Technology and the K-12 Curriculum

ED 669

Syllabus

Course Description

This course is designed to provide students with strategies for integrating instructional resources into all areas of the PK-12 curriculum in alignment with state and national standards.

Objectives

At the completion of this course, the student will be able to:

Model technology use in instructional settings.
Locate and evaluating instructional materials and software for diverse curriculum areas.
Describe major sources of curriculum frameworks, standards, and guidelines for all grade levels and subject areas.
Demonstrate a variety of strategies to incorporate instructional technology into the curriculum.
Incorporate major technology resources in a variety of curriculum areas.
Identify and describe technology tools and strategies for inclusion, interdisciplinary instructional models of teaching.
Demonstrate Instructional Systems Design components.
Create a curriculum design with the integration of technology.
Evaluate curriculum and the implementation of technology.

Curriculum Design

Technology and the K-12 Curriculum is a forty five-hour, 3 week graduate credit course taught online. This course will emphasize best practices for integrating standards based technology-rich lessons in a K-12 setting.

Time Requirements

This course is offered over a period of 15 weeks. Modules are completed over the 15-week period pending length of assignments per week.

Skill and Hardware Requirements

Students may use either a Macintosh computer or a PC with Windows 2000 or higher. Students should possess basic word processing skills and have Internet access as well as an active email account. Students also are expected to have a basic knowledge of how to use a Web browser, such as Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, etc.

Course Materials

Using Technology in the Classroom by Gary Bitter and Jane Legacy (2006) is the required textbook for this course. The textbook, course materials, and an extensive Recommended Reading List will be provided for all students. In addition, online readings and Web site reviews (including journal articles and best practices from the body of educational research) will be assigned during the course to enhance learning. These readings will be presented as annotated Web sites within the course content

Course Outline

Module One: Effects of the Information Age on Education

Objectives: Students will explain how technology has impacted the K-12 curriculum.
Contents:

Explain components that make up the digital curriculum
Compare and contrast teaching styles and lessons with and without the digital curriculum
Compare and contrast the effects of No Child Left Behind National Technology Plan, and 21^st Century Skills on the curriculum
Interpret results of research in education to describe the effect of technology on achievement

Module Two: Planning for Technology – Rich Instruction

Objectives: Students will generate activities demonstrating proper technology integration planning techniques.
Contents:

Evaluate a piece of educational software.
Evaluate a Web site appropriate for K-12 students.
Design a comprehensive lesson plan incorporating an evaluated piece of educational software and an evaluated Web site.

Module Three: Organizing and Managing Technology Enhanced Instruction

Objectives: Students will create technology management plans.
Contents:

Design a floor plan for a one computer classroom, floor plan for a 5 computer classroom, and a floor plan for a classroom in which every student has a laptop.
Create a “How to Organize and Manage Technology Enhanced Instruction” primer for the teachers in your school or district.

Module Four: Productivity Tool, World Wide Web and Presenting Technology Enhanced Lessons

Objectives: Students will generate activities demonstrating the correct method to incorporate and present productivity tool and World Wide Web enhanced lessons.
Contents:

Incorporate multiple productivity software tools into K-12 lessons.
Design activities instructing teachers on using the Internet and incorporating the World Wide Web into K-12 lessons
Design a product instructing teachers on planning and presenting technology enhanced presentations

Module Five: Assessing and Evaluating Technology Enhanced Lessons

Objectives: Students will defend the use of technology use in assessing and evaluating student work.
Contents:

Demonstrate various methods of using technology to assess and evaluate student achievement.

Module Six: Technology in the Content Areas

Objectives: Students will demonstrate the ability to create and critique technology integrated multidisciplinary units.
Contents:

Design technology integrated multidisciplinary units for specific content areas
Critique integrated multidisciplinary units for specific content areas

Module Seven: Professional Practice

Objectives: Students will incorporate knowledge of professional practice for technology use to create materials for other teachers.
Contents:

Generate examples of using technology for professional enrichment
Compile a resource for K-12 students and teachers on computer ethics

Module Eight: Designing Online Instruction

Objectives: Students will design and critique online learning activities.
Contents:

Evaluate off the shelf distance learning software
Design a Web site to teach a K-12 subject online

Module Nine: Emerging Technologies

Objectives: Students will analyze the impact of emerging technologies on education.
Contents:

Decide on uses for emerging technologies that will positively impact student achievement

Module Ten: Promoting Technology Integration

Objectives: Students will design a presentation for a specific audience to promote technology integration in the K-2 environment.
Contents:

Critique the ISTE Advocacy Skills Toolkit and generate a presentation promoting technology integration.

Course Requirements:

Students write and submit weekly reflections. 30 points.
Students work with a partner to design and present a technology enhanced multidisciplinary unit to the class. 100 points
Students incorporate resources from the ISTE Advocacy Toolkit to create a school or district based presentation to promote integrating technology into the curriculum. 50 points
Students generate technology resource Website for multiple subject areas and grade levels. 50 points.

Grades
100-93 - A
85-92 - B
75-84 - C

Proctored Exams:

General Information

Specific courses in each program require the completion of an online proctored exam using a Teacher Education University proctor via the ProctorU ^TM service. This serivce gives students the ability to take the proctored exam at a convenient time and location with the proctor viewing the student via Web cam.

Some Facts About the Exam

Questions will reflect course content for modules 1-8.
The content of the questions will reflect the type of assignments you completed in Modules 1-8, so it would be to your advantage to review your assignments prior to the proctored exam.
This exam is designed to take approximately 2 hours to complete.
Question types will include multiple choice, short answer, and essay.
You will be able to log in to the exam the day after Module 8 assignments are due to your professor.
Once you log in, the exam will only be available for 2 hours
During the exam, you may use the course Web site for assistance, as well as other research sites such as Questia that may assist you in successfully completing the exam.

ProctorU^TM Technical Specifications and Instructions

The ProctorU^TM service requires equipment with the following specifications:

A high speed internet connection
A computer running Windows XP or later versions
A webcam with 640 x 480 pixel video resolution (provided by Teacher Education University upon student request)
Audio capabilities, either through the webcam or through a standalone microphone (most cams come with a built in mic)
Speakers must be connected to the computer and working
The ProctorU^TM program must be downloaded onto the computer (no installation necessary)

Each student will need to register for a free account with pupilcity at http://teu.pupilcity.com.

Once an account is created, students should return to http://teu.pupilcity.com to schedule all exams at least seven full days before the desired exam time. Students can change reservations until 24 hours before the exam, at which time they will need to contact pupilcity’s exam line at 205-870-8122.

At the scheduled exam time, students should return to http://teu.pupilcity.com and follow the posted instructions to log into the assigned exam room.

Students should make sure their webcam and speakers are plugged in and turned on. STUDENTS CANNOT TURN ON THE WEBCAM SOFTWARE BEFORE LOGGING INTO ProctorU^TM (this will create issues with the video feed). Once in the room, students should follow the instructions to connect to the proctor and follow the verbal instructions to begin their exam.

Taking the Exam

The day after the Module 8 due date, course instructors will send students with the link to the exam. Students will only be able to access the exam once. They should not click on the link or attempt to open the Web page until they are ready to begin the exam.

Exam Rules

The exam is designed to take approximately two hours to complete.
Exams submitted more than two hours after they are initially accessed will not be accepted (proctors should carefully keep track of time spent on the exam).
Students who do not propose a suitable exam site and possible proctor will not be allowed to take the exam.
Students must not communicate with anyone regarding the exam, other than the proctor (or instructor or other designate), either verbally, electronically or otherwise, during the exam.
The exam must be completed independently.
Students must not discuss the curricular content of the exam with colleagues from class, either verbally, electronically, or otherwise, until after the final deadline for completion of the exam.
If technical problems arise such that the student is unable to access the on-line exam, the proctor will notify the Teacher Education University staff, in order for the student to have an extended time period to complete the exam, if necessary.
The proctored exam covers Modules 1-8. It is not a closed book exam, students are free to use the textbook, browse the Internet, and the course Web site. Because students will be tested on concepts, browsing absolutely does not help those who have not studied, but may be an aid to those who wish to occasionally clarify their thinking.
Students and proctors may not remove a printed copy of the final exam from the exam site.
If the exam is printed during the examination period, the copy must be destroyed by the student in site of the proctor before the student leaves the site of the final exam.
It is recommended that students who may wish to browse during the exam open two copies of the browser during the exam (using one for browsing if necessary, and the other for the exam).
It is recommended that students "save" frequently during the exam, or write down a few words to help remember which answer they have chosen for each question in the event that there is a power failure, or they accidentally close the browser window in which they are completing the final exam.

After The Exam

Upon completion of the exam, the student will log off from ProctorU^TM. The instructor is notified that the exam is ready for grading. Once the exam is graded, the grade will be posted in Maestro.

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Student Academic Integrity

Participants guarantee that all academic class work is original. Any academic dishonesty or plagiarism (to take ideas, writings, etc. from another and offer them as one's own), is a violation of student academic behavior standards as outlined by the Teacher Education University catalog and is subject to academic disciplinary action.