College of Education

Educational Technology & Literacy

ISTC301: Integrating Instructional Technology

Summer, 2015 –Hawkins Hall 209.

Face-to-face class on Tuesday & Thursday, 9:00-10:50; May 26-June 25.

Faculty

Mrs. Deborah Fuller

Office: Hawkins Hall 210D

Email: (the best way to reach me) dfuller@towson.edu

Phone: 410-704-2542

Course Description

Materials, devices, techniques and settings are presented in an overview of the field of instructional

technology. Lab experiences are provided in the operation of instructional hardware and software.

Course topics include examining and reflecting upon the impact of integrating technology in teaching

and learning; teaching and learning theories; using digital tools to design interactive multimedia

lessons and presentations; Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and differentiated instruction;

assistive and emerging technologies; and planning for and integrating technology into a practical

teaching experience.

We will use Blackboard http://blackboard.towson.edu and the class Wikispaces site.

(You will receive an invitation to join the wiki via your TU email. Follow the directions.

Then each time go to wikispaces.com, log in, and you can access the class wiki.

Rationale The purpose of the ISTC 301 course is to introduce teacher candidates to various forms of electronic

and digital technologies and to provide opportunities for engagement and reflection on the role of

these tools can play in the classroom teaching/learning process. This course is designed to use the

Towson University Conceptual Framework as a basis to meet the Maryland State Department of

Education certification and accreditation requirements.

Course Objectives

This course is designed to meet National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers (NETS*T),

Maryland Teacher Technology Standards (MTTS), Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support

Consortium (InTASC), Maryland Common Core State Standards (CCSS), and the Towson University

College of Education Conceptual Tramework (available online at

http://wwwnew.towson.edu/coe/accreditation

Students will be able to:

1. Investigate, discuss, and reflect on the roles of electronic/digital teaching in teaching and learning

(MTTS V; ISTE NETS*T 5&5; InTASC 3&4).

2. Participate in meaningful communication within and outside of an electronic learning community

(MTTS VII; NETS*T 5; InTASC 9&10).

3. Develop skills in using a variety of computer software and media resources (MTTS 1, 5, &7;

NETS*T I & II; InTACS 3, 4, 9, 10).

4. Gain experience in planning to integrate technology into the classroom curriculum (MTTS V &

VII; NETS*T II, III, & IV; InTASC 1, 2, 4, 5, 6; CCSS).

5. Design and create multimedia projects to present curriculum information (MTTS III; NETS*T VI;

InTASC 9; CCSS).

6. Prepare to use technology independently throughout their education and careers (ISTC-NETS*T,

MTTS, InTASC 9, CCSS).

7. Develop an educational technology portfolio that supports specific academic content (MTTS VI;

NETS*T VI; InTASC 8).

8. Demonstrate mastery of the ISTC-NETS*T, MTTS, InTASC, and MD State Common Core

Curriculum Standards).

Required Materials

--Have a computer and Internet access through the TU computer labs or on your own.

--Safely storing and accessing your work from this course is of the utmost importance.

--Save all work to your H: tiger drive and upload items to class wiki and Blackboard as requested.

--Email is the best way to contact the instructor with questions or concerns: dfuller@towson.edu.

Please type "istc301" in the subject line.

-At home, single files may be uploaded/downloaded to your ―H‖ drive using the Web Disk ftp in

webmail.

Help sheets: http://www.towson.edu/adminfinance/ots/trainingdoc/shr22-vw-remote.asp

--Problems with tiger account: call 410-704-5151.

--Self-help training documents are available for a number of software applications. Office of

Technology Services (OTS).

--Students will use online text for reference about Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles.

Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age: Universal Design for Learning by David H. Rose &

Anne Meyer, ASCD, 2002. http://www.cast.org

--Supplementary readings will be posted in the class Wikispaces site.

Students with Special Needs:

If you need an accommodation due to a disability, please contact me privately to discuss your specific

needs. A memo from Towson University Disability Support Services Office (410-704-2638)

authorizing your accommodations will be needed.

Class Policies: Students are expected to maintain a high standard of academic integrity. Inappropriate classroom

conduct, cheating, and plagiarism are unacceptable and are grounds for a failing grade in this course.

Students are responsible for adhering to the Towson University academic integrity policies described

in the Towson University Undergraduate Catalog.

Students are expected to adhere to the Towson University policies for responsible computing,

http://www.towson.edu/adminfinance/ots/aboutots/otspolicies/responsible.asp

Participation is an essential component to this course including attendance, thoughtful participation

and preparation of readings/assignments. Accessing online community sites and email during class

is not considered thoughtful participation. Students are encouraged to share ideas, articles, web sites,

new technologies, and software you think would be relevant for class discussion.

Students are expected to attend all classes and are responsible for content/assignments due to

absence. Submit assignments and projects on time, or get permission to submit late PRIOR to the due

date for full credit. Email instructor if you are unable to attend class.

Class Topics

Refer to class wiki for each topic. There you will find links, readings, and specific assignment

instructions. Focus on experimenting with incorporating ‗new tools‘ in all of your work. (Use the

Promethean Board to present information and create a short activity for your lesson; add a created

image-a collage or word cloud; record sound; locate web sites or web tools to learn and enhance

information, embed a video—from You Tube; incorporate a social media tool).

1. TPACK (Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge) and Universal Design of Learning

-- Students choose a pedagogy (teaching strategy) and a differentiation component and work in

teams to modify and enhance lesson ideas.

-- Learn the basics of UDL. The main goals are to fix curriculum instead of fixing kids and to help

students become expert learners. View local and national technology standards.

2. Graphic Organizers , Concept Mapping and working with images and text in various formats:

practice using image editing tools.

Class practice–Use PowerPoint to collage and save single jpg and gif images. View and practice

using web based tools,

3. How could you capture screen images (screencasting) and create a ‗movie tutorial‘ to instruct or

present information? (single image screen shots, recording screen action with screen capture

software). Use these techniques to incorporate images in course projects.

4. Working with audio – recording voice, locating and editing music/sound; mixing tracks for

projects. Audacity will be one tool presented in class. (UDL Podcast)

5. Technology Tools for Teaching and Learning – Web 2.0.

Exploring Web.20 Tools for classroom and student application (literacy, collaboration, concept

mapping, visual and auditory tools). Incorporate at least 5 examples in your work throughout the

course in the final portfolio.

6. Using Interactive Whiteboards for Teaching and Learning.

Each student will have hands-on practice with the Promethean board and creating flipcharts with

ActivInspire. (UDL project).

7. Copyright/Fair Use Issues, Creative Commons licenses and evaluating online information.

(Class exercise and blog post).

8. Social Media –Choosing an online presence. -Types and benefits to education.

Social Bookmarking tools --listing and sharing resources. (Blog post, Bookmarking site).

9. Applying UDL in lesson design and teaching. (UDL Lesson and Teach the Class)

Course Grading

Class Participation, Attendance and Peer Review (10%)

A component of this course is your participation including attendance, thoughtful participation and

preparation of readings/assignment, active group engagement and a concern for others in this course.

Each class will introduce ideas for integrating technology in teaching and learning. You will have a

chance to experiment and submit your practice. Team work time will be provided to plan lessons and

presentations.

Peer Assessment: The UDL Module/Podcast and lesson will be done in groups. You will be asked to

submit ratings for each project, for each group member, including yourself. These responses should

be posted to the private Blackboard learning journal provided.

Technology Integration Projects and Presentations (70%)

A significant portion of this course is based on your participation in learning teams. This includes on-

task, one-time thoughtful posts, and interaction with your peers throughout the course.

Some projects are completed individually and others with your learning team.

1. TPACK/UDL Module and Podcast -team

Modify a lesson and analyze it for UDL principles and features and barriers where UDL is not

employed. Rewrite the lesson plan to be more UDL focused, and then create a podcast that explains

what you changed in the lesson and why. You will not need to fix every barrier you identify, but

make a good effort to fix as many as you can. At the very least, try to fix a barrier from each of the

three networks.

2. Digital Storytelling & Screencasting – Utilize a variety of the skills we practiced in class to

create a ‗digital story‘ that could be used to inform, instruct, or review a curriculum-based topic and a

screen cast tutorial.

3. Teach the Class and Screencasting –(individual)

As we explore Web 2.0 tools, online sites, and educational software, select a topic to further explore

and ‗teach the class‘. Post on individual wiki page.

4. Electronic Portfolio – a collection of artifacts to demonstrate course accomplishments and

reflections for understanding.

Blogging Assignments and Reflections (20%) During the course you will be asked post to blog prompts in Blackboard. Responses will be evaluated

to ensure you are reflecting on the subject, answering the questions posed thoughtfully and

completely, and able to connect the topic with prior knowledge. Use this space as a journal to store

your thought as the semester progresses. The material will help you to complete the portfolio

assignment. You will not be graded on format or sentence structure. Points will be deducted for lack

of timely participation, content that does not adequately show your engagement with course content

or off-topic responses.

Active Class Participation Attendance and topic contributions in class (10%)

Grading: Note: There are no A+, C-, or D- grades according to Towson‘s grading policy.

94 -100% =A; 90-93% =A-; 86-89 =B+; 82-85% =B; 78-81% =B-; 74-77 =C+; 69-73% = C; 65-68

=D+; 65% is a failing grade.

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Blog 1 – Tech Bio. In the Message box introduce yourself to the class.

Respond in two or three paragraphs to summarize the positive and negative of your experience with

‗technology in the classroom‘. Drawing on your own experience learning with technology, briefly

discuss a classroom situation in which technology was used to help you, the student, learn. Describe

the classroom situation, the subject being taught, the other students, the technology/ies (for example,

computer/computer software, Interactive White Boards, etc.) being used, and how the technology was

integrated within the instruction. Based on your knowledge, interest, access, and experience with

technology, reflect on why and how this classroom situation you describe was effective at helping

you to learn. Relate a specific experience you remember about how technology was used to enhance

your learning or ‗lack of use‘ that may have impeded your learning or desire to accomplish learning a

topic.

Finally, after browsing the class wiki and course topics, are there particular items that spark your

interest or that you want to learn during the course?

Blog 2 Social Media

1.How could teachers and students utilize social media tools in K-12 schools? Give 3 specific

examples (refer to readings). Explain one way you could incorporate social media, an online

bookmarking tool or downloadable app in your class.

2. Create a bookmarking site and post the link to the wiki page now. Add at least 20 items (in

categories) by the end of the course.

Blog 3 –Safety and Ethics (refer to wiki page for readings)

What are some ethical and safety issues that should be taught to help ensure proper and safe online use

for students? Include at least 3 examples from the Safety and Ethics readings, as well as your own

concerns/experience.

How do you protect your online devices from malware/spyware?

Blog 4 – Copyright and Fair Use (refer to wiki page for readings)

-What are Creative Commons licenses? Explain some of the permissions and restrictions. How are these

licenses a benefit to us as educators?

- What is ‗fair use‘ in reference to educators and students?

-What is the TEACH Act and why is it important for educators?

-Consider two copyright and fair use issues that you were familiar with and two issues that were new to

you. Explain and share any surprises, concerns, past experiences or issues regarding copyright and fair

use. If you can think of a scenario that you know, or wonder if it would be copyright infringement,

describe it and we can all weigh in.

Blog 4 Evaluating Online Information (refer to wiki page for readings)

Guiding questions for reflection.

1. How will you teach students to be critical readers of online information?

2. What are some specific criteria and strategies to help judge online information?

3. Why use one search engine over another? Include a ‗kid friendly‘ search engine.

Name a search engine that does not ‗track‘ your searches and feed back advertising.

4. School pay for ‗subscription databases/services‘. Why pay for these services when students

have the Internet? (View databases available through Baltimore County Public Schools.)

Blog 6

Final reflection. (This should be incorporated into your portfolio statement).

Technology tools change the ways students learn and teachers teach. Discuss your thoughts

regarding this statement. Evaluate several web-based tools talked about during the course or found

on your own.

How will the tools you have learned about change the way you teach and learn?

Discuss how your beliefs and attitudes pertaining to the use of technology in the classroom are

changing as you shift from learners of tools to teachers of content via these tools.

Describe how you intend to use these skills and tools in your future teaching.

Group Roles for Team Project

Group members will be asked to take one of the following roles: researcher, editor or designer

(over the course of the semester each member should play each role once).

While every group member is asked to complete all of the readings, the researcher is required to

seek out additional technologies or research supporting and surrounding the work completed for the

project, summarize it, share it with peers and make recommendations.

The designer is tasked with organizing, designing and preparing the instructional example or lesson.

In this role you are asked to review and decide upon appropriate technologies and instructional

activities, goals and assessment strategies. All group members will have input, but the designer is

responsible for the initial plan and follow through with the design process.

Lastly, the editor is responsible for preparing the finished work to be shared with the whole class.

Although the activity is a group project and is only successful through shared work and feedback on

the research, instructional example and writing, the editor ensures that the finished work is

representative of the understandings, ideas and discussions held by the group. The editor is also

responsible for posting this finished work by the assigned deadline to the project wiki and to the

group‘s assignment link under learning team pages.

Peer Assessment: The UDL Module/Podcast and lesson will be done in groups. You will be asked to

submit ratings for each project, for each group member, including yourself. These responses should

be posted to the private Blackboard learning journal provided.