TBTE 415 - Technology in school settings - Fall 2007 : Assignments
# name type description / specification

objectives / justification

 pts assess  due
1 Attendance
 process Please be PRESENT for every class and ON TIME for every class. If you need to arrive late or leave early, please contact the instructor ahead of time.

If you miss a class, please meet with the instructor outside of class time (e.g., during office hours--but schedule ahead of time, please!) to review and discuss the missed material.
 Part of winning is just showing up. For K-12 students, coming to school every morning, this is an important lesson. Internalize it, model it--and why not start now?
 5 criterion
(1 = present, 0.5 = late, 0 = absent
 (on-going; rolling grade calculated throughout course)
2 Participation process During class, be an active listener (e.g., display attending behaviors, take notes when appropriate) and be an active participant in the discussion (ask questions, push for clarification if you need it, offer your opinion, provide evidence such as an anecdote from your experience or a reference to authority).
 The other part of winning involves putting your head and heart into the game: prepare for the event, and once it''s started, give it your full effort. Again, this is a great lesson for K-12 students.
 5 criterion
(1 = present, 0.5 = late, 0 = absent		 (on-going; rolling grade calculated throughout course)
3 Quizzes performance Periodically I'll post a few questions as a quick quiz on the reading or other assignments:  multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blank--nothing too onerous. I need some feedback on what you're picking up from class and from the readings, and I'd like to reward those who are on the ball. On the other hand, I don't want to unduly penalize those who read it a little differently, missed part of the conversation, or are just victims of a poorly-worded question. So: We'll take quizzes, but they're under-weighted; just give it your best effort, and it should be fine....

 5 criterion
(instructor scoring of quizzes)		 (on-going; rolling grade calculated throughout course)
4 Personal blogging
 process During the class, you'll start (and hopefully continue) a blog that responds to instructor prompts, classmates' presentations, and chronicles your field-based project.

You may use any blog platform you like, but please try to select something that could be used in a K-12 classroom without adaptation. For example, consider the difference between a blogspot.com site and a wordpress.com site.

Every week, you will make one or more posts. Some posts will be on required topics, but you can feel free to generate additional posts as you feel the need.

Very few (meaningful) concepts in technology integration are simple  facts like the order of operations in math class or names and dates in history class. Instead, each concept is situated in a nest of context, related concepts, trade-offs, user and infrastructure concerns, etc. This consideration is best done not in isolation but in conversation with others--they may have more experience or different perspectives that you can benefit from (and vice versa).

You need time and space to chew over the concepts and address the issues. Your personal blog provides this time and space. Furthermore, classmates can read and respond.
 10 self
(via checklist)		 (throughout --grade assigned at end, but feedback given along the way)
5 Class blogging process In addition to your personal blog, you will contribute to the class blog are directed by the instructor. The class blog both serves some administrative purposes and also provides a central location for discussing presentations or class-wide topics.
10 instructor (via rubric) (throughout --grade assigned at end, but feedback given along the way)
6 Presentations product During the course, you will be required to make two presentations: one tool presentation and one design or literature presentation.

Each presentation must be accompanied by a visual (commonly a slideshow, but feel free to use other formats, such as a concept map or a set of webpages).

Each presentation must also have a handout.

Each presentation's visual and handout must be posted to the class blog following the presentation. Students are also invited to make their materials available to the public through Lehigh's iTunesU. (For a model, see the University of South Florida's iTunesU site.) 		 The content of tech integration is more vast than any one person can present. Some members of the class undoubtedly know more about certain topics and/or can present it better than I.

Additionally, IT users must be adept at picking up new tools or new concepts and acquiring an informed understanding in a relatively short amount of time.

Finally, part of becoming a skillful IT user is knowing how to communicate your knowledge to others. By posting your materials on the web, you're making them available for others' learning.
 5 each, total = 10   (varies)
7 Podcasts / vodcasts
 product Over the duration of the course, you will create a total of three podcasts (or vodcasts). You can of course feel free to create more, but three are required.

The first podcast/vodcast is an experiment: Just one minute or more of something that demonstrates that you can use the technology.

The second and third podcast/vodcasts will document your major project. They

Just as the content domain of social studies is vast, the curricula are quirky. Mining through the standards and any available curriculum docs always turns up something interesting or amusing. (For example, the PAAS history document misspells Jaime Escalante's name. Make of that what you will.)
Furthermore, it's important to know your curriculum--you may be called upon to defend or explain your instruction, and if you don't appear to be familiar and comfortable with your curriculum, there's blood in the water....		 5 each, total = 15
 instructor
(checklist)		 test-cast: Session 6

midterm 'cast: Session 7

final 'cast:
Sessions 13-14
8 Field project product
(but based on a lengthy process, which is supported by the blogging, presenting, and podcasting above)		 The heart of this course is an extended, field-based project in which students use technology under the guidance of their classroom teacher. You will support the teacher in designing, executing, and evaluating this student use of technology.

You will document this project with a formal write-up that identifies the intended learning outcomes (i.e., the academic standards / content objectives addressed), the tools used, the process followed (including scaffolds / student support) , and an evaluation of the project (supported by actual student data and teacher report).		 This assignment is where the title of the course, "Technology in school settings" is directly addressed!

The scope of the assignment is exhaustive (covering instructional planning, methods, and assessment) to try to capture a 360-degree view of the technology use. Technology is not some atomic element that can be dropped in and observed/described in isolation.		 40 instructor
(checklist + rubric)		 Presented at sessions 13-14; final version due the week following the last class session

safe mode