EDU/COU

Creighton University 

Instructional Technology for the Classroom

EDU 586

Summer, Term 2, 2009

EDUCATION DEPARTMENT MISSION

The mission of Creighton University’s Education Department is to empower undergraduate students to become effective, caring teachers, school administrators, and counselors who desire to work with students and families in schools and agencies.

True to the Jesuit tradition of preparing teachers in education, the department focuses on developing critical thinking, reflective decision-making, and service orientation to promote the general welfare of individuals in the local and global communities.  Through collaborative planning and research, the department pursues a future in which educational institutions become communities of inspired leaders.

Creighton’s pre-service education students participate in a liberal arts and a professional studies program.  The liberal arts provide a broad knowledge base, establish values, and instill an appreciation of cultures.  The professional studies programs develop competence, wisdom, and compassion. 

Guided by the desire for excellence, the department has a commitment to continuous examination of the curriculum and a commitment to exemplifying the best methodologies for preparing professionals for positions of leadership in the educational community.

CATALOG DESCRIPTION

    This course is designed to help teachers develop a more robust, engaging, and student-centric curriculum through the use of educational technology.  Creating, collaborating, and sharing are the central themes of this course.  We will focus on practical uses of technology in the classroom through simulations and lesson development.  Secondly, students will build a personal learning network (PLN) to facilitate professional collaboration beyond this class.   Each unit will focus on a different aspect of the classroom equation (students, teachers, parents, and administrators) in an effort to build a toolbox of lesson ideas tailored to each individual's school/discipline.  A significant portion of the material for this course will be user generated and shared through the use of a class wiki.

Course Goals:

1)    SWBAT develop student-centered, collaborative units/lessons that utilize technology to enhance student outcomes.  They will be able to adapt and make modifications to these units/lessons to fit individual learners and classroom resources.
2)    SWBAT analyze the impact of technology resources on learners and contrast those uses with alternative teaching methods and potential safety concerns.
3)    SWBAT establish a personal learning network (PLN) to contribute ideas and learn about new ways to improve classroom instruction.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND GRADING PROCEDURES

Course Projects

Unit 1:
1. Create a Google presentation highlighting the fundamental errors of technology use in classrooms.  Within the presentation students will compare teacher centric teaching to student centric teaching.

Unit 2:
2. Develop a page on the class wiki (or link to your own site) to share the content you create during the lessons.  Establish a PLN with 3-4 others in your field to aggregate and share information.

Unit 3:
3. Part A: Develop and teach (to the class) a lesson from your content area and modify it to incorporate a new technology tool you have learned about in class.  During the presentation, an "unforeseen" complication will arise and the teacher will need to adapt to this complication. 

4. Part B: Write a one page reflection paper on the lesson describing what you did well, what you would modify for future use, and how usable the lesson is for your current teaching situation.

Unit 4:
5. Part A: With others in your content area, create or modify a student use plan for your classrooms that will accommodate teacher and student uses of Web 2.0 technologies. (ex. - Use of student photos or student work on teacher or school websites).

6. Part B: Write a grant proposal that seeks to improve and facilitate technology use in the classroom.

Unit 5:
7.  Create three lesson plan ideas, which incorporate some tech tool discussed during the course or one you have found on your own, that could be modified to fit a number of lessons in your content area.    Analyze each lesson and address potential problems with the lesson, whether it could be administered in a similar way without technology, if the lesson is student or teacher centric, and how it will benefit the students.

Grading

Grading for this course will be divided into two categories:

I. In class assignments, responses, and participation (20%)
        A. Mark given each day, graded as "Check +" (9/9), "Check" (8/9), "Check -" (7/9)

            * "Check +" means work is completed in thoughtful, engaging manner, with clean formatting             and posted/displayed in the correct way (embedded on wiki, shared with classmate, etc.)

            * "Check" shows effort, though does not engage the audience because of content or                             formatting.  The work is posted/displayed in the correct way.

            * "Check -" means the work is complete, but not engaging to the audience or not                                 posted/displayed in the correct way.
        B. Participation also includes discussion and participation in class/group simulations
        C. Work not completed will receive a 0

II. Unit Projects (80%)
        A. Grading will be rubric based for each project.
            - Students may submit projects early for review by the instructor, but grades will be final                     based on what is turned in at the due date.
            - Rubrics will include a category for individual participation if the project was done within a             group
        B. Projects 1-6 will each be worth 10% of the overall grade
        C. Project 7 will be worth 20% of the overall grade

Grading Scale (Undergraduate)                                          Grading Scale (Graduate)

A     =     100-94%                                                      A    =   100-94% 

B+   =     93-92%                                                        B    =     93-86% 

B     =     91-86%                                                        C    =     84-78%

C+   =     85-84%                                                        F     =     below 78%

C     =     83-78%                                                        (See Bulletin regarding graduate grades.)

D     =     77-70%

F     =     below 70%

Attendance and Cancellation Policy

Daily attendance is required for this course and will be included in the overall grade (see above).  If you know that you will miss a class, notify the instructor beforehand.  You will still be able to participate in class projects and online discussions asynchronously.  Not participating in the work/discussion from a missed class will result in a "0" for class participation on that day and may influence the partner participation grade on group projects.  If you have notified the instructor beforehand, we will make arrangements for when the work needs to be completed.
 

From the University: Any student taking this course as part of an initial teaching certification program who doesn’t submit for review the artifact and reflection designated for that course in LiveText will receive an “F” for the course grade until the task is completed. 

FELONY CONVICTIONS/MENTAL CAPACITY STATEMENTS

***Please remember that it is EACH STUDENT’S RESPONSIBILITY TO NOTIFY the Director of Field Experiences/Certification Officer to report any changes regarding orders or determinations pertaining to mental or emotional capability OR any felony or misdemeanor convictions to remain in the Education Department.

CLASS SCHEDULE

http://docs.google.com/View?id=dcw6m7sv_617g49w7dhm

TEXT

None Required

STATEMENT OF RESPONSIBILITY

This university is committed to excellence and exists for students and learning.  It maintains that students are personally responsible for completing all requirements and expects each student to maintain appropriate standards in his/her academic and personal lives.  Therefore students, like all members of an academic community, have the responsibility to create and support an educational environment.

Each student in this course will accept responsibility for learning and be prepared to discuss assigned material for each class session.  As each student possesses the right to learn, she/he should be treated with respect and dignity while not infringing upon the rights of other individuals.  With those rights, it is the responsibility of the academic communities to promote those opportunities, protections, and privileges for its students that provide the optimal climate for learning.

POLICY ON ACADEMIC HONESTY

“…[the University] expects and requires academic honesty from all members of the University community.  Academic honesty includes adherence to guidelines established by the University, its Colleges and Schools and their faculties, its libraries, and the computer center.

‘Academic or academic-related misconduct’ includes, but is not limited to, unauthorized collaboration or use of external information during examinations; plagiarizing or representing another’s ideas as one’s own; furnishing false academic information to the University; falsely obtaining, distributing, using or receiving test materials; falsifying academic records; falsifying clinical reports or otherwise endangering the well-being of patients involved in the teaching process; misusing academic resources; defacing or tampering with library materials; obtaining or gaining unauthorized access to examination or academic research material; soliciting or offering unauthorized academic information or materials; improperly altering or inducing another to improperly alter an academic record; or engaging in any conduct which is intended or reasonably likely to confer one’s self or another an unfair advantage or unfair benefit respecting an academic matter” (See University Bulletins online.)  Copies of the most current college procedures on academic honesty can be found at: http://puffin.creighton.edu/ccas/policies/acadhonesty.html.

Any student who engages in academic dishonesty as described in the University Bulletin will receive a zero (0) for the test/assignment/product, etc., and may risk receiving an “F” in the course, depending upon the severity of the infraction.  Additional information regarding Academic Honesty Procedures may be found on the CCAS website under “Student Policies and Procedures”.

Academic Integrity Pledge

In keeping with Creighton University’s ideals and with the Academic Integrity Code adopted by the College of Arts and Sciences, I pledge that this work is my own and that I have neither given nor received inappropriate assistance in preparing it.

Signature: ____________________________________________

Academic Accomodations

If you have a disability that will require academic accommodations, you need to do both of the following as soon as possible:  1) contact the Office of Disability Accommodations located in 4008 Harper Center (280-2166) in order to obtain a letter verifying your disability and the accommodations needed, and 2) make an appointment with your instructor to go over this letter and discuss what reasonable accommodations can be made.