Personal Technology Skills & Knowledge

I took both the Technology Applications Inventory and the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SEDTA) Teacher Survey to assess my technology skills and knowledge.

The Technology Applications Inventory is divided into four domains. These four domains are Foundations, Information Acquisition, Solving Problems with Technology Tools, and Communication. The domain where I am the strongest is the first, Foundations. Since this section asked questions about the basics of computers, using peripherals and networks, I answered yes to all questions. I would assume that the foundation area is the strongest for most, since the questions are general. The following three domains asked more specific questions about using technology. I was still very strong in the second domain, Information Acquisition. I also answered yes to each of these statements. Beginning in domain three, Solving Problems with Technology Tools, there were some statements which did not apply to me, but my lowest was domain four. Domain four, Communication, I only answered yes to 75% of the statements. When I first read the area titles, I assumed that I would be higher in the communication area and lower in the problem solving domain.

The SEDTA survey really opened my eyes to the use of technology in my school and classroom. Although I do use certain types of technology regularly with my students, the SEDTA survey showed me how much I am technology I am essentially ignoring. One point that stuck out to me is the frequency with which my students are actually required to use various kinds of technology in my classes. While I make a PowerPoint for each day of the week, I only require my students to make two in an entire school year. Something else that the SEDTA survey brought to my attention is the lack of requirements that the school imposes on teachers. Using technology certainly is encouraged and supported, but if a teacher chooses not to initiate the use on her own, no one will ever ask more of her. As for the equipment available at our campus, this is an area where we have a huge gap to overcome. Most of the hardware that we have is old and out of date. Teacher computers and student laptops are referred to as "dinosaurs" because they are ancient in terms of the life of a computer. We have great software to use, but due to the lack of processing speed and memory space, sometimes these programs are difficult, if not impossible, to use.

I feel that I have suffiicent technology knowledge and skills. I am always called on to help in the presentation of technology-based professional development, and other teachers come ask me questions when they need help trouble-shooting some form of technology. Most of my knowledge does not come from trainings provided by the school or district, but instead was learned on personal time. Because I never want to stop learning about new techonologies, I would like to focus on learning more about technology that can be integrated into the classroom. Students today are so driven by technology, that I would like to learn more about communication. This was my weakest of all four domains on the Technology Applications Inventory, so that shows that I am deficient in that area.