Instructor:  Dr. Cameron White
   FH 230 743-8678  cswhite@uh.edu
 
Office Hours:  4- 5 pm (M - Th), beginning July 8
   Other times by appointment.

Text: Technology Tools in the Social Studies Curriculum by Braun, Fernlund, and White.
 At least one 3.5" disk is recommended for the course (for saving E-Mail, Internet and class projects). Other readings as assigned.

Class Meetings:  8 - 11, M - Th
    Mon and Tues will be formal class meetings       Wed and Thurs are usually for project completion
 
Course Description: The instructor practices constructivism indicating that students should be responsible for constructing their own learning; therefore, the course has four major components, modeling and application by the instructor and students, reflecting, learning through student-centered active involvement, and developing a community of learners. The intent is to facilitate the integration of constructivist ideas in your teaching. The course is designed to prepare the teacher to develop an understanding and appreciation of integrating technology in the academic disciplines, develop an understanding of the need for alternative and non-traditional approaches to integrating technology in the disciplines, and develop practical applications for the classroom. The course focuses on the Texas Teacher Proficiencies including learner-centered approaches to: knowledge, instruction, equity, communication, and professional development. The course topics include:

   Status of Educational Technology and Social Studies
   Issues and Themes in Educational Technology
   Integrating Technology in Curriculum and Instruction
   Awareness and Application of Commercial Software
   Telecommunications for the Classroom
   Awareness and Application of Presentation Software
   Awareness and Application of Authoring Software
   Mini-teaching of Technology Projects
 
Course Objectives:
 
 1. To describe the status of social studies and educational      technology.

 2. To describe and analyze issues with educational technology.

 3. To develop projects for integrating technology in curriculum and    instruction.

 4. To develop an awareness of and apply available commercial     software for classroom application.

 5. To develop an awareness and apply telecommunications including    e-mail and world wide web.

 6. To develop an awareness and application of presentation software.

 7. To develop an awareness and application of authoring software.

 8. To conduct mini-teaches with developed technology projects.

Course Requirements:

 Readings - as assigned

 General Description of Projects:

 The course is designed to focus on the development of projects that integrate technology into curriculum and instruction and can be applied in classroom teaching. Projects to be completed include an issues in technology presentation and discussion, software evaluation and application activity, a telecommunications activity  including e-mail and www, a presentation software activity, an authoring software activity, and one technology project of the studentís choice. The instructor will model appropriate technology for each project and students will be given time to complete projects in class. Students may work in teams of two to complete projects but the project must reflect the efforts of two people. Each project should be designed with the idea that it will be taught or shared with small groups of students in class. Evaluation components are listed under each activity. Due dates and general requirements are provided, but are negotiable as a class.

 
 1. Issues with Technology in Schools

 Students will work individually or in pairs to develop a technology in schools themes presentation. Students will design and present an approximate 1 hour presentation / workshop on one of the themes listed (using technology). Topics will be chosen randomly. Presentations will be made during class. The goal is to research a theme and involve the class interactively in your presentation.
 The presentation should include background information on the theme, strategies/activities for the classroom, and resources on a minimum two page handout for fellow teachers with you playing the role of providing information interactively to peers. The presentations should be creative and include active involvement with technology integration. Class members will be expected to critique/discuss each presentation. The numbers beside each theme indicate the date the presentation is due. The themes include:

Past, present, and future    Promoting learning

Application & research software   Tool software

Optical technology & hypermedia   Building community

Technology & the future    Resources for using

 
 2. Telecommunications and Application

 Students will individually communicate with the instructors or another student each day via e-mail regarding class reflection and issues, social studies education issues, or technology integration issues. Copies of e-mail should be provided to the instructors if you e-mail other students.
 Students will also become familiar with the world wide web, search tools, and graphic browsers such as Netscape. Students will conduct two extensive www searches regarding appropriate social studies education topics for their classroom.
 Students will turn in their search sites and copies of downloaded materials such as lesson plans. Students will also develop an activity for student application of e-mail or internet in the social studies classroom. The project will be evaluated according to daily e-mail, internet searches, downloaded materials, and developed activity for the classroom.
 
 
 3. Software Evaluation and Application

 Students will evaluate a minimum of two different types of social studies software and develop a student centered application (lesson) for each. Examples include simulations, adventure games, data bases, multimedia, etc. The project will be evaluated according to completion of software evaluation forms from each team and application (lesson) for use in the classroom.

 
 4. Presentation Software Activity

 Students will develop a presentation using Powerpoint or another example of presentation software. The presentation should be approximately 15 minutes and should be based on an appropriate social studies theme. The focus could be for peers as in a workshop or in-service or for use in the classroom with students. Graphics should be integrated into the presentation. The presentation will be evaluated according to established criteria and should include an application activity for participants/students.

 
 5. Authoring Software Activity

 Students will develop an authoring project using authoring software such as Hyperstudio. The project should include a minimum of 8 cards, include a variety of graphics and buttons, and focus on an appropriate curriculum theme for peers or students. The authoring project will be evaluated according to established criteria and should include an application activity for students.

 
 6. Student Choice Technology Activity

 Students will be given a choice regarding the final project for the course. A recommendation is for students to develop their own web page using Claris Home Page. Students may choose to explore a previous technology project in more depth or may explore a new technology activity such as laser discs, data bases, spreadsheets, etc. Students should evaluate the technology, develop a technology project, and develop an application (lesson) for the classroom.
 
 
 7. Synthesis Project

  Each student will participate in the class listserv or e-mail, engage in a synthesis interview, or complete a typed synthesis paper (minimum 2 pages). The goal is to synthesize what is learned regarding technology integration in social studies during the semester. Comments should pertain to classroom observations, course activities, and general technology/social studies related issues. See course description and objectives for specific topics.

 Assessment Procedures:

 There are no exams or quizzes in this course. On the other hand, the course is project based and will require a large commitment of time. A project is due on the date given unless a change is agreed upon by the instructor. All projects are graded holistically through the use of a rubric. Each project description lists components to include in the project. A project will be evaluated by the instructor and returned; students are given until the next class meeting to address evaluation comments for additional points.

 Technology Themes Project     100
 Telecommunications Project     100
 Software Evaluation Project     100
 Presentation Project      100
 Authoring Project      100
 Technology Choice Project     100
 Synthesis Project      100
         700

 Grading Scale

 630 - 700 pts =   A
 560 - 629 pts =   B
 490 - 559 pts =   C
 420 - 489 pts =   D
 419 pts or less =   F

Sample General Rubric
 creativity and effort      20
 planning, procedures, and organization   20
 challenging beyond knowledge and comprehension  20
 application (student-centered)     20
 professionalism and unique project components  20
         100
 
 Attendance and Participation Policy

 Class attendance and participation are vital in a non-traditional, student-centered, constructivist classroom, and especially an intensive summer school course. It is also your professional responsibility to attend each class. Your grade will be greatly affected by each absence. The instructor recommends dropping the course if you are absent, tardy, or leave early more than once. The instructor will document participation during class activities.

 ADA Statement

Please notify the instructor if you are registered with the Disabled Student Program, and every effort will be made to accommodate your needs.

 Tentative Schedule

The schedule for the course is determined by themes and project activities. Prior to the due date for a project, the class will engage in model activities and discussion to ensure understanding of the projects. All projects will either be presented to small groups or the entire class as a whole. All projects and activities are negotiable for adaptation purposes.

Technology in Social Studies

Tentative Schedule and Due Dates
 

July 8 - Introduction, Course Expectations, Telecommunications

July 9 - Telecommunications, Presentation Planning

July 13 - Telecommunications Sharing, Intro to Software, 1st     Readings

July 14 - Telecommunications Due, Software, Intro to Powerpoint, 2nd   Readings

July 15 - Presentation Planning, Software, Powerpoint

July 16 - Presentation Planning, Software Sharing and Due, Powerpoint

July 20 - Presentations 1 & 2, Powerpoint, Intro to Hyperstudio, 3rd  Readings

July 21 - Presentations 3 & 4, Powerpoint Sharing and Due, Hyperstudio,  4th Readings

July 22 - Hyperstudio, Your Choice Activity

July 23 - Hyperstudio, Your Choice Activity

July 27 - Presentations 5 & 6, Hyperstudio, Your Choice, 5th Readings

July 28 - Presentation 7 & 8, Hyperstudio Share and Due, Your Choice,  6th   Readings

July 29 - Your Choice, 7th Readings

July 30 - Your Choice Sharing and Due