Assessing Teacher Technology Skills
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COABE 2009 - Distance Education and Technology Strands
Assessing Teacher Technology Skills
Abstract: Several states, including Ohio, Georgia, Vermont and California, are using this online self-assessment for teachers to help plan professional development on technology in the classroom. The self-assessment also leads to a personal professional development plan. See how it works, and hear how states are using it.
Presenters: Marian Thacher, OTAN; Tim Ponder, Ohio Literacy Resource Center; Josephine Reed-Taylor, Georgia Dept. of Technical and Adult Education; Kate Nicolet, Vermont Dept. of Education
Presenter's Comments: AdultEd Online’s Technology Integration Self-assessment allows teacher to assess their personal and classroom technology skills, and to identify areas where their skills might be improved. Based on the results, the user can create a personal professional development plan. This plan is saved online, and can be updated any time. It can also be downloaded and shared with colleagues.
The administrative function allows a program to invite a group of teachers to take the self-assessment, and provides agency-wide result to help with planning professional development activities. For example, if a majority of teachers rate using spreadsheets in the classroom as important to their teaching but lack skill in this area, a workshop on Excel might be in order.
In this workshop, participants will receive information about the online tool as well as see a demonstration, and also hear from three states that are using it at various levels; in programs, city-wide and state-wide.
Related Resources: Check out the Technology Integration Self-Assessment at http://www.adultedonline.org/ online, create your own teacher or administrator account, and take the assessment or invite your teachers to take it.
Pre-Conference Comments/Questions: Please post your questions/comments here, or email Marian Thacher mthacher at otan dot us.
Hi. Are there similar programs that have been developed internationally? I wonder how the identified skills might vary. (Erik)
That's a good question and I don't know the answer, but I know that someone from Germany was interested in translating the Tech Integration Self-Assessment (TISA, for short) into several languages for an education project in several countries. We communicated with them for a bit, but I don't know whether they did actually translate it. (Marian)
Post-Conference Reflections: It was great to hear from Ohio, Georgia and Vermont about how they are using the TISA as part of their professional development toolkit. Tim Ponder reported that Ohio did not mandate the TISA, but encouraged teachers to complete it. Their goal is to include 60% of teachers. Ohio is also working on standards based on the questions in the TISA, and has already finished the Level 1 standards for teachers and learners. They anticipate producing a more advanced level of standards, and perhaps at some point a third level.
Josephine Reed-Tayler, Director of Adult Education for the state of Georgia, reported that Georgia also did not mandate the TISA, but so far they have had 55% of their teachers use the assessment. They are now getting ready to use the Distance Learning Self-Assessment in their new distance learning pilot. A large portion of adult learners in Georgia are between the ages of 16 and 24.
Vermont has a total of 150 teachers and 7,000 adult learners in the state, with all adult education provided by community-based organizations. They have so far had 40 teachers complete the TISA, and discovered that there are many foundational needs. They are using the results to develop two strands for their state adult education conference. The conference was cancelled for this year because of budget problems, but Kate Nicolet, who is in charge of professional development, hopes to be able to implement these strands in the future. Meanwhile, programs are offering a "Technology Variety Hour" as part of staff meetings.
