Standard 1.

2 Strategic Planning

The candidate will facilitate the design, development, implementation, communication, and evaluation
of technology-infused strategic plans.

This artifact was completed during ITEC 7410, Instructional Technology Leadership. This SWOT
analysis was completed to illustrated strengths and weaknesses at Elkins Pointe Middle School. Using
the SWOT analysis, technology leaders can identify opportunities for growth and identify specific
barriers to growth. Specifically, this artifact describes the current reality at Elkins Pointe with regards to
the schools ability to provide effective and authentic learning opportunities through technology
integration. Using the Essential Conditions (ISTE, 2017), the SWOT describes the current role that
technology does or does not play in providing authentic learning opportunities for students.

This artifact demonstrates the ability to facilitate the design and development,
implementation, communication, and evaluation of a technology-infused strategic plan. The SWOT
was designed and developed through careful observation and analysis of Elkins Pointe’s current reality
based on the current ISTE technology standards. In addition to data from previous surveys and
observations, a specific survey was created to ensure that the design and development of the new
SWOT was tailored to the specific needs and strengths at Elkins Pointe. Throughout the process, it was
important to be specific in my communication with administration and staff with regards to the current
reality, the needs of the school, and how the new SWOT would impact student learning and school
improvement. After completing the SWOT, I made specific points to illustrate to the administration and
the staff the specific areas of need. Fortunately, Elkins Pointe has a supportive administration and a staff
that is eager to personalize learning and effectively incorporate technology to support effective
instruction. The implementation of the new technology-infused strategic plan was supported by the
Vanguard team members (5), the KSU Instructional Coach (1), and grade level representative (4), and a
member of the administration team (1). This eleven member team met weekly to showcase areas of
gains and strengths, followed by a discussion of how the new strategic plan recommendations are being
achieved. This group continues to communicate regularly through grade level meetings (held weekly) on
the impact of the recommendations from the new strategic plan. To effectively evaluate the
effectiveness of the SWOT, we continue to look at our same data points and periodically issues surveys.
The weekly grade level meetings are the most effective indicator on the effectiveness of the
recommendations, as teachers have a platform to share the impact on their specific classroom.

One of the things that is evident when planning any changes in a school building is how many
moving parts there are that impact one thing during a school day. Effectively incorporating technology
into the classroom requires flexibility and the ability to adapt to individual student needs. One thing that
I noticed when preparing this SWOT was that school wide changes and decisions have to sensitive to
how it may impact individual student learning. With so many different students, teachers, learning and
teaching styles, and of course the non-negotiables from district, state, and national funding sources are
constantly providing new obstacles to making changes in a school building. What I learned from this
experience is that in order to make successful changes with regards to technology infusion, it is
important to be specific in the purpose for the change. And this begins with being specific when
identifying a need. By taking the time to truly gather, analyze, and reflect on data prior to initiating
change, it was much easier to gain the support of the administration, staff, and students when
recommending changes for the school.
 This artifact helps to impact school improvement, faculty development, and student learning by
stating clear areas of need and presenting specific and focused changes to increase areas of growth.
Specifically, the SWOT identifies four areas of strength, weakness, opportunities, or threats. By being
aware of these four areas, decision making teams can be intentional in the changes they are making.
This leads to the administration being more aware of the specific and current needs of their students
and teachers, which will lead to more effective professional development, which will lead to better
instruction in the classroom. Staff will be more intentional in their lesson planning in order to achieve
the goals of the updated strategic plan, knowing that the recommendations are tailored to their
students and their classroom. Ultimately, if the recommendations are effective, it will be evident in the
data observed by the stakeholders (administration, KSU instructional coach, grade level representatives)
and will show an effective path for professional development at Elkins Pointe.