pacific tech

Technology Across the Curriculum 537

Professor: Mark Szymanski, Ph.D.
Email: marks@pacificu.edu
Phone: 345.8842 x30
Office Hours: Monday & Wednesday 8:30-9:00 & 12-1 and by appointment. I’ll keep a blog for this class and send you an email notice when I post something new that you should read. The blog address is: http://pacificsecondary2.edublogs.org

Course Description
This course is designed to introduce you to the many applications of computers and other technology in education and familiarize you with the issues associated with technology use. The course consists of a series of readings, presentations, lab work, small group work, and independent exploration.

Because of the variety of perspectives, aptitudes, and experiences you all bring to the class, it’s important for you to identify your skills and goals for the class. The goals and objectives for the course are aligned with the Standards set up able to develop the technology skills for teachers in preparation identified by The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE).

Frameworks for Understanding
The most important goal in this class is to develop an understanding how to use technology across the curriculum thoughtfully. To help you reach this goal, I have chosen three organizing frameworks to help you develop a deeper understanding of how to use technology across the curriculum effectively. The two reoccurring themes will be woven into all the work we do.

1. Technology is a Mindtool
Jonassen (2002) refers to technology as a tool that can be used for many purposes. This idea will help you reflect on the reasons you choose to use technology and the software and hardware you choose to use.
2. Principles of Design

Materials that use principles of design increase cognitive efficiency and provide powerful clues to deeper meaning. Principles of design take advantage of our natural visual tendencies. Robin Williams, a leading mind in design, defines four elements of design that also have powerful value to learning.

Proximity
Alignment
Repetition
Contrast

Proximity
The location of graphic information provides visual clues to help us categorize and organize information with little cognitive effort. You should group related items together. Move them physically close to each other so the related items are seen as one cohesive group rather than unrelated bits (p. 15).
How do you use Proximity? Group similar elements and separate different elements.

Alignment
Aligned graphic information provides visual clues to help us categorize and organize information with little cognitive effort. The principle of alignment states that nothing should be placed on the page arbitrarily. Every item should have a visual connection with something else on the page (p. 27).
How do you use Alignment? Be consistent; let the content guide alignment choices; use different alignments carefully; avoid centering everything.

Repetition
Repeated graphic elements and colors provide visual clues that help us to categorize and organize information with little cognitive effort. Repetition can be thought of as consistency-a conscious effort to unify all parts of a design (p. 43).
How do you create repetition? Repeat: images, colors, sizes, typefaces, alignment, and text direction.

Contrast
Contrasted graphic elements and colors provide visual clues to help us categorize and organize information with little cognitive effort. If information is different in substance or value, it should look very different. The visual differences between things are often the most important visual attraction on a page. Contrast is created when two elements are different. If the two elements are sort of different, but not really, then you don’t have contrast, you have conflict (14).
How do you create Contrast? Change images, colors, sizes, typefaces, alignment, text direction.

Williams R. (1994.). The Non Designer’s Design Book: Design and typographic principles for the visual novice. Berkeley, CA: Peachpit Press.

Course Outcomes
As a result of participating in this course, prospective teachers will be able to:

• Evaluate and use computers and related technologies to support the instructional process.
• Display an increased understanding of the variety of instructional programs available for classroom use, as well as appropriate methods for their utilization.
• Apply current instructional principles, research, and appropriate assessment practices to the use of computers and related technologies.
• Explore, evaluate, and use computer/technology-based materials, including applications, teacher utilities, educational software and associated documentation.
• Demonstrate knowledge of uses of computers for problem-solving, data collection, information management, communications, presentations, and decision making.
• Increase their ability to formally evaluate instructional software.
• Critically evaluate and utilize online sources or information.
• Demonstrate increased skill in the use of hypermedia applications, electronic searches, multimedia, telecommunications, and other recent innovations in educational technology to support instruction.
• Identify resources for staying current in applications of computing and related technologies in education.
• Demonstrate knowledge of equity, ethical, legal, and human issues, of computing and technology use as they relate to society and model appropriate behaviors.

Schedule and Assignments Monday or Wednesday 9-12

Monday March 3  or  Wednesday March 5
Principles of Design, Inspirational Authoring, Digital Resources

After this class you will be able to:
• Describe the four principles of design and their usefulness.
• Identify the effective use of design elements in outlines and diagrams.
• Execute the basic commands of Inspiration
• Use images, from other sources in a diagram.
• Import, digital images from a number of sources into a diagram.
• Use United Streaming content in your concept map.
Project 1 Inspiration Diagram / due March 14
Project 2 Your Blog, Pics, and Unitedstreaming

Monday March 10  or Wednesday March 12
Comic Life, Slides and Media and Charts

After this class you will be able to:
• Identify the characteristics of an effective slide show.
• Use a variety of media in your slides in clever and creative ways.
• Use data to create charts in a slide show.
• Use Comic Life to create a comic
Project 3 Slide Show or Comic Life / due March 21

Monday March 17 or Wednesday March 19
WebQuests and Web-Based Teaching Tools

After this class you will be able to:
• Understand how web browsers, the internet, search engines work.
• Use the world wide web as a resource for your content area.
• Design and build a WebQuest.
• Construct a web page using a web authoring tool.
Project 4 WebQuest / due April 4

Monday March 31 or Wednesday April 2

Geospatial Tools 

After this class you will be able to:

• Understand how Geospatial Tools function.
• Create a lesson that uses Google Earth.
Project 5  Geospatial Tools / due April 11

Monday April 7 or Wednesday April 9
Digital Video and Podcasting
After this class you will be able to:
• Execute the steps to storyboard and conceptualize digital video for educational purposes.
• Use effective photography and video techniques in your video
• Execute beginning steps involved in editing digital video.

• Understand how podcasting and audio streaming work
• Create and subscribe to a podcast.
Project 6 Digital Video / Due April 22

Saturday April 12
Oregon Technology Education Network (OTEN) Conference Pacific University
We will attend the Spring OTEN Conference at Pacific University in Forest Grove. The conference presenters will be student teachers and classroom teachers from Oregon.

Wednesday April 16
Smartboards, Document Cameras, External Devices.
After this class you will be able to:
• Download or create a Interactive Whiteboard lesson using Notebook.
• Teach a Lesson using an Interactive Whiteboard.

Wednesday April 23
Student Movies and Interactive Whiteboard Sessions

Blog Posts and Peer Reviews:

You will post a reflection on your blog for each project. Your reflection should include the following information:

1. Your peer review. Cut and past the peer review you received into your blog post.
2. A description of how you might use the project and the benchmark the project is designed to meet.
3. Describe the cognitive assimilation and / or accommodation you experienced.

Assignments

Project 1 Inspiration Diagram  30 points

Project 2 Blog Entries (5 points per post) 30 points

Project 3 Slide Show & Comic Life 30 points

Project 4 WebQuest or Explore Learning  50 points

Project 5 Geospatial Tools 30 points

Project 6 Digital Video 30 points

Project 7 Student Presentation 10 points

Peer Reviews 10 points
Total 200

Grading Scale
A 100%-95%
A- 94%-90%
B+ 89%-85%
B 84%-80%
C+ 79%-75%
C 74%-70%

Policies and Procedures
• Information about the computer lab and equipment can be found at the lab web site.
• It is very important that you attend every class. If you have to miss a class you are responsible for making up the work and learning the skills. You will also be required to complete and additional assignment. If miss a class for an emergency, you must email me that day and I will email you the makeup assignment which is due on the next day we meet.
• You must turn in all assignments on time. If you are having trouble completing an assignment, seek help early enough so you will be able to meet the deadlines. The point total of any assignments turned in after the deadline will be reduced by 25%.
• No food is allowed in the lab. If you have a drink it must be in a spill-proof cup.
• I reserve the right to make any changes or adjustments that make this a better learning experience for you and me.

Required Materials

1. USB flash drive This option is cross platform and plugs into the USB port of computers. You can purchase a jump drive from any office supply store. You can use a 32 MB.

2. Headphones If you are listening to audio on a computer in the lab, you should use headphones.

3. Atomic Learning Subscription: Atomic Learning is a web-based software support site with Quicktime tutorial movies to help you learn to use software in this class. You have a subscription for 2007.

Students With Disabilities
In general, the University will work with students to improve conditions that may hinder their learning. The university requires appropriate documentation of a disability in order to enable students to meet academic standards. It is the responsibility of each student to inform the Director of Learning Support Services of his or her disability. Students are encouraged to work with faculty proactively in developing strategies for accommodation. Director/Learning Support Services For Students With Disabilities: Edna Gehring, 1(503)359-2107

Incompletes
Instructors may issue a grade of incomplete only when the major portion of a course has been completed satisfactorily, but health or other emergency reasons prevent the student from finishing all the requirements in the course. The instructor and the student should agree upon a deadline by which all work will be completed, with the following guidelines: Incompletes given for Fall and or Winter III terms must be completed by April 15. Incompletes given for Spring semester must be completed by the following November 15.
Instructors will issue the grade the student would have earned by not completing the course, preceded by an “I”. This grade is determined by including a failing grade for the missing assignment(s) in the calculation of the final grade. If the agreed upon course work is not completed in the period allotted and an extension has not been granted, the grade issued will be permanent. The contingency grade will be used in the computation of the GPA until such time as a new grade is recorded. 1999-2000 Pacific University Catalog, p.24

Grade Changes
Once a grade is submitted to the Registrar it shall not be changed except in the case of recording errors. Grade changes will be approved by the appropriate Dean or Director. 1999-2000 Pacific University Catalog, p. 25.; Pacific Stuff, p. 27.

Safe Environment Policy
Pacific University’s Rights and Responsibilities policy seeks to maintain conditions favorable to learning. Students have the right to pursue an education free from discrimination based on gender, religion, marital status, age, sexual orientation or handicap. Students have the responsibility to conduct themselves, both individually and in groups, in a manner which promotes an atmosphere conducive to teaching, studying and learning. This policy is described in detail in Pacific Stuff: A Handbook for Students and Faculty p. 21, 59.

Academic Integrity
Honesty and integrity are expected of all students in class preparation, examinations, assignments, practicums and other academic work. Misconduct includes, but is not limited to cheating; plagiarism; forgery; fabrication; theft of instructional materials or tests; unauthorized access or manipulation of laboratory or clinic equipment or computer programs; alteration of grade books, clinical records, files or computer grades; misuse of research data in reporting results; use of personal relationships to gain grades or favors or other attempts to obtain grades or credit through fraudulent means; unprofessional conduct related to student care; threats to University personnel and conduct inconsistent with academic integrity.

Pacific University College of Education
MAT Secondary 2 Spring 2008