Course Syllabus

EDTECH 521 - Online Teaching in the K-12 Environment
3 Credit Online Course

Instructor Information
Dr. Teresa Dove
teresadove@boisestate.edu
Office Hours: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM EST M-F
Availability: I will respond to email within 24 hours except on the weekend. I leave the office at 4 PM EST on Friday and return at 9:00 AM EST on Monday.
Website: http://edtech.boisestate.edu/

Course Description
Examines research-supported practices in online teaching and learning in the K-12 environment. Emphasizes online teaching tools, caseload management, learner engagement, and individualized instruction. Project required.

Course Outcomes
At the end of the course, you will be able to:

• Apply strategies to create and sustain an online community of learners.
• Identify and apply effective written and verbal communication strategies.
• Understand and demonstrate appropriate uses of asynchronous and synchronous online teaching tools (i.e. threaded discussions, wikis, multimedia presentation tools, web conferencing tools).
• Identify and summarize effective ways to manage the virtual student caseload.
• Apply strategies for engaging learners in a virtual environment through reflective and hands-on activities.
• Apply strategies in data analysis techniques designed to assist in individualizing instruction.
• Identify strategies to differentiate instruction (i.e. learning styles, adaptive/assistive technologies, pacing, supplemental activities and remediation).
• Develop online learning activities that successfully engage learners and are appropriate to their grade level and content area.
• Develop and deliver asynchronous and synchronous lessons that use appropriate and effective multimedia design elements.

Course Location and Login Information
This is an online course delivered in Moodle (http://edtech.mrooms.org/). The Moodle login page explains how to login to Moodle. Contact Moodle Support at moodlesupport@boisestate.edu if you have problems accessing Moodle. If you have forgotten your password, click the link below the login box, "lost password?" and you will be able to reset it.

Course Materials

Required Textbooks

Rice, K. (2011). Making the move to K-12 online teaching: Research-based strategies and practices. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
ISBN-10: 0132107619
ISBN-13: 9780132107617
Associated Website: http://www.pearsonhighered.com/rice1e

Conrad, R. & Donaldson, J. A. (2011). Engaging the online learner: Activities and resources for creative instruction. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
ISBN: 978-1-1180-1819-4

Pallof, R. M. & Pratt, K. (2004). Collaborating online: Learning together in community. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
ISBN: 0787976148

Optional Textbooks

Moore, M. & Kearsley, G. (2005). Distance education: A systems view. Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth.
ISBN: 0-534-50688-7

Pallof, R. M. & Pratt, K. (2007). Building online learning communities: Effective Strategies for the Virtual Classroom, 2nd Edition. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
ISBN: 978-0-7879-8825-8

Finkelstein, J. E. (2006). Learning in Real Time: Synchronous Teaching and Learning Online. San Franscisco: Jossey-Bass.
ISBN: 978-0-7879-7921-8
 
Internet Connectivity
You need an up-to-date computer with an Internet connection in this course.

Course Assignments
Detailed information about each assignment is posted in Moodle. Check Moodle and your Boise State email regularly each week; announcements and course updates can be posted at any time.

	Assignments	Points
1	Introduction Discussion	50
2	What is Online Learning Discussion	50
3	Interview Tool	50
4	Build-a-Beast Activity	50
5	Community Building Forum	50
6	Community Building Strategies	50
7	Netiquette Forum	50
8	Class Expectations Assignment	50
9	Asynchronous Lesson Draft	50
10	Special Learners Forum	50
11	Asynchronous Lesson	200
12	Synchronous Lesson	200
13	Reflection Journal	100
	Total	1000

AECT Standards
Course assignments are aligned to the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) Standards, 2012 version.

Assignments are listed by number (based on the assignments list above) in the following table under the standard they are aligned to.

	Standard 1 Content Knowledge	Standard 2 Content Pedagogy	Standard 3 Learning Environments	Standard 4 Professional Knowledge & Skills	Standard 5 Research
Creating	8, 11, 12	8, 11, 12	8, 11, 12
Using	8, 11, 12	8, 11, 12	8, 11, 12
Assessing/Evaluating	8, 11, 12	8, 11, 12	8, 11, 12	9
Managing	8, 11, 12	8, 11, 12	8, 11, 12
Ethics	8, 11, 12	8, 11, 12	8, 11, 12	8, 11, 12
Diversity of Learners			3, 8, 10, 11, 12
Collaborative Practice				1, 4, 5, 6, 9
Leadership				8, 11, 12
Reflection on Practice				8, 11, 12, 13
Theoretical Foundations					2, 5, 7
Method					8, 11, 12

Grade Scale
Final grades are based on the following scale.

Grade	Points Required
A+	1000
A	930
A-	900
B+	870
B	830
B-	800
C+	770
C	730
C-	700
D+	670
D	630
D-	600
F	0

Grading Cycle
I generally wait until the end of the week to grade any assignments due that week. You can expect grades to be posted within 3 days of the end of the week in which the assignment was due; however, larger assignments may require more time and I will post an announcement about any exceptions to the 3-day goal.

Additional Information About Assignments
Although you are encouraged to share your work with your classmates in forums posted throughout the course, all course assignments (except discussions) need to be submitted to the official dropbox for grading.
Late Work Policy
I do not accept late work during the summer term without prior approval.
Technical Difficulties
On occasion, you may experience problems accessing Moodle or class files located within Moodle, Internet service connection problems, and/or other computer related problems. Make the instructor aware if a technical problem prevents you from completing coursework. If a problem occurs on our end, such as Moodle or EDTECH2 server failure, then an automatic due date extension is granted.

Reasonable Accommodations

Students with disabilities needing accommodations to fully participate in this class should contact the Disability Resource Center (DRC). All accommodations must be approved through the DRC prior to being implemented.  To learn more about the accommodation process, visit the DRC’s website at http://drc.boisestate.edu/new-drc-students/.

The Disability Resource Center is located on the first floor of the Lincoln Parking Garage, on the corner of Lincoln Ave. and University Dr. at Boise State University. They are available Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Mountain Time.

 

Phone: 208.426.1583

Email: drcinfo@boisestate.edu

Website: http://drc.boisestate.edu/

Privacy Information
EDTECH courses involves online delivery and for some courses public display of assignments on websites or social media spaces. In the online course, your name, email address, and Moodle profile may be visible to others who have logged into Moodle. You are advised to familiarize yourself with privacy settings on Moodle or social media sites associated with the course. Privacy settings can sometimes be adjusted to restrict certain types of information. Please contact your instructor if you have questions or concerns.

Academic Honesty
Students are expected to create original work for each assignment. Students must follow the Boise State Student Code of Conduct as well as observe U.S. copyright laws in this course.

In the event of academic dishonesty, a complaint is filed with the Boise State Student Conduct Office with supporting documentation. This complaint remains on file and actions may be taken against the student (e.g., loss or credit, grade reduction, expulsion, etc.).

Note: Instructors may append additional course-specific policies as needed.

Policy for Incompletes

Incompletes are not guaranteed. However, when they are given incompletes adhere to Boise State University guidelines as follows:

Instructors can enter a grade of I—for incomplete—if both of the following conditions are present:

• Your work has been satisfactory up to the last three weeks of the semester.
• Extenuating circumstances make it impossible for you to complete the course before the end of the semester.

In order to receive an incomplete, you and your instructor must agree to a contract stipulating the work you must do and the time in which it must be completed for you to receive a grade in the class. The terms of this contract are viewable on my.BoiseState under Your Student Center To Do List. The contract time varies as set by the instructor but may not exceed one year. If no grade other than incomplete has been assigned one year after the original incomplete, the grade of F will automatically be assigned. The grade of F may not be changed without approval of the University Appeals Committee. You may not remove the incomplete from your transcript by re-enrolling in the class during another semester. A grade of incomplete is excluded from GPA calculations until you receive a final grade in the course.

Course Schedule
Please note that students are expected to spend 9-12 hours each week on each EDTECH course during a regular academic session. The workload is approximately doubled during the compressed summer sessions.

The instructor reserves the right to make changes to the schedule as needed.

Week	Start Date	Due Date	Major Assignments and Activities: Check Moodle for Details
1	6/29	7/5	Orientation and the Big Picture:   Introduction Discussion, Online Learning Discussion, Interview Tool Due
2	7/6	7/12	Getting to Know Your Students and Families and Community Building: Build-a-Beast Group Activity, Online Community Discussion, Community Building Strategies Document Due
3	7/13	7/19	Tools for Teaching Online: Netiquette Discussion
4	7/20	7/26	More Tools for Teaching Online: Class Expectations and Scavenger Hunt Due
5	7/27	8/2	Designing Quality Asynchronous Lessons: First Drafts Due
6	8/3	8/9	Special Learners and Assessment/Evaluation: Asynchronous Lessons Due; Special Learners Discussion
7	8/10	8/16	Facilitating Live Sessions: Synchronous Lesson and Journals Due

Boise State University Academic Calendar
Please refer to the Boise State University Academic Calendar for University dates and deadlines: http://registrar.boisestate.edu/academic-calendar.shtml

Graduate Catalog
Graduate Catalogs for present and prior academic years can be found online at: http://graduatecatalog.boisestate.edu/
College of Education - The Professional Educator
Boise State University strives to develop knowledgeable educators who integrate complex roles and dispositions in the service of diverse communities of learners. Believing that all children, adolescents, and adults can learn, educators dedicate themselves to supporting that learning. Using effective approaches that promote high levels of student achievement, educators create environments that prepare learners to be citizens who contribute to a complex world. Educators serve learners as reflective practitioners, scholars and artists, problem solvers, and partners.
Department of Educational Technology Mission
The Department of Educational Technology is a diverse and international network of scholars, professional educators and candidates who:

• Lead research and innovations in online teaching and learning
• Model, promote, manage, and evaluate digital-age work and learning resources in educational environments
• Inspire creativity and expertise in digital media literacies
• Design and develop imaginative learning environments
• Empower learners to be evolving digital citizens who advocate cultural understanding and global responsibility
• Promote and pattern participatory culture, professional practice, and lifelong learning
• Forge connections between research, policy, and practice in educational technology