University of Vermont EDSC 011: Educational Technology in the Secondary Education Classroom Fall 2015 Waterman 539

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1 University of Vermont EDSC 011: Educational Technology in the Secondary Education Classroom Fall 2015 Waterman 539 Alan Tinkler, Ph.D. Waterman 409 C Office hours by appointment. alan.tinkler@uvm.edu!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Brief Course Description This class is designed for students interested in becoming educators and will address the use of technology in secondary level classrooms. Course activities will encompass themes that guide educators to meet the Educational Technology Standards for Teachers and Standards for Vermont Educators. Course Goals and Objectives, including standards Since the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) drives many of the important conversations about technology in education, this course will use their framework to establish a common understanding of the requisite standards for effective integration of technology in education. ISTE identifies technology standards for both teachers and students. For teachers, the standards are to Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity Design and Develop Digital Age Learning Experiences and Assessments Model Digital Age Work and Learning Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility Engage in Professional Growth and Development For students, the goals include Creativity and Innovation Communication and Collaboration Research and Information Fluency Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making Digital Citizenship Technology Operations and Concepts For more information about ISTE, visit While we will interact with all of the standards over the course of the semester, your proficiency-based learning will focus on the ISTE Standards for Teachers. To do this, we will spend time on the following Examining the importance of technology in 21 st century educational settings, including social, ethical, legal, and human issues associated with technology. Evaluating and identifying technology resources that facilitate and support the delivery of instruction (teacher mediated). Expanding our understanding about how technology can be used by high school students to guide inquiry (student mediated).

2 Working to understand how technology can be used to enable students to represent knowledge (i.e. to enhance student projects) and construct meaningful products. Working to appreciate the intricacies and importance of information literacy in the context of education in the 21 st century Learning s and Assessment This class will use learning modules to produce artifacts to demonstrate learning across the ISTE Standards for Teachers. As part of the modules, reflection activities will provide an opportunity to demonstrate how work is aligned to the standards and how the work should be scored, using a proficiency-based assessment system. To support our understanding of proficiency-based education, we will spend time becoming familiar with the aspects of proficiency-based assessment, including the development of meaningful rubrics. This work aligns with Vermont trends in education, see Act 77. A crosswalk of the modules and the relationship to the ISTE Standards for Teachers is provided below to show how each module works to advance learning across the five standards. The overall goal is to employ a constructivist approach for both the instructor and the students with a commitment to meaningful and timely feedback. Learning Activity ISTE Standards for Teachers A Professional Website 3, 4, 5 B Lesson Plans 1, 2, 4 C Guided Learning Activities 1, 2 D Content Aligned Technology Leap 1, 5 E Podcast 3, 5 Since proficiency-based learning looks at work in relationship to proficiencies, artifacts will be assessed based on the following four domains Emerging: The artifacts demonstrate emerging knowledge and understanding even though they do not indicate proficiency. Approaching: Some proficiency has been observed (through an evaluation of the artifacts), but additional indicators are needed to illustrate that the proficiencies are consistently demonstrated. Proficient: An evaluation of the artifacts show that proficiency is well developed and consistently demonstrated with dexterity across artifacts. Exemplary: An evaluation of the artifacts demonstrates consistent and exemplary knowledge and understanding. We will discuss the process for determining your final grade in class, but it will involve a conversation around a matrix that frames your work across the ISTE Standards. This is important, of course, since your grade will be entered as a letter grade. When thinking about the final grade, however, each of the modules will work to support your summative assessment for the course. EDSC 011, Fall 2015, Alan Tinkler, Ph.D. 2

3 Proficiency-Based Assessment of Artifacts ISTE Standard A B C D E X Overall 1 PBA PBA PBA 2 PBA PBA 3 PBA PBA 4 PBA PBA 5 PBA PBA PBA The learning modules include the following A: Professional Website You will develop a professional website that includes, but is not limited to a teaching philosophy, a teaching resume, and links to curated resources. The page will be developed on a public platform, probably google sites, and (in addition to the aforementioned) it will map out your commitment to professional development. The site will also host reflection activities that demonstrate how the modules work to advance the standards. B: Lesson Plans After exploring content standards, you will develop lesson plans. The key is to develop lessons where technology provides a substantive difference in the learning experience. A template for the lesson will be provided, but in general you are going to create a learning goal and take the steps necessary to achieve that goal. Given that high schools are moving toward more collaborative learning experiences one lesson will be done in collaboration with a peer. C: Guided Learning Activities Since technology offers a chance to create learning activities for students, you will create at least two guided learning activities where students are able to mediate the learning experience. An example of a guided learning experience is a webquest, but you will have latitude for designing learning activities that support your developing voice as an educator. The guided learning activities will be showcased during a gallery walk. D: Content Aligned Technology Leap As you know, effective teachers use current and emerging technologies in order to support instruction and student learning. Based on your own interests, you will select a new or new-to-you technology that allows you to take a discovery/inquiry leap. In other words, you ll create a learning objective EDSC 011, Fall 2015, Alan Tinkler, Ph.D. 3

4 for yourself that aligns with your content area, and you will take the necessary steps to achieve your objective. E: Podcast Since technology allows us to think about dissemination of learning in interesting ways, you will complete a podcast that allows you to showcase and highlight the unique opportunities afforded to audio dissemination of knowledge and understanding. X: The X-Factor Given that we are using a proficiency-based learning system, there may be other artifacts that you wish to bring into the mix to demonstrate proficiencies, so X offers you a space to incorporate additional artifacts to showcase your proficiency. Attendance: With the use of a proficiency-based system, we will discuss how attendance impacts your grade. At the core, since you re involved in a professional learning community, there will be opportunities, including reflection activities, for you to share your commitment to the learning community. Within the context of the ISTE Standards for Teachers, the last standard, Engage in Professional Growth and Development, speaks directly to engaged participation. Accommodations: The University of Vermont provides upon request appropriate academic accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. For more information, contact the ACCESS office at Your instructor considers providing accommodations to be more than a legal responsibility; meeting students needs is the heart of good teaching. As a program (secondary education), we adhere to the official university policy for excused absences for religious holidays which states: Students have the right to practice the religion of their choice Each semester students should submit in writing to their instructors by the end of the second full week of classes their documented religious holiday schedule for the semester. Faculty must permit students who miss work for the purpose of religious observance to make up the work. Academic Integrity: The principles of academic integrity are vital. It follows that the University of Vermont s Code of Academic Integrity is taken seriously in this class. Violations include, but are not limited to plagiarism, submitting someone else s work as your own, and submitting the same work for multiple courses. The code can be found in the Student Handbook or online at Calendar: This calendar provides an outline of the learning activities and goals for each class. The resources for the class can be found on the course website, and you will receive s that outline the specific readings and activities for each week. Given the dynamic nature of proficiency-based learning, the calendar may change to meet learning opportunities. Changes, however, will be posted to the course website. Class Session M F Activities and Learning Goals Complete survey on assessment. Delve into the course objectives. Start conversation on proficiency-based assessment. Launch professional website and activate twitter account Think about innovative teaching and learning environments and the role of technology to EDSC 011, Fall 2015, Alan Tinkler, Ph.D. 4

5 advance learning. Consider the attributes of proficiency-based assessment that are exciting and those aspects that cause concern or raise questions. Brainstorm lesson plan ideas to advance content-based learning. Unpack your identity using technology indicators Reflect on teaching philosophy, including how technology is reflected within teaching philosophy. Consider components for professional website. Examine the impact of technology, specifically by way of SAMR. Share twitter discoveries. Examine what it means to be a member of a professional learning community, using information gained from social media among other sources Examine how technology enhances innovative learning through constructing and demonstrating knowledge and understanding. Identify ways to align the constructivist approach to learning and the ISTE Standards so support development of lesson plans. Share initial lesson plan for peer feedback. Consider how technology supports the development and execution of personalized-learning plans, a strategic objective (and state mandate) in Vermont. Week of 10.5 Individual Conferences Consider framework for guided learning activities. Identify ways technology can support place-based learning, and examine why place-based learning is effective. Identify aspects of content-based learning and knowledge, including dissemination of learning. Execute lesson plans and post reflection Frame characteristics of meaningful digital citizenship. Identify concrete steps to support mindful practice that is considerate of self and others. Discuss why stories are important when thinking about self and others. What does effective project-based learning look like. Brainstorm some podcast ideas and examine the importance of digital storytelling. Identify ways to collaborate across content areas (with an eye toward collaborate lesson plan) Share lesson plans for peer feedback. Examine how technology use aligns with growth mindset. Identify ways geocaching could be used across content areas. Consider school culture, including multi-tiered systems of support with an eye toward technology integration and innovation Share guided learning activities for feedback Brainstorm content-aligned technology leap. Work on podcast proposal. Reflect on technology and comfort for innovation and experimentation Showcase collaborative lesson plans. EDSC 011, Fall 2015, Alan Tinkler, Ph.D. 5

6 Examine the relationship between media literacy and critical thinking. Consider how technology integration and innovation align with the Common Core standards Present guided learning activity. Align guided learning activities with Vermont Quality Standards, including flexible pathways. Consider alignment between Vermont Quality Standards and teaching philosophy. Engage in a leap showcase, allowing a chance to disseminate tech leap. Week of Thanksgiving Recess Share podcasts and professional websites. Showcase collaborative learning lesson plans. Revisit the ways in which technology informs digital citizenship, including creating a health school environment for all learners. Consider how technology integration supports the proficiencies identified as requisite transferable skills in Vermont. Reflect on the ecology of school improvement and the role of technology to advance innovative learning. Complete final reflection activity, including plus/delta analysis for course. Week of 12.7 Signup for an individual proficiency-based assessment conference. Final Exam December 18, 2015 at 10:30 am.. EDSC 011, Fall 2015, Alan Tinkler, Ph.D. 6

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