Technology Committee

I think there is a lot of good data in the existing surveys- the problem is how to summarize that data and pull out the cogent points. I would suggest that if you are developing a new survey, you use fewer open ended questions because it is much more difficult to analyze those responses.

THE END OF YEAR SURVEY offers a gold mine of suugestions for future training, if you can get past the couple of obscene, disrespectful remarks entered by some of our "colleagues". That list includes Power Point, Blackboard, Grade Quic, calcualtor workshop, a workshop on Web authority (copyright, plagiarism, and validation of websites), formatting papers, database construction and spreadsheets, digital storybooks, autoCAD, Edline and Noteshare, Moodle, United Streaming, web site construction, search engines, assessment storage, file management of email, graphing, portaportal, educational game sites, and video camcorder use. Obviously, some of these were topics for the summer session last year. But, with a short description for each topic, these could be mini-classes for a future training day.
THE JHS SURVEY is useful because it taps students and ought to be followed up. The questions which sparked my interest for adults and students alike would be a self-rating scale on computer skills, a checklist question (again) on which computer programs/applications one uses on a daily basis, and a question which gets at what holds you back from using computers more.
The Techno Week Survey question relating to libraries (use of MARVEL and of automated card catalog) discouraged me but did not surprise me. I have offerd to teach teachers MARVEL and have found no interest. A small few use the card catalog, but others do not and do not wsih to learn how to use it. Again, I offer my skills to teach any staff who might want to learn to use MARVEL or the autmoated catalog. MARVEL in particular is a treasure trove of research information easily available, especially for teachers doing graduate work. As for the card catalog, when we get new software, we librarians might be able to use that as an opportunity to give intros to the program on a workshop day or at a staff meeting and maybe get more people on board with using the catalog.
Nancy Fenney, Benton Elementary Library

I finally took the time to look at this survey. There sure is a lot of information. I sort of feel overwhelmed in that there is so much new technology to learn. I can't imagine what some other teachers must feel.

I got a little carried away with my wishlist response and ended up adding some survey comments there.

Here are my others

- The percentage of teachers responding to the Techno Week survey were impressive (46 high school teachers)  or were there duplicates in this figure?

- a little surprised at the 50% Internet collaboration figure.  What does this really mean?

- Would like to see a question on amount of formal instruction on Internet safety and information reliability that is or is not being done

- Shocked at the underuse of MARVEL and Spectrum

- Have we done anything with the list of teacher/staff that indicated a willingness to help?

Student Survey

- Was pleased to see that 75% took the laptops home and nearly half did so everyday

- Was puzzled that 75 % had Internet access at home yet only 29% connected

-  WEre these positive use and effect numbers shared with the administration and if so what was the response.  Can we use these to our advantage in advancing technology initiatives?

- pleased to see the high use of portaportal