Environmental Scan
Have you ever thought about how information technology impacts the learning of our students and their environment? “The environmental scan method is designed to enable decision makers to understand the external environment and translate this understanding into an institution’s planning processes.(Cohen Group p.3) In this blog post, I’ll be discussing an environmental scan of my school Covenant Christian School, the communities we serve, and how we can improve.
While on the campus of Covenant, students are given broadband internet access on their school issued device. In PreK- Kindergarten, students use an iPad as their device. In grades 1st-6th, students use a designated Chromebook from a class set checked out to their teacher. All Elementary devices stay on campus in their respective classrooms. In grades 7th-12th, students are checked out a Chromebook and charger for the year to be returned at the end of the school year. Secondary devices can be taken home to be used but must be connected to local Wi-Fi. When on campus, all devices are on the main network Wi-Fi. Guests can log in to our guest Wi-Fi access with the password provided on campus. If a lot of devices are being used in certain areas of the campus, the internet can lag especially in the gym for chapel and concerts.
The technology that’s distributed across the campus varies greatly by grade-levels. PreK, Kindergarten, and First grade have 1:1 technology for students. They also have a projector and an interactive whiteboard. In grades Second through Twelfth they use 1:1 technology and a projector. All staff are checked out a tablet, pen, and port adapter. Most teachers utilize their tablet to project on the projector screen. My observations are that elementary teachers like paper pencil while secondary prefer technology. We had an audit for our accreditation in which we were told we needed improvement in staff developments. I am personally making a goal for me to lead some staff developments in the Library for staff to feel more comfortable with technology and its benefits. Most are receptive to increasing technology use but just don’t know how. I am going to show them some I used in public school and also new ones that can be easily implemented.
Covenant is a Google platform school so all students do most of their work within Google Classroom. There are pros and cons to this. Pro would be that assignments can be found easily and likewise are easy to turn in. Secondary students (7th-12th) can also find most of their homework is available online. Since they are issued a Chromebook, it is the expectation that they can complete their homework because they have internet access at home. The cons are when it comes to missing days of school. The coursework and homework add up quickly and students can feel overwhelmed. It stresses them out, fixated on completing assignments instead of recuperating. My understanding is that most students have their own laptop and phones and use these for their technology needs.
Our community that we serve is very vast. As a private school, we have students living more than an hour away. Covenant is located in Conroe, Texas. Most of our families live within Conroe, Willis, Montgomery, and New Waverly. Most parents are employed and have an array of occupations. The climate is humid and hot most of the time. We also have before and afterschool care where students can work on their devices as needed.
References:
Cohen Group LLC, M. (2015). ENVIRONMENTAL SCAN OF EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY IN U.S. PUBLIC SCHOOLS. https://www.mcgrc.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Report-Environmental-_-Final12.22.2016.pdf
Working in a 1 to 1 district where students are allowed to take home devices, I know it is overwhelming for students to see multiple assignments posted for each class when they are absent. As a result, many times students will fail to complete assignments from the day(s) they are absent, so the question becomes, what can be done to ensure students are completing their work when they are supposed to. Being a 1 to 1 district is a start, but not a solve all solution.
ReplyDeleteThis was through and shows that your campus values technology. You'll need to keep your understanding sharp in order to keep up!
ReplyDeleteYour school sounds very similar to mine in terms of technology distributions! I've worked in a district where technology was scarce, the teachers had difficulties navigating technology, and students had little exposure. I feel very grateful to be working in a district that is technology driven. I love your idea to lead staff developments on using technology, I am hoping to do the same on my campus.
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