PERSONAL TECHNOLOGY SWOT ANALYSIS 1

Personal Technology SWOT Analysis, Goals, and Plan

Michelle L. Rogers

MEDT 8463- Dr. Linda Haynes

University of West Georgia

Personal Technology SWOT Analysis, Goals, and Plan

Technology has become a part of my everyday life considering that I have become reliant

on my smart phone, my computer, my IPAD to read, and several other technological tools.

Being a 9th Grade Literature and Composition teacher at East Coweta High School, I also use

some form of technology to incorporate into my classroom by including technology in my lesson

plans, promote inquiry-based learning, assess students, provide feedback to students and parents,

and keep an open form of communication even when my students are at home. Finally, I have

dedicated my studies to technology as I have received my M.Ed in Instructional Technology and

am currently pursuing my Ed.S in the same field in order to strengthen my skills as an educator

devoted to implementing effective technology in the classroom.

Strengths

I think one of my major strengths is my desire to learn about technology and new ways of

effectively implementing technology into my classroom. As I have studied Instructional

Technology, I have learned that one of the reasons that effectively implementing technology is

failing is due to the fact that some teachers are not willing to learn about using technology in a

practical manner; however, I am always seeking new ways to incorporate technology into the

classroom in order to improve myself as an educator and student in a technology program.

Not only do I have the desire to learn, but I am also a fast learner. Because technology is

ever-evolving and developing, I like to stay updated with the newest, popular computer and

phone applications. I also like to stay updated on what my students are interested in so I can

obtain their interests and maintain relevant lessons. For example, my students were recently

involved with memes and Snapchat in their personal lives, so I had students create a Snapchat

profile for a character in order to study character analysis and create their own memes that

reflected their creativity and application of the text all while using modern technology.
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Weaknesses

Although I am a fast learner, and I have an extreme interest learning about implementing

effective technology in the classroom, I do not have a lot of knowledge when it comes to

hardware. For example, I love to use my LCD projector connected to my main computer in my

classroom, but when problems with the projector arise, I oftentimes have to seek the media

specialist for help. Also, last year every student and teacher in Coweta County received Google

Chromebooks, and I will admit that I am not strong with troubleshooting problems with the

chromebooks either. Oftentimes if students have a problem with their chromebook, I found that

other students can actually help them better than I can.

Since Google Chromebooks have been provided for every student and teacher at my

school, it is obvious that we are encouraged to utilize Google applications which is also a

weakness for me. I am so comfortable using Microsoft Office applications so I have trouble

using Google Applications. Although Microsoft Office and Google applications are similar, they

are not the same so I believe that a weakness of mine is that I have a tendency to sticking to what

I am comfortable with when I find a software that I feel I can expertly operate.

Opportunities

I look forward to witnessing and becoming a part of how technology will become even

more prominent in schools in Coweta County thanks to the funding for Google Chromebooks

given to all teachers and students. Having equal access to a computer and internet connection

opens the door for several opportunities to implement effective technology in the classroom.

Since the Google Chromebooks were implemented last year, most of the year was spent trying to

figure out how to utilize the chromebooks and getting students and teachers acquainted with this
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tool; therefore, I am excited to see how teachers and administrators can utilize Google

Chromebooks effectively in the classrooms and in professional developments.

Although I graduate with my Ed.S in July, I am still looking forward to improving my

education in technology as I continue my career in education. Like technology, education is

constantly evolving and developing so I am looking forward to what I will learn in the future. I

once heard that the trick to being a teacher is that you must never fall out of love with learning,

and I am looking forward to the future and watching how technology grows in the classroom

while I learn more ways to effectively utilize it in the classroom.

Threats

One of the major threats to achieving effective technology in the classroom is lack of

adequate training for teachers who are not comfortable implementing technology in the

classroom. Professional development led by school leaders would benefit every teacher,

especially those who are hesitant about technology anyway; however, such professional

development should be planned so that teachers do not feel like it is a waste of time, but rather

can interact, learn, and leave the professional development with a concept that they can actually

use.

Personal Technology Goals

My personal technology goals are to stay updated with current technology trends in order

to use in my classroom for character analysis, plot analysis, determining theme, etc. I would also

like to learn how to better utilize Google applications since they are becoming predominant in

Coweta County. I would like to learn to use Google Docs, Google Slides, Google Sheets, and

Google Classroom instead of Microsoft Office Applications.

I have always had the personal goal of creating a website for my classroom, but I have

not had all the resources or the time to devote to making this website. I would like to have a

website where students can access my syllabus, notes, videos, reading material, assignments, and

rubrics. Honestly, my goal has nearly diminished when Google Classroom became well known

in my school and every teacher was encouraged to use it, but I still would like to create a website

and eventually help my Gifted students create their own website using a STEM-based project.

Personal Technology Plan

My plan for achieving my technology goals is to never stop learning. After I complete

my Ed.S in Instructional Technology in July, I will be better prepared to use technology in the

classroom due to the numerous tools, resources, and articles that I have been introduced to. I

would like to receive feedback from teachers who are proficient with using Google applications

and examine how the applications work for them in their classroom. I would also like to

complete research this summer and determine for myself how to incorporate more Google

applications into my own classroom.

When it comes to creating a website, my plan is to fulfill my goal by examining other

successful websites created by other teachers to use as an example. Since the only tool that I

know how to create websites on is Weebly, I would also like to research other, more successful

website-creators and determine which site I would like to use to create my own. Finally, I will

write my lesson plans for a STEM-based project that will allow my students to create their own

websites as a final project.

Conclusion

This self-reflection allowed me to determine just how far my skills, goals, and plans have

developed since I started my studies in Instructional Technology. While I have written many
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reports, examined many articles, and performed many experiences with implementing

technology in the classroom, I am excited that this is one field that you can never master;

technology will continue to grow and evolve allowing its users to do the same.