EdTech Align - Easy way to gauge your proficiency level for technology integration.

A Guide to Interpretation of Your EdTech Align Scores

EdTech Align is a survey instrument designed to analyze teachers’ degrees of proficiency for integrating technology into their teaching practice. The following is your edtech proficiency report based on your responses to the survey items. This report contains graphical information and improvement tips. You can utilize the customized report and get advice for being a successful technology-savvy teacher.
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Participant Information

Name: Demo Decker
E-mail: student5@demo.edu
Age: 18 - 25
Gender: Male
Date / Time: 2017-04-27 23:44:16

Your EdTech Align scores at a Glance

Each recommended level of proficiency is based on research studies in the field of educational technology.

EdTechAlign Dimensions Your Scores Recommended Level
Creativity 80 (Low Proficiency) 87
Citizenship 80 (Moderate Proficiency) 85
Digital Literacy 80 (Low Proficiency) 87
Pedagogy 80 (Low Proficiency) 88
Leadership 80 (Moderate Proficiency) 83

Creativity

This CREATIVITY dimension assesses your ability to integrate technology creatively in your teaching. CREATIVITY and technology are intertwined concepts that enhance engagement and promote critical thinking skills. Using emerging technology in the classroom can improve differentiation so all students learn at their own level. Multimedia technologies allow for authentic real-world problems to make learning relatable. Additionally, a creative and immersive lesson motivates students to learn and can result in a better-managed classroom. Embracing your creativity through the use of technology will make a measurable difference in your classroom environment and the learning outcomes of your students.

Your Creativity score is 80 (Low Proficiency). You have a foundational understanding of creativity. You utilize technology when required but may overlook opportunities to incorporate creative experiences. Lack of creativity can result in lower student outcomes, decreased motivation, unengaged students, and classroom management concerns.

CREATIVITY strategies for low edtech proficiency:
  • Differentiate lesson content with interactive multimedia (e.g., videos, links, images, graphics, etc.);
  • Use the internet to provide real-world examples;
  • Invite virtual guest speakers to present in classrooms;
  • Use a computer or mobile device for interactive learning games to check for comprehension (e.g., Kahoot, Quizizz);
  • Develop engaging slideshow presentations (e.g., Pear Deck, Nearpod);
  • Integrate a learning management system to publish materials, multimedia resources, and online quizzes (e.g., Google Classroom, Moodle, Blackboard);
  • Use interactive displays for classroom activities;
  • Gather digital artifacts to use in student choice boards;
  • Use online calendars to manage deadlines and scaffold projects.

Citizenship

This CITIZENSHIP dimension measures your competency level in teaching digital citizenship to your students. Digital citizenship is about more than online safety. It’s about creating thoughtful, empathetic digital citizens who can wrestle with important ethical questions at the intersection of technology and humanity. As a teacher, you could help students recognize the rights, responsibilities, and opportunities of living, learning, and working in an interconnected digital world. Meanwhile, you could encourage students to apply critical thinking to all the media they use and consume; and to learn how to evaluate all these things ethically and effectively.

Your Citizenship score is 80 (Moderate Proficiency). You realize the importance of online etiquette and encourage students to evaluate the information they’re consuming and to navigate the web responsibly. You also guide students to explore ethical issues related to educational technology.

CITIZENSHIP strategies for moderate edtech proficiency:
  • Employ case-study instructional strategies;
  • Utilize an AI plagiarism detection tool;
  • Assign students a project to research and present on digital citizenship topics (e.g., online safety, plagiarism, fair use, copyright, creative commons);
  • Review creative commons resources with students for multimedia projects;
  • Provide a helper buddy for a student with assistive technology;
  • Present an expert in diversity and inclusion via video conferencing;
  • Establish a pen pal program with a classroom in a different country via a communications technology;
  • Moderate an online discussion about how cultural differences have strength and value;
  • Encourage students to record video diaries of their family’s cultural practices to share and discuss.

Digital Literacy

This DIGITAL LITERACY dimension measures your fluency in a digital society - both how you use and teach it. Much of the communication and information in our daily lives is facilitated by computer devices and the Internet. Navigating the contents of the internet - including news, multimedia, and social media - requires users to access, interact, discern, evaluate, learn, and create digital information safely and intelligently. Digital literacy involves critical thinking and combines technological and cognitive skill sets as you utilize edtech and research, create, evaluate, and communicate information.

Your Digital Literacy score is 80 (Low Proficiency). You may not feel literate when it comes to technology and the internet. That is okay! Digital literacy is a modern competency. A good way to prepare to teach digital literacy is to teach yourself. Consider searching the internet for websites and tutorial videos that explain digital literacy tips for how you can evaluate sources and stay safe online. Then, share the lessons you learn with your students.

DIGITAL LITERACY strategies for low edtech proficiency:
  • Research edtech for the classroom;
  • Ask colleagues for tips about tools to use in the classroom;
  • Attend professional conferences or professional development sessions on edtech;
  • Take the initiative to try new edtech tools in the classroom;
  • Ask for help from someone qualified for solving a technology issue
  • Be open-minded about using technology tools;
  • Develop the confidence to not be intimidated or flustered by technology issues;
  • Research different sources to uncover differing perspectives;
  • Teach students to change their passwords regularly;
  • Teach students how to utilize strong passwords;
  • Teach students not to give out personal information online;
  • Teach students that not everyone is who they say they are online;
  • Teach students safety protocols (such as turning off monitors and raising hands) when they discover inappropriate or confusing internet content;
  • Teach students to think carefully before clicking hyperlinks in email messages, as well as how to verify safe senders.

Pedagogy

This PEDAGOGY dimension centers on the purposeful and effective integration of technology into professional practice for face-to-face, hybrid, and fully-online learning. This dimension measures how you leverage technology for teaching, learning, collaboration, productivity, and communication. Improving the integration of technology into your pedagogy requires lifelong learning, and often involves research, trial and error, reflection, learning from others, and sharing your technological pedagogical expertise with the larger community.

Your Pedagogy score is 80 (Low Proficiency). You may feel uncomfortable with technology or not be sure about how to integrate edtech tools or digital workflows into your instruction. Your confidence in using technology may need a boost. Be an active learner. Try to learn from resources such as tutorial videos on the web and others in your institution. Slowly try to use new technologies where you can - the more hands-on time you put in with technology, the more comfortable you will feel.

PEDAGOGY strategies for low edtech proficiency:
  • Use cloud-based learning materials/documents;
  • Use a learning management system for classroom materials;
  • Use a learning management system for student work submissions;
  • Use a learning management system for storing students’ grades;
  • Evaluate digital resources for school appropriateness;
  • Research reviews on different online resources;
  • Review edtech tools’ star ratings in app stores;
  • Distribute classroom emails informing parents and guardians of classroom news;
  • Utilize a text-based mass-messaging system;
  • Use social media to share classroom news;
  • Use an identity-masking proxy number or profile to communicate with parents/guardians to retain the confidentiality of your personal information;
  • Utilize an offline gamification quizzing tool;
  • Use pre-built content templates;
  • Participate in technology professional development;
  • Passively consume resources on new technology tools.

Leadership

This LEADERSHIP dimension measures your ability to advance the edtech competencies of other professionals at your institution. Effective leaders research and share best practices with their colleagues, advocate for equitable access to resources, and collaborate with decision-makers to influence educational technology policy and manage innovation diffusion.

Your Leadership score is 80 (Moderate Proficiency). You participate in research and management activities that inform decision makers about educational technology initiatives. You model best educational technology practices informally to your colleagues and are an active member of professional communities in the field.

LEADERSHIP strategies for moderate edtech proficiency:
  • Participate in a professional development or professional conference opportunity;
  • Volunteer to serve on a school technology committee;
  • Share social media posts about edtech;
  • Curate and share a list of edtech resources for other educators;
  • Perform action research;
  • Consult with experts on management;
  • Conduct a needs assessment with stakeholders;
  • Collect data on an equitable access issue (e.g., self-study);
  • Advocate to administration for equitable access solutions for edtech;
  • Design inclusive edtech learning materials;
  • Collaborate on designing professional development with colleagues;
  • Perform a needs assessment and design professional development accordingly.