Syllabus

Instructors: Alice Barr, Mike Arsenault & Cathy Wolinsky
How can we effectively use learning strategies and technology resources to improve the acquisition and use of essential skills and knowledge by our students?
 * The Essential Question:**

This course is based on the philosophy that teachers should:
 * 1) Use technology as a design factor in planning lessons, units & assessments.
 * 2) View technology as a support for student learning and share models for successful implementation.
 * 3) Be proficient with and expected to use a wide variety of technology tools to communicate with parents, students and colleagues, to assess and report on student achievement, to locate appropriate curriculum resources and to perform other professional tasks.
 * 4) Be aware of the ISTE [|National Educational Technology Standards for students]


 * The Essential Knowledge and Skills:**
 * Expertise in finding and locating resources on the Internet through effective use of search engines and educational resource pages.
 * Design and enhancement of existing teacher web pages to contain weblinks, communication items and student work.
 * Incorporate technology to improve student performance in an area of need.
 * Utilize technology to differentiate instruction when creating unit plans.
 * Expand the use and understanding of Web 2.0 tools for student communication and collaboration.
 * Develop teacher and student 21st Century Digital Literacy skills.
 * Assess the impact of the use of technology resources on student learning of essential skills and knowledge.

Class Dates:
Participants have the option of selecting a 1.5 credit option or a 3 credit option. Both sections will start together on June 24 and end together on October 25, 2008.

Total Hours: 19 hours
 * 1.5 Credit Option**
 * 1) Pre-conference with one instructor (Building Integrator) to develop goals and area of interest for instruction – 1 hour
 * 2) Tuesday, June 24 8:00-4:00 – 7.5 hours
 * 3) Wednesday, June 25 8:00-11:00 – 3 hours
 * 4) Time with Building Integrator to consult about classroom-based project – a minimum of 1 hour
 * 5) October 25, Fall Wrap up and Presentations – 8:00-3:00 6.5 hours

Total Hours: 37.5 hours
 * 3 Credit Option**
 * 1) Pre-conference with one instructor (Building Integrator) to develop goals and area(s) of interest for instruction – 1 hour
 * 2) Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday June 24, 25 & 26, 8:00-4:00 – 22.5 hours
 * 3) Tuesday September 16 & September 30 – 2 hour classes after school (2:45-4:45 for YHS & HMS and 3:45-5:45 for K-4) – 4 hours
 * 4) October 25, Fall Wrap up and Presentations – 8:00-3:00 6.5 hours

Criteria for Work Habit Expectations:

 * Participation**:
 * Prepare for class discussions by reading and reflecting
 * Contribute to conversations, group activities and online collaborations
 * Communicate with instructors if there is something that needs to change
 * Offer ideas, readings, resources to instructors and class members

Attendance:

 * Attend all classes unless there is a sickness or an emergency.
 * Please notify instructors ahead of time about the need to miss a class.
 * Classes that are missed will be made up by time with an instructor or alternate assignments, depending on what has been missed.


 * Homework & Classwork:**
 * Complete all readings and written reflections
 * Develop and complete an instructor-approved project that reflects the essential question of the course.
 * Evidence of Learning: Based on the work of Schacter & Fagnano, 1999, we expect teachers to complete a project that is designed to “increase student learning, understanding & achievement, but also augments motivation to learn, encourages collaborative learning and supports the development of critical thinking and problem-solving skills.” (Pitler, 2007)
 * Possible projects include (but are not limited to)
 * 1) FirstClass web pages that demonstrate student learning.
 * 2) Web-based collections of student work that show essential learning.
 * 3) Integrated use of Web2.0 tools with students: e.g. blogs, wikis, podcasts, vodcasts, voicetheads, etc.

**Selected Chapters/Articles from current publications:**

 * David Warlick
 * Will Richardson
 * Robert J. Marzano
 * GLEF (George Lucas Educational Foundation)
 * Technology & Learning Magazine
 * Learning and Leading with Technology (ISTE)
 * “Using Technology with Classroom Instruction That Works” edited by Howard Pitler
 * Other current writing in the field