Ed Tech Group Projects Websites

1.      Ideas about Technology Integration.
Imagine that you have just received your teaching degree from Southwestern. You are applying for a job in the Scottsdale School District which has a strong reputation for being very "technologically oriented." Jobs within this school district are highly desirable and thus, very competitive. After your interview, the school superintendent asks you to clarify your ideas about technology integration by doing two things :

Describe the previous experiences you have had with computers during your own k-12 classroom experiences that will help you make good decisions about how to use them effectively in your own classroom (at least 100 words).

Describe your current ideas for using technology within an elementary or secondary classroom (NOTE: please indicate the type of classroom you are describing-grade level and content area). Be sure to include the following information (approximately 100 words each):

a. Who will use the technology
b. For what purpose will the technology be used
c. When will technology be used
d. What role will you play in the classroom? What role will the students play?
e. Assuming that you will not have one computer for every student, how will you assure that every student has the opportunity to use the computer?
f. How will you decide if your use of computers is effective?

2.  Issues of Technology in the Classroom.
Your new superintendent at the Scottsdale School District knows that you just graduated from college in the last year or so. He thinks that because you are a recent graduate you will have the most recent information on any and all of the following topics related to technology: a) accessibility, b) privacy, c) legal, d) ethical, or e) security issues. He asks you to write a brief report (he is always looking for concise reports) on these topics. Each member of your group should choose one to report on. For your topic, concentrate on explaining, in simple and clear language:

·         what the issue is about

·         how it relates to technology and

·         why it is important for the classroom teacher to know about this issue.

Also:

• Make sure that you integrate a minimum of 4 references (no more than two from the Web) that would support (or give further information about) this topic within your report.
• References must be cited in a list, at the end of the paper, using either MLA or APA format. Complete your report in approximately 4 double-spaced pages.

3. Classroom Observation.
The purpose of the classroom observation is to reinforce concepts learned throughout the semester by allowing you to directly observe how various technologies, particularly computers, are currently being used in a classroom. You are expected to reflect upon and document your observations using the list of questions below. NOTE: Classroom observations MUST occur during the current semester.  The purpose of the classroom observation is to reinforce concepts learned throughout the semester by allowing you to directly observe how various technologies, particularly computers, are currently being used in a classroom. You are expected to reflect upon and document your observations in an organized essay using the list of questions provided to the right:

Name of School:

Location:

Date Observed:                        Content Area(s)           :           Grade Level:

Reminder: Do not interrupt instructional lessons. If teachers are very busy, discretely enter and leave the room as inconspicuously as possible.

School/Classroom Technology Description:

Clear physical description of the classroom observed.

Identification of the technology resources available.

Goal of the Lesson:

Clear description of the instructional purpose.

What facts, concepts, or procedures did the students learn?

Teacher’s Role:

Description of the role the teacher played throughout the lesson.

What types of activities was he/she doing?

How did he/she use technology?

How could he/she use technology?

Student’s Role:

Description of the role the students played throughout the lesson.

What types of activities were they doing?

How did/could they use technology?

Role of Technology:

What purpose did the technology have?

How did/could the technology complement or facilitate learning?

Grouping of Students:

What types of grouping strategies were selected and why?

What are some alternate grouping strategies for this lesson?

How did/could this grouping strategy complement or facilitate learning?

How did/could this grouping strategy impact the use of technology?

Assessment of Outcomes:

How did students demonstrate that they learned?

What techniques/products could best illustrate the students’ learning?

1.      4.  Technological Project.

You have just completed your first year of teaching in the Scottsdale School District. The school superintendent has been observing your classroom all year and has witnessed your evolving use of technology. He asks you to share some of your specific ideas about how to use technology to teach relevant content in your grade level. He asks you to do three things:

a.  Describe how you or another teacher might use your project in the classroom. Describe the project and then indicate the age of the students who will use it. Include information on each of the following topics, using no less than 100 words for each:

·         the goal of the lesson (e.g. What specific content are students suppose to learn?)

·         the teacher's role

·         the students' role

·         technology's role

·         how students are grouped

·         how outcomes are assessed

b.  Describe how this lesson illustrates your current ideas about the value of using technology (at least 100 words).

c.  Include 1-2 paragraphs (for each topic, approximately 50-100 words each) that describe:

·         your growth related to the use of technology in the classroom (How have your ideas about using technology changed over the semester?)

·         your specific plans for continued growth (What will you do to continue improving?).