September 4th, 2008
What can we do better?
I’m collecting data from teachers across my district (using a Google Form, of course), trying to get a handle on issues we still haven’t addressed, ways we can use technology more effectively, and what their wishlists might be for the coming year.
Here’s the questionnaire that went out to the teachers (I only included the questions and stripped out the HTML form content). What else could we be asking and how might your teachers respond? Just what is it that we can be doing better to help teachers use tech effectively rather than merely using it for its own sake?
Classroom Technology Survey
Welcome back, teachers and staff. Thanks for your patience as we get ourselves up and running this year. Obviously, quite a few changes are afoot this year. While Rome was not built in a day, your responses to the following questions will help us craft policy, plan for purchases, and look ahead to drastically increased use of technology in the classroom. This survey is focused on where technological problems or hurdles get in the way of fully utilizing the technology we already have in place, as well as thoughts you have on other pieces of computer and telecommunications technology that might make you a more effective teacher.
While this survey can be anonymous, I encourage you to include your name so that we can continue a dialogue that this form might begin. You do need to at least complete the School field so that I can pinpoint areas of particular difficulty or deficiency.
Thanks for your assistance in this matter,
Christopher Dawson
Technology Director
* Required
- At which school do you work? *
- What is your job title? *
- What is your name? This question is optional, but I will keep names confidential and encourage you to answer
- What is the greatest roadblock you face to using technology in the classroom? Please be as detailed as possible
- Please describe a specific technology topic you would like to see addressed during professional development.
- Please describe any specific software tools that you would like to see available in the classroom.
- Please describe any specific hardware you would like to see in your classroom that would help you integrate technology into your instruction. This could include smartboards, interactive test/quiz equipment, individual student laptops, projectors, televisions, mini-labs, etc.
-
Would it be useful to be able to bring your personal laptop into your building and connect to the network?
* Yes - it would be very helpful to work at home
* No - I don’t tend to work at home anyway
* I don’t have a personal laptop - How would you rate your level of comfort with technology tools in the classroom?
1 2 3 4 5
1: Very uncomfortable - PD please! 5: Piece of cake - give me more! - Please describe anything else that the Technology Director or individual technical support staff serving your building can do better to meet your technology needs. What can we do better?
Follow Chris Dawson on Twitter! Christopher Dawson is the technology director for the Athol-Royalston School District in northern Massachusetts and a member of the Internet Press Guild. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations, but always keep in mind that the opinions expressed here are his own and not those of his daytime employer, even if he talks incessantly about his day job.
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