ITSOLC: Program Overview

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Introduction
George Mason University's Graduate School of Education has created the Integration of Technology in Schools Online University Certificate (ITSOLC) program in order to provide Virginia teachers with a flexible option for accomplishing two goals. First, the ITSOLC program is designed to enable teachers to meet the Virginia Technology Standards for Teachers:

2.1. Operate a computer system and utilize software.
2.2. Apply knowledge of terms associated with educational computing and technology.
2.3. Apply productivity tools for professional use.
2.4. Use electronic technologies to access and exchange information.
2.5. Identify, locate, evaluate, and use appropriate instructional technology based resources (hardware and software) to support Standards of Learning and other instructional objectives.
2.6. Use educational technologies for data collection, information management, problem solving, decision making, communications, and presentations within the curriculum.
2.7. Plan and implement lessons and strategies that integrate technology to meet the diverse needs of learners in a variety of educational settings.
2.8. Demonstrate knowledge of ethical and legal issues relating to the use of technology.

In addition to meeting the Virginia Technology Standards for Teachers, the ITSOLC program seeks to assist teachers in building bridges between knowledge represented by these standards and the design of teaching and learning opportunities for K-12 students. Using an innovative design, the ITSOLC program links online mentors who are teachers with expertise in the area of technology integration, with those who choose to complete the ITSOLC program. As participants complete the program, they confer regularly and frequently with their online mentors about the ways in which knowledge acquired can be applied to the creation of learning opportunities for students. Thus, in addition to meeting the Virginia Technology Standards for Teachers, participants will develop expertise with instructional strategies for classroom practice:

using the power of the Internet and World Wide Web to design learning opportunities for K-12 students, helping them to develop information processing skills such as searching, sorting and judging, creating, and communicating;
using the power of telecommunications to design learning opportunities for K-12 students to collaboratively partner with their peers and experts worldwide;
using the power of databases to design learning opportunities for K-12 students based on authentic information processing problems, establishing clear outcomes, learning thinking skills, and developing fluency with database programs;
using the power of computer graphics to design learning opportunities for K-12 students that enable students to visually construct products that decorate, represent, organize, explain, and transform curricular contents and concepts;
using the power of programming languages, calculators, and spreadsheets to design learning opportunities for K-12 students that develop mathematical understanding;
using the power of simulations and problem solving software to point students toward interactive concept formation;
using the power of desktop publishing to design learning opportunities for students to construct powerful communications as they use writing across the curriculum;
using multimedia/hypermedia to design learning opportunities for students that support interactive and nonlinear strategies for both acquiring and expressing content and concept learning; and
designing learning opportunities for K-12 students that select and combine the range of technology tools available to educators into larger lesson units that support students as they master complex curricular topics.

Online Learning
Online learning is not the same as attending a weekly class. Taking a traditional class means blocking out the prescribed hours, completing most, if not all, communications with the instructor during class time, and relying on the course instructor to set specific due dates for completion of assignments. Conversely, online learning is an ongoing process in which learners must take responsibility for structuring their time and decide, within a broader time frame, when it is appropriate to complete assignments. Thus, "class time" and "work flow" depend heavily on the online learner. To help you understand the assignments for each course, there is a link to a checklist. It is recommended that you print out the checklist and use it to help manage the course assignments.

Online learners must check their email frequently, respond to communications with their online mentor regularly, and set aside time to systematically complete a series of activities (i. e. tutorials, readings, and projects). With the benefit of learner flexibility comes the responsibility for managing learning and interactions with the online mentor.

Individual or with a Buddy: The ITSOLC program has been designed with two options in mind. The first option is to complete all assignments independently and in conjunction with your online mentor. The second option is to complete the assignments with a colleague who is also registered for the online course - a learning buddy - and in conjunction with your online mentor. Completing the ITSOLC program with a buddy is a good way to have an on-site thinking partner. Many of the activities are fun and interesting to do with a buddy. They are marked with this symbol.     Those not marked with this symbol should be done individually. When you choose to work with a buddy, it is important that both you and your buddy send the appropriate email to your online mentor. Generally, you and your buddy will have the same mentor, but occasionally you will have a different mentor.

Online Mentor: The ITSOLC program does not have course instructors. That is, there is never one person managing and interacting with everyone enrolled in a particular course. Instead, the ITSOLC program uses online mentors. Each person registered for a course is assigned an online mentor. Whenever possible and appropriate, an online mentor and a student work together through the entire program.

An online mentor has a number of responsibilities. First, the online mentor uses the same checklist that you use to keep track of what assignments have been completed. When everything is complete, the online mentor will notify the university that you have successfully completed the course and are eligible for graduate credit. Second, the online mentor reviews all the assignments you submit, makes suggestions if the assignment is incomplete, and responds to your ideas for classroom practice or makes suggestions for ways that you might implement what you have learned in your classroom. Third, the online mentor will often ask you questions about what you are thinking or learning about. It is really important that you respond thoughtfully to these emails. The conversations you have with your online mentor are an important part of the course. Fourth, your online mentor is your ally! This is the person you contact when an assignment does not make sense, if you are having trouble making the technology work for you, or when you are stuck for a good teaching idea. On the assignment pages, when you see this symbol , it is your reminder that you should be in contact with your online mentor to talk about the assignment and/or submit products.

As you complete assignments, it is important that you follow the RATS rule - that is, 'Read All The Screen' - or print out of the screen and carefully read the printout. Most of what you need to know is probably there. Sometimes, however, it just does not make sense or it is just not working the way you want it to. Just email your online mentor; help will be on its way! In fact, we suggest that you spend no more than 20 minutes trying to figure a problem out. If, after 20 minutes, you are still stumped, it's time to email your online mentor. In the first course, you will also learn to use something called Instant Messenger. Then you can email your mentor and set up a time to meet and "talk" using Instant Messenger. Instant Messenger allows you and your online mentor to talk using the Internet as if it were a printed telephone system. This is another way to get help.

To make the most of your online learning experience, working with your online mentor is very important. Check your email daily, answer all email prompts from your mentor, and watch for helpful hints or responses to your dilemmas. Ask your online mentor about the course, about implementing your ideas, and about how to make technology work for you. Tell him or her about all your victories. The extent to which you interact with your online mentor will, to a large extent, influence how much you learn and how successful you feel.

Expectations

While completing the Integration of Technology in Schools Online University Certificate, you are expected to

            1. Complete all activities/assignments/projects
            2. Converse regularly with your online mentor
            3. Test out ideas in your own practice
            4. Maintain a technology portfolio

How It Works

Getting Admitted to the Program: Although it is possible to make arrangements to take one or two of the ITSOLC courses before admission, you cannot obtain the certificate if you are not admitted to the program. Thus, you should secure the application for admission to the Graduate School of Education (GSE) by emailing Priscilla Norton at pnorton@gmu.edu. Arrangements have been made with the Admissions Office for those who would like to earn the Integration of Technology in Schools Online University Certificate to do an abbreviated application. Thus, you do NOT need to obtain letters of recommendation or write a goals statement.

The GSE uses a self-managed application process. Once you receive the application packet, you will need to:

1. Complete the application form;

2. Attach a check for the application fee;

3. Enclose a professional resume; and

4. Request TWO official transcripts from each institution of higher education you have attended and listed in the Academic Background section of the application to be sent to you (DO NOT open them), and enclose your transcripts in your application packet.

When you have gathered all the materials listed above, place them in the white envelope included with in the application materials and mail to the address printed on the envelope. Also, please email Priscilla Norton at pnorton@gmu.edu to let her know you have submitted the application packet.

Registering for Courses: When we have received and processed your application, you will be notified that you are eligible to register, and you will be given the name and email address of your online mentor. Directions for registration will be included.

Elements of the Courses: Each course in the Integration of Technology in Schools Online University Certificate program includes the following structures:

1. The Challenge - Each course begins with a challenge. The challenge describes an overarching problem that binds the modules of the course together, provides an overview of course activities and assignments, and provides one or more rubrics that identify expectations for successful completion of course activities. Read the challenge carefully.

2. Readings - Six of the eight courses require you to read from the book, Technology for Teaching by Priscilla Norton and Debra Sprague. One course requires you to read some online articles. The final course requires you to read Teaching with Technology by Priscilla Norton and Karin Wiburg. You will be notified about how to purchase the books. After you have read the appropriate article, chapter, or chapters, you will complete a reading activity designed to help you think about the big ideas expressed in the readings. You will submit the results of these activities to your online mentor.

3. Tutorials - Tutorials provide step-by-step instruction on how to use particular technology tools or how to complete specific activities using a particular technology tool. Many times, it is easiest to complete a tutorial by printing it out and then working through it carefully.

4. Modeling Activities - These activities are designed to engage you in the completion of an instructional activity that models the processes and frameworks for using particular technologies to support teaching and learning. For instance, imagine you are fifth-grader studying the Rain Forest. The Rain Forest Database Activity in Course 2 would allow you to experience instruction that models a well-planned database lesson. Once again, products resulting from model activities will be submitted to your online mentor.

5. Design Challenges - Activities called design challenges prompt you to think about activities or materials you might design for instructional use. Many times, these challenges are divided into multiple parts in order to break the design process into appropriately sequenced steps. It is very important that you complete each part separately, emailing your online mentor as you complete each part, and waiting for and responding to reactions before you proceed to the next part.

6. Lesson Plans - Many courses culminate in the design of a lesson plan that you can test in your own teaching context. Materials provide you with an overview of the lesson plan, a framework for writing your plan, and a rubric for assessing your plan.

7. Portfolio - Every course ends with the design and production of the appropriate section of an online portfolio. A portfolio is NOT a collection of what you have done, BUT a reflection of what you have learned. A link is provided toward the end of each course to help you prepare portfolio materials. When you see this symbol , it is an indicator that the assignment is either a required piece for your portfolio or one you might elect to include in your portfolio. A good portfolio has three characteristics:

A. A collection of artifacts that have been carefully chosen to represent what you have learned and how that learning has impacted you. These will be things you created as part of course.

B. Artifacts that show how your learning impacted your students' learning. These may be things your students created, pictures of your students working, samples of your students work, notes from parents, or other things that are valuable to you.

C. Thoughtful reflections talking about what you have learned about technology, teaching, and learning. The reflection should make reference to why you chose to include particular artifacts and why those artifacts are reflections of what you learned. Thus, part of a reflection might include a statement like the following:

            The fifth artifact in this section of my technology portfolio is a lesson I designed using databases to support my lesson on the Rain Forest. It is particularly important to me because it reflects all the things I learned about teaching with databases. It shows how important it is for a good lesson to include an authentic problem, a clear outcome, thinking skills, and mechanical skills for using the software. I was really amazed at how easily my students acquired the mechanical skills but found it even more enlightening to learn that they really did not know how to use the thinking strategy of comparing and contrasting. They found the information, but they really struggled with seeing similarities and differences. I learned that I need to do more with them on thinking skills. I also included a copy of the email my online mentor sent when I shared my frustrations with their lack of thinking skills. She gave me some very interesting ideas.

Course Time Frames: A one graduate credit hour course is designed to be completed in five weeks; a two graduate credit hour course is designed to be completed in ten weeks; and a three graduate credit hour course is designed to be completed in fifteen weeks. For example, the Teaching with Telecommunications course is a one graduate credit hour course. The opening screen and schedule for this course appears in Figure 1 below.

Figure 1:

The assignments for each module may be accessed by clicking on the tab to the right side of the course page. To begin the assignments for the Teaching with Telecommunications course, you would click on the Module 1 tab. Doing so would result in the screen in Figure 2 below. As you can see in Figure 2, number 1 would link to the challenge. Number 2 would link to the checklist mentioned earlier. Numbers 3 through 7 would link to five assignments. Number 8 reminds you to check your email each day for messages from your online mentor. Be sure to answer all their messages since conversations with your mentor will focus not only on assignments but also on the ways in which what you are learning can influence your teaching practice.

Figure 2:

To complete the assignments, simply click on the one you are ready to do. Often, it is a good idea to print out the assignment web page and work from that print out. Sometimes, an assignment page is interactive (has links to other resources) so a printed copy would not be as useful. It is not a bad idea to obtain a large three-ringed notebook and keep printed assignments. Occasionally, a new assignment will refer to an already completed assignment. You can use the notebook to refer back to printouts and notes you made. Assignments often begin with a "Hint." It is important to heed the advice in the hint - it may save you time later. For instance, when a "Hint" states that an activity is divided into five parts, it is important to do each part and email your online mentor BEFORE moving onto the next part. Almost every assignment ends with an email and sometimes an attachment to your online mentor. Some assignments include "For Fun" extensions. These are not mandatory, but your online mentor would love to talk with you about them.

Although the courses are designed to be completed in the time frame described above, you have the flexibility of completing the courses in up to double that time. This means that for a one graduate credit hour course, you may take up to 10 weeks to complete the course; for a two graduate credit hour course, you may take up to 20 weeks to complete the course; and for a three graduate credit hour course, you may take up to 30 weeks to complete the course. Due to the restrictions in place with the registrar related to grade reporting, extending the time frame beyond this will put you in jeopardy of obtaining a failing grade for the course. Please refer to the registration information in the Resources section for more information.

Course Descriptions
The ITSOLC program is comprised of eight courses. The first five courses in the sequence are one graduate credit hour courses. The next two courses in the sequence are two graduate credit hour courses. The last two courses are three graduate credit hours. A brief description of each course follows:

EDIT 561 Teaching with Telecommunications (1 credit hour)

This one credit hour course is designed to assist students in exploring and developing expertise with the various aspects of telecommunications tools as well as to model the ways in which these tools can be used to support the teaching/learning process in grades K through 12. The course addresses email, the Internet, the World Wide Web, and an instructional strategy referred to as a WebQuest.

EDIT 562 Teaching with Databases (1 credit hour)

This one credit hour course is designed to assist students in exploring and developing expertise with the various aspects of databases as well as to model the ways in which databases can be integrated into the teaching/learning process. The course will focus on strategies for searching, sorting, creating, and communicating with information, much of which is structured by a variety of on and off-line databases. Attention will be paid to teacher-made, student-made, commercially available, and online databases.

EDIT 563 Teaching with Graphics (1 credit hour)

This one credit hour course is designed to assist students in exploring and developing expertise with the various graphic programs available for constructing visual images. The course will address draw and paint programs, scanning and editing images, and using visual communication to support K-12 learning. Focus will be placed on how computer graphics may be used to support K-12 students to decorate, represent, organize, explain, and transform.

EDIT 564 Teaching with Web 2.0 Tools (2 credit hours)

This two credit course is designed to explore emerging Web 2.0 tools (wikis, blogs, image blogs, and podcasts). Particular attention will be placed on a conceptual understanding of the features and applications of these tools, both their shared features and their unique attributes. In addition, students will develop mastery of the software and hardware features of these tools and their use. Finally, students will examine potential applications of these tools for the design of learning opportunities for K-12 settings. The course culminates in the design and development of products using these tools and lessons integrating these tools with content learning pertinent to students’ particular fields of practice.

EDIT 565 Teaching with Educational Software (1 credit hour)

This one credit hour course is designed to assist students in exploring and developing expertise with a variety of educational software including simulations, problem solving software, computational tools (calculators, programming languages, and spreadsheets), and drill-and-practice/integrated learning systems. Emphasis will be placed on the ways these programs can be used to support the K-12 teaching/learning process.

EDIT 566 Teaching with Multimedia/Hypermedia (2 credit hours)

This two credit hour course is designed to assist students in exploring and developing expertise with a variety of hypertext/hypermedia and multimedia tools. Emphasis will be placed on students' ability to use hypermedia/multimedia tools and to then teach others to use these tools. Attention will be paid to the ways in which the integration of hypermedia/multimedia tools in the K-12 curriculum can support the K-12 teaching/learning process.

EDIT 567 Teaching with Desktop Publishing (2 credit hours)

This two credit hour course is designed to assist students in exploring and developing expertise with a variety of publishing tools to include word processors, desktop publishers, and idea processors. Emphasis will be placed on using these tools to communicate. Attention will be paid to design and layout principles, the appropriate use of images to facilitate communication, and the ways in which K-12 teachers can design opportunities for students to learn these concepts and desktop publishing to support the K-12 teaching/learning process.

EDIT 797 Web-based Learning (3 credit hours)

This three-credit course is designed to assist students in exploring and developing expertise with the various aspects of web-based learning, and to model the ways in which these tools can be integrated into the teaching/learning process. Assignments, online discussions, and web-based projects will be utilized in order to help students develop a working knowledge of incorporating web-based learning structures into their teaching. The course is taught online using the Blackboard Course Software (http://blackboard.gmu.edu) and is available only during summer sessions.

EDCI 714 Methods of Integration (3 credit hours)

This three credit hour course is designed to engage students in a continued consideration of curriculum design strategies appropriate for the integration of technology. The course will include examples of curriculum design strategies, readings, discussions, and the design of lessons or units appropriate to participants' various contexts and contents. This final capstone course in the sequence will build on previous student learning and focus on technology's role in problem-based learning, problem-centered curriculum design, authentic instruction, and rationales and processes for implementing authentic assessment.

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