Syllabus

... part of George North's and Techer Explorer Center's Web site at UNO ... Updated: September 21, 1998

Computers in Education

EDCI 4993, Fall 1998
4:30 to 7:15, Mondays

Syllabus
and in class activities for September 21.

Why do you want to print this document? It is linked to many other important documents -- your printed copy is linked to the death of trees.

Links to Explore -- Search the Web

Important Dates	\| Top \| Texts and Resources \| Course Description \| Objectives \|
	\| Evaluation \| Grading \| Who is George North \| Class Web Pages \|

Date	Description
Prior Weeks	11 class meeting left!!!

Monday, September 21 (Read UNO Mail) Monday, September 21 Monday, September 21 Monday, September 21 Monday, September 21 Monday, September 21 Monday, September 21 Monday, September 21 Monday, September 21	Multi-media -- creating complex documents! Important this week! Everyone meets individually with me to discuss setting personal goals to meet the Skills competency requirements of this class. House Keeping Last week's question ... many GREAT responses!!! Assignment 3 turn-in, "Do you feel that the Internet offers access to recourses that you can use as a Teacher?" Who is in you group for Presentation 1, what is your topic? Just to be sure everyone understands their final grade. Don't forget Presentation 2. How many have read E-mail more than once this week? How about Emmit? Every week in class Update your class web page. Fill in the Comments section of your class web page with the answer to this week's question. You MUST repeat the question as part of your answer, so that I may know you are answering the right question. Add at least two Links to your class web page. Take a Test This week in class! What is a writing space? The idea is a document centric view. Artifacts are what is shaped by human craft. We need a working model of computers in the classroom where documents are centeral, not the applications that we use to creat them. The artifacts of a writing space are documents--papyrus rolls, codices, printed books. The goal of a writing space is communications. The ubiquitous technology of writing is pencil and paper. The hypertext environment made possible by the World Wide Web is an example of a new writing space, "the fourth great technique of writing. This week's assignment Write a two paragraph response -- Give an example of how your students (will) create Multi-media (complex) document to complete class assignments. Read about bonus points is old hat.
Next week, Monday, September 28	Practice teaching with technology ... your turn to run our class?
Monday, October 5	Topics and group members for Semester Projects must be approved on, or before this date
Monday, October 12	Midsemester examination period In class presentations -- The One Computer Classroom.
Monday, October 19	One-page outline of Semester Project due at beginning of class (4:30).
Tuesday, October 20	John Dewey's Birthday
Thursday, October 22	Final Drop Date?
Monday, October 26	TBA
Thursday, October 29	My Wife's Birthday, visit her Web Site
Monday, November 2	TBA
Monday, November 9	TBA
Sunday, November 15	My Father's Birthday, visit his Web SIte
Monday, November 16	TBA
Monday, November 23	TBA
Thursday, November 26	Thanksgiving
Monday, November 30	Our last regular class: Semester Project due at beginning of class (4:30 PM) In class presentations -- The Computer Lab ... using a classroom full of computers
Wednesday, December 2	Last day of regular classes
Friday, December 4	Final Exams begin
Monday, December 7	Our Final Exam: Self-evaluations due In class presentations -- The Computer Lab ... using a classroom full of computers

Prior Dates	Description
Monday, August 24	see Old Syllabus
Monday, August 31	see Old Syllabus
Monday, September 7	Labor Day, no class
Monday, September 14	see Old Syllabus

Texts & Resources	\| Top \| Important Dates \| Course Description \| Objectives \|
	\| Evaluation \| Grading \| Who is George North \| Class Web Pages \|

There are no required texts for this class. From time to time we will mention and discuss some of the available texts covering this topic. You are encouraged to bring to class any books you find interesting and share these with the rest of us. Bring books and other recourses to class is one way to satisfy the class participation requirement.

Course Description	\| Top \| Important Dates \| Texts & Resources \| Objectives \|
	\| Evaluation \| Grading \| Who is George North \| Class Web Pages \|

This course is intended to help educators become as comfortable with "Computers in Education" as they are with books and blackboards. The truth actually is that computers are no longer the issue. Computers just happen to be the first tools that provide easy access to global Information Networks.

Information Networks:

provide educators with access to abundant resources;

provide students with new ways to participate in knowledge creation;

provide simultaneous access to information and publishing;

bring us closer to the goal of Universal Education;

empower students, decreasing the roll of teachers as purveyors of knowledge;

make teachers and students partners in learning;

join together teachers, students, parents, and community members;

build Communities of Learners in a single location (the classroom);

join learning scenarios with abundant resources;

The goal is learning -- taking place in a social context where knowledge is created from information with action guided by pedagogy.

Objectives	\| Top \| Important Dates \| Texts & Resources \| Course Description \|
	\| Evaluation \| Grading \| Who is George North \| Class Web Pages \|

Helping educators develop the skills needed for effective integration of computing resources in the classroom is the foundation for the objectives of this class.

Students will be given the opportunity:

To develop the vocabulary needed to understand the terminology found in computing.

To improve competency in identifying appropriate uses of computers in the classroom.

To improve conceptual understanding of the different kinds of computer software.

To improve the computer skills needed to aid in classroom management.

To improve the computer skills needed to teach computer skills.

To demonstrate competency in a broad range of computer programs.

Evaluation	\| Top \| Important Dates \| Texts & Resources \| Course Description \|
	\| Objectives \| Grading \| Who is George North \| Class Web Pages \|

Please note that it is possible to earn more than 100 points. This is done to allow students flexibility in choosing areas of concentration. Read carefully each of the five evaluation areas below. Hint ... follow the links to details of each area.

15 points - In class presentation -- "The One Computer Classroom."

15 points - In class presentation -- "Using a Computer Lab."

20 points - Class participation

30 points - Semester project.

30 points - Skills competency, 10 points each (area of concentration)

Semester project is due at the beginning of class -- Monday, November 31, 4:30 PM.

Final grade will be based in large on student's self-evaluation. Remember, evaluations are due at the beginning of our last class -- December 7, 4:30 PM.

Grading	\| Top \| Important Dates \| Texts & Resources \| Course Description \|
	\| Objectives \| Evaluation \| Who is George North \| Class Web Pages \|

A = 90 - 100 points

B = 80 - 89

C = 70 - 79

etc.

Who is George North	\| Top \| Important Dates \| Texts & Resources \| Course Description \|
	\| Objectives \| Evaluation \| Grading \| Class Web Pages \|

Today, I am a student in the Ph.D. program, College of Education, Curriculum & Instruction. In my past life, for 30 years, I was a systems analyst, programmer, Information Systems manager, and computer consultant. I earned a B.S. in

Liberal Arts from the University of the State of New York, and a M.S. in Computer Science from the University of New Orleans. My goal is to teach at the college level ... to teach Information Systems to teachers.

George North
Office: ED 308A
Phone: 280-6523
Home: 834-1891
E-mail: gnorth@mac.com
Web Site: http://georgenorth.net/~george/georgeHome.php
Office Hours:
Monday: 3:30 - 4:30
Monday: 7:15 - 8:15 PM
Also by appointment