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Week #1 Schedule - June 10th
A Jing Screencast overview of our week - I narrate some of the highlights of our week together.

All good instruction and instructional technology use begins with strong curriculum. During this module we'll explore some different models of best practices. Before differentiation for gifted students can occur, a foundation of core principal, themes and issues needs to be defined. True differentiation requires a curriculum rich in complex concepts and broad-based overarching themes. We'll explore the benefits of "backwards" design, look at a model specially developed for gifted instruction and explore what the experts behind PRAXIS and Pathwise have to say about exemplary instruction.
 * Good Curriculum Design & Information Literacy**

 **Did you get our book?** Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms - contains practical advice for why and how to use technology to expand student learning.  **Other suggestions:** Will Richardson's come out with a new book about Personal Learning Networks that looks useful.  Teaching Writing Using Blogs, Wikis, and Other Digital Tools is a great book with a supporting blog Carol Ann Tomlinson and her gifted education friends came out with The Parallel Curriculum about 12 years ago. Since then, they have created multiple follow up guides with units designed for different subject areas and grade levels. Any of these are good curriculum design resources.
 * This Week's Actions: **
 * 1) Take the Introductory Questionnaire to let me know a little bit more about you and your comfort with technology use.
 * 2) Read through the Course Overview documents and email me any thoughts, concerns or questions you have.
 * 3)  Sign up for accounts and join our class on edmodo (code=** dz8h0k) ** and Collaborize Classroom
 * 4) Read through the Week #1 Readings
 * 5) Complete the first assignment, Technology Autobiography
 * 6) Click on the Discussion Board link. Read the message under each of the threads.
 * Post a response to the Getting to Know You Thread.
 * Respond to the other participants postings
 * Optional: You are not required to respond to the Required Reading - Should I Buy the Books? It is there to use if you have questions or concerns.
 * Read the message under Week #1 Reading Responses and reply with your own thoughts
 * 1) Complete a brief self-reflection.

Pam Lewis came out with an excellent resource for using spreadsheets with elementary level students called Spreadsheet Magic. This was a core resource of this class several years ago and is still a classic, if you are interested in expanding use of productivity tools for young children.

Walter McKenzie's Multiple Intelligences and Instructional Technology is another classic that used to be a core part of this course. A CD is included with reproducibles to help you hit the ground running when integrating these activities into your curriculum.

**Understanding our Course Expectations** Please read through all of the documents posted in Course Overview. Send me an email  letting me know if you would like clarification or if you have ideas of what else I should include in this area in order to better inform our students what to expect. If after reading the documents you do not have any feedback or questions, simply let me know that you have completed the task.


 * Assignment #1 - Technology Autobiography **

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: 'Lucida grande',Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">In addition to class readings and participation through email and discussion boards, you will have 4 main assignments throughout our course. The directions and resources for your first assignment can be found here. Basically, you will review the <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #003366; font-family: 'Lucida grande',Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">International Society for Technology in Education's National Education Technology Standards <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: 'Lucida grande',Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> for <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #003366; font-family: 'Lucida grande',Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">[|Administrators] <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: 'Lucida grande',Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">, <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #003366; font-family: 'Lucida grande',Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Teachers <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: 'Lucida grande',Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> and for <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #003366; font-family: 'Lucida grande',Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Students <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: 'Lucida grande',Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">. The idea here is to set a standard by which to measure your own expertise and to get ideas for goals you may want to set as a part of our work together. Read the attached document for more detail on expectations. If you have a better idea of how you would like to complete the assignment, make me a proposal and we will work something out ;).

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: 'Lucida grande',Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">What's with all the reading...on so many different topics?
 * Week #1 Readings**

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: 'Lucida grande',Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">When this class met face to face, the first hour of each session was a lecture/discussion and the rest of the class was spent working on putting ideas into action and completing the assignments. We met 4 days a week, for 5 weeks. While, I don't expect you to spend 4 hours a week reading information for this class, there are a significant number of concepts we need to cover. Poor instructional use of technology is usually about bad instructional design. Summaries of best practices in teaching are meant to serve as the foundation on which to build tranformational uses of technology in the classroom.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: 'Lucida grande',Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">I am a big believer in skimming and in honoring whatever your current level of understanding is. There will be no quizzes or tests over the content in the readings. There will be multiple opportunities to incorporate the strategies and methods from the readings into the work that you will do and share with one another. If you are feeling overwhelmed with the number of topics or the amount of reading, let me know and I can help you to prioritize based on your current role in your school or district.


 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: 'Lucida grande',Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">The Big Picture **

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: 'Lucida grande',Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">As we move from the traditional school setting into becoming adult learners, we don't leave our learning preferences and styles behind. For each of our modules, I hope to respond to your preferences, styles and needs as learners. One way I will do that is by giving a quick "big picture" look at our reading materials to answer the question, "What's the point?". ** Skimming is fine; I'm looking for you to get the main idea from most of what we cover in this class. ** There will be some key points that will be important in order to move on to our next modules and I hope to uncover those with you through feedback on assignments and our discussion board talk. As always, if resources or assignments seem unclear or unconnected, please ask me about them so I can give clarification.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: 'Lucida grande',Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">So, what is our big picture from this module? I would like for you to understand the following from the assigned readings:


 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: 'Lucida grande',Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px;">What are the basic componenents of good curriculum design?
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: 'Lucida grande',Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px;">What are the differences between good and great instruction in the classroom?
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: 'Lucida grande',Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px;">What is differentiation and how does it differ from other models of curriculum and instruction?
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: 'Lucida grande',Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px;">What is the backwards design/Understanding by Design process and how can it help me with differentiation?
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: 'Lucida grande',Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px;">What is the Parallel Curriculum Model and how can it help me with meeting the needs of gifted students?

<span style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Lucida grande',Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">**Richardson Book** - <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: 'Lucida grande',Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Read the preface and the first chapter of our required course book, __Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts and Other Powerful Webtools for Classrooms__. Another option is to watch Will talk about the read/write web on youtube: <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #003366; font-family: 'Lucida grande',Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">[|Read/Write Web pt 1] <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: 'Lucida grande',Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">; <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #003366; font-family: 'Lucida grande',Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">[|Read/Write Web pt 2] <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: 'Lucida grande',Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> It might be faster to read/skim the book ;) <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #003366; font-family: 'Lucida grande',Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">[|This one] <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: 'Lucida grande',Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> is more recent and perhaps more interesting.


 * Teaching Standards**

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: 'Lucida grande',Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">The **National Association for Gifted Children** has developed program standards and student outcomes that should be reflected in your work and lesson design throughout this course.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: 'Lucida grande',Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">PRAXIS and Pathwise were based on **Charlotte Danielson's** research and framework for successful teaching practice. This Word document gives an overview of a few of the elements of her work. And here is the latest version updated in 2011. I like the newer one because there are examples to help clarify the expectations. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: 'Lucida grande',Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Another tool you may want to consider using is the [|Ohio Standards for the Teaching Profession] or the [|National Board for Professional Teaching Standards]. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: 'Lucida grande',Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Don't feel like you have to read all of these - pick one you are interested in learning more about and use it as a guide as you are planning your lessons/unit later in our course.


 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: 'Lucida grande',Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Curriculum Models **

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: 'Lucida grande',Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">**Curriculum Development & Understanding by Design** <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: 'Lucida grande',Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">The link above leads to some good basic info about the elements of curriculum design and how the **<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: 'Lucida grande',Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Understanding by Design **<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: 'Lucida grande',Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> approach and differentiation fit in. To view the file, right click on the link, choose "save target as..." and save to a location on your computer where you can find the file. Open your word processing software and navigate to the saved file's location. Let me know if you have trouble viewing the file.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: 'Lucida grande',Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">The Parallel Curriculum Model or PCM is a method of designing curriculum for gifted students integrating the best of current research of curriculum and instructional design. In short, it promotes looking at content through different "lenses" depending on the need and interest of the learner. While this model was designed for the gifted learner, the strategies and foundations are appropriate for ALL learners. The attached text file is an overview. I have several books I can lend out on this subject if you are interested in learning more.This newsletter is also a <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #003366; font-family: 'Lucida grande',Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">[|great summary] <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: 'Lucida grande',Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">.
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: 'Lucida grande',Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;">The Parallel Curriculum Model **


 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: 'Lucida grande',Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Digital Learning and Citizenship **

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: 'Lucida grande',Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Don't let the date on the article fool you. I'm not sure how Jamie McKenzie does it, but all of his writing about technology use in the classroom seems even more applicable today than when he wrote it originally...or is it that it starts to make more sense the more I read it? I think you'll enjoy his concise commentary on key concepts and the fact he always is able to supply real world examples.
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: 'Lucida grande',Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">The Information Literate School Community **

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: 'Lucida grande',Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">In the world of the WWW, students have to move beyond acquiring knowledge to being good sifters, organizers and producers of knowledge. This site gives excellent resources in working with students at any age level to help them become discerning consumers of information.
 * Information Literacy and Inquiry**

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: 'Lucida grande',Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">This site seems a little hit or miss but I thought I would post it and see if you could find anything that you felt was a good match for your curriculum if you had time. Let me know what you think.
 * S.O.S. Information Literacy Lesson Plans**


 * The Knowledge Network Explorer ** This is a well-respected website that has been an innovator for bringing together different ways to use technology in education. The page linked here focuses on information literacy skills and we will be coming back to this site when it is time to evaluate some internet lessons next week.

Okay, so this isn't really a "reading" but it is great food for thought. This is an interesting video that helps to put education and our current population into perspective.
 * Did you know? **

And What Do YOU Mean By Learning - As we go through our time together, your thoughts on the scope and purpose of schools and your own classroom instruction may expand and change. An old Blog post from Will Richardson and reference to a book that might be interesting to some of you.


 * Discussion Board **
 * Summer 2014 EDSP 583 Participants should use [|CANVAS] as our discussion board platform.** Collaborize Classroom may be an option to explore for your own students. You can see what it looks like by linking to last summer's discussions below.

Wikispaces has a discussion component built in, but it's a little clunky. We are going to learn to use Collaborize Classroom together :) I've posted some questions to get us started for week #1 and will add as we go through our course. Mainly, we will be responding to readings here. As with all of the tools we will use for our course, think as to whether online discussion might be a good tool to use with your own students.

Here you can find a Jing Screencast where I discuss using the discussion board.

Sign up to join our discussion area here:

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #404040; display: block; font-family: Verdana,Arial; font-size: 20px; text-align: center;">To join our // Collaborize Classroom // site, go to: <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #404040; display: block; font-family: Verdana,Arial; font-size: 20px; text-align: center;">** @http://edsp583.collaborizeclassroom.com ** <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #404040; display: block; font-family: Verdana,Arial; font-size: 20px; text-align: center;">Click ** Register now ** and complete the form //(no email address required)//. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #404040; display: block; font-family: Verdana,Arial; font-size: 20px; text-align: center;">Your teacher will then approve your membership on the site.


 * Week #1 Self Reflection**

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: 'Lucida grande',Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Write a concise reflection that responds to the concepts and themes discussed this week. Choose __one__ of the following themes and respond to the questions listed under it. Turn in your reflection to me through edmodo no later than Monday, June 17th. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: 'Lucida grande',Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">** Learning & Understanding ** <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">** Application of ideas ** <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">** Participation & Discussion **
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">What was most useful to me in my learning process? What was least useful?
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Did I achieve my learning objectives in this week? If yes, what did I achieve?
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">If no, what got in the way of achieving those objectives?
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">What did I learn about my own learning process during this module?
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">How did my thinking about teaching change this week?
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Do I feel that what I learned in and through this course will have applications in other areas of my life? If so where will I apply this knowledge?
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">How well did I participate in this week's discussion? Am I satisfied with my level and quality of participation?
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Did I see myself as an active member of the group?
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">How would I evaluate my performance in class this week overall?

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: 'Lucida grande',Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">These items should be completed no later than Sunday, June 16th. Class discussion will be more interesting if you can post your reading response by Wednesday...:
 * <span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Week #1 Assignment Checklist **
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: 'Lucida grande',Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px;">Complete Introductory Questionnaire (Assessment = completion)
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: 'Lucida grande',Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px;">Read all documents in Course Information (Assessment = email to course instructor - see below)
 * Sign up for accounts and join our class on edmodo (code=** dz8h0k) **and Collaborize Classroom
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: 'Lucida grande',Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px;">Send instructor email about comments, questions or thoughts on Course Information documents. (Assessment = completion/email to course instructor)
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: 'Lucida grande',Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px;">Read all resources under Week 1 Readings (Assessment = discussion board post - see below)
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: 'Lucida grande',Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px;">Respond to reading and discuss one of the big picture questions in Week 1 Discussion Board - can be incorporated into a single post (Assessment = discussion board rubric )
 * Reply to two other class member's postings in the Week 1 Discussion Board (Assessment =discussion board rubric )
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: 'Lucida grande',Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px;">"Turn in" Technology Autobiography through edmodo (Assessment = Rubric )
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: 'Lucida grande',Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px;"><span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: 'Lucida grande',Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px;">"Turn in" self-reflection to edmodo (will be accepted through Monday, June 17th) (Assessment = completion/turned into edmodo)

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: 'Lucida grande',Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">This is just a checklist reminder for organizational purposes. Please check out the detail for each assignment posted on this page before completing your work on any of the items in the checklist.