroom teachers have purchased newer

technology for their own classroom needs, such as the band teachers who purchased an Apple

TV and newer iPads for their own classroom.

Description of Stakeholders

There were ten stakeholders selected to participate in the needs assessment survey via

Survey Monkey. These stakeholders included: the principal of the school, a DHH American Sign

Language interpreter, a general education teacher, four music teachers, one pre-engineering and

technology teacher, and two physical education teachers. The majority of stakeholders selected

would be considered part of the “connections” team at the school. These teachers who do not

teach core curriculum classes typically attempt to use technology as consistently as possible but

are often times neglected when it comes to prioritizing which teachers should be allocated

technology resources. One general education teacher was selected; this particular individual was

chosen because she has experience using the Read 180 program which incorporates technology,

and her professional opinion of technology at our school was considered important. A DHH

interpreter was selected to complete the survey because the DHH department’s technology needs

may be unique; this drove the decision to include a DHH representative in the study. And finally,
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the principal of the school was selected to participate in the survey. This principal is new to the

school and the hope was that he would lend fresh eyes to assessing the current technology

utilization, as well as a new perspective to the possibilities of how the school could incorporate

and embed technology in the future. Of the ten stakeholders selected to participate in the survey,

seven out of ten were women, seven out of ten were Caucasian, and eight out of ten have been

educators for more than ten years.

Five stakeholders were selected to participate in the interview questionnaire. Two of

these teachers are music teachers whose use of technology in their classroom may look totally

different than a general education classroom. While they are able to use devices for metronomes

and matching pitch, they often feel like they are left out of the equation when technology needs

in the building are being determined. For example, these music classrooms were not equipped

with an interactive whiteboard when the majority of other classrooms at our school have this

type of technology. One of the teachers interviewed is the pre-engineering and technology

teacher who voiced her concerns to the previous administrative team regarding a glaring lack of

functioning technology in her room. Her classroom is equipped with computers, however they

are outdated and there are not enough monitors for every student in her classroom which leads to

frustration. Her classroom is also equipped with a 3-D printer, however, the software on the

computers has not been updated to be able to use the 3-D printer effectively.

One of the other stakeholders is the media center specialist who typically is the individual

expected to help teachers who are experiencing problems with technology in their classrooms.

She is a valuable asset to the staff and has been the school’s media and technology chair for

seventeen years. Finally, the school’s principal also took part in an interview. The entire

administration team is new to the school this year, and the principal has big ideas for where he
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would like to see the school grow in the area of instructional technology. Of the stakeholders

selected for this interview, four out of the five are women, four out of the five are Caucasian, and

five out of five have been working in the field of education for more than ten years.

Major Outcomes

Based on the interviews with the stakeholders, there are various technology needs

reported throughout the building. Overall, it is evident that the staff at the school do not feel as if

their technology needs are being met. Although each teacher has specific needs they feel will

help their own personal classroom settings, the stakeholders interviewed do not feel confident in

knowing where the money for funding these technology needs would come from, so there was a

lack of optimism in thinking the perceived technology needs would be met. The majority of

stakeholders interviewed believe that the school district should allocate additional funding to our

school so that newer technology could be purchased and so that current technology could be

updated. If the school had enough computers or working laptops or iPads to accommodate the

large class sizes at the school, the stakeholders would likely feel that the first step in meeting

technology needs had been met. This would allow for personalized learning and improved

performance for all students in all grades, as well as potential for future professional

development for teachers.

Priority Needs

The priority needs for this technology assessment are funding for technology, and having

ample technology for classes with a large number of students. These two priorities go hand in

hand. If funding was available, more up to date technology or apps could be purchased for

instructional or learning purposes. With an ample amount of technology available for all students
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to use, more students would have the opportunity to practice becoming more technologically

literate. However, with these two priority needs in mind, it is also necessary that funding be

provided for professional development so staff can be trained to use the technology that could

become available.

NEED CAUSES CONSEQUENCES DIFFICULTY TO

CORRECT (LOW,
MEDIUM, HIGH)
Funding for Lack of funding from If funding is not Medium
technology school district and/or provided for the
SPLOST (Special- technology need, our
Purpose Local- school will continue
Option Sales Tax) to be behind in efforts
to become a 21st
century school.

Ample technology for Lack of funding from If funding is not High

each student at our school district and/or provided to support
school SPLOST technology for each
student, students will
not be prepared to
become active
citizens in a
technological world.

Funding for Lack of funding from If funding is not Medium

professional school district and/or provided to support
development for staff SPLOST professional
on new technology development, staff
members will
continue to feel
frustration and a lack
of support with
technology. If staff
members are not
properly trained how
to use newer
technology, they will
also be less likely to
use technology
moving forward.
TECHNOLOGY NEEDS ASSESSMENT 8

Action Plan

Upon beginning this technology needs assessment, the principal invited Ms. Jezequel to

sit in on a meeting with him and Paige Harris, the media center specialist, as well as Michael

Murray, a technology supervisor for the county. The purpose of this meeting was to discuss

current technology at the school and what funding will be provided moving forward. Based on

this meeting, it has been determined there is money coming to our school from a SPLOST fund;

however, this money will not be available for spending until the 2019-2020 school year. The

principal’s main goal is to start mapping out ideas for what technology to purchase for our school

that will last for multiple years moving forward. He believes it is not prudent to buy more

desktops when iPads or portable devices are more conducive to a 21st century learning

environment.

Although money is not available to be spent until next school year, the technology that

the school will be purchasing through SPLOST needs to be selected by January 2019. This gives

a few months for the principal to determine what will be purchased. Based on the interview

results, it is evident the teachers and media center specialist hope for more iPads and or

computers to use in the classrooms. However, the principal believes that portable projectors or

Simplicity Touch televisions for each classroom would make a large difference.

Moving forward, the plan is to continue to discuss the technology plan with the principal

and to investigate funding for professional development. If the school is able to get the SPLOST

funding they are supposed to receive, the teachers will need training on these new technological

resources. By the end of the 2018-2019 school year, the plan is to find and obtain funding for

new technologies as well as professional development courses for the teachers.

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Appendix A: Survey Questions and Results

The survey questions were as follows. Data from Survey Monkey has been aggregated and

displayed in the following graphs.

1. Do you feel like our school is lacking technology?

2. Do you feel as if the technology needs (for your classroom or whole school) are being

met?
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3. Do you feel as if you have received proper professional development or training on

current technology being used at our school?

4. Do you know what our school’s technology plan is?

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5. Do you feel as if you, personally, use the available technology to its potential on a regular

basis?
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6. Do you know who to go to in our school if you have a technology issue?

7. Do you feel like you are capable of solving technology issues without assistance or

training?
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8. Do you feel confident using games or apps (such as Plickers, Kahoot, Quizlet, etc.) in

your classroom or school?

9. Do you feel supported at our school with using or implementing technology in the

classroom or school?
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10. Do you know what a 21st century classroom looks like?

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Appendix B: Interviews

Interview 1: Amy Adams, Band Director

1. What do you feel our school is lacking as far as technology that would help you in your

classroom or whole school?

Our school has interactive smart boards, projectors, laptop carts and other forms of helpful

equipment but I think our knowledge of how to use the technology is becoming dated. I think we

need resources on new software or applications that could be used in our classrooms.

2. What technology needs (for your classroom or whole school) are being met?

We purchased an Apple TV and two iPad Pros to be more technology savvy. We have a

projector and screen. Our needs are being met at this time.

3. What kind of professional development or training for current technology have you

received?

We only receive professional development on software our county wants us to use. And it’s only

once or twice a year.

4. What is in our school’s technology plan?

Not sure since we haven’t had money to purchase new technology. Our county decides what we

get and when.

5. What available technology do you, personally, use to its potential on a regular basis?

We use a laptop and docking station as well as Apple TV and iPads.

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6. Explain who you go to when you have a technology issue and what their role is in the

school?

I like to go to our media specialist or put a work order in for our county technology person. It’s

her job to fix problems when they arise.

7. What technology issues do you feel you are capable of solving without assistance or

training?

I’m good with fixing copy machines, since they always jam. I can solve most issues with

software unless it’s a nasty virus. I can follow the tutorials of new programs which help me

understand their products.

8. Explain what technology games or apps you have used confidently in your classroom or

school?

I don’t use games in my classroom at this time. We just discovered an app that helps musicians

learn note name and fingerings but we’re still trying to figure out how to incorporate it and still

teach the skill of playing an instrument.

9. Explain how you do and do not feel supported at our school when using implementing

technology in the classroom or school?

I feel supported by my school since they allowed me to purchase new technology. I just wish I

had more resources on how to use what I have and how to implement more technology into my

teaching.

10. Explain what should be implemented in our school to make all classrooms 21st century

classrooms?
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I think having knowledge of what’s out there and how to use it would help benefit our school.

Interview 2: Michelle Irwin, Orchestra Director

1. What do you feel our school is lacking as far as technology that would help you in your

classroom or whole school?

We do not have enough computers and the computers we have are outdated. We also

need iPads.

2. What technology needs (for your classroom or whole school) are being met?

We have a couple of computer labs and several lap top carts for student use.

3. What kind of professional development or training for current technology have you

received?

I have received training on Office 365.

4. What is in our school’s technology plan?

I have no idea what our school's technology plan is.

5. What available technology do you, personally, use to its potential on a regular basis?

I have a first generation iPad but I don't use it to its full potential due to the difficulty of

switching between the iPad and my lap top and due to the iPad being outdated.

6. Explain who you go to when you have a technology issue and what their role is in the

school?
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I usually put in a work order through the help desk for technology issues. If it's a minor issue, I

will ask my teammates or Paige Harris, the Media Specialist.

7. What technology issues do you feel you are capable of solving without assistance or

training?

I can usually solve simple issues myself. Things such as hooking things up, installing software or

apps.

8. Explain what technology games or apps you have used confidently in your classroom or

school?

I use tuner and metronome apps as well as music theory.net for my orchestra classes. I also use

staff wars and tonal energy.

9. Explain how you do and do not feel supported at our school when using implementing

technology in the classroom or school?

I feel supported in that my teammates and I can share ideas for new apps and other technologies

to use in my classroom. The way I don't feel supported is by the lack of funds to purchase new

technology.

10. Explain what should be implemented in our school to make all classrooms 21st century

classrooms?

I really have no idea but I feel like all classrooms should have either laptops or iPads available

for each student to use. All teachers should be trained on how to effectively use technology as it

relates to their subject.

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Interview 3: Eunice Bryant, Pre-Engineering and Technology Teacher

1. What do you feel our school is lacking as far as technology that would help you in your

classroom or whole school?

I need more student desktops in my classroom due to class size.

2. What technology needs (for your classroom or whole school) are being met?

Access to the Internet, resources, software and programs for students.

3. What kind of professional development or training for current technology have you

received?

I have been trained to use Solidworks.

4. What is in our school’s technology plan?

To ensure all classrooms are meeting the needs of 21st century students.

5. What available technology do you, personally, use to its potential on a regular basis?

Online resources, laptop, cellphone, the Internet, and sometimes 3D printing

6. Explain who you go to when you have a technology issue and what their role is in the

school?

Susan Elkins. Her role is to ensure all desktops, laptops and printers are working properly. Also,

she ensures programs and apps are installed as needed and complete work-orders on technology

equipment.

7. What technology issues do you feel you are capable of solving without assistance or

training?
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Software application downloads and computer and printer technical difficulties.

8. Explain what technology games or apps you have used confidently in your classroom or

school?

Kahoot, BrainPop, Cool Math, and Hoodamath

9. Explain how you do and do not feel supported at our school when using implementing

technology in the classroom or school?

I do not have enough student desktops for the number of students in my classes.

10. Explain what should be implemented in our school to make all classrooms 21st century

classrooms?

Update student desktops, install and incorporate 3D or 4D printers, teach us more online

platforms for teaching and learning, and install multimedia approach and augmented or virtual

reality equipment.

Interview 4: Paige Harris, Media Center Specialist

1. What do you feel our school is lacking as far as technology that would help you in

your classroom or whole school?

It would be nice if the kids had their own devices so the teachers would not have to worry about

signing up for a lab or laptop cart. This is especially true the last couple of years where our

classroom numbers are larger than any of the numbers of computers we have in one location. For

example, forty kids in a class while the largest computer lab only has thirty-four desktops.
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2. What technology needs (for your classroom or whole school) are being met?

Laptops for almost all full time staff. Part time staff officially are not given laptops, which

doesn't make sense to me because they are still expected to do all the work of a full time teacher.

There are some part time staff that have been able to get laptops anyway. Projector devices and

interactive boards are available throughout the school.

3. What kind of professional development or training for current technology have

you received?

Office 365 training PD course, digital citizenship PD course, about to start the MIE*

certification, a lot is more self-taught than PD.

*Microsoft Innovative Educator

4. What is in our school’s technology plan?

I have been the media/technology chair in the school for the last seventeen years, and I can't say

we have one. Through the years, the county has decided what would be updated at the school.

More recently through SPLOST IV, the local school was given a set amount of money to refresh

printers and copiers and a set amount of money to refresh computing devices. I worked with the

technology committee to determine the needs of the school since there was not enough money to

replace every computing device in the building or refresh every copier. The next SPLOST V

begins in January 2019, however, the directives from the county on how the money is to be spent

has not been given to principals at this time. Our current principal is interested to planning for

the needs in the future or five year plan of our school since we will not get additional funds until

another SPLOST passes five years down the road.

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5. What available technology do you, personally, use to its potential on a regular

basis?

Mounted LCD projector, Simplicity Touch television, teacher issued laptop, software programs

such as MS Office, MovieMaker, PowerPoint

6. Explain who you go to when you have a technology issue and what their role is in

the school?

I feel that our school has several people to go to for help. First, our fellow teachers are a great

resource. Mr. Hofmeister, 7-8 social studies teacher, is extremely knowledgeable and good at

troubleshooting. I, media specialist, along with Terri Terschan, media parapro, can help with

many of the hardware issues of connecting devices and troubleshooting. Some issues have to be

escalated to our computer tech, Sue Elkins. She has admin rights to install programs, submit

warranty calls, etc. The county also has a technology training integration specialist assigned to

every school. Our current TTIS is Kristy Herlihy. Unfortunately, she has several schools and is

only in the building maybe one day per week. Her responsibility is to aid teachers and staff in

learning new programs or using programs in the classroom.

7. What technology issues do you feel you are capable of solving without assistance

or training?

I can fix most issues with setting up a computer/laptop with the LCD projector. We now have

rights to install printers on our computers; however, the install will only hold for my login, not

for all users. If another user logs in, and wants to print, they have to install the printer under their

account. I can do some troubleshooting with document cameras, iRespond units. It seems like a

big mixture of useless knowledge.

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8. Explain what technology games or apps you have used confidently in your

classroom or school?

Microsoft Office like Word, PowerPoint, and Movie Maker

9. Explain how you do and do not feel supported at our school when using

implementing technology in the classroom or school?

I do not feel supported in the fact that we do not have a full time TTIS in the building. Someone

who could work with the teachers on an everyday basis to promote new programs, technologies,

and apps.

10. Explain what should be implemented in our school to make all classrooms 21st

century classrooms?

A full time TTIS per school would be a good start. Someone who is extremely knowledgeable

about current trends and programs that teachers could use in the classroom. Forsythe public

schools has this position in every school in their district.

Interview 5: David Nelson, Principal

1. What do you feel our school is lacking as far as technology that would help you in your

classroom or whole school?

Mobile items such as more laptops and pocket projectors, virtual reality, and items like

Simplicity Touch which are large enough for students to see wherever they sit in a room.

2. What technology needs (for your classroom or whole school) are being met?

The standard - laptops, desktops, SmartBoards

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3. What kind of professional development or training for current technology have you

received?

MIE Training

4. What is in our school’s technology plan?

This is in development now - I am not aware of one we had prior to me coming to this school.

5. What available technology do you, personally, use to its potential on a regular basis?

None - I would consider myself a novice with technology. However, I am a huge advocate for it

and seek to learn as much as I can about it.

6. Explain who you go to when you have a technology issue and what their role is in the

school?

I go to our technology support staff - their role is to help troubleshoot technology issues.

7. What technology issues do you feel you are capable of solving without assistance or

training?

Using technology to communicate with large groups.

8. Explain what technology games or apps you have used confidently in your classroom or

school?

None.

9. Explain how you do and do not feel supported at our school when using implementing

technology in the classroom or school?

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The biggest issue I see is funding. Title schools and schools from higher socioeconomic zip

codes tend to receive more monies for technology whereas schools in the middle, like ours, have

a harder time obtaining monies.

10. Explain what should be implemented in our school to make all classrooms 21st century

classrooms?

The MIE training is great. To use this, technology staff need to understand what is available,

how it can complement instruction, and be trained how to use it.