Coaching Peers to Develop SMART Goals

This post presents one of my peers’ SMART goals, the action steps I recommended to support its achievement, and my reflection on the collaboration process.

SMART goal:

 Specific: What will be accomplished? What actions will you take?

 What: A Personal Development workshop package for Technology Integration.

 Who: Sino-International schools in Dalian.

 Target Weakness: Moving from tool-focused to pedagogy-focused training.

 Measurable: What data will measure the goal? (How much? How well?)
 Create a package (PowerPoint, blog/website). Share with at least 5 key contacts in my Dalian network.

Achievable: Is the goal doable? Do you have the necessary skills and resources?
With my experience of teaching in Dalian classrooms, and with the resources and knowledge learned in M.Ed. Program, this is a realistic and doable goal.

Relevant: How does the goal align with broader goals? Why is the result important?
This aligns with my teaching experience in China. The overall deficiency of schools in Dalian integrating technology throughout the curriculum and cultivating empowered learners. This will be a change of roles and an opportunity for me to be a better educator to teachers and students.

Time-Bound: What is the time frame for accomplishing the goal?
Identifying specific struggles, communicating with schools remotely, and developing a Personal development plan while not working in a school will present unforeseen obstacles, but are achievable in the next one or two semesters.

1. The action steps I recommend to achieve this SMART goal within a time framework of one or two semesters include:

•  Start small with accessible tools: Introduce simple technologies like Google Docs for collaborative writing assignments or other widely used educational apps. Before implementing or recommending, verify that these apps are permitted and accessible within the Chinese educational system to ensure compliance and usability.
•  Design sample lesson plans that continue to be aligned with TPACK framework: As this Personal Development workshop is first intended for educators, creating lesson samples that integrate technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge would provide clear guidance to teachers on how to move beyond tool-focused tools to pedagogy-focused tools integration. Adding step-by-step tutorials and classroom application ideas would be ideal. For example, model how a grammar lesson can use interactive tools to support both teaching methods and learning outcomes.
•  Pilot the PD workshop: Share the package with at least 5 key contacts in the Dalian network using digital channels (blog, or your own LMS), encourage teachers to adapt examples to their own lessons, emphasizing pedagogy-first use of the technology. 
• Collect feedback: Collecting feedback from teachers about what worked and what challenges they faced would help adjust the workshop materials and examples based on their classroom realities. 
•  Monitor progress: Plan a follow-up virtual session, if possible, to deepen training and highlight teachers’ success stories. 

2. Support of the technology integration framework chosen by my peer to attain the SMART goal

The SMART goal focuses on helping teachers in Dalian integrate technology in a way that supports language learning while aligning with the curriculum in place and being contextually appropriate. TPACK supports this since it emphasizes the balance between Content Knowledge (CK), Pedagogical Knowledge (PK), and Technological Knowledge (TK). For example, if the content to be taught is part of grammar practice, the pedagogy might involve collaborative learning and the technology to support it could be a shared Google Doc. This way, applying TPACK principals, the technology chosen directly aligns with the teaching strategy and the learning objectives. 

How TPACK informs the action steps

TPACK provides clear guidance that the tools used in lessons should support both content and pedagogy, rather than being chosen simply because they are available (Kurt, 2018). It is also important to consider the context and ensure that any technology selected is permitted within the Chinese educational system.

In addition, TPACK offers direction for designing the workshop package for educators in Dalian. This framework informs how the training should be delivered. Instead of only showing teachers how to use a tool, it emphasizes modeling why the tool is effective with specific content and the teaching strategies that best support that content.

Finally, feedback from educators will make it possible to adjust the workshop and check whether the balance among CK, PK, and TK is working in practice, or if one area is overshadowing the others.

3. ISTE Student Standards addressed in the SMART Goal and action steps include:

Empowered Learner (1.1) – Students use technology to take an active role in achieving their learning goals.
Digital Citizen (1.2) – Students engage in safe, legal, and ethical practices online.
Creative Communicator (1.6) – Students use digital tools to express themselves and communicate in diverse formats.

ISTE Educator Standards Addressed

Learner (2.1) – Educators continually improve practice by learning from and with others and exploring technology.
Leader (2.2) – Educators advocate for equitable access to digital tools and resources.
Designer (2.5) – Educators design authentic, learner-driven activities and environments that recognize student context.
Facilitator (2.6) – Educators foster a culture where students take ownership of their learning through technology.

4. Reflection about this process as a facilitator of peer learning.

Taking the role of a facilitator to help a peer outline his SMART goal and action steps was a new and fulfilling process that helped me learn how to apply best research practices while also considering his chosen technology framework (TPACK), contextual practices, and resources available in China. This process helped me guide him in identifying realistic strategies that can lead to accomplishing his goal in the short term.

The ISTE Standards for Coaches that I put into practice during this activity include:

Collaborator (4.3) - I collaborated with my peer in developing ideas for professional development strategies for educators that are practical and measurable.

Change agent (4.1) - I acted as a facilitator of innovation by encouraging my peer to think differently about technology integration and by researching possible tech tools that can be used in both the USA and China to create transformative learning opportunities.

Connected learner (4.2) - Through this exercise, I deepened my own learning while collaborating with a peer to generate new ideas for improving teaching practices for both educators and students. This process also gave me valuable space to reflect on my own approaches and perspectives.

The Essential Conditions might also support this work by providing the foundational elements needed to achieve this SMART goal. For example, shared vision will ensure that school leaders and educators see the value of integrating technology beyond tools.

Moreover, it is important that all students have equitable access to the chosen apps and platforms that must be accessible and approved in China to develop this project and the professional learning through the workshop package will highlight the need for continuous support so educators can feel confident in using technology meaningfully.

Through this experience, I realized that facilitating peer learning is not only about providing ideas but also about helping peers critically reflect on their context, technology framework, and resources available so that their goals are both innovative and achievable.

References:

Kurt, Serhat. “Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) Framework - Educational Technology.” Educational Technology, 12 May 2018, educationaltechnology.net/technological-pedagogical-content-knowledge-tpack-framework/.

Made with Visme Infographic Maker

3. Appropriateness of the use of this framework

Context: 

The Triple E framework directly targets the engagement, enhancement, and extension of lessons through intentional technology use. The higher education institution where I currently work provides students with access to technological tools for both distance and in-person learning. In the Adult Education department, particularly in ESL classes, many students can directly benefit from this model. One of our school’s initiatives is not only to help students become more competitive in English but also to support them in becoming digital citizens who can productively contribute to our community. The Triple E framework aligns well with this initiative because it emphasizes using technology to place students in an active learning role, rather than simply consuming information passively.

Relevance:

This model shows strong promise for our context. It supports current perspectives on technology use by encouraging educators to design lessons that are engaging, tech-enhanced, and connected to real-life situations. For example, many ESL learners need interactive, technology-supported lessons, such as simulated conversations or practice with everyday scenarios, that motivate them to keep learning and apply their new skills immediately. Implementing the Triple E framework can help adult education students make better use of the digital resources already available to them, while also guiding teachers in integrating technology more effectively. This is especially important since many of our students struggle with or underutilize these tools due to limited knowledge or experience.

Connections of Triple E framework to ISTE standards

The ISTE Standards for Educators and Students align closely with the Triple E Framework. The ISTE standards position teachers as learners and leaders who use technology to create meaningful opportunities for students to not only acquire knowledge but also connect it to their immediate contexts. This reflects the Triple E framework’s focus on engagement and extension.

As educators collaborate with peers to design more inclusive, technology-driven lessons, they empower students to become digital citizens who can curate information, solve problems or design projects. With appropriate scaffolding and support, all learners are given equitable opportunities to learn at their own pace, directly connecting to Triple E’s focus on enhancement.

Teacher evaluation and Triple E connections

At my institution, the emphasis on evaluation further supports this alignment. At the end of each term, students complete course surveys with both closed and open-ended questions about their classroom experience and teacher performance. Instructors and administrators review these results to make changes and improve teaching practices. This process naturally fosters the creation of more engaging, tech-enhanced lessons that make learning meaningful and applicable to the everyday lives of our college and adult education students.