Coaching Peers to Develop Smart Goals

This past week, I worked with Jim Lawson, a classmate in the M.Ed. program at Southeastern.  Jim currently works primarily at the high school level in the Moore County School District in Oklahoma.  Through his work, Jim has found that students cannot successfully remember their device credentials and passwords after taking an extended break from using them.  We worked together to develop goals for a task that he would like to integrate into his school district's practice.  Jim would like for students to create strong, memorable passwords that they will be able to retain from one school year/break to the next without having to reset them.

Here is how I suggested the SMART goals be structured:

Specific:  By the end of the school year, students will create a memorable password to log successfully into their devices and school accounts without having to reset their passwords the following school year.

Measurable: Assessment will be based on the percentage of students who need to reset passwords upon returning to school after their summer break.  If less than 25% of students need to reset passwords, the project will be considered successful.

Achievable: Students will receive structured lessons on password creation supported by guided practice sessions and real-world application.

Relevant: The goal aligns with the Triple E Framework by empowering students to understand how memorable strong passwords will help them protect their online accounts and personal information. This project also aligns with multiple ISTE Standards for both students and educators by fostering understanding in the areas of digital privacy and helping students meet their learning goals through authentic lessons and learning experiences.

ISTE Standards for Students:

Empowered Learner (1.1):  Students use technology to take an active role in their learning process and demonstrate competency in their goals.

Digital Citizen (1.2):  Students take action to protect their digital privacy on devices and manage their personal data and security while online.

ISTE Standards for Educators:

Designer (2.5):  Educators design authentic, learner-driven activities and environments that recognize and accommodate learner variability.

Facilitator (2.6):  Educators facilitate learning with technology to support student achievement.

Time-bound: The goal will be achieved by the end of the one-month period in which students have learned about creating strong memorable passwords and retested upon return to school after summer break.