SWOT Analysis Template for Technology Planning Needs Assessment

What is the current reality in Riverwood International Charter School?

ESSENTIAL CONDITION ONE:
STUDENT-CENTERED LEARNING
ISTE Definition: Use of information and communication technology (ICT) to facilitate engaging approaches to learning.

Guiding Questions:

How is technology being used in our school? How frequently is it being used? By whom? For what purposes?

To what extent is student technology use targeted toward student achievement of the Georgia Learning Standards (GPSs, QCCs)?
To what extent is student technology use aligned to research-based, best practices that are most likely to support student engagement, deep
understanding of content, and transfer of knowledge? Is day-to-day instruction aligned to research-based best practices? (See Creighton Chapters 5, 7)

Strengths
Every teacher is given a
laptop to use for day to
day tasks and
responsibilities.
Software used on laptop
device are up to date
Some classrooms are
equipped with
Promethean Activ
Boards to enhance
delivery.
There two computer
labs and 3 mobile
laptop carts both with
the purpose of student
technology use.

Weaknesses
Opportunities
Threats

Many laptops are

The school has adopted
The Wireless network
outdated and require
a BYOT policy which
has proven unreliable
regular maintenance.
allows both students
and at time spotty when
and teachers to access
people are accessing it
Some software
the school wireless
from the same points.

packages installed on
network using personal
the older laptop require
laptops, tablets, and
a huge portion of the

other mobile devices.

RAM and limit
School PTSA and
teachers abilities to
multitask.
Foundation have made
funding available as
Warranties have expired
Grant opportunities to
on all Activ Boards

increasetechnological
present as the school.
resources
Teachers who have a
better understanding of
Promethean programs
and hardware are not
given preference when
assigning rooms with
the boards. Therefore
many of the boards are
underutilized.
Summary/Gap Analysis: While there is a seemingly wealth of technology within the school at the teachers disposal, the technology
needs to be refreshed as many models of laptops are circa 2001 and therefore barely meet the required hardware capacities of the
software programs being used.

SWOT Analysis Template for Technology Planning Needs Assessment

What is the current reality in Riverwood International Charter School?
Student technology is often unavailable. This is primarily due to availability or network issues.
.

ESSENTIAL CONDITION TWO:

Shared Vision
ISTE Definition: Proactive leadership in developing a shared vision for educational technology among school personnel, students, parents, and the community.

Guiding Questions:

Is there an official vision for technology use in the district/school? Is it aligned to research-best practices? Is it aligned to state and national visions?
Are teachers, administrators, parents, students, and other community members aware of the vision?
To what extent do teachers, administrators, parents, students, and other community members have a vision for how technology can be used to enhance
student learning? What do they believe about technology and what types of technology uses we should encourage in the future? Are their visions similar
or different? To what extent are their beliefs about these ideal, preferred technology uses in the future aligned to research and best practice?
To what extent do educators see technology as critical for improving student achievement of the GPS/QCCs? To preparing tomorrows workforce? For
motivating digital-age learners?
What strategies have been deployed to date to create a research-based shared vision?
What needs to be done to achieve broad-scale adoption of a research-based vision for technology use that is likely to lead to improved student
achievement?

Strengths
The county is currently
rolling a system wide
technology refresh
project. This will
include improvements
to wireless networks,
teacher workstations,
etc.

Weaknesses
Opportunities
Threats

The school has had 4

The current principal
There is no longer a
different principals in
has put in place several
school technology
the last two years and is
new policies such as
integration committee.
currently on its 5th.
BYOT to offset
There has been no
technological
cohesive technology
shortcomings.
plan in place since
Principal has announced
2011.
a school-wide
There have been
technology plan is
setbacks in county wide
forthcoming and will be
technology initiatives in
announced before the
year past that have left
2nd semester.
many teachers without
confidence in the
county IT Dept.
Summary/Gap Analysis: While the past several years have been filled with uncertainty and doubt, this school year seems to be full

SWOT Analysis Template for Technology Planning Needs Assessment

What is the current reality in Riverwood International Charter School?
promise both on a school-wide and system side basis as there have been no setbacks announced this years technology initiatives. The
majority of the school has a high morale. This is a welcome change for a school who lost 43 faculty members due resignations or
transfers..

ESSENTIAL CONDITION THREE:

Planning for Technology
ISTE Definition: A systematic plan aligned with a shared vision for school effectiveness and student learning through the infusion of ICT and digital learning
resources.

Guiding Questions:

Is there an adequate plan to guide technology use in your school? (either at the district or school level? Integrated into SIP?)
What should be done to strengthen planning?

Strengths
Weaknesses
Opportunities
Threats
There are pockets
There is no school
Recent Mini-grants
The school has not
within the school who
technology integration
have allotted funds for
adopted or endorsed a
utilize various software
committee.
the creation stipends
particular software or
and other forms of
positions to help
method to use. This can
What professional
technology to support
support
technology
create confusion with so
development that is
the planning and
integration,
many people using
offered is done so by
collaboration.
different programs that
teacher volunteers
when one is adopted
The school has school
other may find the
wide licenses for
learning difficult.
Edmodo, Turnitin.com,
and Camtasia.
Summary/Gap Analysis: The school gives teachers the autonomy to use various software programs to expand the classroom and to
communicate with students and parents. While this is helpful for teachers, students find themselves going to Edmodo, Schoology, or
Quora, to get assistance with their studies.

ESSENTIAL CONDITION FOUR:

Equitable Access
ISTE Definition: Robust and reliable access to current and emerging technologies and digital resources

SWOT Analysis Template for Technology Planning Needs Assessment

What is the current reality in Riverwood International Charter School?
Guiding Questions:

To what extent do students, teachers, administrators, and parents have access to computers and digital resources necessary to support engaging,
standards-based, student-centered learning?
To what extent is technology arrange/distributed to maximize access for engaging, standards-based, student-centered learning?
What tools are needed and why?
Do students/parents/community need/have beyond school access to support the vision for learning?

Strengths
The school has adopted
a BYOT policy which
allows both students
and teachers to access
the school wireless
network using personal
laptops, tablets, and
other mobile devices.
The school has several
laptop carts, computer
labs, and recently an
iPad lab.
The Media Center and
one of the Social
Studies labs are
available for student use
afterschool until 5pm.

Weaknesses
Despite the collection of
technologies that do
exist at the school
teachers still vie for
availability in the
computer labs or to gain
access to the laptop
carts.

Opportunities
The expansion of the
school wireless network
will allow students to
bring laptops and tablets
to school to assist with
instruction

Threats
There has been no
announcement as to
when our school will be
receiving the update.

Summary/Gap Analysis: The school has a great deal of technological resources. However, the ratio of students to those resources is
still high and therefore dramatically affects the schools equitable access. Policies such as BYOT are helping to alleviate the lack of
access, but it is only a temporary solution.

ESSENTIAL CONDITION FIVE:

Skilled Personnel
ISTE Definition: Educators and support staff skilled in the use of ICT appropriate for their job responsibilities.

Guiding Questions:

SWOT Analysis Template for Technology Planning Needs Assessment

What is the current reality in Riverwood International Charter School?

To what extent are educators and support staff skilled in the use of technology appropriate for their job responsibilities?
What do they currently know and are able to do?
What are knowledge and skills do they need to acquire?

(Note: No need to discuss professional learning here. Discuss knowledge and skills. This is your needs assessment for professional learning. The essential conditions focus on
personnel, which includes administrators, staff, technology specialists, and teachers. However, in this limited project, you may be wise to focus primarily or even solely on
teachers; although you may choose to address the proficiency of other educators/staff IF the need is critical. You must include an assessment of teacher proficiencies.

Strengths
Weaknesses
Opportunities
Threats
The school has an IT
There has previously
The administration has
These teachers are
Specialist on site.
been a technology
mentioned providing
underutilized by the
integration committee,
opportunities for
staff as a whole.
The Media Center holds
through
several
professional
growth
by
workshops about new
administrations the
offering stipend
digital resources.
committee
has
positions on various
The school has several
dissipated.
committees.
teachers who are
comfortable using
technology to assist
with their lessons and
willing to help others do
the same.
Summary/Gap Analysis: There is a definite need to revive the technology community at Riverwood. There is a core of teachers who
would be willing to assist others with their technology needs if they were tapped. Instead, this burden is left solely to the IT specialist
who can become enthralled with too many tasks already.

ESSENTIAL CONDITION SIX:

Ongoing Professional Learning
ISTE Definition: Technology-related professional learning plans and opportunities with dedicated time to practice and share ideas.

Guiding Questions:

What professional learning opportunities are available to educators? Are they well-attended? Why or why not?
Are the current professional learning opportunities matched to the knowledge and skills educators need to acquire? (see Skilled Personnel)
Do professional learning opportunities reflect the national standards for professional learning (NSDC)?
Do educators have both formal and informal opportunities to learn?
Is technology-related professional learning integrated into all professional learning opportunities or isolated as a separate topic?
How must professional learning improve/change in order to achieve the shared vision?

SWOT Analysis Template for Technology Planning Needs Assessment

What is the current reality in Riverwood International Charter School?
Strengths
Teachers are allowed to
seek opportunities for
professional growth
such as workshops and
conferences.

Weaknesses
Opportunities
Threats

There is little
The administration has
Without those
technology training
mentioned providing
professional learning
offered to teachers on
opportunities for
opportunities many
site.
professional growth by
teachers will become
offering stipend
complacent teaching
There has previously
positions
on
various
lessons without the
been a technology
committees.
incorporation of
integration committee,
technology.
through several
administrations the
committee has
dissipated.
Summary/Gap Analysis: There does appear to a push to provide better opportunities for professional growth. This however, has yet to
be announced and is unclear at this time what areas these opportunities will be in.

ESSENTIAL CONDITION SEVEN: Technical Support

ISTE Definition: Consistent and reliable assistance for maintaining, renewing, and using ICT and digital resources.

Guiding Questions:

To what extent is available equipment operable and reliable for instruction?

Is there tech assistance available for technical issues when they arise? How responsive is tech support? Are current down time averages acceptable?
Is tech support knowledgeable? What training might they need?

In addition to break/fix issues, are support staff available to help with instructional issues when teachers try to use technology in the classroom?

Strengths
The school has a IT
Specialist on site.
The specialist has a
working knowledge of
the hardware and
software used by the
school.
The county Tech Help
Desk is easily
accessible by phone or

Weaknesses
Because of the
condition of hardware
used within the school
as well as network
issues, the ITS is often
spread thin.
The county IT
department does not
seem knowledgeable
and have on occasion

Opportunities
The county wide
technology refresh
should alleviate much
of the burden of
maintenance that has
been placed on the ITS.

Threats
On both a school and
system level I think
communication is an
issue in regard to the
Help Desk and school
ITS being able to
trouble shoot and solve
tech problems.

SWOT Analysis Template for Technology Planning Needs Assessment

What is the current reality in Riverwood International Charter School?
email.

replied to emails
regarding
troubleshooting with
you should Google
that.
Summary/Gap Analysis: The school ITS and the county Help Desk are both easily assessable. However, there is an apparent problem
with knowhow and communication. Once issues are fixed there need to be a feedback or followup system to insure what was done
truly resolved the issue.
ESSENTIAL CONDITION EIGHT:
Curriculum Framework
ISTE Definition: Content standards and related digital curriculum resources

Guiding Questions:

To what extent are educators, students, and parents aware of student technology standards? (QCCs/NET-S)
Are technology standards aligned to content standards to help teachers integrate technology skills into day-to-day instruction and not teach technology
as a separate subject?
To what extent are there digital curriculum resources available to teachers so that they can integrate technology into the GPS/QCCs as appropriate?
How is student technology literacy assessed?

Strengths
The necessity to use
technology alongside
instruction is felt by
many teachers within
the school.
The fact that it is a
battle to reserve a comp
lab or laptop cart speaks
to the fact that there is a
fervor for technology
integration.

Weaknesses
I do not think there is a
wide awareness of the
ITSE standards.
There needs to be more
technology integration
within our ELL dept. as
there is a clear divide in
technological literacy
amongst those students.
Many teachers
disregard that there is a
technological pedagogy
that must be utilized in
order to successfully
integrate technology.

Opportunities
The creation of the
aforementioned
committees will help
assist with the creating
of a technology
integration plan
centered upon the ITSE
standards.

Threats
Student technology
literacy is not assessed
thoroughly. By the time
students reach 11th or
12th grade they are
assumed to have
acquired certain
technological skills that
may not always be the
case.

SWOT Analysis Template for Technology Planning Needs Assessment

What is the current reality in Riverwood International Charter School?
Summary/Gap Analysis: While there is not a wide awareness of the ITSE standards, there is a strong belief in the use and effectiveness
of technology within the classroom. The later I think insures for the most part that at least a portion of the ITSE standards are being
achieved even if they are being done unknowlingly.

SWOT Analysis Template for Technology Planning Needs Assessment

What is the current reality in Riverwood International Charter School?

Appendix

SWOT Analysis Template for Technology Planning Needs Assessment

What is the current reality in Riverwood International Charter School?

Technology Use Survey

This is a survey to gauge the variety of technological resources that are available and used at Riverwood
International Charter School. This survey will be used to assess the overall state of technology use,
access, and instructional integration. The questions in this survey look to address your overall level of
comfort with technology use and your level of technology literacy. Please answer each question honestly
and to the best of your knowledge and ability.
Statement

I am proficient using productivity tools (word

processing, databases, spreadsheets,
presentations, etc.)
I am able to troubleshoot problems when they
occur with these programs.
I feel comfortable teaching my students and
colleagues about using various software
programs.
I am proficient using Web 2.0 tools found online
(Prezi, Diigo,etc).
I am able to locate materials online to assist in
my instruction of content.
I currently have and maintain a class website or
synchronous teaching platform (edomodo.com ,
schoology.com, etc)
I actively use a variety of technological resource
alongside my instruction.
I actively search for learning activities to
increase my technology skills.
There is adequate access to the technology
provided to me at Riverwood.
I use my laptop actively for instructional
purposes.
Any technological issues are resolved in a
reasonable amount of time.

Strongly Disagree Somewhat

Disagree
1
2
3

Agree
4

Strongly
agree
5

Comments:__________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

SWOT Analysis Template for Technology Planning Needs Assessment

What is the current reality in Riverwood International Charter School?

Riverwood International Charter School Mission/Goals

http://school.fultonschools.org/hs/riverwood/Pages/Mission.aspx

Mission and Vision

Vision
The vision of Riverwood International Charter School and the schools in the Riverwood
International Cluster is to deliver a challenging curriculum that gives all students the tools
needed to be successful, contributing members of our nation and the world. As the leader of
our cluster, we embrace our role in this vision as an International Baccalaureate World School.
Mission
Promote academic excellence for our diverse community by:

Providing a progressive educational community, grades K-12, that includes parent,

staff and community collaboration;

Supporting seamless curriculum transitions between the elementary and middle

school and between the middle and high school;

Enriching the International Studies Magnet and International Baccalaureate programs

offered at Riverwood High School;

Promoting an international focus at the elementary and middle schools

Beliefs

Everyone has the right to be treated with dignity and respect.

A rigorous, challenging, integrated (K-12) academic program with high expectations is
essential for students to succeed in a global society.

Education is the responsibility of the entire community working collaboratively.

All children can learn. They learn in different ways and at different rates.

Students benefit from opportunities to serve the community, to enhance interpersonal

skills, and to promote positive citizenship skills.

Everyone is entitled to a safe, supportive, and secure learning environment.

Values

Responsibility and accountability

Respect for oneself, others and the environment

Commitment to academic and behavioral excellence

Teamwork and collaboration

Respect and understanding of the worlds cultures, ideas and diversity of peoples

SWOT Analysis Template for Technology Planning Needs Assessment

What is the current reality in Riverwood International Charter School?

Teaching that actively engages students and provides opportunities for them to
demonstrate their knowledge and skills in a variety of ways

Instruction that is modeled after best practices and focused on student learning

Learning that is standards-based and driven by the Georgia Performance Standards

(GPS)