Education Department, School of Education and  Professional Studies disclaimer

 Instructor: Dr. David L. Stoloff ................Class Location: Webb Hall  307
Office:  WH 129  Hours: (before class)    Phone:      (860) 465-5501

ECSU's Weather Hotline may be reached by calling 1-860-465-444 or 1-800-578-1449.

WinterSession 2002
EDU 553 03  Comp/Clsrm&Cu  Stoloff WH 307  M-R  4 p - 7:45 p 01/02/2002  to: 01/17/2002

I also urge you to consider suggesting alternative learning assignments on this course's topic which may be more meaningful for your learning goals and educational setting.   Please consult with me if you have an alternative project which you would like to explore within the context of this course.

Course Description: Provides a basis for use of computers in educational settings. (3 credits)

Recommended Texts and Materials:
1) An ECSU student email account or other email access.
2) One or more 3.5" diskettes -  IBM compatible, high density (HD).
3) Cuban, Larry (2001).  Oversold and underused:  Computers in the classroom.  Cambridge, MA:  Harvard University Press.  ISBN 0-674-00602-X

Course Topics:
 

January 2	Introductions, email addresses, syllabus review, class assignment - creating  class gradebook (spreadsheets); Applications of databases in education, class assignment -  merging db into WP
January 3	Software categories, evaluation, lesson planning, class assignmen - LOGO; Educational resources on  WWW
January 7	ThinkQuest project; use of scanner and digital camera; Unit planning, class - presentations of lesson plans; bibliographic references
January 8	PowerPoint and other authoring tools, class - unit presentations
January 9	More development of curricular units, homepages, and electronic textbooks, class - article presentations
January 10	Online courses and distance learning, class - chatting and other online tools
January 14	Educational technology planning, class - presentations of  plan
January 15	Culminating quiz, class discussion on quiz
January 16	presentations, open lab
January 17	presentations, open lab

Learning Outcomes

1) class - contribute to class spreadsheet (5), develop a spreadsheet with at least two formulas (5 points).

2) a) review NETS, ISTE-NCATE standards, or  the US Department of Education's e-Learning Report or Southwest Education Development Laboratory's online essay on Constructing Knowledge with Technology and email the instructor at stoloffd@easternct.edu with 5 ideas that you have collected on technology expectations from these documents;  reflect on these ideas from the perspective of a Connecticut educator and from observations in regional classrooms (5)

b) visit one of these electronic textbooks - classroom management, multicultual classrooms, educational resources, educational technology, or any of the other etexts linked at http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/textbooks.html or visit an educational resources page like the CT State Dept. of Education and send an email to the instructor [stoloffd@easternct.edu] describing 5 sites linked to the web resources that were of particular interest (5 points)

3) review of 5 software programs for classroom applications (5 points), class - LOGO design with at least three embedded programs (5 points)

4) interview 2 PK-12 educators currently using computers in their classrooms (10 points)

5) develop a database (10 points), class - merging db into WORD (5 points)

6) develop a ThinkQuest project by visiting http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/dept/pt3.html and forming a team of 3-5 participants, reviewing previous projects at http://t3.thinkquest.org/projectlab/ and at http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/dept/pt3.html#project, developing a website that might be used as a K-12 instructional resource;  5 points for 5 associated standards for the project from the CT State Frameworks - http://www.state.ct.us/sde/dtl/curriculum/currkey3.htm, 10 points for at least 20 links, 5 points for the design - narrative, graphics, and links (total of 20 points)

7) develop 2 lesson plans using educational software reviews (5 points per lesson, 10 pts.)

8) develop a curricular unit for a week's worth of instruction (10 hours on in-class effort by your students and 20 hours of supplementary activities outside of class) using at least 20 links to educational resources, annotated into a curriculum guide, sent as a HTML or WORD attachment to the instructor (30 points), class - present unit (5 points)

9) develop a homepage to identify an educational setting with links to at least 20 other educational resources, sent as a HTML or WORD attachment to the instructor (20 points) and post it on geocities or another accessible server; class - incorporate two scanned graphics and/or digital images (5 points)

10) develop a PowerPoint presentation with at least ten screens, send to instructor as PPT attachment (10 points)

11) email a review of Cuban's Oversold & Underused which includes a brief summary of each of the chapters of the text and at least a page-long response to the key question - Are Computers in Schools Worth the Investment? (20 points)

12) email a collaborative presentation by groups of 3-4 participants on developing an educational technology plan for an academic year based on at least three other plans found on the Web and your understanding of the Guidebook for Developing an Effective Instructional Technology Plan Version 2.0 found at http://www.aces.k12.ct.us/ (20 points)

13) Culminating quiz (5 points), class discussion on quiz (5 points)

Limited extra credit, not more than 10 points per assignment, may be obtained for any of the above tasks.  Also, participants are encouraged to develop alternative projects which might be of more relevance for their educational setting, following initial consultation with the instructor.

Grading Policies

Students will earn points for assignments. The total number of points in assignments in the outline above is 210 points.  Participants are encouraged to suggest other alternative activities related to the content of the course to earn additional or substitute points for the outlined projects.

By January 18, 2001, earning 180 points or more will result in an A in this course,

                    160 to 179 points a B,

                    140 to 159 points a C,

                    130 to 139 points a D,

                    and below 130 points a failing grade in this course.

Students may request an incomplete grade by contacting the instructor by July 23. Incomplete assignments must be completed within six weeks after the beginning of the first full semester following the granting of the "Incomplete."  Incompletes will incur a late penalty of a loss of a letter grade (i.e. the maximum grade for an incomplete would be a B).

Grades will be posted at

http://www.easternct.edu/depts/edu/553/gradebookw02553.htm

as the assignments are evaluated.

If you have any questions on this course, please contact Dr. David L. Stoloff before, during, or after class or at (860) 465 - 5501 or through his email address - stoloffd@easternct.edu.