TEAP Board Uses Total Quality Tools
 Identifies Future Goals

Ms. Ellen Kleinfelder
VP Region 3W

We have all had the experience of spending endless hours in committee meetings where the members "spin their wheels" trying to agree on major issues. Consensus rarely comes. In these situations, total quality tools can be used to help identify major issues and build consensus on actions to be taken.

TEAP Executive and Administrative Board members used one total quality tool called an affinity diagram at their September meeting to identify future goals for the association.

An affinity diagram is a data collection method used to identify and process large amounts of information in a short time frame in a non-judgmental format. Affinity diagrams are effective in a variety of ways by:

1. Building consensus among team members studying a problem.
2. Using spatial and interactive techniques.
3. Giving equal weight to all ideas.
4. Involving everyone in contributing ideas.
5. Allowing ideas to be grouped according to their natural relationships.

Affinity diagrams can be effectively used with all age groups and they give team members the opportunity to view ideas of other team members. Affinity diagrams work best with a large area (table, wall, or chalk/white board) where people can move around, post their ideas and see the contributions from other team members.

The affinity diagram process usually begins with a question members must answer. At the TEAP Board meeting, the question posed was "What direction do I want to see TEAP going over the next five years?". At this point each team member individually brainstorms their answers for the question. During the brainstorming session, each member writes three to five of their ideas on separate note cards. The ideas should be stated briefly in two to six words. Each idea is then placed in the middle of a table or adhered to a wall or chalk/white board so each team member can see and read it. This portion of the process should take about three to five minutes. If an idea is unclear; clarification can be made by the author, otherwise no talking is the rule.

The next step is to have the members silently place the ideas in categories. Once this is accomplished, a header card describing the category is developed for the groups. The TEAP Board identified 10 categories for their question. After the categories were identified, another total quality tool; Nominal Group Technique, was used to rank the issues and quickly come to consensus on the importance of the ideas. The Nominal Group Technique is a good tool to use when an issue is highly controversial. The technique speeds up decision making and gives evidence of where a group as a whole is headed. The technique puts quiet team members on equal footing with dominate individuals and allows every team member to rank issues without being pressured by others. Here's how it works: Each team member is given a set number of votes. A good rule to follow is the "One-Half Plus One" rule when a large number of items has been developed. For example; 10 categories were identified so 10/2=5+1=6. Each team member gets 6 votes. These votes, in the form of stickers, can be placed on any of the ideas the owner wishes. They may put one vote on six different categories or place more then one vote on categories about which they feel strongly. Again, no talking is permitted during the voting. When each team member has finished voting the results are tabulated.

The results of the TEAP Board meeting are below. The main headings are the categories. The number by the category represents the number of votes received. Items below the headings indicate the brainstormed ideas as they were placed into each category. In one hour, the TEAP Board reached consensus on the four most important goals for the association over the next five years.

What direction do I want to see TEAP going over the next five years?

• Providing leadership within the Technology Education field - 20
• Professional leadership
• Encourage members to accept leadership roles.
• Leadership, communication
• Leadership- membership responsibility
• Restructure to focus on helping the classroom teachers
• Make TEAP an organization that no Tech Ed teacher can teach without.
• Become more involved in the classroom.
• Staff development
• Create a functioning ad hoc strategic planning committee made up of 20+/- people to plan for the future of TEAP on a continuing basis.
• Professional "status" reality

Continue to provide curriculum development and direction - 18

• Publish and distribute Technology Education guidelines (updated) across the state.
• Identify and validate technology standards.
• Create a system for curriculum materials for technology teachers.
• Reopen discussions on what Technology Education should include

Promote a positive and consistent image for Technology Education - 18

• P.R. Tech Ed in local communities
• More aggressive approach to embrace administrative types into TEAP.
• We need more P. R.
• Better relationships with private sector.
• Technology as a basic effort
• Improve image at state and national level
• Make "Tech Ed' a household term in PA.
• Awareness of meaning of technology
• Provision for vision

Expand the pool of teachers to fill the shortage within the state of PA - 16

• Address teacher shortage
• Recruit and prepare sufficient certified Technology Education teachers for PA.
• Involve more future educators
• New faces; bring in more teachers to contribute
• Teacher recruitment

The next step will be to use other total quality tools to decide how to precede in accomplishing the goals. Anyone wishing to participate should contact Tim Vermillion at the address below. The TEAP Board wants your thoughts on the goals. Send your opinions and ideas, both positive and negative, to:

Mr. Tim Vermillion, 1998 TEAP President
Carson Middle School
200 Hillvue Lane
Pittsburgh, PA 15237
phone: (412)369-5428
fax: (412)369-5524
email: timvv@nauticom.net