Smart Classroom
Free Online Assessment Evaluates a School's Technology Needs
An educational technology
consulting firm has created a 20-question online assessment tool it
says will
help schools and school districts determine if they are prepared to
support the
technology needs of K-12 students.
Networld Solutions has
prepared the Education Technology Strategic Assessment (ETSA) as a tool
available to K-12 educators and technology managers. Among the needs
the
company said the ETSA will assess are the 21st-century
needs for
one-to-one computing, BYOD (bring your own device), classroom
technology, 10Gbps
network infrastructure and WiFi demands.
The 20-question assessment,
which can be taken at any time online, will
also determine an institution's
potentially unmet demand for Internet access, private-cloud file
storage and
e-portfolios.
The questions are divided
into four sections dealing with different components of a school's
educational
technology strategy and infrastructure:
- Education technology
initiatives;
- Project management office;
- Education technology
standards; and
- Information technology
organization.
The San Diego-based Networld
Solutions has been consulting for school districts in California on
one-to-one
computing and BYOD programs for 20 years. However, the company said,
this is
the first time it has ever offered its ETSA for free.
Examples of questions on the
online assessment include:
- Does your school have an
education technology strategic plan based on your school's BOE and/or
LCAP
goals?
- Are all technology
initiatives fully funded?
About the Author
Michael Hart is a Los Angeles-based freelance writer and the former executive editor of THE Journal.