Instructor: Dr. Robert S. Houghton, Associate Professor

Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, NC 28723

Contact Information

Office Hours - Fall, 2008

Online Web Office, http://ceap.wcu.edu/houghton/home.html Physical Office: 124 Killian Bldg. Office Phone: (828) 227-2746 Email: Houghton@email.wcu.edu Dept Fax: (828) 227-7609

Classroom for this course is WCU Killian Bldg., Rm. 268A with class meetings times at: ELMG 466/566 -01, Tues - Thurs, 8:00-9:15 am ELMG 466/566 -02, Tues - Thurs, 9:30-10:45 am ELMG 466/566-70, Tues, 5-7:50 pm WCU office and virtual hours Tues and Thurs. afternoons, 1-4 pm.; for other times, cell phone is available 24/7. Other times for office or live online communication can be made by appointment.

Overview

The course builds on the National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) as required by the State Board of Education in North Carolina of all graduates of North Carolina teacher education programs. This is an evolving agenda that is still emerging from the prior requirements of state Basic and Advanced computer competencies. Consequently, this syllabus will change even mid-course if necessary to keep current with state requirements. This curriculum develops teacher leadership qualifications by requiring the development of a critical and visionary framework for these standards for the purpose of generating improved competencies. This course is required of Math Education, Middle Grades Education and Elementary Education undergraduate majors and graduate students, Supervision graduate students and an optional course for others. The content of the course also meets CEU (Continuing Education Unit) technology needs for license renewal of North Carolina teachers and University faculty. As a consequence of this experience, students are provided with a basis for making reflective decisions regarding the use of computers and related technologies in schools.

 Your information system resources are excellent. The campus Information Technology team maintains an ongoing process of upgrading the Instructional Technology Center (Rm 268, Killian Bldg.) to keep state of the art technology available to all students, not just those of this course. You will also become more familiar with other resources: Hunter Library provides a computer network searchable card catalog and other resources. Further, WCU has two-way video sites; the North Carolina Information Highway funding places this state in a leadership role in the development of a national information network.

Finally, things change and cyberspace is a rapidly evolving arena. There is a saying that 7 people years equals 1 Internet year. If and as new technologies and knowledge come to my awareness, they will be integrated into the course, during the semester as it occurs. This may affect the goals, competencies and assignments of this course for this semester.

CEAP Conceptual Framework

Diversity - Multicultural Focus 

This course, which explores all types of information content for youth, ensures an informed understanding of varied cultural and ethnic groups, and their contributions to our society. It emphasizes that all people have similar feelings and experiences; and that these universal themes/values can be the central to networked information systems. The course considers current social issues, ethnic diversity, and how people can work through a common ground of information networks to provide a successful, inviting, learning environment for each student including those with cultural, ethnic, and socioeconomic diversities and for students with exceptionalities.

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

Western Carolina University is committed to providing equal educational opportunities for students with documented disabilities.  Students who require disability services or reasonable accommodations must identify themselves as having a disability and provide current diagnostic documentation to Disability Services.  All information is confidential.  Please contact Disability Services for more information at (828) 227-2716 or 144 Killian Annex.

Field Experience Component

Required Materials

• Houghton, Robert S. (2008). Computers in Education, edition 8.0. Online textbook.
• Have regular online access to course web pages which contain lecture outlines, readings and activities for this class. High speed access is available on campus and in other locations. However, many multimedia resources that will need to be seen in the online textbook often play poorly if using a dial-in connection to a slow ISP (Internet Service Provider) or through a slow modem from home. Broadband (high-speed satellite, DSL or cable TV type modems) are available in our region and preferred if most or all of your homework will be done from home. If your home computer does not have adequate bandwidth to make available assigned course material, it is expected that you can and will make the trip back to the WCU or other location to use their open labs on week nights or weekends; inadequate home bandwidth is not an acceptable excuse for failing to complete assigned material.
• Basic software and hardware. Since the Fall 1998 semester, all newly admitted degree-seeking undergraduate students have been required to have a sufficiently capable, Internet networked computer. See this WCU web page for details on what this means http://www.wcu.edu/Admissions/compreq.html. This web page also includes details on the required specific version of Microsoft Office that is required by the university. This course uses multiple operating systems (Mac OS X 10.5.4, Win XP and Vista, Office Professional (which is found in all campus public computers labs and includes Word, Excel, Access, Powerpoint, and Publisher). WCU has an agreement with Microsoft to provide Microsoft Office applications for no additional cost. Contact our IT team about free downloading or obtaining the $10 CD at phone 227-7487.  Graduate students must either have this software or be willing to use campus computer labs for assignments. CAUTION: Microsoft Office Small Business Edition and Microsoft Works do not fulfill this University level software requirement. Some other versions of Microsoft Office are also missing some of the applications that are required for WCU courses.
• USB Drive also called Flash Drives are required for data storage. USB drives have many advantages as they: hold hundreds of times more in a smaller space; are sturdier, more reliable and much faster; and cost less per megabyte of data storage.  Floppy diskettes should be considered out-of-date technology as 576 of them would fit on one tiny 1 GB USB drive. USB drives holding 1 gigabyte and greater are readily available in regional stores. Macintosh and Windows operating systems will see this USB device as a removeable hard drive. Pictures and further information are part of a course reading but seeing some pictures now may be helpful.

The price you pay should depend in part on how much the flash drive holds. A search of the Google Product site can give you some idea of the price ranges. If you wish to carry small video editing files between home and campus (assuming you use a Macintosh or Windows based computer) you will need to be in the multi-gigabyte range. Be careful here as high capacity 8 GB Flash drives can cost as much or more than the 160 or higher GB WD Passport drives which are larger but slip into your pocket. Shop around comparing online prices with calls to local stores. Prices vary considerably on same sized units. As chip prices are constantly falling, understand that whatever you buy now is likely to be half that price by the end of the semester. If your home computer is of an older style and only has the USB connector on the back, buy a USB extender cable which online are often much cheaper than stores prices. An extender cable plugs into the back of the computer but has a connection on the other end that you can put by your keyboard or at least hang on the front face of your computer. This way you can plug in your USB drive without crawling under the table each time.

• Bring a headphone set with microphone and standard USB connector. Keep your sales receipt until you are sure it is working. LogiTech USB 250 models have worked well but other brands should also be fine. Bring this to class each week. These are available in the $20 and up range in area stores. Some kind of hard shell plastic container is highly recommended to prevent headphone and webcam parts from breaking in the crush of your backpack or other carrying case. I prefer Tupperware type containers large enough to hold what you need.
• Free downloads of SeaMonkey and 32 bit WS_FTP are also needed for this course and links to the version that will be used will be provided here and in the chapters.
• Anti-virus software is a University requirement for all students and provided by the university as a free download of Norton Anti-Virus for home use.
• An email account. The email system within WebCat will be the primary one used for course communication.
• Optional: Smart phones and handheld computers are useful items. Given the lack of standards and great variance among devices, they are not required and not included as standard part of course activities. However, please bring features of the device you own to the attention of the course instructor where relevant to course activities. Features of various types of devices will be highlighted in selected course chapters.

Distance Education Students

• Students taking this as a completely distance education course need to make sure that they own or have convenient access to the necessary hardware, software and administration off-campus:
• This includes this Microsoft Office Pro productivity software on Mac or Windows systems 
• Microsoft Word (word processor), Excel (spreadsheet), Access (database), Powerpoint (slideshow presentations), Publisher (desktop publishing)
• Substitutions for these application areas (word processor, spreadsheet, database, slideshow, desktop publishing) must be discussed and approved before or as the course starts. I cannot approve substitutions unless I have a version of the software on my computer.
• And includes these multimedia applications: electronic slideshow (Powerpoint); video-audio editing ( iMovie (Mac) or Windows Movie Maker (Win)).
• This also includes this hardware: personal computer with Internet access (cable modem or better is preferred for certain online resources or access to a high speed connection at work or on a nearby college or university campus) ; CD burner or better ; a microphone that will connect to computer; 
• Video peripherals: 
• digital camcorder that can use a USB or firewire port to move video data to your computer for editing
• Scanner; still image digital camera ; handheld computer (Palm OS or Microsoft OS); speakers for computer or headphone set to hear computer audio.
• Contact information for an administrator willing to proctor the midterm and final (and possibly quizzes if needed), unless you are willing to come to campus for the exams.

 General Course Communication Competencies

It is presumed that all course participants have appropriate professional level abilities in reading and writing before taking this class. Such skills are required for the successful completion of this course and success as a professional educator. All students at any level of undergraduate and graduate writing skills can benefit from working with the Writing Center team in Hunter Library at any stage of the writing process.

Supplementary Reading

• Numerous other readings and viewings extend concepts through links on existing course pages.

Specific Competencies

This coursework is based on: the www.21stcenturyskills.org agenda approved by the NC State Board of Education in June of 2006, and the NETS goals, for students:

• Creativity and innovation
• Communication and collaboration
• Research and information fluency
• Critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making
• Digital citizenship
• Technology operations and concepts

And for teachers (standards updated June 2008):

• Facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity
  
• Design and develop digital-age learning experiences and assessment
  
• Model digital-age work and learning
  
• Promote and model digital citizenship and responsibility
  
• Engage in professional growth and leadership

Participants will also become aware of the formerly required North Carolina Basic and Advanced teacher technology competencies. As these competencies are still correlated with the NC students requirements and the student requirements have not be revised, the detailed older standards which were correlated with the NETS standards are still relevant for course needs.

112 Advanced and Basic technology competencies which are available online (Web address: http://ceap.wcu.edu/Houghton/EDELCompEduc/NCtechCompetencies/competencies.html).

Major Learning Skills and Teaching Methods

• Critical thinking development through the study and applied use of models of higher order thinking (CROP: SUP & LEAP) that structure the integration of a wide range of information age tools into a general problem identification and solving process.
• Creative thinking development through composition and thinking skills with several media including the construction of: databases, spreadsheets, outliner based word processing compositions; a personal Web site which supports your teaching and promotes learning; an electronic slide show using multimedia objects; newsletters; and other information age products.
• Research skill development using desktop, library and Internet tools that is applied to course assignments and to activity with community members by serving as their Question Ambassador (field work component).
• Curriculum development through the creation of a Unit Plan appropriate to your area of certification integrated with and supplemented by the technologies introduced in this course (and placed on your web site).
• Graduate Students only: Research, development and study of an annotated bibliography of the most relevant professional articles (20-30) that address both your degree area interests and technology developments.
• A professional-growth-needs inventory of education and information technology skills based on state's technology competencies as noted above and activities at each of the 14 technology sections.
 Attendance Quizzes missed in on-campus courses due to classroom absence cannot be made up for a grade at a later time, but they can be arranged for learning purposes. Your active participation in classroom and electronic dialog is part of your weighted course grade. (See Evaluation section below.) 

Assignments The course web page contains the table of contents of course assignments. This is a course to learn and demonstrate digital literacy, not merely read about it. Consequently, it has a strong hands-on component and students need to be prepared to spend a significant amount of time at a computer or in a computer lab. The general design for this semester is to address a different major state competency area each week. Note also the related readings to this syllabus from the course web syllabus area on the study process and time management. It is important to keep up with weekly assignments to learn the most from working with classmates focused on the same topics and to be able to contribute timely questions and responses with classmates.

Evaluation Exams include hands-on usage of the equipment /software, multiple choice questions and essays. Your professor reserves the right to give additional assignments and announced or unannounced quizzes and exams as needed. 


% of Grade	Activity
45	This grade is an average of Midterm and Final Exams which includes hands-on assessment with multiple choice and essay questions. Graduate students also have the ERIC Bibliography assignment included as a third part of this average.
17	Lab assignments including Online notebook(s) and other lab work/homework and quizzes (announced and unannounced). Your attendance and in-class participation grade is factored in to your lab grade.
10	Questioning research and composition with instructional activity and community
17	Online Unit Plan (grading rubric)
11	Personal and class web site development (grading rubric)

There will be no excused lateness of assignments for computer-related failures such as crashed hard drives, power outages causing disk corruption, etc. Save frequently, which means you should be a "Save-Aholic" saving after even minor changes to a working file or document and saving the file to more than one drive or storage system. Back up your hard drive work regularly to a USB drive, writeable CD or other. Keep your assignments on your mobile media as well as your hard drive. Always keep a backup copy of any file submitted as course assignment. 

• All exams, programs, and homework must be completed in order to complete this course, regardless of lateness.
• Unexcused late course work will lose up to 10% of its value for each weekday that it is late. Late assignments can be turned in by fax, email, snail mail (postal mail), or to our Dept. secretary in Rm. 246.
• In-class quizzes: Announced and unannounced quizzes may be given on an irregular basis. 
Though weekly assignments will be graded with + or - grades, graduate students final grades will be graded using the standard A, B, C system and undergraduate course grades will be assigned using the expanded 12 level +/- grading system taken from (the full online undergraduate catalog). Academic dishonesty will result in disciplinary proceedings with the potential outcome for a course grade of F. For additional information, see the Writing Center's page on plagiarizing.

566 - Graduate Students
Graduate students are held to graduate school standards for essays and other written exercises for this course. You have a bibliography research assignment that must be turned in by the end of the course. In addition to the research and construction of the bibliography, you must find, electronically or xerox copy and read three of the items in your bibliography, and for each, write a one page single spaced reflection which at a later point must become a web page linked from online bibliography that you will develop as a part of this course. Type this up at any time with basic APA citation data for each citation and when your web skills develop, you will add some special characters to these word processing files to make them visible as a Web page. Other citations may be assigned as additional readings. Share this work with your graduate advisor.


Special Dates

• See University Calendar for breaks and holidays.
• The CoursEval Survey will be available for fall courses from Nov 17-Nov 25. You must use your Catamount Mail in order to access the system during this 9 day period.

Final exam week dates (December 6-12): 

• See schedule details for the date and time of your section. (As of Aug 18, this schedule had not been updated for this fall; the appropriate personnel have been notified.)

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Web address of this page: http://ceap.wcu.edu/Houghton/EDELCompEduc/SyllabusCompEduc-Houghton.html

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Updated August 18, 2008  |  Course Home Page