Running head: PERSONAL TECHNOLOGY SWOT ANALYSIS 1
SMARTHINKING's E-structor Response Form
(Your marked-up essay is below this form.)
HOW THIS WORKS: Your e-structor has written overview comments about your essay in the form below. Your e-structor has also embedded comments [in bold and in brackets] throughout your essay. Thank you for choosing SMARTHINKING's OWL; best wishes with revising your paper!
*Strengths of the essay:
Hello and welcome back, Jason. My name is Matt L. and I’m here to help you with your revisions. I would like to begin by saying that you do a nice job with your overall organization. You section-off your material neatly, making it easy for your readers to follow along. Well done!
*Jason 2721208 has requested that you respond to the Content Development:
I don’t see too much to be concerned about here, Jason.
*Jason 2721208 has requested that you respond to the Introduction/Conclusion:
Once again, Jason, I think you’re in good shape here so far.
Use of Resources:
Jason, there are couple of small things that might need to be tweaked a bit in order to fit the specifics of APA formatting. Your teacher seems to be adamant in enforcing the guidelines, so take your time and go through your essay carefully. For example, your section titles need to be taken into consideration. Sure, using bold is fine, but in what scenario? Also, the layout of your “References” page might need some additional polishing up. The APA handbook is at your disposal, so review it carefully and double-check some of those things to make sure you’re on the right track:
http://www.smarthinking.com/static/Document_Library/docs/writeman/3_15_02.cfm
Grammar & Mechanics:
Jason, I noticed that you used a semicolon instead of a colon:
…I have been afforded the opportunity to work in three levels of education; elementary, middle, and high school.
Confusing these two punctuation marks can lead your readers to think you’re doing something entirely different than what you meant. Using the proper punctuation will help you to avoid this, making it easy to realize what you’re trying to say. So, let’s go over the differences between the two. When using a semicolon, it’s vital that you have two independent clauses (or complete sentences) on each side: The car smelled horrible; we took a cab. Now, how is this different from how you use it in the example from your paper?
Now, colons are a little different. Although the colon has other uses in writing, its most important function is to act as a signal to the reader—it says something like “okay, reader! Here it comes!” It is important to remember, though, that you only use a colon when there is a complete sentence preceding it.
Incorrect = I bought: milk, bread, and cereal.
Correct = I bought a few things at the store: milk, bread, and cereal.
So, which piece of punctuation do you think would be more effective/appropriate for the example from your paper?
Sentence Structure:
Try to set-up your quotes—don’t just throw them in a sentence as a stand-alone. This basically means that you are using the quote, all by itself, in a sentence; you’re not setting it up within the same sentence and this is troublesome. Your readers, Jason, expect a set up for the quote, and including a set up within the sentence will help to show why you used this specific quote—it’s an analysis of sorts. Also, it shows that you made a conscious decision as to how you meant to use the quote, as opposed to letting someone else do the “talking” for you. Let’s look at an example from your paper:
Educational technology is also beginning to look similar to some of the concepts and ideas initially developed for entertainment purposes. “This means that students come to school knowledgeable about the Web and its potential, are comfortable using it, and expect learning in school to be more like learning on their own” (Schrum & Solomon, 2007, p.31).
See how your first sentence sets up the second? You should be doing the set up within the same sentence in order to avoid any potential issues. Let’s see how a sentence like that might look:
You could use a colon: Never underestimate the will of a starving man: “hunger can drive a person to do anything to survive” (132).
Or, you could use a comma: As people commonly think, “hunger can drive a person to do anything to survive” (132).
Using these two examples/models, how can you fix all of the occurrences in your paper?
Summary of Next Steps:
Jason, your paper is shaping up nicely, so let’s see where you could use some additional work:
· Make sure you are abiding by all APA guidelines throughout your paper.
· What is the difference between a colon and semicolon? When should you use each piece of punctuation, and how do you use each one correctly?
· Set-up your quotes—don’t just throw them in your paper.
· Proofread carefully for typos and other small mistakes.
You’re getting there, Jason, so keep at it! It’s been a pleasure working with you, and we hope to see you again here at SMARTHINKING.
- Matt L.
Find additional resources in SMARTHINKING's online library:
You can find more information about writing, grammar, and usage in SMARTHINKING's student handbooks. You can visit the SMARTHINKING Writer's Handbook or the SMARTHINKING ESOL (English for speakers of other languages) Writer's Handbook.
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Personal Technology SWOT Analysis
Damon Jefferson
University of West Georgia
Introduction [I would double-check the use of “bold” for your headings, Jason. Is this APA format?]
I am currently employed as a special education teacher at Therrell High School in the Atlanta Public School District. My job description has recently changed as of last year. Prior to last year, I taught an assortment of students with disabilities a course in Applied and Consumer Mathematics. This was taught in a self-contained environment. Disabilities included learning disabled, mild-intellectual disabled, emotional-behavior disabled, and autistic students. However, the district’s current initiative is to have all special education students placed in a general education class for all of their academic and elective subjects. Currently, I follow a caseload of students into these general education classes and modify instruction and assignments when needed.
Strengths
My greatest strength includes my ability to multi-task and meet expected obligations. In addition to being employed as a special education teacher, I am currently pursuing an educational specialist degree in technology at the University of West Georgia while working as a full-time musician at a church in Atlanta. Consistently meeting performance schedules, rehearsals, faculty meetings, and course work requirements can be challenging, but I continue to meet the expectations of each task. Another strength that I possess is my work experience. Because I am a special education teacher and certified to teach kindergarten to 12th grade, I have been afforded the opportunity to work in three levels of education; elementary, middle, and high school. These experiences have given me a good indication of what is needed technologically at each level.
I would also consider myself as having a great work ethic. Because I do not possess a formally trained background in technology, I have to work harder than most individuals to grasp all of the components associated with a concept. Acknowledging this, I am consistently persistent on practicing and trying out new devices and software [What’s the difference between “persistent on” and “persistent in”? Which do you think is a better fit here?]. I am thankful for the opportunity to be enrolled in the instructional technology program at the University of West Georgia because I believe it will equip me with the training and tools needed to be a “difference maker” in the field of educational technology.
Weaknesses
My greatest weakness is my limited experience with available software tools. I struggle with finding situations to effectively integrate it into the classroom for students to use. I do like to experiment with using new software; however, I am often hesitant to implement new software in projects or presentations. I tend to gravitate to what is already comfortable to me. Another weakness that I possess is my reluctance to seek assistance with technical issues when I initially have problems operating a software or hardware tool. I probably waste too much time when I could simply utilize the suggestions of a network of individuals with similar interests, because I am always conscientious that I need to exhaust all of my own probing abilities first. I also need to work on my patience. Although I show persistence with completing new technology-related tasks, I have difficulty accepting when something does not work as planned. Once I finally go back and implement the steps again, I usually find that it was often a careless step that was missed on my part.
Opportunities
Technology advancements are changing at a rapid rate. Advancements in educational technology in particular are starting to catch up with those that resemble the technology standards that were once only reserved for corporations. Educational technology is also beginning to look similar to some of the concepts and ideas initially developed for entertainment purposes. “This means that students come to school knowledgeable about the Web and its potential, are comfortable using it, and expect learning in school to be more like learning on their own” (Schrum & Solomon, 2007, p.31).
I have the opportunity to increase my technology skills to eventually become a leader in making sure that technology is integrated more effectively into the current curriculum at my local school. There does not appear to be a major emphasis placed on technology at my local school. Hopefully with the training that I am receiving at the University of West Georgia, I will be able to utilize my knowledge and help other teachers implement more technology into their lesson plans at both the school and possibly at the district level. However, I do realize the need to continue to look for new and effective technology tools in the future because it will constantly change. I think all teachers and anyone associated with making decisions about technology should commit themselves as a lifetime learner of tools that will become available.
“The people who will ultimately implement any innovation must possess sufficient knowledge and skills to do the job” (Ellsworth, 2000, p.68).
Threats
One threat that could possibly impact my ability to introduce and train other educators of some of the new Web 2.0 tools is the availability of resources. “Resources are broadly defined as those tools and other relevant materials that are accessible to assist learners to acquire learning objectives. If those resources are unavailable, acquisitions of those learning objectives will be significantly impeded” (Ellsworth, 2000, p.69). It is hard to implement all of the components that surround Web 2.0 tools and other technology devices without the necessary funding and support that is needed for fidelity. For example, there are no computers available for student use inside of their classrooms at my school. Instead, students are encouraged to use the computers in the computer lab or the media center to complete assignments. However, they can only use those computers if they are not being occupied by another class. A situation such as this does not offer enough opportunities for students to experience a learning environment that resemble a 21st Century classroom.
Another potential threat is getting reluctant educators to actually use some of the new technology concepts in their classrooms. Educators are often forced to utilize the newest concept only to see that it is abolished after a short period of time for the “.next best new idea”. [Make sure you are formatting you non-cited quotes correctly.] The challenge is to emphasize training and provide several models of successful implementations of technology at other places. With the proper training, educators will recognize very early that learning technology tools can influence and impact learning in the future regardless of the curriculum requirements.
Personal Technology Goals
My personal technology goals are to increase my skills in creating and editing images and video. I am attempting to become more proficient with programs like Corel Paint Shop Pro and Windows Movie Maker. I would also like to learn more about web page design and maintaining it. Although I know how blogs work, I am interested in creating one of my own. I believe they provide a great way to informally receive feedback on a thought or an idea. However, my biggest personal technology goal is to design a software tool that infuses music into a curriculum. Ideally, integration of this software tool could help improve student achievement for some of the lower performing students that I serve.
Personal Technology Plan
Completing the instructional technology program at University of West Georgia is my first step towards reaching all of my technology goals. Although I am only in my second semester in the program, I have gained so much insight and confidence with using technology. I plan to enroll in some of the educational technology conferences in the future that might help to keep me aware of the innovative ideas that are transpiring. It is also my desire to align myself with an experienced mentor to help guide me with developing the musical software program in the future.
Conclusion
The SWOT analysis is an excellent tool that promotes self-evaluation and reflection. Both self-evaluation and reflection are essential elements that must be embraced in order to truly fulfill ones’ destiny [Is “ones” meant to be plural possessive? Are you referring to more than “one” person here?]. It is easy to compile a list of what I think are strengths of myself. It is a lot more difficult to list weaknesses. However, it is important to acknowledge both to continue my development in the field of instructional technology. [This is good, but take it a bit further: why is it good? Who does it benefit besides you?]
References [Make sure you are formatting this page correctly.]
Ellsworth, J. (2000). Surviving change: A survey of educational change models. ERIC
Clearinghouse on Information and Technology, IR-103. Retrieved February 25, 2008 from: http://www.eric.ed.gov/
Schrum, L. & Solomon, G. (2007). Web 2.0 new tools, new schools. Washington DC:
International Society for Technology in Education.
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