Course Description:

Teachers seek to improve their knowledge and practice through a continuing process of professional reading, writing, dialogue, inquiry, and reflection. These processes can be supported by technology in a variety of ways. This course is designed to assist teachers to become comfortable with the hardware and software that can be used to create effective literacy learning experiences. In addition, teachers must also know how to find, access, and assess materials from a variety of sources as well as know how to design and develop multi- and hyper- media learning environments that promote active learning. The design and structure of the course will contribute to the professional development of educators to use effectively technology to promote and develop reflective learners-learners that are able to use technology to enhance and expand their learning environment.

At the conclusion of the course you will be able to:

• Design, develop, and implement developmentally appropriate learning experiences that incorporate technology to enhance and extend student learning.
• Understand the social, ethical, legal, and human issues involved in the use of technology in an educational setting.
• Use technology to improve your professional productivity.
• Use technology to assist in professional development.
• Use technology to assist in the development of a variety of assessment measures and disseminate the results to students, parents, and other interested parties.
  

Course Objectives:

The course objectives for Teacher as Learner correlate with the National Board of Professional Teaching Standard, the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), the National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers (NETS*T), and the Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC) Teacher Standards that relate to the use of instructional technology in the classroom and as a professional development tool.

Upon successful completion of Teacher as Learner you will be able to:

• Develop the ability to assess the capabilities and limitations of technology in developmentally and instructionally appropriate ways to help students develop skills as writers and achieve curriculum goals.
• Design and develop standards-based multi- and hyper- mediated literacy instruction and learning environments.
• Develop the ability to use and a recognitions of the value of and use of technology-based tools and resources to facilitate lifelong learning and to stay abreast of current research literature, issues, theories, and best practices to inform their instruction across all areas of reading-language arts.
• Develop the necessary technology-based skills to provide the necessary guidance and expertise to open publication possibilities in the classroom using a range of writing projects that may incorporate graphics and may be presented as brochures, multimedia presentations, Web pages, or in other formats.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the various ways multimedia computers and emerging technologies continue to broaden the types of visual media appropriate to the reading language arts classroom.
• Use technologies, such as digital cameras, photo imaging, and scanners to integrate text and graphics in multimedia presentations, portfolios, or other student or teacher created learning materials.
• Develop the necessary skills so as to provide students with access to a rich selection of texts and the technology-based skills required to produce student-generated texts (e.g. scrapbooks, stories written by family members).
• Develop and demonstrate an understanding of the components of critical viewing including the ability to analyze visual language, interpret graphics representations, interpret and evaluate media messages, and employ visual media as a means of communication in the classroom.
• Use asynchronous communication technologies to facilitate collaboration in the development of appropriate learning environments and issues of common interest
• Use technology as a tool to assist in regularly reflecting on the events of the day and posing problems and questions for research.

Module 1: What me worry?
The social, cultural, and educational impact of instructional technology
Project 1: Online Discussion

Module 2: What's Out There?
Finding information on the World Wide Web
Project 2: Creating a WebCT Home Page
Project 3: WWW Literacy Scavenger Hunt
Project 4: Creating a Multimedia Literacy Scavenger Hunt

Module 3: How do I know if it is any good?
Evaluating World Wide Web Literacy Sites
Project 5: Evaluating a World Wide Web Site
Project 6: Creating an A.D.A. Compliant WWW Page

Module 4: How do I stay current?
Using the World Wide Web to aid in your professional development?
Project 7: Article Summaries and Critiques
Project 8: Newsletter

Module 5: How do I put it together?
Designing and implementing a developmentally appropriate multimedia learning environment
Project 9: Multimedia Literacy Learning Environment

Module 6: So what?
Reflecting on what you have learned
Project 10: End of Term Reflection and RODP course evaluations

While no specific course skills are required for this course. It would be desirable if you had the ability to send and receive E-mail and E-mail attachments, use WWW browsers such as MS Explorer or Netscape, and are acquainted with productivity tools such as a word processor and spreadsheet.

You will be required to submit several assignments that will use productivity tools, a WWW browser, and either electronic presentation software such as MS PowerPoint or an HTML editor such as Netscape Composer.

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Please visit the Virtual Bookstore to obtain current textbook information for this course: http://rodp.bkstr.com

While all of the project specifications, performance standards, evaluation rubrics, and project examples will be available in "html" format it will be easier and quicker to download them if you have a copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader (version 5.0 or later) installed on your computer. Acrobat Reader is free and may be obtained at

http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html

Directions for downloading and installing will be available on the class WebCT site in the "Things You Should Know" section.

The minimum requirements can be found at http://www.rodp.org/students/hardware_software.htm. 

PC users: A minimum computer system that will help you access all the tools in the courses is a Pentium 166 (or better), 32 Megabytes of RAM (or better), Windows 95 (or higher if possible), Communications software (this lets your computer talk to the modem), a modem (56k or better will give you best performance), and a dependable internet service provider (ISP). Any provider will do as long as you get an E-mail account, have access to the World Wide Web, and don't have serious problems connecting.

For Mac users: Minimum system requirements for Mac users are a 604 PowerPC processor, preferably a G3 (iMacs are included), or G4 processor computer running Mac OS 8.5 or above Internet browsers, Explorer 5.0 or Netscape 4.79, a minimum or 64 MB RAM, preferably 128 with at least 25 MB assigned to your browser. If you need assistance in adjusting memory, please refer to your Apple Help file searching under the header Memory - Adjusting your memory usage. It is advised that you not have multiple applications open while working in your browser within the Online Degree Program .This requires more RAM and will cause the browser to run very slowly. You also need communications software (this lets your computer talk to the modem), a modem (56K or better), will give you best performance) And a dependable internet service provider (ISP). Any provider will do as long as you get an E-mail account, have access to the World Wide Web, and don't have serious problems connecting or maintaining a connection.

MAC and PC: There is no specific hardware required for this course beyond that listed above. However, if you have access to a scanner and/or a digital camera you will be able to explore more fully the potential of electronic publishing as an adjunct to literacy instruction.

The minimum requirements can be found at http://www.rodp.org/students/hardware_software.htm.

Student must also have Adobe Acrobat Reader 5.0 or later installed on their computer.

Students must have Microsoft Word 98 or better. It is suggested, but not required, that you have access to Microsoft PowerPoint, desktop publishing software such as Publisher or PageMaker, and a graphics editing program to explore more fully the potential of desktop publishing and electronic presentations as a literacy instruction tool.

Projects and other assignments will be submitted electronically. Students must use a WebCT-compatible Internet browser software. If students use AOL software, they must minimize the AOL window and open up Internet Explorer or Netscape when they access the course. Go to the WebCT Browser Tune Up page for more advice. More information call 1-877-725-4357.

Please see the separate page inside the course to find instructor contact information as well as a statement of virtual office hours and other communication information.

There are no exams or tests in this class. However, an end-of-term reflection is required in lieu of a final examination.

Assessment and Grading:

Students will be graded on the following projects/activities. Each project/assignment is designed to assist you in meeting one or more of the Teacher as Learner learning outcomes. The projects/activities and their associated point values are:

Project	Point	Value
Project 1;  Online Disucssions	360	points
Project 2;  Creating a WebCT Home Page	50	points
Project 3; WWW Literacy Scavenger Hunt	50	points
Project 4; Creating a Multimedia Literacy Scavenger Hunt	50	points
Project 5; Evaluating a World Wide Web Site	50	points
Project 6; Creating an A.D.A. Compliant WWW Page	80	points
Project 7; Article Summaries and Critiques	100	points
Project 8; Newsletter	80	points
Project 9; Multimedia Literacy Learning Environment	100	points
Project 10; End of Term Reflection and RODP course evaluations	80	points
Total Points for the course:	1000	points

Grades will be assigned according to the following criteria:

A 1000 to 900 points and full participation in ALL of the online discussions and completion of all assignments/project on time and in a professional manner.
B 919.99 to 800.00 points and full participation in ALL of the online discussions and completion of all assignments/project on time and in a professional manner.
C 799.99 to 700.00 points and completion of all assignments/project on time and in a professional manner.
F Below 599.99 points and a conference with the instructor to address the grade.

NOTE: Grades will be calculated to three decimal points and then truncated to two decimal points. For example, if your grade is calculated to be 643.999 points, it will be truncated to 643.99 points. The grade will NOT be rounded to 644 points.

NOTE: Definition of Professional Manner

Professional Manner refers to the appearance of your project/assignment submission. It assumes you have proof read the text of your project, corrected any spelling errors (do not rely solely on the spell check), grammar errors are absent, hyperlinks to WWW sites are correct and working, and conforms to the APA Style Manual, fifth edition (2001). An online version of APA Style Manual may be found at

http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/online/cite6.html

The style manual for this course is the APA Style Manual Fifth Edition. This book is readily available at most libraries, bookstores, ordered online from the APA, or from the RODP Virtual Bookstore.

Questions about grammar and usage can be addressed by referring to any grammar handbook such as:

Fowler, H. Ramsey, Jane E. Aaron, and Daniel Anderson. The Little, Brown Handbook. 8th edition. New York: Longman, 2001. ISBN: 0-201-74711-1

This may be ordered from the RODP Virtual Bookstore

Students must participate in all interactive aspects of the course. For example, students must communicate with other students via E-mail, discussion board exchange. Students are expected to communicate with the instructor on a regular basis and check the course bulletin board frequently for announcements. Students must actively participate in threaded discussion events.

Students must complete essays, projects, and other assignments on time. If students anticipate that an assignment will be late, they are responsible for notifying the instructor. Assignments more than a week late will not receive the full grading points.

MODULE 1 Online Discussions

There are nine online discussions that constitute Module 1. Each online discussion will last one week. Once the online discussion closes for that week you will not able to receive participation credit for a contribution. Each online discussion opens at 12:01AM on a Monday and closes at midnight the following Sunday. Please refer to the directions for Module 1 for detailed instructions. Be sure you understand the online discussion rules especially the 12-hour rule. If you have ANY questions about the online discussions, please contact the instructor immediately.

Becoming familiar with the "Teacher as Learner" WebCT site is an absolute necessity to success in the class. Take some time to explore the site and either read or download those pages you feel will assist in you in being successful in the class.

Be sure you understand the "12-hour rule" as it relates to the online discussions. 

Be sure you understand and know how to send your assignments as an attachment to a WebCT e-mail (Directions may be found in the "Things You Should Know" page of the "Teacher As Learner" WebCT site.

• Columbia Guide to Online Style by Janice R. Walker and Todd Taylor
• Citation Styles Online http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/online/cite6.html

Library

The Tennessee Virtual Library is available to all students enrolled in the Regents Degree Program. Links to library materials (such as electronic journals, databases, interlibrary loans, digital reserves, dictionaries, encyclopedias, maps, and librarian support) and Internet resources needed by learners to complete online assignments and as background reading must be included in all courses. 

Students With Disabilities

Qualified students with disabilities will be provided reasonable and necessary academic accommodations if determined eligible by the appropriate disability services staff at their home institution. Prior to granting disability accommodations in this course, the instructor must receive written verification of a student's eligibility for specific accommodations from the disability services staff at the home institution. It is the student's responsibility to initiate contact with their home institution's disability services staff and to follow the established procedures for having the accommodation notice sent to the instructor.

Syllabus Changes

The instructor reserves the right to make changes as necessary to this syllabus. If changes are necessitated during the term of the course, the instructor will immediately notify students of such changes both by individual E-mail communication and posting both notification and nature of change(s) on the course bulletin board.

Technical Support