Standards and LoTi Levels

Contrasting Viewpoints
After viewing the Mabry Middle School site - what examples of technology use did you find? What responses could you give to the Stoll and Prensky articles? Is there always one right answer?

How does the general public define/describe instructional technology? Does the general public agree more with Stoll or Prensky as to the importance of instructional technology in K-12 education? Does their level of technical expertise impact their opinion? What does this tell you about the attitudes/mindsets of the parents of your future students? How does the Roblyer article help support uses of technology in K-12 classrooms. Is "fun" reason enough for using technology?

Curriculum Standards
Technology integration aside, how do teachers know what to teach? How do they know what students should learn? Every state has standards and every content area has national standards. There are even standards for technology integration. Georgia is transitioning from Quality Core Curriculum Standards (QCC) to the Georgia Performance Standards. You'll want to become familiar with the state standards for your content area and grade level.

You'll also want to be familiar with the ISTE standards for technology integration -- this course, and all of your projects, are based on these standards.

Levels of Technology Implementation
Once you know what content you should address for your subject and grade level, how do you know what types of activities to inclue? Look inside of an elementary school that integrates technology into its curriculum. Using the Levels of Technology Implementation to quantify what is going on in a classroom is a good way to begin. You'll be referring to these levels, along with standards, in all facets of your project work.

For Tuesday
1. Print a copy of the standards for your subject area/grade level.
2. Based on your standards, type a response to the following questions. Bring a copy of your standards and your response to these questions to class on Tuesday.

*Why did you chose this content area/grade level?
*In general, what is the content focus for your grade level?
*What surprised you about your standards?
*What specific standards address the needs of the "digital generation"?
*What specific standards lend themselves to technology integration?What is it about them that causes you to determine this?
*If you were actually teaching this content area/grade level what would you want your students to know and be able to do? What would be your priorities? What would you want them to remember from your class?

The Digital Generation

We are living in the digital generation -- today we'll learn about its native speakers and test drive some of its tools.

You read an article over the weekend about "Weaving Technology into Teaching". What have you experienced as a K-12 student that would exemplify that weaving? What knowledge do you currently have about teaching and learning? About what technology integration looks like in a classroom? What technology skills do you already possess?
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We will be working in a "dual platform" lab this semester. You'll learn to use both Windows and Macintosh machines. You'll find that they are very similar - once you test drive them both.

It's important to set up an organized file structure on any storage device - from a 3-ring binder to your usb drive. We use two main folders in your usb drive for this course: an assignments folder and a portfolio folder. Everything you create in this course should immediately be saved to the assignments folder. If you are using your usb drive for other courses, you'll want to create folders for them as well. Usb drives are easy to lose, so you'll want to make sure to have a Word document named "Open if found" saved to your usb drive - it should include all of your contact information.
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How would you describe your future students? What type of learners will they be? What expectations will they have for their learning environment, for their teachers, for their community?

You'll be teaching the millenials -- or the digital generation. Marc Prensky is an educational speaker who discusses this generation in great detail. If you were born after 1982 - you are a part of this generation - you are a digital native. Most of your teachers were digital immigrants. What does that mean for education? Where does instructional technology fit?

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For Thursday:
1. Review the syllabus - you'll have a quiz on Thursday
2. Read the articles by Clifford Stoll and Marc Prensky
3. View the Mabry Middle School website - find one example from the site that debunks and/or supports the ideas in the Stoll and Prensky articles
4. Read the Roblyer chapter: "Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching"
5. Interview 3 people - type up their responses to the following questions and turn them in on Thursday:
--What is instructional technology?
--What is the importance of instructional technology in K-12 education?
--How would you describe your technical expertise?