alicechristie.org
 

Dr. Alice Christie's EDT 545 Syllabus

Description

Professor: Dr. Alice A. Christie
Office: FAB S247
Office Phone: 602-543-6338
Classroom Phone: 602-543-8287
Office Hours: Before Class or by Appointment

EDT 545 Scheduled Line Number: 47262
Time Frame: Summer Session I, 2008
Credit Hours: 3 Credit Hours
Mondays - Fridays, June 2 - 13, 1 - 5 PM
and Saturday, June 7, 9 AM - 4 PM

EDT 545 is a hands-on exploration of the Internet, Web site creation, electronic mail and conferencing, and other areas of electronic communications of interest to educators. It is geared to meet the needs of K-12 educators and emphasizes collaboration between participants. Theoretically, this seminar is structured to view technology as a useful tool for integrating curriculum and for helping educators re-vision curriculum. Social, philosophical and theoretical issues surrounding the use of technology in education are the central focus of class readings and discussions. Previous experience with computers is required.

Objectives

An important goal of this course is for students to be empowered by technology and telecommunications tools. Students should gain a solid understanding of telecommunications and the motivation to use technology for personal and professional purposes. Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:

1. demonstrate good information management habits such as consistently backing up files, labeling disks, maintaining a back-up disk, and using server space for storing and moving files;
   
2. approach telecommunications tasks with greater confidence and use key telecommunications terms and concepts with confidence;
   
3. analyze some ethical and social issues related to the increased use of telecommunications in education, business and society;
   
4. develop an Internet and telecommunications Acceptable Use Policy for an elementary, middle or secondary school;
   
5. demonstrate an understanding of and an ability to use electronic mail (email) to communicate with others;
   
6. upload and download files electronically;
   
7. demonstrate an understanding of and an ability to use a variety of browser tools and processes: navigation, search engines, bookmarks, image saving, etc.;
   
8. demonstrate an understanding of and an ability to use both HTML and a web page editor for the development of an educational Web Site for the Internet;
   
9. develop (through the integration of the class readings, class discussions, personal use of the Internet, and personal philosophy of education) a theoretically informed argument for using the Internet for enhancing and/or re-visioning curriculum;
   
10. develop a WebQuest which incorporates Internet use by both teachers and students;
    
11. develop a Web Site to be posted on the Internet for use by fellow teachers and students;
    
12. use assessment rubrics provided by the instructor to self-evaluate class assignments;
    
13. learn to deal with personal frustration inherent in using technology.

Course Materials

• Online Readings located at http://www.alicechristie.org/classes/545/readings.html
  
• A Flash Drive or a CD-RW for storing files and images

Format

Students will participate in an action-oriented classroom which will feature illustrated lecture, discussion, demonstration, hands-on activities and presentations, and project presentations. The emphasis will be on doing rather than talking about computers and telecommunications.

Your assignments provide you with what I consider to be a minimum amount of hands-on time. The more you use and experiment with computers and software, the richer your learning experience will be.

Additional lab time beyond the scheduled course hours will be necessary to fulfill the course requirements. University policy specifies that students should expect to complete two hours of work OUTSIDE CLASS for every hour of work IN CLASS. You may use the computers in Fletcher Library and Technopolis any time the Library is open. Hours for Fletcher Library and Technopolis for Summer 2007 are:

• Monday - Thursday: 8 AM - 7 PM
• Friday and Saturday: 8 AM - 5 PM
• Sunday: 11 AM - 7 PM
• Closed: July 4

Our classroom lab, CLCC 216, is open before and after class at the following times
June 2 - July 2:

• Monday - Friday: 10 AM - 1 PM and 5 PM - 8 PM
• Saturday: 9 AM - 5 PM
• Sunday: Closed

Graduate students who are knowledgeable and willing to help are available at all times before, during, and after class at all times the lab is open. Software and hardware needed to complete assignments are also available whenever CLCC 216 is open.

Policies

• All assignments should be word processed or completed in Composer™ and consistent with upper division university writing; that is, university level grammar, correct spelling, and logical, clear organization.
  
• Class sessions will begin on time. Please make every effort to be prompt.
  
• Attendance is mandatory. Please call the instructor before class should an emergency arise.
  
• Cheating: Cooperative or collaborative learning is encouraged! However, understand the fine line between collaboration and cheating. Turning in the work of another person is considered cheating and offenders are subject to university disciplinary action.
  
• Group assignments require collaboration and cooperation with other students.
  
• Be considerate of your classmates: turn OFF cellular phones and pagers to vibrate during class so ringing phones will not interrupt class.
• The instructor will make accomodations for disabilities communicated to the instructor.
• University Policies

Assignments

1. Electronic Mail
   
   Use email only to communicate with me about:
   
   • Any questions you have;
   • Any personal information regarding attendance;
   • Any comments about class or your progress in class.
     
2. Course Readings (10%)
   
   The online Course Readings were selected to challenge and broaden your thinking about the use of technology and telecommunications in educational settings. Each article should be read BEFORE CLASS as listed in the class schedule. Optional Readings are provided to broaden your understanding in areas of interest to you. You will use blogs to communication with me and your classmates about the Course Readings.
   
   There is a required reading for each day to which you will respond. In your reading response blogs, you will briefly summarize key points on the daily topic and discuss the most important concepts you gleaned from your readings.
   
   In addition, you and two other class members will form a Collaborative Reading Team. Each member of the team will read one or two articles BEFORE CLASS from the daily reading assignments, and then share key points from the reading with other Reading Team members. You will then verbally share this information with the other members of your Collaborative Reading Team, and engage in a discussion about the daily reading topic.
   
   You are required to read and respond to the Reading Response Blogs of the other two members of your Collolaborative Reading Group. An intern will also read and respond to your blog each day.
   
   
   Click READINGS to go to daily readings.
   
   
   
   
   
3. Educational Autobiography
   
   You will write a short description of your development as an educator. You may include stories of how you chose education, how you teach and organize your classroom, why you're interested in incorporating technology into your classroom, etc. This piece will become part of your Web Site.
   
   Please limit personal information to a minimum for security purposes. In this electronic era, there is evidence that personal identities are stolen regularly. Therefore, it is important to carefully consider the kinds of information you are willing to place on the Internet.
   
   View the following examples (written by former students in EDT 545) for ideas on types of information to include in your educational autobiography:
   
   Example 1 | Example 2 | Example 3 | Example 4 | Example 5 | Example 6
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Web Site Development (10%)
   
   You will develop your own Web Site and post it on the Internet. Using a Web page editor, Composer, a component of the SeaMonkey Project, you will develop a Web Site. You will evaluate your Web Site using Rubrics. Your Web Site must :
   
   
   • your educational autobiography (Assignment # 4)
     
   • your theoretically informed argument for using the Internet for enhancing and/or re-visioning curriculum (Why Use Technology Essay - Assignment # 10)
     
   • your Acceptable Use Policy (Assignment # 6)
     
   • your WebQuest (Assignment # 7)
     
   • your Digital Camera Project (Assignment # 8)
     
   • your Online Internet Project (Assignment # 9)
     

   and may include:
   

   • your picture
     
   • a picture and/or description of your school
     
   • your philosophy of education
     
   • your hobbies
     
   • requests for collaboration with other schools or teachers
     
   • students' work
     
   • other appropriate items (using your Appropriate Use Policy as a guide)
     

   Sample Web Sites of previous students can be viewed at
   

   • Student Web Sites from Fall, 1998
   • Student Web Sites from Summer 1999
   • Students Web Sites from Summer 2000
   • Student Web Sites from Summer 2001
   • Student Web Sites from Summer 2002
   • Student Web Sites from Summer 2003
   • Student Web Sites from Summer 2004 
   • Student Web Sites from Summer 2005
   • Student Web Sites from Summer 2006
   • Student Web Sites from Summer 2007
     
     
   • Recipe for a Successful Web site
     A site with many tips for web site development.
     
   • Designing School Web Sites to Deliver
     A resource by Jamie McKenzie
     
   • Tour the Sites
     See well-designed and poorly-designed sites as well as well-named and poorly-named sites!
   Publishing your pages requires that you create an FTP account on the College of Education server where your pages will reside. Establish your account here. Instructions for using your account as well as other important information can be found at Web Site Publishing Tips. You will have access to the software you need within the classroom but you may want to use some of the same software or similar software which is compatible with your home computer.
   
   
   
   
5. Acceptable Use Policy for Internet Usage and Web Site Content for Schools (10%)
   
   Many educators and parents are concerned that the Internet is NOT a safe place for children. Accordingly, schools must clearly define and communicate to students and parents what they consider to be acceptable use of the Internet and acceptable content of teacher or student Web Sites. In groups of three or four students, you will develop an Acceptable Use Policy for Internet usage and school-sponsored Web Sites based on a quadrant developed by Dr. Christie. Find the AUP for your school or district and bring it to class.
   
   Dr. Alice Christie's AUP Resources and Examples
   Dr. Alice Christie's AUP Quad
   
   
   
   
   
6. WebQuest/KidQuest Creation (25%)
   
   The theoretical stance of this class is that technology can help educators move away from a "sage-on-the-stage" view of education in which the expert teacher dispenses prescribed knowledge to a group of empty-headed and passive students to a "midwife" view of education in which students are considered active and knowledgeable participants and teachers are thought of as midwives who facilitate the birth of new and open-ended ideas among all members of the learning community. Given this theoretical stance, you will develop a WebQuest or KidQuest which should:
   
   
   • include a theoretically informed argument for using the Internet for enhancing and/or re-visioning curriculum (Why Use Technology Essay - Assignment # 10);
     
   • be appropriate for your grade level;
     
   • explore a fairly broad theme;
     
   • cut across curricular boundaries as much as possible;
     
   • incorporate the use of technology as much as possible.
     

   Numerous examples (possible models) of WebQuest are available at the following sites:
   

   • Alice Christie's WebQuest Page
   • Alice Christie's WebQuest Matrix
   • Bernie Dodge's WebQuest Resources
     • WebQuest Page
     • Portal Search
       
     • Bernie Dodge: A WebQuest about WebQuests for Elementary Teachers
     • Bernie Dodge: A WebQuest about WebQuests for Middle School Teachers
     • Bernie Dodge: A WebQuest about WebQuests for Middle and High School Teachers
     • WebQuest Process Checklist to be used as you develop your WebQuest
     • WebQuest Design Process
     • WebQuest Taskonomy: Describes 12 categories for describing what you ask learners to do,11 of which can lead to higher level thinking. Inspiration format
       
     • WebQuest Templates
     • WebQuest Design Patterns or Design Patterns 2
     • WebQuest Rubric to be used for the evaluation of your WebQuest.
       
   • Dr. Christie's Online Research Page
     Links to databases, encyclopedias, field trips, webcams, and other references for you to search
     
   • RubiStar
     Create rubrics for WebQuests, project-based lessons, or units

   
   
   

7. Digital Camera Project (15%)
   
   You will use a digital camera to take numerous pictures on an educational topic of your choice. If possible, it should in some way support your WebQuest. You will incorporate your digital pictures into your Web Site
   
   Below are links to resources on digital camera use in education:
   
• Dr. Christie's Digital Media Resources Page
• Digital Photography and the K-12 Educator
• 1001 Uses for a Digital Camera
• Teacher to Teacher: Digital Cameras
• Using Digital Cameras for Classroom Projects
• Digital Camera Resource Page




8. Top Twenty-Five Educational Internet Sites (10%)
   
   During this class, you will have ample time to explore the Internet. So that this experience has some meaningful direction, you will develop one section of your Web Site which lists and describes sites of personal or professional interest or resources for
   your classroom, your students, your students' parents, and/or fellow teachers in your school.
   
   You should list a minimum of 25 sites for this assignment, and you may include more if you wish. Categorize your sites as needed (e.g.: Students, Parents, Teachers). Consider this a never-ending project and continue building on this assignment after our class has finished. Sample of the Online Version of this Project. Click on any student's name for a model.
   
   Please use a format similar to this:
   
• Name of the site
  
• URL (address) of the site
  
• Intended audience
  
• Description of the site





9. Why Use Technology Essay (7%)
   
   You will write a 4 - 5 page essay on why it is important to use the Internet and technology in K-12 classrooms. Your essay should be a theoretically informed argument. Using information from the class readings and class discussions will strengthen your argument.
   
   
   
   
10. Reflections (7%)
    
    After you complete all assignments write a 4 -5 page reflective piece that discusses your growth in EACH of the following areas:
    
• Use of the Internet as an educational tool
• Use of email and electronic conferencing as communicative tools
• Using scanners and digital cameras
• Web Site development
• AUP development
• WebQuest Development

Schedule

Evaluation

EDT 545 is a graduate course which includes both theoretical and practical experiences. All written work, oral work, and class participation will be evaluated. Feedback will be provided regularly. Rubrics Used for Evaluation:

• Rubric for evaluation of your Web Site design, organization, navigation, etc. 
• Rubric for evaluation of educational content your Web Site.
• WebQuest Rubric to be used for the evaluation of your WebQuest.

You will be evaluated on all aspects of your Web Site (your electronic portfolio), your email and electronic conference participation, and your reflections. In addition, participation is considered to be one of the most important aspects of your evaluation. Since this class is highly participatory, attendance and a high level of participation are mandatory. Each of the class components will be assigned weights as follows:

• Reading Responses - 10%
• Web Site Design and Navigation - 10%
• Acceptable Use Policy and Educational Biography - 10%
• WebQuest/KidQuest - 25%
• Digital Camera Project - 15%
• Top Twenty-Five Sites - 10%
• Why Use Technology Essay - 7%
• Reflections - 7%
• Participation - 6%

All students start with an "A" and are responsible for the amount of effort, energy, and care put into each assignment. Students will lose points only if they fail to complete an assignment or fail to maximize they learning on each assignment. Grades are assigned as follows:

• A - (90 - 100 %)
• B - (80 - 89 %)
• C - (70 - 79 %)
• E - (69 or below%)