ISTE Coaching Reflective Journal
Analyzing the Technology Landscape
January 24, 2025
A high quality mentor is a person who goes above and beyond being “a person who provides you with the tools, guidance, support and feedback you need to thrive in your career” (Maguire, 2020). The tools provided are based upon their personal experiences and are useful in multiple areas of need. The guidance they can give you will be customized to fit the mentee’s needs for their educational setting and student improvement goals. The mentor’s support is vital in reassuring strategies that are being used, introduced and for conducting additional research for new resources. Feedback is critical to determine what is working or not working, and to get an idea of which direction to go based upon that feedback.
A high quality mentee is “a person who will respect their mentor, demonstrate a willingness to listen and follow the mentor’s guidance, and is able to set goals, expectations and boundaries for the relationship” (Reeves, 2018). Whenever I have been a mentee, in life, in the armed forces, and in the education system, I am always eager to learn from others. I feel like it makes me a better well rounded person who can pass those traits on to whomever I may be a mentor for.
My specific collaboration style is to be open and honest in a non-threatening environment. Being open and honest allows for productive two way conversations where ideas can be spoken and responded to without negative connotations. A non-threatening environment is an environment in which everyone sits down and discusses items in a friendly manner instead of a boss to a subordinate situation where one person speaks and tells what is going to happen with feedback. There is still a structure to follow between a mentor and mentee. When I collaborate with administrators and colleagues, I am always professional but friendly in my conversations.
My personal vision and mission statement of technology is that it is a valuable resource that can improve the way we look at education. It can provide a teacher with methods to improve their instructional strategies, help them become more efficient in lesson planning, assignment scoring, and help with assessments and the data they provide. Technology can help students with project research, assignments, and a means to collaborate with others. Technology is the necessary tool for a synchronous and asynchronous learning environment.
An effective technology coach will ensure and “inspire educators and leaders to use technology to create equitable and ongoing access to meaningful learning” (ISTE-C, 2024). It is important we assist educators to become more aware of technology usage and its impact in the classroom. When a coach can make that positive connection with their mentee, it will improve the educators’ outlook on technology and how it will improve their student’s performance.
I’ve done a lot of research into Parts 1 and 2 and found some alarming information. I have reached out to our superintendent, principal, and IT lead on site. I have also researched our district’s website and policies. I am from a small, one school building district servicing about 790 students in a K-12 setting. I found our district’s technology mission statement on the website as well as student handbooks and the published 2024-2025 budget. I am still searching for the district technology strategy plan, which I have been told is outdated, how the budget of $80k for technology is being used, and what are the future technological wants and needs are for the staff. I am aware of the majority of the hardware, chrome books, windows desk top computers, a few cannon printers, newline electronic whiteboards and a server held internet system. Programs currently being used include window products, Google Suite of products, curriculum based programs and the Infinite Campus grading and attendance program. I am also still researching items that we are not using but still paying for. I have begun to seek information from staff members about what they feel are their individual and school wide technology needs.
Understanding the various technologies that are currently at our school and the emerging technologies that are coming up each day will all be considered when working with a mentee and for creating not only a yearlong plan but a several year overview of the needs of existing staff members and what may be needed in the future. Every mentee will need to know what our district currently has and how to implement them to create their learning environments. As the districts lone technology coach, I will partner with our IT department and make sure that each person, not only the mentees I will be working with, understands how technology can assist them in improving their teaching skills and student achievement. New technologies will need to be researched to determine if their capabilities will meet the needs of our teachers now and will be over the long term so the district can invest budget funds wisely. This will provide support to any long term technology strategy plans that I will create for district approval.
ISTE Standards for Coaches, (2024). https://www.iste.org/standards/for-coaches
Maguire, A. (2020). 7 qualities that make a good mentor (and how to find someone who has them all). The Muse.com. https://www.themuse.com/advice/how-to-find-qualities-good-mentor
Reeves, M. (2018). Characteristics of a good mentee. Togetherplatform Blog. https://www.togetherplatform.com/blog/characteristics-of-a-good-mentee
Needs Assessment Survey
February 5, 2025
The Needs Assessment Survey was created to determine where my K-12 district currently stands on instructional technology. An email was sent to all employees of the school district including the administration, certified, and classified staff with the survey link created using Google Forms. At the time of this analysis, I have 15 responses representing many positions of our staff. This includes: 5 elementary teachers, 3 middle school teachers, 3 high school teachers, 2 special education teachers, and two administration positions.
The 18 question needs assessment survey asked questions about the types of programs that are currently being used, would like to have, and do not have a use for. The same questions were asked about the physical technological devices found in the classroom or office. Six questions were dedicated to determining professional development and the district’s strategy or vision information. The final question was given for staff to give their personal input about anything technology for items they may have wanted addressed, but I did not specifically ask about.
The survey results regarding professional development and the current district technology strategy or vision are mixed. 73.3% of the staff do not know what the district’s technology strategy or vision is. More than half, 53.3%, are not aware of how to request a PD session with a focus on technological devices or programs. If a PD was available, 66.7% prefer its focus to be on programs instead of the available devices, Also, 66.7% responded that they do not need to know more about specific programs or devices. A question about how often a PD session should be dedicated to technology was spread amongst three areas: 40% responded yearly, 40% responded as needed and 20% responded with every quarter.
All of the remaining survey questions focused on what is provided by the district, not provided by the district but is being used and any current wants and needs. I wanted to determine what programs and devices are currently being used and wanted, so they can be included in a future proposal for our administrators and school board to consider.
The overall survey results have demonstrated to me that our districts technology needs to have a clear technology strategy or vision that every staff member is aware of. I am also more aware of some of the specific needs regarding professional developments in programming and how often that should occur. I will be creating a year long professional development plan dedicated to the needs of our district based upon the results and in accordance with ISTS-C standards 4.1.a, 4.1.c, 4.5.a, and 4.5.c. (ISTE-C, 2017). The plan will be adjusted as necessary with changes in technology and for changes in the learning setting such as distance learning as I currently teach in a physical environment and this plan will be created with the physical environment setting.
The commonalities between the professional development needs identified in the overall survey data and those by the mentee are plentiful. The majority of the mentees’ verbal responses fell into each answer as the majority of the other staff members responses. For example, she did not know where to find the district’s technology strategy or vision, unaware of how to ask for staff level professional development and wanted additional staff professional development conducted as needed. I can meet my mentees’ needs and wants by providing support to her as an individual, spending time during my preparation period or after school to address specific needs. The primary difference between supporting my mentee and my staff is that I can work with my mentee anytime she is available while with my school staff, it would need to be scheduled professional development time slot during a staff development day and approved by an administrator. Our current staff development days are completely filled up with other content that the administration would like to have covered since there are few development hours to be had during the school year.
ISTE Standards for Coaches (2017). www.iste.org/standards/coaches/
Yearlong Professional Development Plan
February 11, 2025
The feedback I received from my mentor was important in helping me see the sessions from a different perspective. She mentioned that one of the sessions should focus on using adaptive devices so that the session could be used to address the needs of some of our students who are in the resource program due to their disabilities. We have students who need a text to speech program, a speech to text program, and a physical device to use similar to a mouse that can be used to help a student use a chrome book as he was having difficulties typing on a keyboard. The assistive and adaptive session was added in place of a different professional development session.
The mentee did not quite understand what was being asked. She agreed with the 5 sessions, with the disability session above, as appropriate and straight forward to understand. She also expressed an interest in attending all the sessions as part of our school’s in-service training.
Obtaining qualitative and quantitative feedback from stakeholders is important in a technological coaching role as it allows the coach to gain perspective into what they provided to another educator and make additional adjustments to their coaching techniques and the information the coach provides. This is important when working with a mentee and small groups such as professional development sessions or with other individuals as needed.
Collaboration is critical in anything a coach does. A coach begins by giving information to an individual to help them with what they are doing to be more successful. This information is based upon what the coach learns from the individual’s background and needs. Before this information is used by the individual or group, a discussion is needed to determine if the material is appropriate and discussions are held so that both the coach and the individual’s can be allowed to make changes to better fit the needs of the situation. Using collaboration in this manner is in line with ISTE-C Standard 4.3 Collaborator.
Professional Development and Coaching Sessions
February 18, 2025
I believe that the three good characteristics for a presenter are 1: Be highly knowledgeable of the material being presented, 2: Having the confidence to present the material and being able to adapt on the fly, and 3: Being able to keep the group being presented to engaged using various strategies and activities. Two of the best engagement strategies for a presenter are having a set of activities that the students will get excited about by using their hands and the ability to relate content to either previous experiences of for future goals. Research and relating personal experiences are the best methods to be able to determine content and the quality of the materials to be used. Understanding the needs of your intended group, researching those needs and how you can effectively present the materials are methods for an effective coach to employ. An effective presentation is one that presents material in such a manner that the target group understands it, can begun using that information to improve student learning, and has the option for continued collaboration between the presenter and each attendee. The methods to conduct any presentation while be based upon the target group, time allotted, and location. Technology should be used in every session that is taught. Technology is a tool that can support learning more efficiently whether is is a mobile device in the outdoors or a device used indoors. Using technology to present a session for on the spot activities or research creates engagement. Some of the better skills to use when presenting are use of communication skills, which includes speaking and listening, having above average knowledge of the material being presented, and the ability to adapt and use life experiences to relate to the information.
I also believe that both coaching and presenting are basically the same with the following differences: a coach takes each person and builds a relationship, determines their strengths, and is always there to support them. I was a softball coach for over 20 years and this holds very true as I took each player as an individual, worked with their strengths while also improving their weaknesses to become a more well rounded player. . A coach also takes a personal interest into the individual while a presenter caters to the group. Being highly skilled at coaching and presenting gives an individual the opportunity to excel in teaching other adults. An individual with this skill set is critical for any organization they are apart of, especially a school district where professional staff development sessions are always needed to improve its adult learners skills. Facilitating group and individual professional development sessions is supported by ISTE-C Standard 4.5 Professional Learning Facilitator, 4.5.a. design professional learning based on the needs assessments and frameworks for working with adults to support their cultural, social-emotional, and learning needs (ISTE-C, 2017).
ISTE Standards for Coaches (2017). www.iste.org/standards/coaches/
Delivering Professional Development And Coaching
February 22, 2025
Based upon the end of session survey completed by seven individuals in attendance of the professional development session regarding assessments, the content of the materials was well received and even new to a few teachers. Everyone appreciated the information and how it was presented, especially the hands on components. The overall strengths included how each section was put together, clearly explained, and that there was time to ask additional questions during the hands on time about each program and how it best fits their individual needs, instead of the group’s overall needs. Everyone understood what the professional development session’s goals were and how they now can use the different types and methods of assessment to best support their classrooms. One weakness or drawback of this particular professional development session was the overall time allotted to complete it. I had to adapt to a shortened time frame to make sure I covered everything I wanted to which kept me from going into more depth about the advantages and disadvantages of using technology for assessments.
One SMART goal (Chen, 2025) I am creating is that by the end of the current school year, I will collect enough data from multiple surveys to determine the educational technology needs for our district and create a yearlong professional development plan for the new school year. This SMART goal is supported by ISTE-C Standard 4.5 Professional Learning Facilitator because a plan of multiple sessions will be used to create more informed staff. This goal will be further supported with the feedback received after each session conducted.
My mentees feedback about the individual coaching session regarding assessments is similar to the group session conducted. During the individual coaching session, she did not have many questions. It was not until she was with the group professional development session that she had questions come up. While I was aware she was a new teacher, I was not so aware of her educational technology abilities. She is eager to try a few of the programs I presented but does not have the confidence to fully do things on her own. I reassured her that I will spend extra time with her until she feels comfortable with how each program works. She will pick one that she feels will best suit her needs and we will focus on it. We will spend time on how to create the assessment, how to administer it and how to use the data as a result of it for future planning.
She told me that she thought everything was presented well, it was engaging and informative. She did not mention any weaknesses or shortcomings, but I think she may have been hesitant to mention anything as this was her first hands with a professional development session she has been a part of. After every coaching session with a mentee, a SMART goal (Chen, 2025) I will have will involve a collaboration time in which we will discuss what went well and what did not with that particular session and then discuss what will be needed in the future and how we can achieve those goals together. This SMART goal is supported by ISTE-C Standard 4.3 Collaborator as the relationship between the coach and the mentee will grow as a result of these discussions and the planning of goals together.
Chen, J. (2025) How to write SMART goals for educational technology. Complete Connection. https://www.completeconnection.ca/how-to-write-smart-goals-for-educational-technology/
Delivering Professional Development And Coaching Session Revision
March 1, 2025
I have grown in many ways as a professional throughout this program. When I first began, I was looking for the advanced degree and did not know much about this program other than it will help me understand what technology can do within the education system. I did not know that it would help shape me in becoming a coach promoting technology for the classroom and being a mentor for other staff members. I have a better understanding of how the brain works, the many theories associated with learning, and countless programs and technologies that are available. Through this graduate program I have learned how to effectively use technology in the classroom, teach other staff members the importance of and use of technology in education, and how to create a long term plan for implementing educational technology for a school district. I have grown from being a schoolteacher in the classroom to a highly technologically aware teacher and coach who is able to elevate everyone around me.
I will continue to develop my skills by staying current on educational technologies, researching methods that promote new learning strategies, attending educational technology conferences, and conducting regular training sessions to help support my fellow staff members. I will continue to use collaborations and feedback to guide me and to improve my coaching methods. I will also continue to stay current with emerging technologies by utilizing PLN’s, attending conferences and advanced training seminars. With today’s journal entry, I have covered all but one of the seven coaching domains under the ISTE-C Standards, more specifically, 4.1.e., 4.2.c., 4.3.a., 4.4.d., 4.5.b., and 4.7. c..
STE Standards for Coaches (2017). www.iste.org/standards/coaches/