Technology Tools Week 5

After a long break, it is finally time to get back to work. This week we looked at software evaluation tools. At my school, the teachers come to me with the software, I review it, and purchase and install if approved. There is no real formal approach. It is just done via e-mail or phone. Looking at these evaluation tools gave me some things to think about.

Some of these evaluations were very simple, asking only basic questions about how it will be used and if it applies to state standards. The evaluation tool from Sun Prairie was definitely the most thorough tool and the one that our group chose to be the best. It covered the cost and standards and requested input and approval from administrators. In larger districts, this is probably a good idea. In a smaller situation, like mine, I fill the role of most of the people on the sheet.

I think it is a good thing to have some sort of process in place for evaluating and purchasing new software. It is something that I will put on my to-do list for summer.