Technology Practices for Instructional Improvement – EDUC 630
CG • Section 8WK • 11/08/2019 to 04/16/2020 • Modified 01/27/2023
Course Description
For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the Academic Course Catalog.
Rationale
Technology usage has been focused on by society at large and educational institutions in particular (higher learning and those in the field) as a solution to perceived problems and deficits in learning. With the advent of computer-mediated communication systems such as the Internet, the pace at which education is expected to adopt technology both as a target of curriculum and as a pedagogical approach to learning has increased. It is vital that educators at all levels understand the role technology plays in the essentialist expectation of educational practice (as a curricular goal), the role technology plays in the actual practice of teaching and learning as an agent of access, and the role technology plays in the assistance in the day-to-day functioning in the profession of education.
Course Assignment
Textbook readings and lecture presentations/notes
Course Requirements Checklist
After reading the Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.
Video Discussions (4)
Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the candidate will complete four Video Discussions throughout the course. Each video discussion consists of a thread and two replies. The video thread is the candidate’s response to the instructor’s prompt and the replies are the candidate’s response to another candidate’s thread. The thread must be a video post, and the replies can be either video or written replies. (CLO: A, B, C, D)
Blog Site Assignment
The candidate will design a personal homepage and browse the homepages of other candidates in the course. The homepage serves as the host for candidate blog entries. If the candidate has created a blog for a different EDUC course, they may continue to use their blog for the EDUC 630 course. They will need to create a separate page (tab) for the EDUC 630 course content. (CLO: A, C, D)
Technology Education Self-Assessment Assignment
Each candidate will conduct a personal self-assessment regarding their ability to include technology in their classroom instruction. Once they have assessed areas that need development, they will go to the Edutopia link provided and locate three articles that address those areas. A brief summary of each article will be written and submitted. (CLO: B, D)
Personal Philosophy Paper Assignment
The candidate will write a 2-3 page personal philosophy paper regarding the use of technology in education. The candidate will need to include biblical support as well as researched-based references in their paper. (CLO: B, D)
Professional Development Presentation Assignment
The candidate will create a brief overview of the ISTE website. The candidate will identify helpful resources for professional development as well as a short synopsis of the previous year’s ISTE conference. (CLO: B,C)
Professional Interview Project Assignment
The candidate will use personal interviews and research to determine how the educator selects appropriate technology for any given objective. The candidate will then compile the research in an Excel or Word document. Then, the candidate will use this data to create their own checklist for which they could validate the selection of technology for a given lesson. (CLO: A)
Technology Lesson Demonstration Assignment
The candidate will select a lesson in which they would like to add a current technology component. The technology tool must have been developed within the last 5 years. Then, they will develop a lesson that integrates the selected technology and provide a brief video recording on the lesson being taught with the new technology component. (CLO: A, B, C, D)
Web-Based Assessment Sample Assignment
The candidate will develop a formative or summative sample using a current technology tool that is less familiar to them. The technology tool must have been developed within the last 5 years. They will then video record a class demonstration in which they show their students their sample artifact. The students will be expected to use the model provided by the teacher to create their own web-based assessment of the lesson material. (CLO: A, B, C, D)
Technology Trends Infographic Assignment
The candidate will develop an infographic describing the future of technology in the classroom. (CLO: B, C, D)
