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IT for Dominica Summer Institute 2014

Digital-Age Teaching and Learning - 10


Course Offering: July 7 July 18, 2014
Time: 8:30 1:00 PM

Instructor: Jenn Cowie, B.Ed, B.Sc, M.Ed

Email contact: jenn.cowie@gmail.com

Competencies Base

This course is designed around a series of competencies that are considered important to
todays contemporary learner. While there are similar competencies identified by other
authors (e.g. Wagners (2010) seven competencies in The Global Achievement Gap), the
competency base serving as an umbrella to guide contemporary learning strategies is the
International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) competencies, referred to as
NETS for Teachers.

As shared within ISTEs website, Rapid advances in technology are putting new
demands on educators and students. The refreshed ISTE NETS provide a framework
for educators to use as they transition schools from Industrial Age to Digital Age places
of learning.

Five core competencies are identified within ISTE NETS for Teachers:

1. Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity
Teachers use their knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and
technology to facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and
innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments.

2. Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments
Teachers design, develop, and evaluate authentic learning experiences and
assessment incorporating contemporary tools and resources to maximize content
learning in context and to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes identified
in the NETSS.



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3. Model Digital-Age Work and Learning
Teachers exhibit knowledge, skills, and work processes representative of an
innovative professional in a global and digital society. Teachers:

4. Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility
Teachers understand local and global societal issues and responsibilities in an
evolving digital culture and exhibit legal and ethical behavior in their professional
practices.

5. Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership
Teachers continuously improve their professional practice, model lifelong
learning, and exhibit leadership in their school and professional community by
promoting and demonstrating the effective use of digital tools and resources.

A series of more specific teacher abilities are identified within each of these core
competencies. These are fully defined on the ISTE website at:
http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-teachers/nets-for-teachers-2008.aspx . These
specific teacher abilities are also incorporated into specific Summer Institute 2014
classes.


Teacher Abilities within the above Competencies

Several teacher abilities are identified for each ISTE standard competency. Within this
specific course the following competencies and teacher abilities will be addressed:

Competency 1: Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership
Teacher Ability 1a. Participate in local and global learning communities to
explore creative applications of technology to improve student learning.

Competency 2: Model Digital-Age Work and Learning
Teacher Ability 2a: Demonstrate fluency in technology systems and the
transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations.

Competency 3: Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity
Teacher Ability 3a: Promote, support, and model creative and innovative
thinking and inventiveness.

Competency 4: Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility
Teacher Ability 4a: Advocate, model, and teach safe, legal, and ethical use of
digital information and technology, including respect for copyright, intellectual
property, and the appropriate documentation of sources.






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Learning Focus

The primary focus for participants in this course is the exploration of teaching and
learning, namely the field of education. The integration of technology into the curricula
remains a critical and foundational element in this process but the focus is teaching and
learning not the technology per se. By building on the above competencies, and
subsequent teacher abilities, the intent is to maintain this focus on teaching and learning.

Course Description and Timeline

Discover instructional approaches to engage students through innovative teaching and
learning practices. Using digital technology to revitalize curriculum, engage higher
thinking skills and enrich the classroom experience. Explore what it means to be a 21
st

century teacher and investigate tools and resources needed to build a dynamic digital
learning environment. The focus of this session will be on facilitating collaboration,
enhancing communication, inspiring creativity, and promoting digital citizenship.


Learner Outcomes:

The specific learner outcomes for participants in the IT for Dominica Summer Institutes
Digital-Age Teaching and Learning include:

1. Ability to use digital technology tools to effectively communicate and
collaborate

2. Demonstrate strategies to model and facilitate ethical uses of technology

3. Model solid pedagogical knowledge in technology integration

4. Facilitate innovative digital learning environments to inspire creativity


Research and Readings:

While the much of the class will consist of hands-on work, online resources
complementary to the course will be provided within the class.




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Recommended Readings:

The following are recommended to you for reading over the course of your studies. These
are not required, but are excellent sources of information related to advancing learning
through the use of information technology in the classroom.

ISTE Teacher and Student NETS - http://www.iste.org/STANDARDS

Digital Citizenship in Schools 2
nd
Edition Mike Ribble

A New Culture of Learning Douglas Thomas and John Seely Browm

Digital Connections in the Classroom David Marcovitz

Reinventing Project Based Learning - Suzie Boss and Jane Krauss


Assignments:



Grading:

The course is offered on a pass/no pass basis. Evaluations are based upon the following
criteria:

1) Daily attendance and submission of daily blog entries.
2) Quality of assignments received.
3) Classroom presentations.