Resources

Interpersonal Exchanges

Information Collections

Problem Solving

Home

Email the Instructor

 

 

SYLLABUS 

Aurora University

 

 Engaging Online Classroom Activities

(All this Internet stuff, is it really worth it?)

3 semester hours graduate credit

 

Description:

 

This hands-on class will provide numerous online examples of how to integrate the Internet into all K-12 curriculums. This online class will help teachers find and use educational resources on the Internet.

 

Overview:

 

The purpose of this course is to allow elementary and secondary teachers to explore and develop engaging online projects as well as demonstrate how teachers can become facilitators in their classrooms.  Internet-based activities will include collaborative problem solving, information collections, and interpersonal exchanges. Through the use of Internet-based projects, teachers will be able to improve classroom instruction, keep students on task, and tap into the vast informational resources that exist on the Internet.  Guided practice will allow the beginner, as well as the seasoned veteran, opportunities to add fun and exciting lessons for their students.

 

Objectives:

 

Upon completion of the course students will be able to:

Review and evaluate information from the Internet for use in the classroom .Identify network activities and categorize them into three structure genres

Use at least one of the structure genres to develop an interactive activity that can be posted on the Internet and used in the classroom

Develop a list of online curriculum resources to be used in the classroom .Operate the basic web-publishing features of a web editor

Develop a list of ready to use Internet resources for their classrooms

 

Teaching Methods/Class Format:

 

A hands-on collaborative approach with the instructor "coaching" will be the prime method of instruction. Brief lectures and group discussions will be utilized to explore new concepts. Students will be actively online. No simulations will be used.

 

Students will be divided into groups and will then evaluate a list of web sites related to each of the following structured genre: Collaborative problem solving, information collections, and interpersonal exchanges. Students will then report each group's findings to the entire class.

 

Review of Literature & Readings:

“The Death of the Textbook--Shaping a New Learning Environment”
http://www.techlearning.com/db_area/archives/WCE/archives/mcvey.htm

“Opportunities in Work Clothes." Online Problem-Solving Project Structures April, 1994
http://lrs.ed.uiuc.edu/Mining/April94-TCT.html

 

“Creating a New Culture of Teaching and Learning”

http://www.anovember.com/default.aspx?tabid=159&type=art&site=18&parentid=18

http://lrs.ed.uiuc.edu/Minin a 95-TCT/html

Educational Telecomputing Activities: Problem-solving Projects May, 1995

 

"Mining the Internet" column, Learning: and Leading: with Technology by Judi Harris

 

Textbook:

 

Harris, Judy. Virtual Architecture: Designing and Directing Curriculum-Based Telecomputing, International Society of Technology in Education. 1998. ISBN: 1564841308

 

 

Units of Work:

 

Day One:

·         Introduction and informal current assessment of students/teachers

·         Goals and expectations

·         Introduction of interpersonal exchanges genre

·         Activities and assessments regarding interpersonal exchanges only

 

Day Two:

·         Review previous day's genre: interpersonal exchanges

·         Introduction of information collection activity structures and examples.

·         Activities and assessments regarding information collection genre

·         Explore web pages for information collection genre only

 

Day Three:

·         Review previous day's genre: information collection.

·         Problem-solving activity structures and examples

·         Develop on-going list of attributes of education telecomputing projects.

·         Activities and assessments regarding problem-solving genre.

·         Explore web pages for problem-solving genre only.

·         Introduce suggestions for outcome project designs

·         Introduce web-publishing features of Netscape Composer or similar web editor

 

Day Four:

·         Putting it all together (review all activity structures, design processes, etc.).

·         Discussion of assigned articles (authored by Judi Harris)

·         Work in grade level or content area and/or thematic area groups to develop specific projects

 

Day Five:

·         Collaboratively review attributes of educational telecomputing projects.

·         Aspects of engaged learning http://www.ncrel.org

·         Build notions and plans for assessment of student learning.

·         Complete projects

·         Share projects with entire group and offer to post on website and or archive to removable storage.

·         Final exam

 

Class Resources:

           

Harris, Judy. Way of the Ferret: Finding and Using Educational Resources on the

Internet. 2^nd  edition. International Society of Technology in Education. 1995.

 

Global Schoolhouse.

"The Well-Connected Educator. http://www.gsh.org/

 

Adventure Online. Project Collections.  http://adventureonline.com/

 

Class Assignments:

 

Assignments will be given by instructor to reinforce the units of work.  Each student will be responsible for completing an independent project, which will enhance his/her classroom curriculum.  Projects will be presented to the class, and also presented in written form to be shared with the class. Each student/group will be responsible for the completion of an online project that can be used in their curriculums. All projects will be reviewed and shared with the class at the end of the course. Teachers will be able to post their projects on the Internet so they become available to others. All readings will require a written summary and discussion.

 

Attendance:

 

Students are required to attend all classes and to participate in class discussions, small group activities, experimental and experiential group exercises and projects. Attendance is divided into two sessions per day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, for each of five days.  Students must attend all sessions.  If absence is due to a family emergency, an attempt will be made to make up the session at a later time, if possible.

 

Academic Honesty and Integrity:

 

Students are expected to maintain academic honesty and integrity as students at Aurora University by doing their own work to the best of their ability. Academic dishonesty (cheating, fabrication, plagiarism, etc.) will result in the student's receiving a zero for that test, assignment, or paper.

 

Final Examination Policy:

 

A final, culminating activity is required in all off-campus courses.  Each student will be responsible for completing an independent project, which will enhance his/her classroom (i.e. technique, curriculum, technology use).  Each project shall be presented in disk form at the end of the course and shared verbally with the class.

 

Evaluation:

Grading will be based on the quality of work with components weighted as follows. Grades are differentiated on the basis of quality. Quantity alone is not a significant factor for grade differentiation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

American Disability Act Compliance:

 

In compliance with ADA guidelines, students who have any condition, either permanent or temporary, which might affect their ability to perform in this class are encouraged to inform the instructor at the beginning of the term. Adaptations of teaching methods, class materials, including text and reading materials or testing, may be made as needed to provide for equitable participation.