CRD 704\Assignments
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Major Course Assignments
Reading/Technology Responses (20%)
In this course, we will rely on blogging to post responses to class readings, discussion, and technology use. Reading/technology responses must be completed prior to the beginning of each class session, and they should be the equivalent of about 500-750 words in length. Blogs could take the form of written text, but you might also want to experiment with other ways of responding that could include podcasting or other types of media. You will need to complete a total of ten blog entries during the course of the semester (by November 13th, the last class session where we will be discussing readings), so you could choose to skip blogging for one class session. In addition, you should read and respond to the blog entries of your classmates, fostering an ongoing discussion that can continue outside of the classroom.
Class Discussion Leader (10%)
For one class session, you will lead discussion of the readings and design a plan to use the assigned technology in that discussion. Part of the lesson will be helping your classmates learn how to use the technology, if needed—as this is an important role of a teacher in a technology-mediated classroom. Often we’re put in the difficult position of having to lead students through the use of a technology we’re just learning ourselves. Your leadership of the class discussion might include constructing prompts for response to the readings using the technology assigned for that week, or you might design an activity using the technology that would help us to discuss, or even experience some of the principles mentioned in the readings. You could focus on one or two of the readings or have the class consider them all as a whole. The ultimate goal is that you have the opportunity to steer class discussion in a direction that will be interesting to you, and that you also have the experience of incorporating the use of a specific technology into a class discussion. If you would like to incorporate an additional reading, or change which technology is being used, please speak with me about your plans ahead of time. I’m open to ideas—just make sure to explain the pedagogical aims of your choices.
Web-Based Portfolio (30%)
You will complete a web-based portfolio in this course that will include at least the three entries listed below. I also encourage you to include other portfolio items such as a CV, sample syllabi or lesson plans, or other materials that would be appropriate based on your career goals. You may construct your portfolio in whatever digital format you would like—the only requirement is that it be digitally accessible, appropriate for professional use, and consistent in format and navigation for all entries (i.e., adhere to standards of usability).
1. Technoliteracy Autobiography (10%)
A description of the development of your technological literacy/ies. You may complete this in either written paper format (approximately 750 words), as a web text, or using another form of media.
2. Class Observation (10%)
During the semester, you will schedule an observation of a class that is technology-enhanced in your discipline. It might be a course that you would like to teach, or one that you already teach, and the goal is to describe and learn from the ways that technology is being used by another instructor to meet learning objectives in the course. I recommend not making the observation an assessment, but rather a learning experience through observation.
3. Philosophy on Teaching with Technology with Sample Lesson Plan (10%)
Finally, you will write a description of your philosophy of incorporating technology into teaching and learning in your field. Depending on your career plans, you might write about teaching in higher education, or you might focus on another setting. I can provide you with examples of teaching philosophies if that would be helpful to you. Teaching philosophies should run no more than about 500-750 words. Accompanying your philosophy will be a sample lesson plan (or activity description) that incorporates technology to help students achieve a learning objective.
Course Research Project (40%)
Your final course research project will require you to do an in-depth exploration of a research question of your choice. I will ask you to complete two assignments leading up to your final research project, a research proposal and an annotated bibliography or literature review. You will also present your research during one of our final class sessions.
1. Proposal (5%)
Your research proposal should introduce your research question, explain what it will contribute to ongoing conversations in your discipline, describe the methodology that you plan to use, and identify a potential publication venue for your final project.
2. Annotated Bibliography/Lit Review (10%)
You will compile a list of 10-15 sources on your topic and construct a description of what these sources have already established about your area of research. You may choose to either follow the format of an annotated bibliography or a literature review.
3. Research Paper/Project (20%)
Your final research project should be between 15-25 pages in length. The project could take the form of a scholarly paper or other type of scholarly project, depending on the publication venue identified in your proposal. Your project should pose a research question that is relevant to your field, provide enough background on the existing literature in your field to contextualize the importance of your research, describe the methodology you used to answer your research question (if applicable), and provide a thorough, scholarly response to the question. Keep the following questions in mind as you work on your project and determine its scope:
1. Is it manageable, given the time restraints for a seminar project?
2. Does it make a meaningful contribution to the knowledge in your field?
4. Presentation (5%)
During one of the final class periods of the semester, you will present your research to the rest of the class. Please plan for about a 15-20 minute presentation, with approximately equal time reserved for questions and discussion of your research. As you work on your project, you might look for a potential conference venue for your research, and use the presentation as an opportunity to practice presenting your research. Part of your presentation grade will also include a response that you will write after one of your classmate’s presentations.
Grading Standards
The following descriptions explain how grades are assigned to individual assignments in my courses:
A: “A” work is outstanding in every respect, given the requirements and stated expectations for a specific assignment.
B: “B” work achieves a level significantly above the standards for a specific assignment.
C: “C” work meets the requirements of an assignment in all respects, but does not rise above those requirements.
D: "D" work is worthy of a passing grade but does not meet all requirements for the assignment.
F: “F” work fails to meet the course requirements for a minimal pass.
Final grades will be assigned according to the following scale:
97-100 A+
94-96 A
90-93 A-
87-89 B+
84-86 B
80-83 B-
77-79 C+
74-76 C
70-73 C-
67-69 D+
64-66 D
60-63 D-
59 & below F