Educational Technology 411

EDET 411: Technology for Middle School Teachers

Prerequisites: Admittance into Middle School Teacher Preparation Program

Credit Hours: (2)

Strengthens skills involving technology and its integration in the middle school classroom. The concentration will be on learning about and manipulating many different types of technologies available in public middle schools. Students will gain ideas and brainstorm strategies to enhance instruction through integration. Students will build a solid resource of ideas for future use with a background of what technology is available.

 

Detailed Description of Course Content

Purpose:  The main objectives for this course are to ensure prospective teachers develop critical awareness of instructional technologies in order to successfully integrate technology into their teaching. 

Approach:  The course begins with an overview of the latest research on how people learn.  This cognitive science research serves as a diagnostic lens to evaluate the efficacy of the instructional technologies the class uses over the course of the semester. Prospective teachers will be introduced to techniques and methods through modeling and direct hands-on experience to a wide array of technologies.  Along the way, students will develop skills for identifying appropriate technologies and making decisions concerning when to integrate a technology.  Specific technologies and topics include:

  • Current technological trends shaping education
  • Practical classroom realities of technology integration
  • Cognitive science and research-based attributes of effective learning environments
  • Equity of using technology in the classroom as it relates to socioeconomic, cultural and special needs differences in the classroom
  • Web 2.0 technologies such as Wikis, YouTube, and social networking
  • Google Earth
  • SmartBoard
  • Google Applications such as Picassa, Docs, Sites, Gmail, and Blogger
  • Copyright and Creative Commons, RSS
  • Presentation and website design principles
  • Interactive Power Points

 

Detailed Description of Conduct of Course

Students will use web-based tools and resources to create, organize, and reflect upon a variety of materials supporting middle school professional education preparation.  These materials will include items associated with instructional planning, management, and continuing professional development.  Students will establish a PortaPortal account, create video lesson plans, create a webpage, create a webquest, make a blog post, and create an online portfolio.   

 

Student Goals and Objectives

Goals, objectives, and assignments in this class address

            NCATE standards 1.c.

            NMSA 3.5 Are fluent in the integration of technology in curriculum planning

            VDOE standards for middle school technology are listed below 1-12.

            VPS  Curriculum and Instructional Procedures (Technology) – 8 VAC20-25-30 

Upon completion of this course, learners will possess knowledge and skills in the following areas:

    

1.  Basic Operations and Concepts

    a. Demonstration of knowledge of the nature and operation of Technology systems

            (1)   Describe how technology impacts learning

            (2)   Explore how software and hardware are developed to respond to changing needs of technology

            (3)   Describe compatibility issues between types of technology

    b.  Demonstration of proficiency in the use of technology

            (1)  Understanding hardware and software have different operating systems

            (2)  Ability to use self-help features to learn use of hardware and software

NCATE 1. c    NMSA 1-5      VDOE 8VAC 20-25-30 A-H

2.  Social and Ethical Issues

    a.  Demonstration of knowledge of ethical, cultural, and societal issues related to technology

            (1)  Knowledge of current changes in information technologies

            (2)  Need for laws and policies to govern technology

            (3)  Career opportunities in technology-related careers

    b.  Practice responsible use of technology systems, information and software

            (1)  Correct use of fair use and copyright regulations

            (2)  Compliance with school division’s Acceptable Use Policy and other legal guidelines

    c.  Demonstration of knowledge of technologies supporting collaboration, personal pursuits, and productivity

            (1)  Work collaboratively and/or independently when using technology

            (2)  Practice preventative maintenance of equipment, resources, and facilities

            (3)  Explore the potential of the Internet as means of personal learning and the respectful exchange of ideas and products

NCATE 1. c    NMSA 1-5      VDOE 8VAC 20-25-30 A-H
            
3.  Technology Research Tools

    a.  Use of technology to locate, evaluate, and collect information from a variety of sources

            (1) Use databases and spreadsheets to evaluate information

            (2) Use technology resources such as calculators and data collection probes for gathering information

            (3)  Use Internet and other electronic resources to locate information in real time

    b.  Evaluation and selection of new information resources and technological innovations based on appropriateness for specific tasks

            (1) Use search strategies to retrieve information

            (2)  Evaluate accuracy, relevance, and appropriateness of electronic information sources
NCATE 1.a, c NMSA 1-5      VDOE 8VAC 20-25-30 A-H

4.  Problem-solving and Decision-making Tools

    a.  Use of technology resources for solving problems and making informed decisions
            
            (1)  Employ technology in development of strategies for solving problems

            (2)  Use variety of technologies in development of strategies for solving problems

            (3)  Use content-specific tools, software, and simulations such as environmental probes, graphic calculators, exploratory environments, and web tools
            
            (4)  Participate in collaborative problem-solving activities

            (5)  Select and use appropriate tools and technology resources to accomplish a variety of tasks

            (6)  Instructional personnel shall be able to plan and implement lessons and strategies that integrate technology to meet the diverse needs of learners in a variety of educational settings

NCATE 1. c    NMSA 1-5      VDOE 8VAC 20-25-30 A-H

5.  Technology Communication Tools

    a.  Use of a variety of media and formats to communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences

            (1) Choice of appropriate tool, format, and style to communicate information

            (2)  Independent use of technology tools to create and communicate for individual and/or collaborative projects
            
            (3)  Production of documents demonstrating ability to edit, reformat, an integrate various software tools

NCATE 1. c    NMSA 1-5      VDOE 8VAC 20-25-30 A-H


Assessment Measures

Class attendance and participation.  Given the interactive nature of the class and its correlation with field experiences, students will be expected to actively participate in each class.  

The students are specifically assessed on the following items:

            1.  Class participation (real and online) and professional behavior

            2.  Weekly activities and projects

            3.  Quizzes and a final exam

            4.  Class presentations

            5.  Final projects consisting of four parts:  a.  Wikispace; b. Google Earth; c.  SmartBoard; and d.  a project of their choosing.


Other Course Information
None

Review and Approval

Revised April, 2009