Building the Future Together

1
(No Transcript)
2
Instructor David Bell bell_at_sfu.ca
3
Plan for Today

• Review of Course Requirements
• Discussion Why bother with computers in schools?
• Video Examples of Technology Use in Schools
• Demo of Mac OS X Finder, WebMail
• Complete Assignment 1 in class

4
What is this course about?

• This course is designed for current and future
  teachers in the K-12 system
• It covers three content areas
• Its partly about mastering computing ( other)
  technologies that are used in schools
• Its partly about understanding the ideas and
  problems that shape how computing technologies
  get used in schools
• Its partly about learning to design meaningful
  uses of computing technologies for K-12 classrooms

5
How will the course work?

• A combination of
• Discussions
• Demonstrations and Labs
• Design assignments
• Readings, research and written work

6
We will

• Learn about some of the most common applications
  of computers ( other technologies) in schools
  today
• Lab work, readings
• Learn about some things that are not used much in
  schools today, but should be
• Design assignments, readings
• Feel comfortable about trying new things with
  computing and networking technologies
• Work on design assignments in class
• Begin developing a critical stance on uses of
  technology in schools
• Written responses to readings
• Class discussions
• Position paper

7
Your Grade

• 50 design assignments
• 15 brief written responses to assigned readings
• 25 position paper on a course-related topic of
  your choice
• 10 PowerPoint presentation on you position paper
• (Details are on the course web site -
  http//www.sfu.ca/educ260)

8
Extra Credit

• Bringing interesting Ed Tech news items or web
  sites to class for the whole group to discuss
• Its helpful if you can e-mail me about these a
  day or two before, so I can plan them into the
  lecture/discussion
• Helping your peers with their assignments in
  class (peer tutoring)

9
Late Policy

• If you are late in submitting any part of an
  assignment, marks will be deducted at a rate of
  5 PER DAY.
• This means
• At one day late, it is still possible to get an
  A on a perfect assignment.
• After three days, a perfect assignment could only
  get a B.
• At six days late, the best a perfect assignment
  could get is a C-
• Do not ask me for extensions without
  documentation of a medical or compassionate reason

10
How can I do well in this course?

• Show up every week
• If you miss more than 2 sessions in the semester,
  I will deduct two percentage points for each
  class missed
• Hand in all the assignments on time
• Pay close attention to the posted grading
  criteria
• Submit a full-length draft of your position paper
  (not point-form notes) on time
• Keep an open mind about the issues

11
Questions for You

• What is a computer?
• Why should anyone want students to use computers
  in schools?
• What have you seen computers used for in schools
  recently?

12
What do we mean by technology?

• Anything people create and use to extend what
  they can do with their minds, bodies, senses and
  voices
• Includes
• Writing (alphabets, paper, pens, chalkboards,
  etc.)
• Tools for measuring and recording
• Photography, film, video
• Telecommunications (radio, telegraph, telephone,
  satellite)
• Calculating machines
• Computers
• These are all part of the society around us
• They effect (for better and sometimes worse) the
  ways we think, solve problems, and communicate

13
Learning to teach with computing technology

• We know that
• It takes progressive refinement
• It takes a long time (years, not weeks or months)
• Few teachers do it alone
• Most have ongoing support from peers in their
  schools, administration, and the surrounding
  community.

14
Why use computers in schools?
15
What have you seen computers used for in schools
lately?
16
Why bother with computers?

• Theyre expensive
• Purchase price, support costs, upgrades, time
  learning applications, fixing glitches, etc.
• Didnt school always work in the past?

17
What could be better about school?
18
(No Transcript)