Syllabus

MAET Year 1: France 2010

Instructors:
… Mike DeSchryver (deschry [at] msu.edu)
… Leigh Graves Wolf (gravesle [at] msu.edu)

Leigh and I (Mike) are very excited to meet you — you will learn a lot about us this summer, but to give you a brief “teaser” you can learn more about me here and more about Leigh here. Though I will be the main instructor for the course, Leigh will frequently stop in and assist with course activities.

Why Rouen?

This is a very important question to ask ourselves — and a question we will answer over our four weeks together this summer.  Being in Rouen, together, face-to-face gives us a unique opportunity to explore the intersections of learning, technology and culture.  We will be tapping into (and even providing) expertise to our hosts at Rouen Business School.  We will be exploring the community around us in Normandy and Rouen and creating our own community within our MAET classroom walls.  This is going to be an both an amazing experience and opportunity for action.

Class Meeting Times and Office Hours:
… June 28th-July 23rd
… Monday – Thursday 8:30-3:30; Office hours 3:30-4:00; Lunch 12-1
… Friday 8:30-12
… See calendar for cross-section sharing, “unclass” times and field trip information

In a condensed summer cohort, perfect attendance is a strict requirement.  We do understand that situations or illnesses may arise.  At the orientation, you will be given the procedures on how to handle these unforeseen (and unlikely) circumstances.

General Overview

“Year 1” is a configuration of three courses (CEP 810, 811, and 812) taught collectively to give students interested in the interplay of technology and learning a firm foundation in specific technologies and the issues surrounding them.

What follows is a brief introduction to these three courses:

CEP 810: Teaching for Understanding with Computers
In CEP 810, the emphasis is placed on instructional applications of technology. Participants begin to establish a plan for continuing their own learning outside of the course by setting goals and using resources like RSS aggregators to keep up-to-date on issues related to education and educational technology to develop a Personal Learning Network (PLN.) Participants will also learn about using the Internet to conduct research as well as working safely (and securely) on your own and with students online.

CEP 811: Adapting Innovative Technologies to Education
In CEP 811, the emphasis is placed on instructional principles and applications of technology. Students will be creating web based instructional resources and learning about the peer-review process.  You will also be studying design principles and how those intersect with the classroom and instructional settings.

CEP 812: Applying Educational Technology to Problems of Practice
In CEP 812 we will focus on the identification of a “wicked” instructional problem and the development of a technology-enhanced solution to the wicked problem.  Additionally, we will focus on producing technology mediated discussions to enhance our internal and global Personal Learning Network.

CLASS STRUCTURE

During our condensed time together we will separate our day into four different “arenas”

(1) Knowledge, (2) Explore, (3) Create, (4) Share

(1) Knowledge activities will include “lectures” and readings to support your growth over the summer.  We will cover wide ranging topics like Personal Learning Networks, Getting Things Done, Creativity, TPACK, Learning Theories, Cloud Computing, International, state and school technology standards, Mobile Learning, Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL), Instructional Design, Online Learning, Leadership, Data Analysis, Professional Development and Lifelong learning.  You will learn about these topics through peer interaction, traditional readings and guest lectures.

(2) Explore activities include hands-on, lab and case studies that where we will learn about: Personal Learning Networks, Blogs, RSS, Internet Security, Privacy, Social Bookmarking, Copyright, Productivity Tools, Presentation Tools, Course Management Systems, Moodle, Jing, Camtasia, Design and Development of Web Based projects, FTP, Wikis, SCORM, Audio and Video Production, Data Visualization, Mobile Devices.  This a participatory portion of the course where you will be given small (or sometimes large) tasks and asked to complete them during our class time together.

(3) Create activities have you will be producing products that synthesize and embody the knowledge and explore activities.  These products are meant to be directly applicable and useful to your current teaching practice and personal growth.  (Some may call these the “major” projects of the summer.) These projects will be explained in greater detail as we begin our summer journey and will involve in class and out of class work. Here is a general outline of the creations we have planned for you:

Week 1 Creations

• Crafting your social presence
• Building and visualizing your PLN (Personal Learning Network)
• SIG Development and Implementation

Week 2 Creations

• Personal Growth Plan
• MERLOT Projects

Week 3 Creations

• WebQuest Participation and Evaluation
• TPACK “Wicked” Project

Week 4 Creation

• Group Leadership Web/Vid/Screen/podcast

(4) Share – you will be sharing your work internally and externally with the Personal Learning Network (PLN) you will be fostering over the summer.  We will have a heavy emphasis on sharing and publishing work with open and social media tools such as WordPress, Twitter and leveraging existing peer networks (like merlot.org) for peer review and resource sharing.

EXPECTATIONS

You can expect us to:

• Plan the course AND alter that plan as needed. Oftentimes, the best curriculum comes from the student. That means that we will take advantage of unforeseen events that capture our interest, and then juggle class topics and activities as necessary.
• Give you feedback – both written and oral. We will do our best to make for a relatively quick return of material with rich feedback to the students. We value the work that you will be producing, and as such, will make every effort to not only provide you with feedback that is reflective of the authentic nature of much of your work, but also do so in a timely fashion.
• Bring our expertise into the classroom. This includes our formal study of educational technology sessions and professional K12 classroom experience.
• Be patient when you are struggling with ideas.
• Provide clarity when the struggle gets too strong.

Here is what we expect from you:

• Participation in class. Throughout the day, you will have several breaks. During these times, you may work on personal email, IM, Skype, web-surf, and so on, if you wish. During both the lecture & discussion and studio sessions, we ask you to refrain from personal activities since they detract from the overall quality of the class experience for everyone. If we ask you to put your “shields down” — that means we’re going to engage in a non-laptop/Internet mediated activity.
• Creativity.  We want you to be open to new ideas and push yourself – our class is a safe place to explore and try out new (and old) ideas.
• Make this class your own. What will you do to foster your learning and the learning of your peers?
• Complete assignments. There will be at least one daily reading that you will be asked to complete. We will discuss these readings as a class or with our counterparts on campus at MSU in Michigan on Twitter. If you would like to get a head start, you can view the “major” reading list at the end of this syllabus. (There will be shorter supplemental readings as well.)
• Masters level quality writing and production.  (We will discuss the definition of quality early on in the summer.)
• Be open to constructive feedback and criticism and work on revising and polishing your work to perfection.
• Courage. Courage to challenge what you read or hear.  Courage to talk with the instructors if there are concerns – before they become burdensome. We ask that you participate and engage in the course material fully. We recognize that there are many forms of participation beyond that of talking aloud (such as posting ideas to blogs/twitter/etc). Do not consider this to be a cumbersome chore, but an opportunity to contribute to our learning community.

COURSE MATERIALS
On a daily basis you will be expected to have your laptop and a digital recording device (this could be the photobooth on your laptop, a digital audio recorder, cell phone, or digital camera.) Things will happen spontaneously in the classroom and being able to capture these spur of the moment activities will be helpful.

The full list of required software can be found by visiting: http://tinyurl.com/maetsoftware
There are free and open source alternatives to all of the software categories we will be exploring.

GRADING
We would encourage each student to focus on developing quality work that meets both the course requirements and one’s professional needs. Doing so will ensure that you maximize the benefit of this time, as well as do well in the courses.  With each “create” activity a detailed rubric will be provided that guides the expectations for assessment and evaluation.

MSU Minimum GPA Policy.

MSU, the College, the CEPSE Department, and the MAET program all have a policy that requires MA students to maintain a minimum cumulative GPA. “If, upon completion of 18 or more graduate credits, the student has not attained a grade-point average of 3.00 or higher, he or she becomes ineligible to continue work toward the master’s degree in the College.” - from Academic Standards, University Graduate Policy – Education, p.1.

MSU Minimum Course Grade Policy.

There is also policy regarding credit and grades for MA courses. According to MSU policy, students cannot receive credit for any course with a grade below 2.0. You will have to take an extra course if you earn below a 2.0 grade on any course.
In particular graduate programs the number of 2.0 grades acceptable for credit may be expressly restricted and/or levels higher than the 2.0 minimum may be established for the fulfillment of degree requirements. (In the MAET program, no 2.0 grades can be applied toward your degree) – from MSU General information, policies, procedures, and regulations, p. 22.

Academic Honesty Policy
“The principles of truth and honesty are recognized as fundamental to a community of teachers and scholars. The University expects that both faculty and students will honor these principles and in so doing protect the validity of University grades. This means that all academic work will be done by the student to whom it is assigned, without unauthorized aid of any kind. (See General Student Regulation 1.00, Scholarship and Grades, for specific regulations.) Instructors, for their part, will exercise care in the planning and supervision of academic work, so that honest effort will be positively encouraged.” - from MSU General information, policies, procedures, and regulations, p. 24.

RESOURCES
All course work will be mediated on our course page:
http://www.msuedtechsandbox.com/maety1_2010/

You will find supplemental links and a checklist of daily expectations in the “daily agendas” drop-down on the site.

MAJOR READINGS
Major course readings (below) not available online will be provided to you in a .pdf via email.  Supplemental readings will be provided on a daily basis on our course site via hyperlinks or embedded media.

KNOWLEDGE TOPIC: GTD (810)
FIVE PHASES OF MASTERING WORKFLOW – free download (registration required)
https://secure.davidco.com/store/catalog/FIVE-PHASES-OF-MASTERING-WORKFLOW–p-16266.php

KNOWLEDGE TOPIC: TPACK (810)
Mishra, P., & Koehler, M. J. (2009, May). Too Cool for School? No Way! Learning & Leading with Technology, (36)7. 14-18.

KNOWLEDGE TOPIC: Learning Theory  (810)
“Student Learning Styles and Their Implications for Teaching,” Susan M. Montgomery and Linda N. Groat. (CRLT Occasional Paper #10, 1998, University of Michigan, Center for Research on Learning and Teaching). PDF/Adobe Acrobat.
http://www.crlt.umich.edu/publinks/CRLT_no10.pdf

KNOWLEDGE TOPIC: Privacy/Safety (810)

Growing Up Digital: Control and the Pieces of a Digital Life, Robert A. Heverly
Digital Young, Innovation, and the Unexpected: 199–218.

http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/dmal.9780262633598.199

KNOWLEDGE TOPIC: ISTE/NETS (810)
http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/NETS_for_Teachers.htm
http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForStudents/NETS_for_Students.htm
http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForAdministrators/NETS_for_Administrators.htm
http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTechnologyFacilitatorsandLeaders/Technology_Leadership_Standards.htm

KNOWLEDGE TOPIC: Instructional Strategies (811)
Brophy, J, (1999) Teaching. International Academy of Education and International Bureau of Education. Educational Practices Series-1. Link

KNOWLEDGE TOPIC: Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (811)
“The Scholarship of Teaching,” Eileen Bender (Indiana University South Bend) and Donald Gray (Indiana University Bloomington).
 Contains links to articles on SoTL from Indiana University’s Research and Creative Activity, Vol. 22, No. 1, April 1999.
http://www.indiana.edu/~rcapub/v22n1/p03.html

KNOWLEDGE TOPIC: Online Learning (811)
The Future of Learning Institutions in a Digital Age by by Cathy N. Davidson and David Theo Goldberg with the assistance of Zoë Marie Jones. MIT Press, 2009
http://mitpress.mit.edu/books/chapters/Future_of_Learning.pdf

KNOWLEDGE TOPIC: Design (811)
Don Norman – Workarounds – Leading Edge of Innovation
http://jnd.org/dn.mss/workarounds_-_leading_edge_of_innovation.html

KNOWLEDGE TOPIC: Web 2.0 (811)
Internet Literacy: Young People’s Negotiation of New Online Opportunities, Sonia Livingstone
Digital Young, Innovation, and the Unexpected: 101–122.

http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/dmal.9780262633598.101

Pew – Social Media and Young Adults (2010)

http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2010/Social-Media-and-Young-Adults.aspx

KNOWLEDGE TOPIC: Leadership (812)
2010 Horizon Report – http://wp.nmc.org/horizon2010/

KNOWLEDGE TOPIC: Mobile Technologies (812)
Teens and Mobile Phones
http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2010/Teens-and-Mobile-Phones.aspx

KNOWLEDGE TOPIC: Thinking, Reading, Writing, & “Rendering Knowledge” in the Internet (812)
The Future of the Internet IV
http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2010/Future-of-the-Internet-IV.aspx

COURSE DEVELOPMENT THANK YOU
To past course developers and instructors of CEP 810, 811 and 812 – Carrie Albin, John Bell, Brandon Blinkenberg, Joseph Codde, Kathryn Dirkin, Nick Sheltrown and Tae Shin.

Additional thanks to the University of Minnesota for their syllabus tutorial site which can be found by visiting: http://www1.umn.edu/ohr/teachlearn/tutorials/syllabus/index.html