Do we know what we don't know?

An ICT Coordinator is often responsible not just for the curriculum plan, but also to ensure that it is deliverable in your context. To this end you could annually audit where your staff 'are at' with regard to their own ICT development, and you can then recommend to your senior management team how future professional development planning should reflect the identified needs.

 

Your underlying philosophy for this aspect of ICT Leadership should be:

• Identify and address the ICT training needs of your school and individual staff.
• Provide quality support and training activities for all staff in the use of ICT sharing effective practice.
• Review, monitor and evaluate professional development as an integral part of the development of your school.

10 steps to running a staff audit

1. Determine key questions from last staff audit to reuse (because you are interested to see whether there has been improvement).
2. Consider new questions relating to personal use (e.g. Can you access the internet on an iPad?)
3. Consider new questions relating to teaching use (e.g. Can you play video on your interactive whiteboard?)
4. Consider new questions relating to administrative use (e.g. Can you add a picture to a child's assessment portfolio?)
5. Consider new questions specific to your learning resources (e.g. Can you develop a Scratch resource to support the 'Gaming Scheme of Work'?)
6. Prepare and distribute the questionnaire to all staff if possible (management, learning support staff, etc.). Consider using web form technology to make this process quicker. (e.g. J2E, Google Docs, Fronter test, ...)
7. Set return date.
8. Analyse results in summary report for your file and publish to senior team explaining the priorities for the schools CPD plan.
9. Prepare ICT CPD Opportunities file, to include twilight, INSET, external and online professional development opportunities.
10. Review all staff members and recommend for each staff member which might be the best opportunity for them. Those whose needs are not met, consider setting up coaching/buddying arrangements.

It really is that easy.

In the Redbridge Fronter room there is a template for a paper staff audit that can be edited to suit your school.  There have been many attempts in the past (by Becta and others) to create a perfect staff audit questionnaire that can be used in any school.  I don't subscribe to that theory as it does not reflect the current needs and past journey of the school.  You need to develop your own staff audit based on now, and adjust it year on year to reflect your school's journey.

Question format

Each question can be of a format that provides you with measurable improvement over time as well as as some qualitative feedback.  An example from the Redbridge template might be:

 

4. Interactive whiteboards	1	2	3	4	5
Rate your ability to use this system (e.g. to make IWB files, to add resources, …)   What aspects do you feel you would like to develop?

. 

 or

 

6. Laptop trolley	1	2	3	4	5
Rate your ability to use this system (e.g. to use in classroom, to access internet…) What aspects do you feel you would like to develop?

 

or

10. Assessment tracking system	1	2	3	4	5
Rate your ability to use this system (to input assessments, review class progress…)   What aspects do you feel you would like to develop?

 

 

 

Some last thoughts

• This format can be extended as far as you feel you need to gather useful data.
• To automate the process you could create an online form like J2E, Google Docs or Fronter quiz
• Re-use some questions year on year – that allows you to track progress
• Ensure the CPD opportunities you provide directly respond to the results you get back.
• You may like to add a IT Support review section and/or a further comments section
• Ensure you put return instructions on the bottom of this sheet including date you will chase!

 

This post is part of the Redbridge Management Calendar (ICT-RMC).  If you have further questions please feel free to get in touch.

Alex Rees