Proposed Content for a Graduate Level Experimental IT Class, Fall 1999
The Internet and Curriculum Integration
ED 880AU

Time: 4:00-8:00 p.m. Tuesdays
Lab Time (with expert technical assistance): 4:00-5:00 each class day
Class Time: 5:00-6:00 and 6:30-7:30 (possibly longer)
Further Lab Time: 7:30 -8:00 (and beyond, if necessary)
Place: Education Computer Lab (Room ED 223)
Instructor: Dr. Mhairi (Vi) Maeers
Office: ED 340
Telephone: 585-4601
E-Mail: maeers@uregina.ca

Web Addresses:


http://education.uregina.ca/mathed
http://www.uregina.ca
http://rbe.sk.ca/
http://www.schoolnet.ca/
http://www.sasked.gov.sk.ca

http://webct.uregina.ca:8080/ [click on course listings and then on "Internet and Curriculum Integration"

http://www.uregina.ca/webct/ (page for faculty and student workbook for WebCT courses)

1. Course Description


This course is designed for graduate students who are familiar with the basics of computer-related technology skills and its pedagogical importance in education.

ED 880AU will offer graduate students who are specializing in teaching at the K-8 levels an in-depth exploration of the integration of the internet into the curriculum.


This course will be posted in WEB CT format. Students taking ED 880AU will be expected to participate in the chat room feature of WEB CT, to contribute to WebCT Bulletin Board postings, and to publish one course module within the WebCT framework for this course. Students will also be expected to regularly check the web for course updates, news, assignments, etc.


All students in ED 880 will be on a class e-mail distribution list and will receive personal/class messages through this medium. Each student will have access to this distribution list and also to each student's e-mail address. Most "message-type" information will be given either through personal and/or class e-mail messages and/or through WEB CT. On the first class day please provide the instructor and each other with ALL your e-mail addresses, phone numbers etc.


2.0 Resource Materials:

Texts/Major Resources:

  1. Familiarity with the Evergreen Curriculum
  2. Virtual Architecture by Judi Harris
  3. Mindstorms by Samuel Papert
  4. Lave's work and the work of Collins, Duguid & Brown on Cognitive Apprenticeship--and other theoretical readings that would provide a solid basis for internet-related learning
  5. Other suitable readings (e.g., Growing Up Digital)


Other readings will be addressed. Some will be selected by the instructor and will be distributed in class. All students are encouraged to bring in articles of interest to the class and be prepared to provide a short synopsis of that article to the class--along with a brief summary and critique (and complete bibliographic information) on the WebCT Bulletin Board. Electronic journals and full text ERIC journals can be read on-line. References to all required reading material will be posted on the web.

2. Course Objectives:


As a result of this course, students will be able to:

  1. Extend knowledge, skills, and confidence in using technology appropriate to K-12 classrooms.
  2. Extend understanding of basic terms and concepts relating to technology in the classroom.
  3. Extend understanding of e-mail, the Internet, and curriculum integration and ways of using these resources in the classroom.
  4. Examine and critique the impact of current computer-related technology (with an emphasis on the use of the Internet) on teaching and learning.
  5. Explore how teacher inservice might better enable teachers to use computer-related technology (emphasis on the Internet) in pedagogically-sound and appropriate ways.
  6. Integrate Internet technology effectively into teaching/learning situations (i.e., be able to select appropriate content and appropriate Internet resources).
  7. Explore different learning theories and how each relates to using (Internet) technology in the classroom.
  8. Have fun and feel comfortable using (Internet) technology in teaching/learning situations.
  9. Explore and critique issues such as: the adaptive dimension, diversity, remediation, enrichment, gender equity, and other equity issues as they relate to (a) computer access, (b) budget, (c) curriculum demands, (d) stakeholder groups.

3. Course Topics:

  1. Review/Overview of different ways to locate information on the web; different search engines; advanced search techniques; web resources in the EC
  2. WebCT Instructor and student training manual--overview and independent learning
  3. Models for organizing the Internet for curriculum integration [Dede (Virtual Environments);Harris (Virtual Architecture) ; Dodge/March (filamentality); others)--an examination of these models along with the work of Papert and theoretical issues from cognitive apprenticeship and constructivism etc. We need to spend some time discussing the models in light of theory and then using theory to drive our creation of a new model
  4. Creating a personal or group website to demonstrate our Internet model and then expanding our model with sites and resources from the web--all linked to the EC.
  5. Response to the critics (e.g., Heather Jane Robertson, Marita Moll of CTF)--what are they saying; why are they saying it; do they have a valid argument; how can we convince them otherwise (or should we bother)?
  6. Each graduate student in this class will be expected to take their personal or group Internet/Integration model and their argument for using the Internet in this way to some kind of 'workshop' (e.g., a PD day at the school, the Board office, another school, a parent evening). The model developed, the presentation of it, and an accompanying paper (to include a theoretical framework, an outline of the model, the presentation of it and a reflection of the entire process) will form the basis of evaluation in this class.
  7. Each student will develop one course module for web delivery using WebCT.

4. Proposed Assignments and Assessment

  1. Sharing of appropriate "readings" (verbally and on WebCT), responding to WebCT postings, and participating in WebCT discussion groups. Each of you should be responsible for organizing and moderating one such group. (20%)
  2. Class participation, service component, attendance (20%)
  3. Theoretical web-based learning model (40%)
  4. Critique and response to the critics (20%)

Proposed Graduate Level Information Technology Offerings


Class # 1

Winter 1998: EC & I 890
Influences of Technology on Classroom Culture

This class explored different perspectives of technology as it relates to classroom teaching and learning--perspectives such as societal, administrative, ethical, pedagogical, philosophical, psychological, . . . Students were expected to read from a wide variety of sources (e.g., Postman's work on Technopoly; Heather Jane Robertson and Marita Moll of the CTF; Harris' work; Maddux, . . . ) and to critically reflect on these readings in light of what is happening in teaching and learning in schools.

This class could be renamed as:

Seminar on Informational Technology: Current Issues for Today's (and Tomorrow's) Classrooms.

Students could possibly take this class more than once.

Class # 2

May and June 1999: ED 880 AR
Computers in the Classroom--Multi-Media Education

ED 880 will offer graduate students who are specializing in teaching at the K-8 levels a more in-depth exploration of the use of and integration of computer-related multi-media technologies in the classroom. The course examines trends, issues, and futurist scenarios on instructional uses of computers and is designed to facilitate the use of computers in a school-based learning/instruction perspective rather than on a hardware/programming perspective.

This course will be posted in WEB CT format, accessed through the University of Regina home page. Students taking ED 880 will be expected to participate in the chat room feature of WEB CT and to check the web for course updates, news, assignments, etc. All students in ED 880 will be on an e-mail distribution list and will receive personal/class messages through this medium. Each student will have access to this distribution list and also to each student's personal e-mail address. Most "message-type" information will be given either through personal and/or class e-mail messages and/or through WEB CT. Students, therefore, must already be comfortable working in these electronic mediums or very quickly be able to become comfortable using them.

All students would be expected to know how to create a webpage and be able to demonstrate some of what they know about the use of computer-related technology through the design and content of their webpage. Students who have already created a webpage would extend and refine this webpage in this class--or make a new one. Students would also be expected to incorporate advanced multi-media techniques into their already existing webpages and multi-media creations, to 'publish' these creations on the web, and to integrate computer-related technologies into the classroom environment. Emphasis in this class will be on individualized learning in each of the topic areas covered.

Class # 3
Fall 1999: The Internet and Curriculum Integration ED 880 AU


1. Review/Overview of different ways to locate information on the web; different search engines; advanced search techniques; web resources in the EC
2. Models for organizing the Internet for curriculum integration [Dede (Virtual Environments);Harris (Virtual Architecture) ; Dodge/March (filamentality); others)--an examination of these models along with the work of Papert and theoretical issues from cognitive apprenticeship and constructivism etc. We need to spend some time really discussing the models in light of theory and then using theory to drive our creation of a new model
3. Creating a personal or group website to demonstrate our Internet model and then expanding our model with sites and resources from the web--all linked to the EC.
4. Response to the critics (e.g., Heather Jane Robertson, Marita Moll of CTF)--what are they saying; why are they saying it; do they have a valid argument; how can we convince them otherwise (or should we bother)?
5. Each graduate student in this class will be expected to take their personal or group Internet/Integration model and their argument for using the Internet in this way to some kind of 'workshop' (e.g., a PD day at the school, the Board office, another school, a parent evening). The model developed, the presentation of it, and an accompanying paper (to include a theoretical framework, an outline of the model, the presentation of it and a reflection of the entire process) will form the basis of evaluation in this class.
6. Each student will develop one course module for web delivery using WebCT.


Class # 4

Winter 2000: Advanced Multi-Media

This course would offer a review of Hyperstudio (including advanced features) and would proceed into the Adobe Suite (Photoshop, Premiere, Director, Pagemaker etc.). Experienced multi-media people from the field would come and demonstrate techniques with these (or other) programs. In all of this advanced work, however, we must ask ourselves what would be possible to do in a classroom, or would this simply be for us--so that we know what can be done. We may also get into VRML (Virtual Reality Markup Language) and java scripting, or java component technology and create projects using these mediums.

This class will most likely NOT be offered in our lab. A suitable multi-media based location and suitable instructors will need to be contacted.

Class # 5:

Spring/Summer 2000: Introduction to Computers in the Classroom
(for graduate students)

This class would include some of the basic elements of ECMP 355, but would have a strong critical/theoretical focus.

Class # 6:

Fall, 2000: Distance Education Design and Delivery

This class would explore some of the most common distance education designs and would involve participants in simulated distance education delivery and reception. Instructors experienced in the design and delivery of distance education would be required to teach this course. A suitable location would be needed.


Winter Spring/Summer Fall
1998 EC & I 890 (# 1) Issues--Seminar
1999 ED 880AR (# 2) # 3 (Internet and Curriculum Integration)
#1 (Seminar on Issues)
2000 # 4 (Advanced Multi-Media)

Also ECMP 490 (advanced class for undergraduates) #5 (Introduction to Computers--for graduate students) # 6 (Distance Education Design and Delivery)
#1 (Seminar on Issues)
2001 # 2 # 5 # 3
# 1
2002 # 4

Also ECMP 490 # 5 # 3 or # 6
# 1

The above is a tentative outline of the possible offerings of the IT classes listed earlier.