syllabus

GED 556
Telecommunications & The Vermont Standards
July 6-17, 1998 8:00 – 12:00
Kathy Schaw, Instructor (kschaw@aol.com), (802)878-8778

(Areas in red denote revisions)

Syllabus

Course Description:
This course focuses on the Internet and Vermont’s Framework of Standards and Learning Opportunities. Educators learn the skills necessary for electronic communication and to access the wealth of resources on the "Information Highway." These experiences are then transferred into classroom lessons and activities that support the knowledge and skills in Vermont’s Framework of Standards and Learning Opportunities.

Required Text:
Schrum, Lynne & Boris Berenfeld, Teaching and Learning in the Information Age: A Guide to Educational Telecommunications, Allyn & Bacon, Inc., 1997.

Vermont’s Framework of Standards & Educational Opportunities, Vermont Department of Education, Spring 1996.

Course Goals:

To develop skills and understandings for integrating the Internet into classroom activities to achieve the Vermont Standards
To understand how to use telecommunications to engage learners and enhance learning opportunities
To develop quality Internet site/project evaluation criteria and to identify noteworthy Internet sites and projects that meet these criteria
To create teaching/learning plans for the upcoming school year that harness the power of telecommunications to achieve standards, and to share this work with a global audience via a course web page
To understand issues of concern related to student use of telecommunications and determine how best to address them in the classroom
To create a course resource (web site) of participants’ teaching/learning plans, exemplary Internet project links, email directory, to enable sharing of work done during and beyond the course

Course Requirements/Evaluation Criteria:

Date Due	Description
	100% Attendance Students are expected to attend all classes, except under unusual and explained circumstances. In such instances, missed class times may be made up through the completion of additional projects, as agreed upon by both the instructor and student. Leaving early is not permitted. Each class missed will reduce the student’s final grade by one half letter.
	Daily Reflections Students will use electronic mail to compose and submit daily reflections regarding the concepts discussed in class. Reflections may also include thoughts, concerns, successes, or questions regarding the course.
Fri., 7/10	Internet Site/Project Evaluations Students will search the Internet to identify a minimum of two notable sites and three notable projects, preferably related to the learning plans they will develop. Each site will be evaluated. Each evaluation (roughly one-half page in length) should include: A brief review of the project The site’s URL Strengths and weaknesses of the site/project A completed rubric assessing quality (as defined by our class) Students will share at least one notable site/project with the class.
Thurs., 7/16	Personal Home Page Each student will create a simple home page consisting of the following elements: Banner title Page title Content (may be an autobio) Author contact information (i.e., mailto:) Date the page was last revised Link back to our course home page Link to learning plans Other links to favorite sites At least one graphic image
Fri., 7/17	Teaching/Learning Plans Each student will develop plans for learning situations (e.g., a Unit plan) which incorporate the Internet and the Vermont Standards. Plans must include: Rationale Learning goals Concepts, knowledge, and skills to be learned Focusing question(s) (preferred, but not required) Age/grade range Vermont standards to be incorporated Assessment tools for each standard (one assessment may cover more than one standard, if appropriate). At least two assessment tools must be finished. Others may be identified and developed at a later time. At least one of the tools must be a rubric. Timeline Lesson plans (at least two) At least one component of the plans must involve students using telecommunications to communicate (A telecollaborative experience is preferred, but not required). References used (these may include Internet links). Sources should be properly cited. The learning plans will be converted to HTML for posting on the course web site for sharing with other educators.

Expectations:
Students are expected to be prompt and ready to begin class at 8:00 a.m. Some computer time will be required outside of class to complete requirements. Text and other assigned readings should be read to be prepared for class discussions. Students will be expected to share learning with each other both during work times and during whole group and small group discussions. Students will be encouraged to help develop the course web site of notable resources for telecommunications and standards-based teaching/learning plans and projects.

Course Overview

Date	Primary Focus	Readings and Assignments	Assignments/Readings Due
Mon., 7/6	Introductions, course overview, network and E-mail basics Discussion regarding students’ experience with Standards-Based Units History of the Internet	Read Netiquette article at http://rs6000.adm.fau.edu/rinaldi/netiquette.html Email to Kathy: preferred name, teaching position/grade level(s), school, preferred email address(es), topics for units of study for 1998-99. Become familiar with the VT Framework of Standards & Learning Opportunities Find out if your school has an Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) and bring a copy to class on Friday
Tues., 7/7	Search engines and search strategies; site reviews Criteria for web sites/projects Telecommunications and the VT Standards Components of a standards-based unit	Teaching & Learning, Ch. 1 & 2 Web site/project evaluations (due Friday) Gather images to scan	Monday’s reflections Email of info on email and school
Wed., 7/8	Citing Internet sources www.classroom.net/resource/ CitingNetResources.html "The ‘Net: Garbage or Goldmine?" Scanning and digital cameras Small groups discuss Learning Plan ideas	Teaching & Learning, Ch. 3-5 Develop ideas for learning plans	Tuesday’s reflections

Thurs., 7/9	Sending attachments in e-mail Sources for collaboration (telecollaborative projects sites, teacher contacts, video conferencing, listservs, etc.) Working with graphics	Read "First Grade Online" and "How to Teach Students the Rules of the Online Road"	Wednesday’s reflections Submit learning plan ideas via attachment
Fri., 7/10	Share site evaluations AUP’s and copyright issues The Standards, revisited	Continue to develop learning plans Finish Teaching & Learning… Plan ideas for personal home page	Thursday’s reflections Copies of your school’s AUP Internet site/project evaluations
Mon., 7/13	Discuss readings Barrier & Obstacles of Telecollaborations and Components of Effective Collaborations Home pages part I	Begin creating personal home page	Friday’s reflections Self-selected telecommunications article summary
Tues., 7/14	Home pages part II		Monday’s reflections
Wed., 7/15	Implementation issues Revisiting the Standards and creating evaluation criteria (Rubrics)	Develop assessment pieces for your learning plans	Tuesday’s reflections
Thurs., 7/16	Work day NetMeeting Demo		Wednesday’s reflections Personal Home Pages
Fri., 7/17	Share final projects and next steps I like/I wish… Course evaluations		Final projects Evaluations

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Created by Kathy Schaw
Last revised: March 18, 1999 08:57 AM