Module 5: Reflection on The

Coaching Experience
OBJECTIVES
For this module, you will be drawing together all that you have learned from this course
to apply to your role as a coach and administrative trainer.
In Module 5, you will:
1.

Reflect on the coaching experience in this course in regards to the ISTE

Standards for Coaches.

2.

Determine your next steps for continued coaching work with the principal and for
your own coaching practice.

3.

Prepare for the Computational Thinking course.

Module 5: Readings
Carefully read the following article:
Crompton, H. (2015). Know the ISTE Standards for Coaches: PD and program
evaluation. (Links to an external site.)

Know the ISTE Standards for Coaches: PD

and program evaluation
By Helen Crompton 8/7/2015

ISTE Standards for Coaches 4: Professional Development and Program Evaluation.Technology

coaches conduct needs assessments, develop technology-related professional learning programs
and evaluate the impact on instructional practice and student learning.
While most educators understand the professional development part of this standard, program
evaluation can be more mysterious. Simply put, program evaluation is the systematic application of
methods to assess the design, implementation and outcomes of a program. A program that you
evaluate at your school or district might be a computer program for mathematics, a professional
development program, or the entire educational technology outfit at your school or district, including
hardware, devices, programs and initiatives. Large or small, a program evaluations purpose is to
uncover whether the program is achieving its desired results.
Effective technology coaches conduct program evaluations on a regular basis so they can best
understand if the educational technology they are using and professional development they are
delivering are positively impacting the students in the school or district. With this information, the
technology coach will be able to:

Design future professional development.

Manage resources, including hardware, software and people.

Improve program effectiveness.

Provide evidence of what is working well.

Document accomplishments.

Provide evidence to support an increase in funding.

One of a tech coachs primary roles is ensuring that teachers have the skills and knowledge they
need to use technology effectively with students. The table below describes three ways a technology
coach could conduct a program evaluation to determine the professional development needs of staff
at a school.

ISTE Standards-C 4:
Professional
Development and
Program
Evaluation.Technolo
gy coaches conduct
needs assessments,
develop technologyrelated professional
learning programs
and evaluate the
impact on
instructional practice
and student learning.

Approach 1.
To determine the
needs of teachers,
the technology
coach writes a list
of what he or she
thinks they need
at that time. The
technology coach
then provides that
training to the
staff.

Approach 2.
Using the ISTE
Standards for
Teachers, the
technology coach
conducts one
lesson
observation with
each teacher. He
or she also sends
out a survey to
ask the staff what
professional
development they
think they need.
Using the
observation notes
and survey data,
the coach
chooses one of
the PD options,
then prepares and
implements it.

a. Conduct needs
assessment to inform

Not
Addressed: The
addressed:There tech coach

Approach 3.
Using the ISTE
Standards for
Teachers, the
technology coach
conducts short
lesson
observations with
all teachers twice
a year. In addition,
he or she
administers a biyearly survey
asking the staff
what professional
development they
think they need.
Using the
observation notes
and survey data,
the coach
prepares and
implements all
needed
professional
development for
that year. This
system continues
throughout the
following years.
Addressed: The
tech coach

the content and

delivery of technologyrelated professional
learning programs that
result in a positive
impact on student
learning.

is no evidence of
needs
assessment in this
approach.

conducts a needs
assessment via
observation and
survey.

conducts a needs
assessment via
observation and
survey.

b. Design, develop
and implement
technology-rich
professional learning
programs that result in
a positive impact on
student learning.

Partially
addressed:The
tech coach
conducts
professional
development, but
it may not have
been the training
the teachers
needed.

Addressed: The
needs
assessment leads
to appropriate
professional
development that
the tech coach
implements.

Addressed: The
needs
assessment leads
to appropriate
professional
development that
the tech coach
implements.

c. Evaluate results of
professional learning
programs to
determine the
effectiveness on
deepening teacher
content knowledge,
improving teacher
pedagogical skills
and/or increasing
student learning.

Not
addressed:There
is no evidence of
evaluation in this
approach.

Not
addressed:There
is no evidence of
evaluation in this
approach.

Addressed: The
tech coach uses
the observations
and surveys to
evaluate if the
training met
teachers needs
and what future
training is needed.

The technology coach in Approach 1 has met none of the indicators for this standard. First, he or she
assumed he knew what was best for training instead of referring to the ISTE Standards. The coach
showed clear disregard for a needs assessment, which would be necessary to determine appropriate
professional development training. The coach would also be unaware which teachers most need the
training, as well as the specific content or skills they wished to learn. Teachers dont have much time
on their hands, so they want professional development to fit their needs exactly, and they often view

PD that doesnt meet those needs as boring and useless. After providing training, the coach also did
not evaluate the outcome to determine if it was effective for teachers or if it improved student
learning.
In Approach 2, the technology coach started with the ISTE Standards. The coach then gathered
input from the teachers via a teacher survey and observation of one lesson with each teacher.
However, the coach made no plans to conduct future observations. As a result, teachers were able to
get help for the specific content and skills they needed that year. But because the coach did not
evaluate the professional development, she had no measure by which to determine if it effectively
improved teacher content knowledge and skills in ways that increased student learning. Therefore,
this approach meets some of the indicators of the standard but not all.
In Approach 3, the technology coach knew that the typical one-off training approach does not work.
Instead, he or she implemented a bi-yearly cycle of evaluation and training, using the ISTE
Standards for Teachers to conduct classroom observations as well as a survey to gather teachers
input about their training needs. This initial needs assessment allowed the coach to customize
professional development for those teachers. The second evaluation then gave teachers a chance to
provide feedback about the last training session and follow up with requests for training needs that
still remained. This approach meets all the indicators of this standard.
Professional development is crucial for teachers to keep skills sharp and current. But to really
understand teachers often evolving PD needs, coaches must conduct ongoing needs assessments,
followed with evaluations determine if trainings were effective and plan for the future.
Samantha Briggs assisted with this article. She is a secondary science teacher in Virginia and
Washington public schools. She earned her M.S. in education from Old Dominion University, Norfolk,
Virginia.
Helen Crompton is an assistant professor of instructional technology at Old Dominion University in
Virginia. She is a researcher and educator in the field of instructional technology, and she earned her
Ph.D. in educational technology and mathematics education from the University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill.

Module 5: Improving Your

Coaching Practice
We partnered with you in modules 1-4 to provide you with a guided learning experience
in applying the ISTE Standards for Coaches. Your focus on the following topics and
tools in this course deepened your understanding of digital age teaching and learning. It
also prepared you for future coaching opportunities and the next ISTE online course.

ISTE Standards for Coaches, Administrators, Teachers, and Students

ISTE Essential Conditions and the Lead & Transform Diagnostic Tool

Technology Integration Matrix with Teacher and Instructional Setting Descriptors

After this course is complete, you will use the indicators and practices outlined in the
ISTE Standards for Coaches in order to support effective digital age teaching and
learning. As we mentioned in the first module, your future coaching practices may
include:

Personalizing professional learning through one-on-one and small group

coaching sessions.

Modeling and promoting effective technology use and digital citizenship.

Sharing resources that support administrators and educators in effective

instruction with technology.

Provide trainings and other professional learning programs that support the
school's vision and meet the specific needs of those you are coaching.

Just as the principal you

coached reflected on the experience and selected action steps that will advance the
implementation of the ISTE Standards in his/her school, now you will have the
opportunity to do the same.

1. Reflect on your own coaching experience in this course using the questions below.

What was the principal's reaction to this process?

What will be your next step in working with this principal to support them in
accomplishing their action steps?

What have you learned in the process of coaching this principal?

What might you do differently when working with principals in the future?

2. Then, use the ISTE Standards for Coaches to help you determine one action step you
will take in order to improve your own coaching practice.
3. Finally, share your reflection about your coaching experience in the module's final
discussion assignment.

Assignment 5: Personal Reflection

Due Oct 1 by 11:59pm

Points 0
Just as the principal you coached reflected on the experience and selected action steps
that will advance the implementation of the ISTE Standards in his/her school, now you
will have the opportunity to do the same.
1. Reflect on your own coaching experience in this course using the questions below.

What was the principal's reaction to this process?

What will be your next step in working with this principal to support them in
accomplishing their action steps?
What have you learned in the process of coaching this principal?

What might you do differently when working with principals in the future?

2. Then, use the ISTE Standards for Coaches to help you determine one action step
you will take in order to improve your own coaching practice.
3. Finally, share your reflection about your coaching experience in the module's final
discussion assignment.

Discussion Assignment 5: Reflection on

Coaching Experience - Group B
From
No unread replies.No replies.
Now that you have completed the course materials and the four coaching sessions with
a principal, share your reflection on your coaching experience.
Reflect
For this discussion, answer each of the following questions.
1.

What was the principal's reaction to this process? What will be your next step in
working with this principal to support them in accomplishing their action steps?

2.

What have you learned in the process of coaching this principal? What might you
do differently when working with principals in the future?

3.

What will be your own next step toward improving your implementation of the
ISTE Standards for Coaches?

Please note: The discussion page states "This is a graded discussion: 0 points
awarded." This is because all assignments in the course are graded as complete or
incomplete. Please be sure to complete all assignments and discussions to earn a
complete for the course.
Try to respond to the post early in the week, then return later in the week to respond
to others.

Preparing for Computational

Thinking
You will also be working with a principal in the Computational Thinking course that
begins on Monday, October 3.
Be sure you have communicated with your selected principal prior to the course start
date, especially if this is a different person than the one you worked with for the
Standards course over the last 5 weeks.
You will also be expected to meet with the principal at the school site or virtually each
week of the Computational Thinking course.