Course description

Objectives

Homework

If you have a documented disability that requires accommodation, you must notify the professor in writing during the first week of class.

Course prerequisite: Students must be experienced in basic computer functions including the use of email, the Internet, and word processing

Required text/materials: NETS for Students and NETS for Teachers

Technology, equipment, or skills required: Students must have Internet access.

Course description: NETS Online aligns content and ISTE’s National Educational Technology Standards to assist teachers in integrating technology into K-12 classrooms through participation in and development of project-based learning activities.

Instructional strategies employed: The instructor and mentors will model the five NETS Online Critical Components: Literature Review, Design, Implement, Assess, and Communicate. Students will initially participate in each component as the learner and then transition into developing their own projects through their role as a teacher.

Assessment strategies employed: Assessment will be both formative and summative, woven throughout each Critical Component. Assessment strategies include Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe’s backwards approach to assessment (Understanding by Design), Reflective Sharing (Critical Friends Model, from Brown University), Journaling, Individual Growth Plans, Rubrics for each Critical Component, and a Videotape of Action Research Project implementation

Laboratory and/or field experience: Participation in: Online “Ask an Expert” discussions; topic-related threaded discussions; class observations; video taping of action research project with online analysis

Attendance policy: Attendance at all classes is critical as each class builds on the experiences from the previous class. Failure to participate in online discussions weekly may result in a lowered grade.

Objectives:
1. Students will participate as both a student and as a teacher in an action research project.
2. Students will demonstrate effective technology and curriculum integration through the alignment of the National Educational Technology Standards.
3. Students will participate in a Project-Based Learning Experience both as a student and a teacher.
4. Students will demonstrate the benefits of the NETS Online holistic approach to technology and curriculum through the development of the five Critical Components.

Topics/units:
Unit One:
Exploration: ISTE’s NETS for Students, Teachers and Administrators
Activities: Creating a Biography with digital photo inserted for WebCT. Site Scavenger Hunt. Online discussion of the NETS, Netiquette, and the Digital Divide.
Ask the Expert: NETS Leadership Team Members, Dr. Lajeane Thomas

Unit Two:
Exploration: Individual Learning Plan and Project Based Learning
Align with ISTE’s National Educational Technology Standards
Activities: Submit online biographies. Complete technology self-assessment using Profiler (http://pt3.org). Begin developing Individual Learning Plans (What I want to learn-internal analysis) What I want to do? How am I going to do it? How am I going to measure it? How will I share it?)

Unit Three:
Exploration: Introduction to Research, Scholarship and Opinion
Align with ISTE’s National Educational Technology Standards
Activities: Participate in threaded discussions about the three required readings. Reflective Journal Entries.
Ask the Expert: Submit mentor a question you would like to “ask and expert” on Current Educational Technology Research.

Unit Four:
Exploration: Introduction to Integration Models – WebQuests and NteQ
Align with ISTE’s National Educational Technology Standards
Hands On Activities: Participate in online threaded discussions about the three models
Ask the Expert: Participate in an online discussion with Bernie Dodge.

Unit Five:
Exploration: Action Research Plan
Align with ISTE’s National Educational Technology Standards
Activities: Develop a plan indicating, “What I am going to do?” “How am I going to do it?” and “How will I assess it?” Reflective journal entries.

Unit Six:
Exploration: Introduction to Design Section.
Align with ISTE’s National Educational Technology Standards
Activities: Students begin to develop and share ideas for topics for projects. Discussion groups evolve from topics, subjects and grade levels.
Ask an Expert: Questions submitted for expert on Project Design

Unit Seven:
Exploration: Aligning Project Ideas with Standards. Majority of resources collected.
Align with ISTE’s National Educational Technology Standards
Activities: Project Outline. Reflective Journal Entry. Project Design posted online. Ask critical questions of other students online.
Ask an Expert: Questions submitted

Unit Eight:
Exploration: Project refinement and Introduction to Implementation. Related Legal Issues. Technology Inventory accessibility. Classroom design. Management of the project within instruction and environment.
Align with ISTE’s National Educational Technology Standards
Activities: Post the final projects to be implemented.
Ask the Expert: Develop questions for ask the expert

Unit Nine:
Exploration: Implementation discussion, initiation and completion.
Align with ISTE’s National Educational Technology Standards
Activities: Reflective Journal Entry
Ask the Expert: Participation in online activity

Unit Ten:
Exploration: Final Results of Action Plan. Reflection: “Here is my plan.” “Here is what I actually did.” “This is how I did it.” “Here is the data I gathered.” “Here are the conclusions I reached.” “Here is what I would do differently.”
Align with ISTE’s National Educational Technology Standards
Activities: Online Poster Session: One picture, one page. Results of Action Research Plan. “Here is what I did, what it accomplished, what it didn't accomplish, and what I would do differently next time.” Celebration. Assessment of NETS Online. Update Individual Growth Plan. Reflective Journal Entry.

Evaluation:
Rubrics will be correlated to each of five areas: Review of Literature; Online Participation; Journaling; Project Development; Project Implementation; Project Evaluation