Course Components
Participation/Attendance (25 pts.)
One of the objectives for this course is to build a community of practice. Your contributions are integral to the success of the class as a community. Furthermore, we will be inviting outside experts to join us on occasion. Therefore, part of your grade will be based on your attendance and participation in face-to-face and virtual discussions, which may take the form of threaded discussions or online chats using the electronic community Tapped In.
Readings will be assigned weekly to help you build your theoretical and applied knowledge base of what it means to integrate technology in education. We will also be using Tapped In as a place for you to post responses to the readings, podcasts, or other resources assigned throughout the semester.
Class Projects (10 pts. each for a total of 50 pts.)
A total of five class projects will be completed during the semester. These projects will further your understanding of the various technologies we will discuss in class and will give you a chance to work with them "hands-on." For specific information on the requirements of each project, see the projects page.
Internship (100 pts.)
At the heart of this course is your experience in an Albemarle County school during which you will work with a mentor teacher to design and implement an innovative teaching module that is supported or enhanced by technology. It is in your best interest to meet with your mentor teacher and start planning early. The instructors are available for consultation and, schedules permitting, can meet with you and your cooperating teacher to discuss your project.
One option available to you for your internship project is to implement a new Web application, primaryAccess, being developed by UVA’s own Bill Ferster. This powerful new Web app allows students to construct personal narratives using a Web-based interface while providing teachers the tools they need to scaffold the process. This is an incredible opportunity to apply an innovative new tool in its beta form while providing valuable feedback to the developers.
After you meet with you mentor teacher, you will turn in a proposal outlining your plans for the semester-long project (use template provided). The instructors and your classmates will provide you with feedback. In addition, you will turn in lesson plans for your teaching module. To help keep the project running smoothly, you will update your progress weekly on a personal blog. Each entry should include the numbers of hours spent and activities accomplished in the classroom. If you know dates and times of future visits, indicate them as well. The instructor(s) will visit you at your internship at least once during the semester. The project itself will be graded against a rubric, which we will develop together as a class (see this seedwiki page for rubric resources and examples from previous semesters).
Final Project (25 pts.)
Using iMovie, Windows Moviemaker, or Photo Story for Windows you will create a
2 minute digital narrative about your internship experience. You may also opt to use advanced PowerPoint skills to create your digital narrative. The point is for you to tell a story about the time you spent in the classroom so you should choose the technology that you are most comfortable with and will allow you to best communicate your message. There will be no final exam; instead, you will present your digital narrative on the last day of class.The narrative should convey your experience and should include
- Instructional goals of your teaching module
- Evidence of student learning
- Value added by instructional technology
- Issues presented by the use of technology (class management, lab configuration, pre-teaching specific technology skills, etc.)
- What you learned from the experience and how you grew as an educator
Since the project is to be in the form of a narrative you should refer to the guidelines for creating a digital story, which we will go over in class. Keeping the final project in mind, you will want to document your experience in the classroom from beginning to end. At a minimum, you’ll want to take pictures and keep a written record of events (this is where your personal blog can help). If you do not have a camera (digital or otherwise), please make arrangements with the instructors early in the semester to borrow one. You might also want to think about documenting your experience with short video clips (many digital cameras are capable of this) or recorded audio segments that you can incorporate into your final movie. Be creative!