NYIT Course Assignments 

 

You will create a course WIki where you will archive all course assignments.

 

 

Assignment #1: (20 Points)

 

Personal Learning Communities

The purpose of this assignment is to familiarize you with the Web 2.0 (the Read-Write Web). You will locate several blogs, wikis, and/or podcasts that are useful to your professional practice and will subscribe to them via RSS feeds. You will also find Educational Portals that are appropriate. You will create your own blog for this class and write an original post for your blog at least once per week for the remainder of the course. You will comment on at least one classmate’s blog per week for the remainder of the course. You will also populate your course Wiki with links to your blog, to the blogs in your RSS feed, to the educational portals and resources that you have found in your research. You will create a screencast to present PLC project to the class. The following criteria will be used to evaluate your presentation:

 

• The presentation provides a clear explanation of why Personal Learning Communities are Important and how the RWW supports them.
• The presentation provides an explanation of what blogs, wikis, podcasts, and educational portals were selected and why they were selected.
• The presentation explains how students might benefit from the RWW.
• The presentation uses at least one software application as a means to communicate information.

 

 

Assignment #1: (20 Points)

 

National Educational Technology Standards

The purpose of this assignment is to familiarize you with the National Educational Technology Standards for students (NET-S), teachers (NETS –T) and administrators (NETS – A). Working in groups, you will examine one set of standards. You will review and discuss your set of standards and put together an overview of them for the other groups and present it to them. You may put together any type of presentation you wish using software applications such as PowerPoint, Inspiration, SMART Notebook, video, etc. The following criteria will be used to evaluate your presentation:

o The presentation provides a comprehensive overview of the standards.

o The presentation explains how the standards were developed.

o The presentation gives examples of how the standards would be implemented in professional practice.

o The presentation uses at least one software application as a means to communicate information.

o The presentation suggests online resources that provide additional information on the standards.

o Each group member had a role in creating part of the presentation.

o Each group member has an equal part in making the presentation.

 

 

 

Assignment #3A: (15 Points)

 

Critical Issues in Instructional Technology

After selecting one of the critical issues listed below, you will be placed in a group based on your selection. Research and read up on your issue. Create a Microsoft Word document with your initial thoughts, ideas, and information on the issue and submit it through the assignment link. Then use your knowledge and understanding of the issue to collaboratively develop a group wiki on the issue. Be sure to read the wikis of the other groups and contribute if you wish. In this wiki we identify and discuss some critical issues related to instructional technology.

 

The issues are:

• Enhancing technology literacy and 21st Century Skills in students, teachers and administrators;
• Promoting technology use in education;
• Providing technology professional development;
• Instructional technology leadership;
• Equity and the Digital Divide;
• Assistive technology;
• Data use in the classroom;
• Student empowerment;
• Filtering, blocking and restrictive policies;
• Ubiquitous Computing and One to One approaches;
• Online learning and virtual environments

 

 

Assignment #3B: (10 Points)

 

Essential Questions on Instructional Technology

Formulate three to five essential questions on instructional technology and their impact on teaching, learning, and student achievement. Provide a brief rationale for the selection of each question. The following criteria will be used to assess your essential questions:

 

• The questions go to the heart of instructional technology and its relationship to teaching, learning, and student achievement by focusing on important and possibly controversial topics, problems and issues.
• The questions are thought provoking; they spark interest, curiosity, and inquiry.
• The questions are generative in that they lead to other questions.
• The questions require higher order thinking skill (analysis, synthesis, evaluation) in order to form an answer.
• There is no one right answer to the questions; answers cannot be found.
• The assignment is submitted as a Microsoft Word document to the course site and is published to the class Wiki on Critical Issues.
• The questions are posed and discussed in the appropriate discussion board.

 

 

Assignment #4A: (10 Points)

 

Educational Theorists

Select at least two educational theorists. Create a Microsoft Word document that introduces the theorists, explains the theories that were developed, and describes their impact on education. The following criteria will be used to assess your assignment on educational theorists:

• Some biographical information on the educational theorist is provided, including important works or contributions to the field of education
• The document includes an accurate and concise explanation of the theories.
• The document explains why the theorist is important and describes their impact on the field of education.
• A connection between the theory and instructional technology proposed.
• The document includes at least one link to a relevant web site on the theorist.
• The information on the theorist is submitted to the course site as a Microsoft Word document.
• The information on the theorist is published to the author’s class Wiki.

 

Assignment #4B: (10 Points)

 

Educational Constructs

Select at least two educational constructs. Prepare a Microsoft Word document that explains the constructs and describe how they support teaching, learning, and student achievement. Explain how the constructs can interface with the use of instructional technology. You may select constructs developed by the theorists you investigated or you may select other constructs. The following criteria will be used to assess your document:

• The document provides some brief background information on the theorists who developed the constructs.
• The document describes the importance or significance of the construct on educational practice in general.
• The document includes and explanation of the constructs, how they manifest in an educational setting, and their potential impact on teaching and learning.
• The document postulates how the constructs can support the use of instructional technology.
• The document is created in Microsoft Word and is submitted to the course site.
• The information is published to the author’s class Wiki.

 

 

Assignment #5: (30 Points - Keystone Assignment)

 

Technology Integration Exemplars

Provide evidence of your ability to use computer-based productivity tools to develop instructional materials that integrate technology to meet the target needs of your students and evidence that demonstrates your knowledge of using data for instructional planning. The following will be used to evaluate your assignment:

• The products submitted as evidence were developed using hardware and /or software.

• The products submitted as evidence demonstrate that technology is integrated with classroom curriculum and instructional practice.
• The products submitted as evidence show uses of assessment data to plan for the use of technology.
• The products are submitted to the course site and are published to the author’s class Wiki.

 

 

Assignment #6: (40 Points - Keystone Assignment)

 

Personal Philosophy

Engage in the process of deep reflective research and study to create a thoughtful, guiding philosophy that demonstrates an appreciation of the dramatic changes in culture and society brought about by technology including its impact on learning. Your philosophy should integrate your knowledge, understandings and beliefs resulting from course readings, research and discussions. It should be an explicit explanation of the core beliefs and practices that will guide your use of instructional technology in your professional practice.

 

In your philosophy consider addressing your instructional goals, methods, strategies, student population and most importantly some core educational constructs that guide your professional practice. A quotation, idea, analogy, or metaphor could serve as the foundation of your philosophy. The philosophy should be personal and reflective; it should be understandable by a broad audience, thereby avoiding technical terms and jargon where possible. The following criteria will be used to assess your philosophy:

• The philosophy is a reflective, first person narrative that explains the author’s ideas and beliefs about teaching, learning, and the use of technology in an educational setting.
• The philosophy is founded on some core constructs.
• The philosophy cites educational theorists who inspire or reflect the author’s core beliefs and includes hyperlinks to relevant Internet site on them.
• The philosophy is two to three word processed pages in length.
• The philosophy includes digital images and hyperlinks to supporting research and literature.
• The philosophy is submitted to the course site and published to the author’s classs Wiki.

 

 

 

Assignment #7: (30 Points - Keystone Assignment

 

Field Experience Log and Journal

A minimum of five hours of field experience is required for this course. This experience should take the form of observation and participation in technology-rich classrooms and schools to the extent that the host teacher is comfortable. It may include:

• Offering professional development to teachers in the use of instructional technology.
• Collaboration with a computer teacher to offer instruction to students.
• Model lessons that differentiate instruction using technology.
• Plan and implement a collaborative technology-based project in your school or district.
• Complete other projects approved by the instructor.

 

Field experience time must be documented with appropriate signatures on the time log. The documentation, including the journal entries must be submitted to the instructor no later than the last class session. No grade will be issued to a student who has not submitted the required documentation. A minimum of five journal entries, one for each hour of the field experience, must be completed in a field experience journal and posted to the course site. These reflective journal entries should capture the thoughts, ideas, and feelings of the candidate, relating the field experience to the course content and learning experiences. The journal entries should not be a simple account of what transpired during the field experience. The reflective journal entries should be done in Microsoft Word as one document and posted to the course site. The entries should be posted to the author’s blog site and to their class Wiki’s.

 

 

Assignment #8: (15 Points)

 

Personal Educational Technology Integration Plan

The purpose of this assignment is to develop a personal technology integration plan that will serve as a roadmap to future applications of educational technology in the candidate’s professional practice. Based on your course readings, research, field experience, and discussions you will create a long-term technology plan for yourself. The plan will include your philosophy and vision for educational technology in your professional practice. You will outline how integrating technology into your practice will influence classroom pedagogy. You will identify what digital content and programs you would like to integrate, as well as what you need to learn in order to be able to implement your plan. Your plan will incorporate a timeline for implementation. Your Personal Educational Technology Integration Plan will be assessed on the following criteria:

• The plan has a clear personal philosophy and vision of how technology can improve teaching and learning in your professional practice.
• The plan provides specific examples of how integrating technology will affect your classroom pedagogy and how that will affect teaching and learning.
• The plan provides specific examples of the technologies, software, or programs that will be integrated into professional practice with clear explanations of how these technologies will affect classroom pedagogy and teaching and learning.
• The plan provides a coherent and thoughtful personal professional development plan.
• The plan provides a timeline for implementation of each aspect of the plan.
• The plan will be created in a Microsoft Word document and submitted to the course site; as well as published to the author’s class Wiki.