• Your home page should introduce the audience to your portfolio. (3-4 sentences)
• The navigation bar must contain the following pages:
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Social Bookmarking
  • Productivity Tools
  • Web 2.0
  • Inspiration
  • Photostory
  • Creating a Learning Environment
  • Creativity and Innovation
  • WebQuest
• Every page of the portfolio must include an image and proper spelling and grammar.
• A “countdown” on the homepage

When you are finished, go to your Web site to verify that everything is working properly.

Generic WebQuest

You should have the Introduction and Task pages of your WebQuest completed.

In a group of three, share the introduction and task for your WebQuest. Does the introduction tell a story? Doe it place the students in a real life situation? Does it hook the reader? Spend some time improving your introductions. Does the WebQuest involve an authentic task?

Today we’ll focus on the Process section of a WebQuest. One of the most important parts of that section is the web resources that you are providing for students. You should not simply use the web resources listed on the sample WebQuest you have chosen to modify. You should see what is new, better, and different and replace the existing resources in your sample WebQuest.

One of the best places on the web to get good resources is the Thinkfinity website: http://www.thinkfinity.org. You’ll find resources for every subject and grade level. Here’s a short video overview of what you’ll find at this site. View this very short video to learn how to use Thinkfinity’s search tool.

Spend some time in Thinkfinity searching for tools, research sites, etc. that could help your student’s complete the WebQuest task.

Process Examples

• Mythology WebQuest created by Alia Albertowitz
• Math WebQuest

For Monday:

• Continue work on your WebQuest – start creating a detailed process description. Remember, your goal is to be a facilitator during the project.
• On Monday we will be talking about writing good evaluations.

Today we begin the first of three cases. What is a case?

By the end of the semester, you will be skilled in identifying instructional problems, selecting technology resources to address the instructional problems, and writing about how those resources can help to solve the instructional problem. The main resources you will use for the two cases are: the Montana Standards, and the ISTE National Educational Technology standards.

To get started on your case, open the case write-up form (K: Drive) – then upload it to Google Documents or save it on your thumbdrive.

Please note: there is no description for this assignment on the projects page – it will be described in class tonight and Wednesday.

Case 1: Creativity and Innovation is due on Monday, April 27th

How creative and innovative are you?  Do you enjoy classes where the instructor allows you to be creative?

Due on Wednesday:  Read Chapter 5 in your book and complete the handout started in class.

Part 1:  Growing Up Online

Watch the PBS Frontline, Growing Up Online.  You are more than welcome to use our classroom to view this documentary.  Please remember to bring headphones with you so that you don’t disturb others.  From the main page, click on Watch the Full Program Online.

Part 2:  Supporting Learning with Technology

Read Chapter 2:  Supporting Student Content Learning (Chapter2 Reading Guide)
Read Chapter 3:  Supporting Student Communication (Chapter3 Reading Guide)

Part 3:  Standards

Spend some time looking through the Montana State Standards.  Save this resource to your delicious account.  What standards are you excited about teaching?  What standards are you dreading?

Let’s watch a video with which you might identify: A Vision of Students Today. There’s a good bit of discussion about this video – here’s a blog posting that summarizes some of that discussion.

So, what will your students be like? Here’s another video: A Vision of K-12 Students Today

With what parts do you agree/disagree? Do we need to start over completely – or is there a middle ground.

Once you know who your learners are and what type of learning environment you will share, it’s time to determine the standards for your learners. There are many resources available to help you in this task. Most of you have probably already looked at the Montana Standards. These standards guide students, parents, teachers, administrators, and members of the community as we educate our children.  The Montana Standards are not as specific as other states:

• Florida
• Georgia
• New York

We don’t use technology for technology’s sake. We determine an instructional problem, for instance: 6th grade students have difficulty explaining the alignment of the sun, moon, and the Earth during lunar eclipses (which is a requirement for 6th grade science). As the instructor, it is your job to determine how you will help students address this learning problem. Do you use physical models? Do you show an educational video? Do students memorize related vocabulary terms? Do they watch/interact with a Flash-based simulation of a lunar eclipse? Or do you do a combination of these things?  Technology is just one of many resources you have at your disposal – but it is the one we are usually least familiar with as a teaching tool. That’s why you’re taking EDUC 232.

It’s not just content standards that need to be addressed while teaching. There are national educational technology standards (NETS) for K-12. In my opinion, these standards focus on good teaching and learning – not simply on technology use. Your text is based on these national standards and contains a chapter that addresses the first four standards (we’ve talked about 5 and 6 all semester):

1. Creativity and Innovation
2. Communication and Collaboration
3. Research and Information Fluency
4. Critical thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making
5. Digital Citizenship
6. Technology Operations and Concepts

Can you see how 1-4 are really just about good teaching and that technology is a resource to help meet these standards? We’ll be focusing on 1-4 as you work through your cases – instructional problems – starting after Spring Break.

Let’s watch a video with which you might identify: A Vision of Students Today. There’s a good bit of discussion about this video – here’s a blog posting that summarizes some of that discussion.

So, what will your students be like? Here’s another video: A Vision of K-12 Students Today

With what parts do you agree/disagree? Do we need to start over completely – or is there a middle ground.

For Wednesday’s class – write your classroom “autobiography” on your “Creating a Learning Environment” Google Page.

Here are the details – this is due on Wednesday, March 25th at the beginning of class.

After selecting a grade level and subject area, use the drawing tools in PowerPoint to create a classroom layout for a technology-enhanced classroom.

After creating your classroom layout, you will insert it as an image on your “Creating a Learning Environment” page on your website and comment on the following on your webpage below the image.

Keeping your audience in mind (parents and/or students), write a narrative for your classroom layout (Refer to pages 38 – 43 in your textbook) – why you chose the design, what are the highlights of the room, how it reflects the needs of the learners and of the curriculum.  Give a sense of what it would be like to spend time in your classroom. Describe your students and yourself (their teacher). This should take 3-4 paragraphs to describe.

Your floorplan must include the following:

• Computers
• 15 Seats
• Furniture (2 Extra Items)
• Thought and creativity

PART TWO: MORE STANDARDS:

It’s not just content standards that need to be addressed while teaching. There are national educational technology standards (NETS) for K-12. In my opinion, these standards focus on good teaching and learning – not simply on technology use. Your text is based on these national standards and contains a chapter that addresses the first four standards (we’ve talked about 5 and 6 all semester):

1. Creativity and Innovation
2. Communication and Collaboration
3. Research and Information Fluency
4. Critical thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making
5. Digital Citizenship
6. Technology Operations and Concepts

PART ONE: WHO ARE YOU TEACHING?

One of the most exciting parts of teaching is meeting your students. There aren’t many careers where every year (or every semester) you get the pleasure of meeting anywhere from 20-100 new people. It’s really one of the gifts of the job. Good teachers know their students. Better teachers understand their students. One path to knowing your students is to understand their generation. Students you will teach (and any of you born after 1982) are considered “digital natives” a phrase coined by Marc Prensky. Most of the teachers you’ve had are “digital immigrants”. To better understand how this notion impacts teaching and learning, choose 2 of Marc Prensky’s articles to read. Choose one from the “classics” list and one from the “new and recent” list.

After reading the articles, log into Google Docs (http://docs.google.com) and create a new word processing document. On the document, respond to the following:

• Which articles did you choose to read and why?
• Do you see yourself as a digital native or a digital immigrant? Why? How does that impact your potential to meet the needs of your future students?
• What are some key points of Prensky’s with which you agree? With which you disagree?

Publish your Google Doc. Create a new Web page called, “Creating a Learning Environment” and link your Google Doc to it.

For fun – see where you fall on the Beloit College Mindset List.

Class Schedule

• 3 Case Studies
• 7 Weeks Left
• Average 2 Weeks/Case Study

Picasa, Google’s photo organizer is an excellent tool for sharing and managing your photos.  Remember, if your pictures need editing, Picasa can be used to improve the images for your PhotoStory.

You will use PhotoStory to import your images and begin your story.  Monday class time will be dedicated lab time to finish your story.

Your PhotoStory project should contain the following:

1. Ten or more pictures
2. A narration that creates a story with your photos
3. A title screen and credits screen
4. Music
5. Humor and/or creativity