PIEDMONT COLLEGE

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

Mastering the art of teaching: Preparing proactive educators to improve the lives of all children

 

I.          COURSE INFORMATION:

EDUC 250.1 MEDIA & TECHNOLOGY FOR EDUCATORS                              

Prerequisites:  None                                                                                                                  Credit:  3 hours

                       

                                                                                   

II.        INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION:

            Name:  Dr. James MacNeil, PhD.                    

            Office Location:            109 Martens Botanical Center 

            Phone Numbers:           Office: (706) 778-8500 Ext. 1195; Cell (706) 969-9153         

            E-mail: jmacneil@piedmont.edu or jimmacneil@alltel.net

                                   

            Fax Number: (706) 776-9608 

 

            Office Hours: Posted and Announced Outside Office

 

III.       TIME AND PLACE

CAMPUS:  Demorest     SEMESTER:  Spring   YEAR: 2006   

Time:    TUES & THURS 11-12:15

PLACE:           Martens Botanical Center Computer Lab

 

IV.       TEXT AND SUPPLEMENTARY READINGS:

Required:  None  
Supplemental Materials: Subscription to Live Text (available in Piedmont College Bookstore

Other materials as notified in class

Supplemental readings may be required as needed throughout the course.  These readings may include research, professional documents, and personal reading.  Also, copying some materials to share with the class may be required.

 

V.        PIEDMONT MISSION:

Piedmont College Mission:

Inspired by the liberal arts tradition and a historical association with the Congregational Christian Churches, Piedmont College cultivates a diverse, challenging and caring intellectual environment to encourage academic success and spiritual development.

 

To accomplish this mission, the college offers a number of major fields of study that are informed by the liberal arts, including specialized professional programs and selected graduate programs.  Instructional opportunities are also provided at distant locations to meet student needs.

 

School of Education Mission:

The theme of the School of Education is “Mastering the art of teaching: Preparing proactive educators to improve the lives of children.”  The School of Education strives to prepare reflective, scholarly, proactive educators in a caring environment with challenging and meaningful learning experiences.  These practitioners effectively educate their own students to become knowledgeable, inquisitive, and collaborative learners in diverse, democratic learning communities.

 

Specific ideals support our conceptual framework.  We advocate the democratic ideals of: equal rights and opportunities; individual freedom and responsibility; responsibility for the greater good; respect for diversity; openness to possibilities; and open, informed discourse.

 

ü         We endorse the following processes as a means of striving for our democratic ideals: engaging in participatory decision-making; collaborating in teaching and learning; collecting information from all constituencies; examining options and projecting consequences; nurturing open discourse; providing for field experiences; assessing processes as well as products; modeling democratic ideals in the classroom; forming communities of learners; and constantly revising the curriculum to reflect new insights and understandings.  Further, we endorse the development of a sense of personal integrity and of strong habits of mind (e.g., reflective ness, persistence, clarity, accuracy, and responsiveness to feedback). 

 

VI.       COURSE DESCRIPTION AND PURPOSE:

Catalog Description-- This course is designed to help teacher candidates understand and use effective curriculum that includes integrating technology in support of classroom instruction and management. Students will explore ways to help children build a knowledge base of current technologies that may include electronic devices that range from programmable telephones to video cameras and computers and will facilitate active P-12 student participation in the learning process. Students in the course will opportunities to work with basic as well as advanced technologies in addition to traditional media. The course will further provide participants the opportunities to develop skills needed to maintain professional competence in this dynamic aspect of their work.

 

One of the key goals of this course is to develop skills in technological productivity tools required by other courses throughout teacher candidates’ program of study at Piedmont College and for eventual use in their classrooms. As technology is a growing reality and daily occurrence in today’s classrooms, professional educators must be able to feel confident using computers and other technologies found in classrooms, and are able to integrate them in support of curriculum goals, classroom instruction, and classroom management. As college students and educational professionals, educators will use technology for research, organization, analysis, and presentation of information. The role of computers and the Internet as instructional tools will be emphasized in this class. Participants will deepen their understanding of the technology content, approaches, and applications that they will use to teach their own students. By experiencing the processes of technology learning, they will be better prepared to help students become active, engaged technology problem solvers.

 

VII.     SCHOOL OF EDUCATION OUTCOMES

            Core Candidate Learning Outcomes: 

The following outcomes, adapted from the 1994 INTASC standards (Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium) and updated fall 2003, are addressed in this course.

 

1) Learning Environment: The proactive teacher uses an understanding of individual and group motivation to create a caring, democratic learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, self regulation, and collaboration.  The proactive teacher fosters the ideals of a democratic classroom by treating students fairly and justly, providing intellectual challenge, and supporting students as they pursue knowledge and understanding. 

CO: 10, 14, 15

2) Subject Matter: The scholarly teacher understands and can model the central concepts, tools of inquiry, national standards, and structures of the discipline(s) he or she teaches and can create learning experiences that make these aspects of subject matter meaningful for students.  CO: 1-9, 12, 13

3) Student Learning: The reflective teacher understands how students develop and learn and provides well-managed learning opportunities that support students’ intellectual, social, and personal growth. The teacher documents student achievements and contributes to systems of accountability designed to improve schooling. CO: 11, 14

4) Diversity: By understanding that all learners are products of their innate abilities, preferred learning styles, and cultural experiences, the democratic teacher modifies instruction and assessments to meet diverse needs of all students. CO: 11, 14

5) Instructional Strategies: The proactive teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage the development of all students’ creative talents, critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills. CO:  10

6) Assessment Strategies: The scholarly, reflective, proactive teacher designs a variety of assessments including alternative assessment strategies, which (a) assess the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and dispositions expected in the subject, (b) offset the negative effects of high-stakes testing, and (c) encourage the continual intellectual, social, and personal growth of all students to become knowledgeable, inquisitive learners. CO:  10

7) Communication and Technology: The proactive teacher uses knowledge of effective verbal, non-verbal, and media communication techniques and technologies to foster active inquiry, collaboration, and supportive interaction in the classroom. CO: 3, 5

8) Planning Instruction: The scholarly, reflective, proactive teacher plans and manages instruction based upon knowledge of content, pedagogy, students, the community, and curriculum goals. CO:  11

9) Reflection and Professional Development: The scholarly teacher is a reflective practitioner who continually evaluates the effects of her/his choices and actions upon others, institutes research aimed at improving instruction, attends to the development of policies affecting education at the state and national levels, proactively seeks opportunities for the continual development of a personal pedagogy. CO:  9

10) Collaboration and Relationships: The scholarly, reflective, proactive teacher communicates and collaborates with other educators, parents/families, agencies and the community through democratic processes to support student learning and well being. CO: 5

*CO= Course Outcomes (See Section VIII)

 

Dispositions for All Candidates:

In addition to the common core learning outcomes, all candidates are expected to be familiar with the dispositions expected of professionals.  Their work with students, families, and communities reflects the following dispositions as defined by the School of Education faculty:

Scholarly:  Inquiring; creative; seeks solutions; thinks critically about theory and method; keeps current in discipline (conferences, journals, classes); pursues lifelong learning.

Reflective:  Bases daily decisions on in depth reflection, done frequently and honestly; considers many possibilities for problem solutions; stays open to constructive criticism.

Proactive:  Anticipates problems in management; anticipates problems and difficulties in instruction; addresses pertinent issues of school and community to support student learning; encourages students’ critical thinking, problem solving, and creativity; plans for important student learning; fosters visionary thinking and action; promotes mindful leadership to improve schools.

Democratic:  Facilitator; views others as capable to deal with problems and able to make decisions; promotes equitable treatment for all students; has high expectations for all students; seeks best interest of students they serve; open-minded; able to view other perspectives; accommodates individual differences; culturally sensitive in areas of communications, learning, assessment, and cultural norms; collaborates well with others; works for the good of the community.

Responsible:  Patience, professional temperament; aims to be the best he/she can be; good work ethic; punctual; recognizes when their own dispositions may need to be adjusted and are able to develop plans to do so. 

 

VIII.    COURSE OUTCOMES (CO)

            Upon successful completion of this course, the candidate will be able to:

 

1)      Learn to use the basic functions and features of a PC Operating System including startup, desktop use and management, working with a variety of storage drives, printers, and other accessories

2)      Produce a variety of text and graphic documents including document creation/ saving/ editing/ copying/deleting, and mail merge in available software

3)      Develop presentations using available presentation software

4)      Develop spreadsheets that include formulas, graphs, alpha and numeric data, statistical analyses, data extraction, etc.

5)      Setup and use various email systems to communicate with colleagues, course instructor, and relevant service providers

6)      Plan, design, create, and publish a web site in support of specific instructional goals

7)      Use browser software to locate and manipulate informational and instructional resources from the World Wide Web to engage in continuous professional development and lifelong learning

8)      Be knowledgeable of how to review, evaluate, classify, organize, purchase, and install instructional and productivity applications relevant to their instructional responsibilities.

9)      Be familiar with instructional resources available via the Internet, as well as other pertinent technologies, and plan for the incorporation of selected resources into the learning process.

10)  Review and reflect on a variety of print and electronic resources related to technology in general and instructional technology in particular as applied to student learning and empowerment.

11)  Design developmentally appropriate learning opportunities that apply technology-enhanced instructional and assessment strategies to support the diverse needs of learners and plan strategies to manage student learning in a technology-enhanced environment

12)  Identify instructional standards (i.e. Georgia QCC/GPS, ISTE) and plan for the incorporation of selected technology into instruction to facilitate learning for all students including diverse students’ special needs in self-esteem, attitudes, and the inclusion of the exceptional child.

13)  Be familiar enough with the repair and maintenance of technology equipment to perform elementary problem diagnosis and simple repairs.

14)  Plan, design, and, if appropriate, take part in a technology project in their classroom, school and/or system including: networking, upgrading, lab creation, or locating curricular specific software.

15)  Be familiar with the operation of common classroom technology including video cameras, desktop computers, laptop computers, video cameras, TV/VCR combinations, digital cameras and other instructional support devices that may emerge as learning support tools

16)  Apply technology resources to enable and empower learners with diverse backgrounds, characteristics, and abilities

17)  Use technology assisted peer tutoring strategies to provide appropriate learning environs addressing the diverse classroom as well as special needs in self esteem, attitudes, and the exceptional child.

18)  Develop strategies for the management of technology rich environments including safe and healthy use of technology and with an understanding of the ethical and legal issues

19)  Design a unit of interdisciplinary study to post to candidate’s online professional portfolio. The unit will include the goals, objectives, activities, resources, technologies, and assessments that engage large and/or small groups and demonstrate the candidate’s awareness of dispositions expected of professional teachers.

 

IX.       COURSE POLICIES & PROCEDURES:

1.  Class Attendance/Participation:

Attendance, timeliness, and participation are required and part of this course. The School of Education policy states that more than the allotted number of excused absences for any reason will result in failure of the course.  The allotted number of excused absences for this course is three (3).  It is your responsibility to contact the professor prior to absence. Additionally, tardiness or leaving class early will be considered a partial absence (each 30 minutes equals ¼ of an absence) reflected in your grade. 

 

Work missed due to an excused absence may be made up.  It is your responsibility to inform the professor in writing how you plan to make up the work and get permission prior to completing a make-up assignment. This proposal should be a detailed, quality description of the process you plan to complete to make up the work as well as a statement about why you were absent. It must lay out a plan that includes a comprehensive summary of the content that was covered in class.  Be sure to include a cover page with your name so you can receive credit for your make-up work.

 

Any candidate who misses more than three (3) classes will be asked to drop the course or will receive an F at the end of the semester.  However, if make-up work is approved by the professor and satisfactorily completed in a timely manner, a passing grade is still possible.  Also, understand that just reading a classmate’s notes cannot easily duplicate many of the experiences of the course.

According to the School of Education policy, the course professor, following a written appeal by the student, must approve any extenuating circumstances or exceptions to this policy.

 

Incompletes and Withdrawals: A candidate may receive an incomplete (I) for reasons such as illness or other extenuating circumstances upon approval of the course instructor and the dean.  An incomplete is not granted just to extend time to complete work that should have been done in a timely manner. Refer to the Piedmont College catalog for additional information regarding withdrawals.

 

If the candidate’s illness is extended, causing more than two class absences, the candidate may need to request in writing a medical withdrawal.  If the Registrar approves the request, a candidate may receive a “W” for the course. Refer to the Piedmont College catalog for additional information regarding withdrawals.

 

Inclement Weather: In general, classes are dismissed or cancelled (day and/or night classes) when conditions in and around Demorest become such that the main streets and college parking lots become too dangerous on which to drive.  Candidates who live outside the Demorest area for which road conditions are too difficult to precede should stay at home.  Candidates who miss class should consult their instructors for assignments and make-up work.  Dismissed or cancelled classes must be made up during semester breaks, the first available Saturday, or an agreed upon make-up by class members and the professor.  When classes are dismissed, the following radio/TV stations will be informed of the action taken: Station WCON (99.3 FM) – Cornelia; WMJE (102.9 FM) – Clarkesville/Gainesville; WNEG (6.30 AM) – Toccoa; WAGA TV – Fox 5, Atlanta; WNEG TV Ch. 32; and WXIA TV – 11 Alive.

 

Class Participation: Active participation means:

·        Prepare for classes having assigned work completed and assigned readings read;

·        Attend all classes for duration of allotted class time;

·        Take active part and contribute significantly during class discussions and activities;

·        Be attentive and respectful of peers and the professor during the discussions, dialogue, and presentations;

o       Please set cell phones on mute or vibrate, or if you are expecting an emergency call please inform the professor at the beginning of the class period. Please don’t text message during class instruction. 

o       DO NOT use the computers for emailing, chatting, or other inappropriate behavior during class time unless it is a part of class assignments.

·        Submit all assignments on time.

 

2.  Written Work:

There are no formally written assignments for this class. All other papers for the course are to be typed using size 12 print and one of the following fonts: Bookman, Times New Roman, and Geneva.  Papers should be double-spaced, error-free, and grammatically correct (including punctuation, spelling, capitalization, etc.).  Make good use of writing references such as dictionaries, writing handbooks, and computer spelling and grammar checks. 

              Quality is important!  Assignments submitted should reflect your professionalism and college level work.  Your writings and reflections will be assessed according to the depth, breadth, clarity, and accuracy they convey. Be sure to keep a duplicate copy of all submitted work for your own records.

3.  Academic Integrity:

By accepting admission to Piedmont College, each candidate makes a commitment to understand, support, and abide by the "Academic Integrity Policy" without compromise or exception (See the Piedmont College Catalog and the Student Handbook for details of the policy).  This class will be conducted in strict observance of the policy.  The College imposes strict penalties for academic dishonesty (cheating, fabrication, facilitating academic dishonesty, and plagiarism) as defined in the Catalog and Handbook.     

 

Some suggestions for helping you abide by the policy include:

Ø      All work submitted must be your original work created in and for this course. 

Ø      Cite and reference work properly using the current APA guidelines.

o       Cite all quotes or paraphrased material.  It is better to over cite than not give credit to the author of a work or source that you are using in your paper or project.  

§         Any time you use the exact words of researcher, author, or source, you must place the words in quotation marks when your quote is less than 40 words.  If more than 40 words, place the quote in an indented block omitting quotation marks.   (See the APA Manual for specific guidelines). 

§         You must also give credit to an author or source when you paraphrase.

§         When referring to information from your course text, be sure you cite and reference the source and/or authors.      

§         Follow the protocol in the current APA manual for citing and referencing all electronic sources. 

Ø      Double dipping is not permitted.   For example:

o       You may not use an assignment created in one course to meet the requirements in another.

o       Visiting a classroom for one field experience may not be used to meet a field experience requirement for another course.   

 

 

4.  Special Considerations: Piedmont College makes every effort to provide candidates with learning disabilities equal access to all academic programs.  Reasonable and appropriate accommodations are coordinated through the Academic Support Office.  Candidates are obligated to self-disclose and are responsible for providing accurate and current (not older than three years) documentation of their learning disability to the Director of Academic Support before receiving accommodations.  Candidates with any special needs (disabilities, problems, or any other factors that may affect their performance or that require special instructional strategies) should make these special needs known to the professor/instructor during the first class session.

 

X.        STUDENT EXPECTATIONS AND COURSE OUTLINE:

            1.  Instructional Methods

This class will operate as a democratic classroom.  Candidates will engage in shared decision- making and in taking responsibility for making the classroom the best it can be.  Interactive discussions and problem solving will be emphasized where all ideas and contributions are explored and respected.  Various approaches may be utilized by the candidates and professor including:  lecture, demonstrations, observations, class discussions, small group discussions, cooperative group work, field observations, use of educational technology, student presentations, readings, writings, listening, questioning, and formative and summative evaluations.

 

2.  Assignments:

Technology assignments will be the focus for discussions, writings, and group activities.  There may be assigned readings that you should read before coming to class in order to facilitate quality discussions.  Think about how the readings and assignments relate or could relate to your classroom teaching experiences.  There will also be discussion board postings on WebCT.

 

All work for the course is to be in on time at the beginning of class. Work submitted late will automatically lose 15 % per class meeting unless prearranged by the professor and the candidate.  To meet the deadline, assignments may be emailed, mailed (post marked by the due date) or delivered by a peer at the class meeting.  (Mailing diskettes requires special envelopes.) Completion of all assignments is required for a passing grade in the course. If at any time you are unclear about assignments or expectations, please contact me for clarification.

 

Other assignments or activities not mentioned in this syllabus may be required as deemed necessary to assure the mastery of the course objectives as stated.

 

3.        Description of Assignments and Assessments  

These assignments may be altered by the professor following the collection of the needs assessment, or for individual students to more fully meet their need, or to accommodate the lack of accessibility of technology to the student.

Assignments

Percent

Reading, Class Participation and Debate

10 %

Web Site

15 %

Web Quest

20 %

Hot List and Presentation

10 %

Live Text upload

15 %

Technology Lesson Plan

10%

Final Project

20 %

 

Reading and Class Participation- (Required: 10 %) Class participants may be required to read online and library materials to support the expected outcomes of this class. Class participants will be expected to contribute to class discussions in a manner that demonstrates their striving to demonstrate the dispositions expected of professionals.

 

Live Text Uploads- (Required: 15 %)

o       You are required to have live text and after you get instruction on its use you will be required to put your web quest and technology lesson on live text.  Here just as with discussion groups it will be peer reviewed

 

Hot List and Presentation- (Required: 10 %) CO= 9, 10,14,15,18

Class participants will create an electronic resource list of 50 sites that they deem as “great sites for the classroom”.  This may include no more than 5 sites from the syllabus or other URL’s on my WebCT site.  You may organize them in any way you like: categories, by subject, by grade level etc. The presentation will include why this site is the best of the best and how it addresses state standards in content areas and national technology standards. The presentation should be no more than 5 minutes.

 

Technology Lesson Plan Required 10%) 

You are expected to present a brief introduction on a lesson you would use with a group of students in an area that you are interested in or would be teaching according to Georgia Standards.  This lesson must include technology in some way.  It may be an introductory lesson on a technology skill, piece of software or introduction to a web quest.  Maximum time is 5 minutes.

           

Web Page Development- (Required: 15%) CO= 1,2,4,5,6,8,9,10,14,15,18 Class participants will create a web page for instructional purposes. The web page will include email link, links to outside sites, at least 1 image and links to go other areas of the page, good design, and the components listed on the evaluation rubric.

           

Web Quest- (Required: 20%) CO= 1,2,4,5,6,8,9,10,14,15,18 Class participants will create a web quest for use in their classroom. The web quest will be include state standards in content areas, good design, and the components listed on the evaluation rubric. The web quest will be a short term web quest.  Students may enlarge this to be a long term web quest for their final.


 

Final Project- (Required: 20 %) CO= 1-19  

FINAL PROJECT POSSIBILITIES

One of the following:

  1. Develop a unit plan in a content area using technology.

  Include enough detail so that another teacher could pick up this unit and use it in his or her classroom. Include all elements that might be expected in a good unit plan, including unit and lesson objectives, outlines for individual lessons, resources required, student handouts, etc.  An overview paper should include a rationale for development of the unit, the process you went through, comments on your examination of related unit plans, the trials and tribulations you encountered, and recommendations for others regarding the development of telecommunications units. 
 

  1. Write an "extensive" (8 - 12 page) research paper.

 Read at least 8 articles on a specific topic related to telecommunications.  Synthesize, analyze, compare and contrast this information.  APA formatting is required.  Please proofread your final document.  Examples of topic areas:  a) some technical aspect of telecommunications b) a review and analysis of issues regarding the use of the Internet in an educational setting, c) uses of telecommunications in a specific subject, uses of telecommunications for a specific group of students such as special needs, gifted and talented, etc.  All sources must be cited!
 

  1. Web Site:

 Design, Creation and Written Description (Paper) - Design must include at least five of the following: graphics, internal links ("targets"), external links, mailto link, table, list, audio or video, form(s).   The page must be "published" on the Web in complete form by the due date.  The web page content needs to be related to education and developed to make a useful contribution to the WWW.  As part of this project you will need to examine similar sites on the Web.  You will need to assess the positive and negative aspects of those sites and the content they have included.  Based on your assessment you should strive to emulate the positive elements of other Web pages.  The page or pages need to be thoughtful, well planned and cover enough information for it to be worthwhile for someone to want to access your page.  An overview paper should include a rationale for development of the page, the process you went through, comments on your examination of other sites, the trials and tribulations you encountered, and recommendations for others regarding web page development.  Site should be a minimum of 5 web pages.

  1. Design an alternative project of your own choice and submit it for approval by the instructor.  

      5.    Design a unit to introduce software to teachers or students

Take a page or more to discuss why you chose this piece of software
A complete outline line of your presentation
Time given for questions and answers
A Written Lesson Plan including the following:
a) goals and objectives of your lesson
b) a list of materials needed for your presentation
c) an outline of the major points presented in your lesson.
For a grade better than a B on the project, each of the following are worth 35 points -- satisfactory completion of any two will earn an A.
A description of how you use the software with your students.
A summary addressing any relationships to the:
science benchmarks,
NCTM standards 2000,
social studies standards,
and McREL’s compendium (it is searchable and extensive!)or other items from your state frameworks.

.

6.        Select any two pieces of software from the list below or if you have other software you would prefer to do this project on please let me know.  These are just a few examples, there are many others?

SOFTWARE TITLES
software titles for final
thinkertools
lcsi logo
ucb logo
model it
star logo
game of life
stagecast creator'
sim city
any of the decisions decisions series
Oregon trail
Maya quest
reelect jfk
gazillionaire
zapitalism
profitania
sim life
sim earth
I can be a dino finder
I can be a animal doctor
africa trail
cross country usa
coral kingdom
ancient civilization
fly a cell
salmon odessey
biologica
weather wizards
magic school bus
thinking like a scientist
logal sciience series
science in your ear


For example, you could choose a Decisions, Decisions package and compare it to Oregon Trail. You may already have the software in your school, or you may find a version that you can download for free, or order an evaluation copy from the company. If you have a piece of software in mind that is not on the list, contact me for approval before you use it. Projects that are found to be plagiarized from another student or course will receive a failing grade.

The baseline for an acceptable project (180 pts ="B") includes:

Your name and the site name on the front cover,
Present your comparison in class on the second Friday of class.
Good grammar and correct spelling,
Describe the pros and cons of each piece of software. You do not necessarily have to make any final selection in the comparison; however you should come to some general conclusions after you make the comparison. For example, you could state that "software A is better suited for creating class discussions and integrating subjects, while software B is less expensive and is perfectly suited for learning mathematics through experimenting with how patterns are formed". This written part of the comparison should be at least 2 pages long and no more then 4 pages. Your report should be rich in informed opinion and conclusions.
A Comparison of the what the software enables students and teachers to do, including:
a) Appropriate grade level(s),

b) Content Matter (subjects) learned,
c) Skills learned, i.e. systems, modeling, programming, literacy etc.

d) What kind of instructional grouping (Individual, Group, Whole class, etc.) is supported?

e) Assessments included or not,

f) Approximate base price for schools.

For a grade better than a B on the project, each of the following are worth 35 points -- satisfactory completion of any two will earn an A.

One page comparisons of how each software piece addresses the students being able to either construct their understanding, or enable more students centered learning, or engage in inquiry.
A one page comparison of the ease of integration into the classroom: Are preparation, training, and additional materials needed?
A one page personal accounting of a hands-on comparison of at least one of the pieces of software.
A one page interview with someone who has used at least one of them.
A one page review of a research paper or book chapter about one of the pieces of software.
A one page summary addressing any relationships to the:
science benchmarks, NCTM standards 2000, social studies standards, McREL's compendium (it is searchable and extensive!) or other items from your state frameworks.

   7.       Observe learning with software.

Make observations of two or more people learning with software. Any educational software can be used if approved by the instructor. Game software that is a simulation of something, and that people can learn from, is also appropriate. If you are uncertain about whether the software is appropriate, send me a description and ask.

Format: You may choose to study the following settings.

Introspective report (Your own process as you learn with the software)
Classroom observation/Interviews
Expert/Novice comparison
Observation of 2 or more players

The baseline for an acceptable project (180 pts ="B") includes:

A one page description of the program,
At least 4 hours of participation/observation,
The raw notes you take during the observation process -- these are called 'field notes.' -- and these are important to include even if you are doing an introspective report. Click here to read the four required elements.
A one page summary of the skills, strategies, and knowledge that you observed -- not what might be listed on the software box. Be honest -- if you did not observe something, don't report it. But look carefully -- did the software require reading or developing strategies to win, or some other kinds of thinking? Sometimes these are best unpacked with a short interview after watching someone play a game -- first ask the person "what happened?", then link back to something they did during the game (use your field notes) and ask "how did you do that?" and "what were you thinking?" . You might get a lot of information if you ask at the end of the interview "tell me how to succeed (win) with this simulation (game)." Also -- do not limit yourself to the game/simulation performance. It is highly useful to record other things people did to succeed, like looking things up, collaborating with others to take advantage of their strengths, and using tools. If you are doing a classroom observation it is equally valid to describe how students and teachers act differently when the class is using the software, compared to when the class is not using the software.
For an additional 35 points, include the above as well as:

A one page description that explores how your choice of software can be used in school. This goes beyond the requirements of an acceptable project to describe whether the software could support inquiry learning, what instructional grouping strategy could be used, whether the students would have to leave the class and go to the computer lab, etc. This requirement does not address learning and thinking, but how it fits into the practice of teaching.

Here is an example: “A major challenge confronting teachers using games (or simulation, models) is demonstrating its effectiveness to parents and school administrators. Teachers must decide whether or not the activity is worth the time, given the many other school activities in which they would like their children to engage. Even though subject matter and related skills are not taught directly with computer games (or simulation, models), I expect that there would be an effect on children's performance in school because...

For an additional 35 points, include the above as well as:
A one page summary addressing any relationships to the:

Science benchmarks,
NCTM standards 2000,
social studies standards,
McREL's compendium (it is searchable and extensive!)
or other items from your state frameworks.
Feeling assimilated and normalized after looking at the above? Say so. It is acceptable for the one page summary to be critical of the benchmarks and standards.

 8.        Maybe you are not totally comfortable with Power Point, a data base or spread sheets.  You may do a final project in which you develop a Power Point presentation (20 slides) on a curricula issue or school issue, a mythical school budget (25 line items minimum) or a data base or friends or family (25 entries minimum)

Or maybe you don't see any of the things you saw your subjects learning on any of these lists. Should they be? Are the skills and knowledge published on those official lists really more relevant? Why or why not?

 

XI.       RESOURCES: 

1.      Bibliography

American Psychological Association. (2001). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (5th Ed.).  Washington, D. C.: Author.

 

Beckett, E.C. Supporting Technology Integration in K-8 Multicultural Classrooms through Professional Development. TechTrends v. 47 no. 5 (September/October 2003) p. 14-17

 

Beckett, E.C., et. al., Preparing Technology-Competent Teachers: A Strategy for Multicultural Schools. T.H.E. Journal v. 30 no. 11 (June 2003) p. 14, 16, 20, 22, 24

 

Brown, M. Multicultural Education and Technology: Perspectives to Consider. Journal of Special Education Technology v. 17 no. 3 (Summer 2002) p. 51-5

 

Burton, B. Multicultural Resources: Including Technology and the Internet [Computer file]. General Music Today (Online) v. 17 no. 2 (Winter 2004) p. 40-5

 

Chen, L., etc. al., Designing and Implementing Technology Collaboration Projects: Lessons Learned. TechTrends v. 48 no. 3 (May/June 2004) p. 46-51

 

De Lisi, R. From marbles to instant messenger: implications of Piaget's ideas about peer learning. Theory into Practice v. 41 no. 1 (Winter 2002) p. 5-12

 

Greenlaw, S.A., etc. al., Teaching Critical Thinking with Electronic Discussion. The Journal of Economic Education v. 34 no. 1 (Winter 2003) p. 36-52

 

Kirk, R.H., etc. al., The Long Journey: Multicultural Understanding through Technology. The Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin v. 69 no. 2 (Winter 2003) p. 30-3

 

Lipponen, L., etc. al., From Collaborative Technology to Collaborative Use of Technology: Designing Learning Oriented Infrastructures. Educational Media International v. 41 no. 2 (June 2004) p. 111-6

 

Neo, M., etc. al., Building a constructivist learning environment using a multimedia project--a Malaysian experience. Journal of Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia v. 11 no. 2 (2002) p. 141-53

 

Oberlander, J., etc. al., Using Technology to Support Problem-Based Learning. Action in Teacher Education v. 25 no. 4 (Winter 2004) p. 48-57

Salpeter, J. Web Literacy and Critical Thinking: A Teacher's Tool Kit. Technology & Learning v. 23 no. 8 (March 2003) p. 22-4, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34

Technology and Multiculturalism: A Special Issue. Multicultural Education v. 10 no. 2 (Winter 2002) p. 2-48

 

2.                  Relevant Web Sites: 

This class will also be using the college’s WebCT site and relevant links are listed there.

 

3.                  Praxis Information:

All students seeking initial certification in the state of Georgia must pass Praxis I in order to be admitted to student teaching.  Students may exempt this requirement by providing either SAT, ACT, GRE, CBEST, CLAST, or FTCE scores which meet the following criteria:

SAT:   minimum required score – 1000 (w/ no minimum verbal score or math score required) The composite score is obtained by adding the verbal and the math scores.  Candidates must take both the verbal and the math sections of the test.

            ACT:   minimum score – 43 (w/ no minimum English score or math score required)

The composite score is obtained by adding the verbal and quantitative scores.  Candidates must take both the English and the math sections of the test.

            GRE:  1030 minimum score (w/ no minimum verbal score or quantitative score required)

The composite score is obtained by adding the verbal and quantitative scores.  Candidates must take both the verbal and quantitative sections of the test.

CBEST:  Passing Scores indicated on score report – Used in California and Oregon

            http://www.ctc.ca.gov/profserv/examinfo/cbest.html

CLAST:  Passing Scores indicated on report – Used in Florida

            http://www.firn.edu/doe/sas/clast/clstpscr.htm

FTCE:  General Knowledge – Passing Scores indicated on score report – Used in Florida

            http://www.cefe.usf.edu/TestDescGK.aspx

            Teacher candidates who are seeking initial certification must also pass Praxis II in the appropriate

            content area in order to be recommended for certification.  Candidates who are currently certified

            and are adding a new field must also pass the appropriate content exam.  Information on Praxis I &

            II may be found at http://www.ets.org/teachingandlearning/index.html

 

XII.     ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION