"Issues, Trends, and Tools in Education and Technology in a Web 2.0 World"
We have recently aquired an open source, online course management tool called, Moodle. I've created a sample course and would like to have members of the Technology Study Groups volunteer to enroll and try out this pilot course. Your participation and feedback will help us to learn how to use this tool to provide alternative staff development offerings as well as how to help teachers to use this tool to provide online components to courses they are teaching their students.
Below is the course outline. If you enroll and complete all lessons and assignments, you can earn an inservice credit. If you enroll and complete just some of the lessons and assignments, you can use the time toward your inservice credit for the Tech Study Group. Either way, you will also get a "technology-related gift" from me as my way of saying thank you for participating in our pilot project.
Below is the course outline. If you enroll and complete all lessons and assignments, you can earn an inservice credit. If you enroll and complete just some of the lessons and assignments, you can use the time toward your inservice credit for the Tech Study Group. Either way, you will also get a "technology-related gift" from me as my way of saying thank you for participating in our pilot project.
If you would like to enroll in this course, please contact Lori Burch and I will send you instructions for creating an account and enrolling.
Don't wait too long. The course is beginning this week.
Don't wait too long. The course is beginning this week.
Course Outline
The course is divided into 3 strands or themes. Each strand has 3 lessons associated with it as well as a reflection activity.
Strand 1 - Blogging
Blogging has become such an integral part of news, information, politics, and social interactions in our technology rich world. This strand focuses on teaching participants about blogs and blogging, helping them to create a blog which they will use as a communication and collaboration tool throughout the course, and giving them a taste of how blogging can be used in the classroom.
Strand 2 - Web 2.0 Tools for Creating and Sharing Content
The Internet today has made a switch from being primarily a "read only" environment where content creators were a limited group who needed to possess special skills, to a "read/write" environmnent where anyone and everyone can easily create and share content online with no special training or skills. This strand will introduce several of these tools that allow users to create, collaborate, and share content online.
Strand 3 - School 2.0
Given all of the above, and more, educators today must rethink teaching and come to a new understanding of learning if we are to reach, teach, and have an impact on students who are growing up in a technology rich world, where technology is a given in their everyday lives, not an optional, added in tool. Our students need a different set of skills in order to be productive citizens of the world of today and tomorrow than their predecessors did. This strand is a more reflective strand giving participants an opportunity to think about these issues and what they mean to them.
At the end of each strand, there is a reflection activity which gives participants the opportunity to respond to what they have learned and share their insights. Participants will also be required to read and respond to the reflections of their online classmates, giving them experience in collaborating and participating in online conversation. At the end of the course there is also a final reflection activity. This will give participants the opportunity to share feedback on the course itself, the structure, the online experience and suggestions they might have for future online courses.
The course is divided into 3 strands or themes. Each strand has 3 lessons associated with it as well as a reflection activity.
Strand 1 - Blogging
Blogging has become such an integral part of news, information, politics, and social interactions in our technology rich world. This strand focuses on teaching participants about blogs and blogging, helping them to create a blog which they will use as a communication and collaboration tool throughout the course, and giving them a taste of how blogging can be used in the classroom.
Strand 2 - Web 2.0 Tools for Creating and Sharing Content
The Internet today has made a switch from being primarily a "read only" environment where content creators were a limited group who needed to possess special skills, to a "read/write" environmnent where anyone and everyone can easily create and share content online with no special training or skills. This strand will introduce several of these tools that allow users to create, collaborate, and share content online.
Strand 3 - School 2.0
Given all of the above, and more, educators today must rethink teaching and come to a new understanding of learning if we are to reach, teach, and have an impact on students who are growing up in a technology rich world, where technology is a given in their everyday lives, not an optional, added in tool. Our students need a different set of skills in order to be productive citizens of the world of today and tomorrow than their predecessors did. This strand is a more reflective strand giving participants an opportunity to think about these issues and what they mean to them.
At the end of each strand, there is a reflection activity which gives participants the opportunity to respond to what they have learned and share their insights. Participants will also be required to read and respond to the reflections of their online classmates, giving them experience in collaborating and participating in online conversation. At the end of the course there is also a final reflection activity. This will give participants the opportunity to share feedback on the course itself, the structure, the online experience and suggestions they might have for future online courses.
