From Now On The Educational Technology Journal The Technology in My Life Survey (revised in September of 1999) © 1999, JMcKenzie, all rights reserved. May be duplicated by schools and school districts only without charge for use within the district but all such uses require notification of the author All other uses are prohibited unless permission is granted explicitly. The Technology in My Life Survey In order to plan technology learning experiences for the teachers of this school district during the next five years, we need to know how many people need which kinds of experiences to help them feel comfortable and proficient. Your anonymous responses to the following items will help guide us in that planning effort. Section A Because technology is shifting the nature of our workplace and society, many people argue that teachers will need to acquire what is called technological literacy and competency. Others stress information literacy. Please mark each competency listed below to indicate how far you have progressed in meeting the competency. Then rate each competency for its importance (in your opinion) for teachers of this decade. Degree of Proficiency Ratings H=High M=Medium L=Low Degree of Importance Ratings H=High M=Medium L=Low Proficiency Importance Competency . . 1. Finding my way around computers, using menus, windows, the mouse and basic functions with confidence. . . 2. Knowing how and when new technologies may enhance my classroom activities, support stronger student learning and help me meet curriculum standards. . . 3. Locating the learning opportunities I need to advance my technology and literacy skills as new technologies arrive. . . 4. Identifying the connection between information literacy (making sense of information) and my curriculum goals. . . 5. Demonstrating how to use new technologies, including networks, for problem-solving, research, communication, persuasion, presentation and decision-making. . . 6. Designing and developing (alone and with team mates) student learning activities that will integrate new technologies into the daily life of my classroom. . . 7. Showing skill in using productivity tools for professional and personal use, including word processing, database, spreadsheet and print-graphic utilities. . . 8. Demonstrating knowledge of equity, ethical, legal and human issues related to information literacy and new technologies. . . 9. Developing an expanded repertoire of strategies to promote student learning with different technologies, including problem-based learning and student-centered inquiry. . . 10. Developing skill in showing students how to prospect, interpret and synthesize.

Section B

We are interested in knowing how you feel about learning new technologies and programs. Please indicate to what extent you agree or disagree with each of the following statements.

1. Most of the new technologies which have become available to me have been easy to learn with relatively little outside support and I am eager to get my hands on more equipment so I can teach myself more.

2. Most of the technology that has been shown to me would do little to improve my ability to teach or my students' ability to learn and think.

3. I have made enormous progress during the past year or so in learning new technologies to introduce them to my classroom.

4. People make far too big a deal over the management issues arising out of new technologies (scheduling, breakdowns, etc.).

5. I have been able to integrate the use of new technologies so fully into my classroom that I am not sure what I would do if they took them away from me or cut off the electrical power.

6. These new technologies have forced me to turn the classroom upside down and substantially change the way I teach or relate to the students.

7. My biggest fear of these new technologies is embarrassment in front of my students or my colleagues.

8. They cannot expect us to learn all these new technologies unless they give us much more formal training and extra pay.

9. I prefer to learn new things as an individual.

10. The best way to learn new technologies is to participate in formal training classes which show us just how to use the programs and how to integrate them into our classes.

11. Sometimes I feel that there is just too much change coming too fast without enough planning or support for teachers. I wish they would just slow down.

12. I have begun to enjoy teaching more than ever before because of the new power these technologies have put in the hands of my students and myself.

13. I do best with new programs and approaches when I can learn them with a partner.

14. All this new equipment and technology is basically one more bandwagon in a long chain of innovations which have made little impact on my classroom or my students.

15. Even though I have more to learn, I am really proud of what I have accomplished with new technologies and I am ready to share my inventions with colleagues both here in the district and at professional meetings or conventions.

16. I sometime feel that I have been left behind when it comes to technology. I don't feel comfortable with it and I don't see what good it will do.

17. I enjoy working with teams of colleagues building unit and lesson plans that translate these new tools into something I can actually use in my classroom.

18. I am disturbed by the disorganization, lack of reliability and pop culture so typical of much of the information coming over the free Internet.

19. I have come to value books, libraries and librarians more and more as I have explored new information sources.

20. I feel well prepared to take on any and all new challenges related to new technologies.

Section C

Please indicate your level of comfort and proficiency with each of the following:

H=High
M=Medium
L=Low

___ Searching for information with electronic periodicals or Internet search engines
___ Using electronic mail or listservs to communicate and learn
___ Employing electronic tools such as attendance or marking programs
___ Communicating ideas with desktop publishing programs
___ Communicating ideas with presentation programs such as PowerPoint or Persuasion
___ Searching for information with CD-ROM's
___ Applying Boolean logic to searches to target pertinent information
___ Expressing ideas with word-processing
___ Using databases together with spreadsheets to collect and analyze curriculum related issues
___ Creating charts from data to interpret and communicate findings
___ Modifying images with graphics programs to help communicate ideas
___ Employing computer simulations as a way of exploring curriculum issues and concepts

© 1999, JMcKenzie, all rights reserved. May be duplicated by schools and school districts only without charge for use within the district but all such uses require notification of the author All other uses are prohibited unless permission is granted explicitly.