The Needsd Assessment

As stated in a different Blog

Kaufman defines needs assessment as the process for defining the gaps between current and desired results and providing justification for identifying and choosing the way to close the gap. This includes collecting data and showing that the proposed solution will deliver the desired result, i.e. we won’t need to reframe and find a second-order solution.

I approached this needs assessment from the mega, macro, and micro points of view.
Mega: Societal Payoffs & consequences: Affecting all stakeholders (school, community, alumnae, parents, teachers, students & perspective students)
Macro: Relate to what the organization (organization = math class) delivers outside itself: How parents are informed of what happens in their daughter’s math class.
Micro: Individual or small group: Individual learning & way class structure affected

Project: Math Department Website

Personal Goal: To use the website to make my courses more learner-centered and less teacher-centered. To change my role to more of a coach/facilitator and less of a task master (as Perkins stated). (I know it’s an ideal/dreamlike goal!)

Current situation: “What is”
Salem Academy Math Department does not have website for posting information relating to our math courses.
Mega: Stakeholders (community, alumnae, parents, administrators, perspective students) not enrolled in a particular course are unaware of class policies, deadlines, etc. (This is an issue for a boarding school)
Macro: Parents are not aware of when their daughters have projects, tests, quizzes, etc. Regular communication does not occur between many parents & daughters and enough communication does not always occur between teachers and parents. This is a big issue for those students who board particularly the 8 – 10% of our students who are from another country.
Micro: Calculus course is too teacher-centered. Lectures are used to much for teacher’s personal taste.

Desire: “What should be”
Salem Academy Math Department should have website for posting information relating to our math courses.
Mega: Website would serve as a resource for all stakeholders about the Academy’s math program.
Macro: Website should serve as a link between parents & teachers and parents & daughters as well as a resource for students. Parents can be informed about their daughter’s classes.
Micro: Class Structure can move towards more of a “seminar” style. This could occur by posting readings, Powerpoints, weblinks for students and having them read/listen/access this information prior to class. Class time can be used to discuss, practice, and sum up what they learned on the assigned topic. I hope this will help make students more responsible for their learning and to retain the information better. (I realize this might not work for every math topic, but I’d definitely like to try it.)