NeedsAssessment SBA

8/14/2019 NeedsAssessment SBA

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Needs Assessment for SBA Elementary School:

Individual Classroom Websites

Michael Allen

ITEC 899

BACKGROUND 2

DESCRIPTION 2

PURPOSE 2

OBJECTIVES 2

TARGET AUDIENCE 2

METHODS 3

DATA COLLECTION METHODS 3

SAMPLING PROCEDURES 3

SAMPLING DESIGN 3

SPECIFICATIONS FOR INSTRUMENTS AND PROTOCOLS 3

DATA ANALYSIS 3

SURVEY RESULTS: TEACHERS 3

SURVEY RESULTS: PARENTS 4

SURVEY RESULTS: STUDENTS 4

RELIABILITY OF DATA 5

FINDINGS 6

RECOMMENDATIONS 6

PARENT SURVEY RESULTS 8

STUDENT SURVEY RESULTS 11

TEACHER SURVEY RESULTS 15

WEBSITES WITH WORDPRESS 19

PARENT SURVEY 19


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STUDENT SURVEY 21



TEACHER SURVEY 23

Background

Description

The principal at Susan B Anthony Elementary School wants to increase the use of

technology at the school. As part of school improvement plan she would like all teachers

to have classroom websites. Her vision is for parents, teachers and students tocommunicate using computers/technology.

Purpose

The purpose of this needs assessment is to assess the current technology skills of teachers

and to identify the current interest levels teachers, students, and parents of the school

community. Since these websites are part of the principals vision of technology

integration at the school, teacher participation will be required. Training and guidance

will be given to the teachers to support them as they create their own websites.

Objectives

1. Assess the current technology skills of teachers2. Identify interest levels of school community members3. Identify the levels of computer usage, computer accessibility, and tools used for

communication by teachers, parents, and students

4. Determine what types of support will be necessary to implement the projectTarget Audience

There are three distinct groups that comprise the target audience. Each group has

different needs and types of involvement in the project. The first group is the teachers of

the school. Since each teacher will be required to have a website, it is important to

determine the current technical and interest levels of the faculty. The two other groupsare the students and their parents. It is these two groups of individuals that that make up

the end users of the websites. Their input is needed to identify the types of information

they would like to see and to what extent is their access to computers with Internet

accessibility.


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Methods

Information was gathered by using questionnaires. Since the information needed varied

from group to group three different surveys were created. The surveys consisted of a

variety of different types of questions. The types of questions used were yes/no, short

answer, and Likert Scale.

Data Collection Methods

Sampling Procedures

Identify 20 teachers to participate in survey Provide instructions, overview and due date for return of teacher surveys Administer teacher surveys Meet with PTA president to discuss the instructions and due date of parent survey Identify two classrooms students to participate in the student survey Meet with the two classroom teachers to discuss instructions and due date of student survey Collect surveys from teachers, PTA president and identified classroom studentsSampling design

An optimal sampling group would be to survey all members of the SBA community,

however due to time constraints the information gathering will use convenience-sampling

procedures. Two teachers from each grade level were asked to complete the questionnaire.

The students from two fifth grade classrooms were chosen to complete the student

questionnaire. The parent questionnaires were given to the PTA president for distribution.

It was then the PTA presidents responsibility to find parents to partake in the survey.

Specifications for Instruments and Protocols

A brief paper questionnaire was made as the data collection instrument for each targetpopulation group. The questionnaires consisted of a variety of open ended, yes/no, Likert

rating, and short answer questions. The questionnaires were divided into three main

sections: Computer Usage and Accessibility, Communication, and Interest Level and

Support Needed.

Data Analysis

Survey Results: Teachers

Determining the teachers accessibility, comfort level, and interest with using computers

is essential. These results are based upon on 11 out of 12 surveys being returned. Allteachers surveyed use computers and the Internet. All but 2 teachers had Internet

accessibility at home. But for those teachers, they will be able access the Internet at

school. All teachers spent time on the computer for at least 1 hour a week. The majority

of teachers 10 out of 11 spent at lease 3 hours a week. All teachers use the computer for

some reason during the week. Due to this experience using the computer this project is

not asking them a machine that is unfamiliar to them. It will only be the software

program that will be new.


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Correspondence between classroom teachers and parents is something that is found in

every classroom throughout the school. Currently communication is conducted through

face-to-face meetings and written methods such as newsletters and notes. It was noted

for the most part that teachers send notes home more than parents send notes to the

teacher, but it was something that every teacher does.

All but three teachers showed some interest in the project. While three wanted it very

much the rest of the teachers were only somewhat interested. Most of the teachers

seemed to be enthusiastic about the project when talked to about it, but it would have to

be a structured learning process and support given. While the majority of teachers

wanted to create classroom websites, most only wanted to spend 1hour or less per week

maintaining it. Three said that they would spend up to three hours per week.

There were several different topics they would like to be present on their websites. The

top three items were Homework, Classroom News, and a Calendar of Events. Some of

the other items included were supply lists, rules, and website links. There is some

consensus on what topics should be included on the sites so with compromise astandardized list for all teachers will be easy to agree on.

Survey Results: Parents

The PTA president due to her connections and presence distributed parent surveys with

the parent community. She asked 30 parents to participate in the survey. The total

number of parents that returned completed surveys was 9. All of the parents had

computer access at home and regularly read/write email and use the Internet to view

websites. Being part of the school community I believe that this number is

disproportionately high. Even though 100% of surveys returned indicated some use of

computers it can be assumed with relative certainty that the actual percentage of parentsthat use computers and have Internet access is around 60 to 70 percent. All parents use

the computer at least 2-3 hours a week with about 60% using the computer more than five

hours a week.

All parents indicated that they communicate with their childs teacher at some point

throughout the year. About 80% receive written notices from their teacher often and

about half of the parents send notes to their child teacher.

There were an overwhelming number of parents that indicated a strong interest in having

classroom websites. 60% indicated that they have to have it and the rest checked that

they wanted it very much. There was a wide range of items that they would like to see

posted on their childs classroom website. The top three items were progress reports,

homework and current events. Other categories of information desired were teacher wish

lists, field trips, and email capabilities.

Survey Results: Students

These survey results are from one 4th

grade classroom. All of the students in the class

were asked to participate and complete the surveys. Out of the thirty students who were


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given the surveys 16 of them returned them completed. Before the students participatedin the survey they each received parental permission.

There was an approximate return rate of 50%. All of the students indicated that they use

the computer at school and all but one use the computer at home. The number one

activity that students used the computer for at school was research. Other activitiesincluded typing, games, and skill reinforcement. Conducted research was also thenumber one reason for using the computer at home. The students indicated a wide

variety of other computer usage activities. These included games, homework, andsearching for music. The majority of students (9) spent more than 5 hours a week. The

other students usage ranged from 1 to 4 hours.

All but two of the students receive notes from their teacher and they all would like to beable to read those notes on line instead of the paper notes. All of the students were given

homework and all but one wanted to be able to access their homework assignments online. About 75% of them wanted other people outside of their class to be able to see what

was going on in their classroom.

There was a high percentage (85%) of students that wanted a classroom website with themajority indicating that they have to have it. They indicated a variety of things that

they would like to see on the site. The top two items were their weekly homeworkassignments and information about the subjects/content they were learning. Other top

items were grades, weekly notes, and previews of what was going to be taught next.

Reliability of Data

The data collected represents a very small group of the targeted population, and furtherdata collection would increase the probability of getting valid, reliable data. As with any

qualitative analysis, the biases of the analysts could affect the data. The interpretation ofthe data could be skewed, based on past experiences of the analysts.

The data collection process was not conducted exclusively by the designer of the data

collection instrument. The designer was responsible for administering the teacher survey.The other surveys were the PTA presidents responsibility to distribute the parent survey,

and two classroom teachers were chosen to distribute the student survey. The surveyswere distributed, administered and returned when completed

To assist in judging if the data is reliable, it would be important to know how the parentswere selected to participate in the survey. In addition, reliability of the data could beassessed further if participation in the survey by individual students was voluntary or

mandatory and to know how the teachers presented the survey to their students. Otherfactors affecting the reliability of data are prior group discussion of the topic, ability of

participants to view each others answers, and attitude of the parents and students whenhanded the survey. The amount of emphasis, usage, and frequency of computer use in

the chosen classrooms might effect the students familiarity with and desires forclassroom websites.


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Findings

All of the teachers use a computer for some reason or another whether at school or at

home. Also, all of the teachers have access to an Internet connected computer. It was

also determined that all teachers have the basic keyboarding skills required to participate

in the project. They are all quite familiar with basic software programs and all are able tolearn new software programs. All teachers have previous experience in attending

professional development workshops to learn and implement a new skill.

An extremely high percentage of people surveyed indicated a moderate to strong interest

in the project. So it can be assumed with high certainty that the entire school community

would like to have classroom websites. This high interest combined with the principals

vision of technology integration at the school will insure the projects implementation.

School community members will be provided with the appropriate training and support to

complete the project.

All members of the learning community will need support. However, the types andfrequency of support will vary depending on each specific target audience group.

Teachers will need training, practice, and access to the software program used to create

the websites. Parents will need to be made aware of how to access the sites from a

computer. It is quite possible that some parents might not have computer access at home

and will need to be given some alternative methods of website access. Basic computing

instruction could be given to help parents who might have access to a computer but not

know how to use one. All students have had formal computer usage training in school so

they will be prepared to learn how to access their classroom websites.

Recommendations

Training workshops for teachers, parents, and students need to be created and

implemented

Teacher Training needs to consist of an introduction, guided instruction, and time

to practice skills learned

Parent Workshop needs to consist of an introduction to and practice with

accessing and using the websites

Student Workshop needs to consist of an introduction to and practice with

accessing and using the websites

Teachers need time to create their websites, after which a follow up workshop to address

and troubleshoot problems

Support and guidance needs to be provided to all participants throughout the when

needed


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Parent Survey Results

Number of parent respondents: 9

Computer Usage and Accessibility

QUESTION YES NO

DO YOU HAVE COMPUTER ACCESS AT HOME? 9

DO YOU HAVE COMPUTER ACCESS IN ANOTHER

LOCATION?

9

DO YOU HAVE INTERNET ACCESS AT HOME? 9

USAGE: READ EMAIL 9

USAGE: WRITE/SEND EMAIL 9

USAGE: VIEW WEBSITES 9

How much time do you spend on the computer (per day):

1 HOUR OR LESS 2 -3 HOURS 4-5 HOURS MORE THAN 5

HOURS

3 3 3

How much time do you spend on the computer (per week):


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HOURS

1 2 6

Communication with Teacher

How often do you speak with your childs teacher face to face?

NEVER RARELY SOMETIMES OFTEN ALWAYS

3 3 3

How often do you send written notes to your childs teacher?


4 2 3

How often do you receive written notes from your childs teacher?


2 4 3

Interest Level and Support Needed

How interested are you in a classroom website that is easy to use and access?

NOT AT ALL SOMEWHAT VERY MUCH HAVE TO HAVE IT


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Student Survey Results

Number of student respondents: 16


Do you use the computer at school?

YES NO

16 0

What do you use the computer for at school?

RESEARCH 14

READING 1

SCIENCE 1

CLASS WORK 1

TYPING 2

GAMES 1

Do you have a computer at home?

YES NO


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15 1

What do you use the computer for at home?

RESEARCH 9

LISTEN TO MUSIC 2

GAMES 7

HOMEWORK 4

EBAY 2

CHATTING 1

TYPING 1

CARTOONS 2

How much time do you spend on the computer (per week)?


HOURS

4 1 2 9


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QUESTION YES NO

DOES YOUR TEACHER SEND NOTES HOME WITH YOU? 14 2

WOULD YOU LIKE TO READ YOUR TEACHER NOTES ON

LINE?14 2

DOES YOUR TEACHER GIVE YOU HOMEWORK? 16 0

WOULD YOU LIKE TO FIND YOUR HOMEWORK

ASSIGNMENTS ON LINE?15 1

WOULD YOU LIKE OTHER PEOPLE NOT IN YOUR CLASS TO

SEE WHAT YOU ARE DOING ON LINE?12 4


How interested are you in creating a classroom website that is easy to use and access?


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1 1 6 8

If your classroom had a website you could view, what kind of things would you like to

see?

WHAT WE ARE LEARNING/REVIEW 7

WHAT WE ARE GOING TO LEARN/NEW

THINGS

2

NOTES 2

FIELD TRIPS 1

HOMEWORK 7

GRADES/POINTS ACCUMULATED 4


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Teacher Survey Results

Number of teacher respondents: 11


QUESTION YES NO LIMITED

DO YOU HAVE COMPUTER ACCESS IN

CLASSROOM?8 1 1

DO YOU HAVE COMPUTER ACCESS IN

ANOTHER LOCATION?9 2

DO YOU HAVE INTERNET ACCESS IN THE

CLASSROOM?8 2 1

DO YOU HAVE INTERNET ACCESS AT HOME? 9 2

USAGE: READ EMAIL 11

USAGE: WRITE/SEND EMAIL 11

USAGE: VIEW WEBSITES 11

USAGE: DOCUMENTS 11

How much time do you spend on the computer (per day):


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HOURS

7 2

How much time do you spend on the computer (per week):


HOURS

1 3 2 5

Communication with Parents

How often do you speak with your students parents face to face?


2 2 3 4

How often do you send written notes home to your students and their parents?


2 4 5

How often do you receive written notes from your students and their parents?


3 1 5 2


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How interested are you in creating a classroom website that is easy to use, aces and

update?


3 5 3

What kinds of information would you like to see posted on your classroom website?

HOMEWORK 7

WEEKLY LETTERS/CLASSROOM NEWS 4

CALENDAR/UPCOMING EVENTS 5

ANNOUNCEMENTS 1

SUPPLY LISTS 1

CONTACT INFORMATION 1

RULES/EXPECTATIONS 2

WEBSITE LINKS/SUGGESTED READING 2

What kind of support would you need in order for you to create, use and implement?


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TRAINING 2

ACCESS TO COMPUTER/INTERNET 1

How much time are you willing to invest to maintain your classroom website (per week):


HOURS

6 3


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Websites With WordPress

Parent Survey


Do you have computer access at home? Yes No

Do you have computer access in another location? Yes No

Do you have Internet access at home? Yes No

Do you use a computer to read email? Yes No

Do you use a computer to write and send email? Yes No

Do you use a computer to view websites? Yes No

How much do you spend on the computer (per day)?


HOURS



HOURS


How often do you speak with your childs teacher face to face?


How often do you send written notes to your childs teacher?


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How often do you receive written notes from your childs teacher?



How interested are you in a classroom website that is easy to use and access?


What kinds of information would you like to see posted on your childs classroom

website?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________


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Student Survey



Do you use the computer at school? Yes No

What do you use the computer for at school?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Do you use the computer at home? Yes No

What do you use the computer for at home?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________



HOURS


Does your teacher send notes home with you? Yes No

Would you like to read your teacher notes on line? Yes No

Does you teacher give you homework? Yes No

Would you like your homework assignments on line? Yes No

Would you like to see what you are doing on line? Yes No


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How interested are you in creating a classroom website that is easy to use and access?


If you classroom had a website you could view, what kind of things would you like to

see?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________


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Teacher Survey


Do you have computer access at home? Yes No

Do you have computer access in another location? Yes No

Do you have Internet access at home? Yes No

Do you use a computer to read email? Yes No

Do you use a computer to write and send email? Yes No

Do you use a computer to view websites? Yes No

How much do you spend on the computer (per day)?


HOURS



HOURS

Communication with Parents

How often do you speak with your students parents face to face?


How often do you send written notes to your students parents?


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How often do you receive written notes from your students parents?



How interested are you in creating a classroom website that is easy to use, aces and

update?


What kinds of information would you like to see posted on your childs classroom

website?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

What kind of support would you need in order for you to create, use, and implement a

classroom website?

________________________________________________________________________


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NeedsAssessment SBA

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