PLO 8. Demonstrate the ability to make informed decisions regarding the use of technology in support of learning and leadership

Revised course syllabus. 

(To review my online course click here to log in or send email information to colette_brooks@ymail.com for invitation.

Elementary Reading and Language Arts, TK-3

Course Description

            This course prepares future teachers with the skills and methods necessary to be effective reading and language arts instructors for primary grades, tk-3. Subjects covered will include, fostering emergent/ early literacy, teaching phonics, high frequency words, building vocabulary, and syllabic analysis. A comprehensive look at teaching theories, strategies, and procedures will also be addressed. At the completion of this course students will be able to create and manage a literacy program for grades tk-3.

Course Materials

Required Text:

Gunning, T. G. (2013). Creating literacy instruction for all students. Boston: Pearson.

Required Resources:

Complete Kindergarten Curriculum (2011). Retrieved from. http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/cr/cf/documents/glckindercurriculum.pdf

Complete First-Grade Curriculum (2011). Retrieved from. http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/cr/cf/documents/glcfirstgradecurriculum.pdf

Complete Second-Grade Curriculum (2011). Retrieved from. http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/cr/cf/documents/glc2ndgradecurriculum.pdf

Complete Third-Grade Curriculum (2011). Retrieved from.

http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/cr/cf/documents/glc3rdgradecurriculum.pdf

Pam Randall, Pam (1998). A Balanced Approach to Emergent Literacy in First Grade (1998) ELLISA Project https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpWUEuEpHCI

(2011). Common Core Writing Kindergarten Lesson. WriteSteps .Writing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iboqoB7Z4F8

Students will also use virtual libraries and scholarly resource databases for relevant material.

Course Objectives

At the end of this course students will be able to:

Critique and select reading books that are effective and appropriate for tk-3 literacy programs.

Analyze and evaluate current teaching theories and practices for their effectiveness within a classroom setting.

Create a tk-3 literacy program plan that abides by the Common Core Standards being used in California.

Course Expectations

In this course you can expect that,

I will respond to emails and questions within 24 hours, if you need an earlier response please text my cell phone. 

I will grade assignments within 3 days of receiving the assignment.

I will be available for video and phone conferencing on Mondays and Wednesdays from 1-3 PST.

I will always provide supplemental learning material to accommodate different learning modalities.

I will provide content and collaborative work that are relevant to the learning objectives.

I will engage with each student in the discussion forum.

I will provide detailed feedback on all graded assignments.  

So please, please, please

Write- If you need help email me.

Call- If there is an emergency call my Cell.

Read- Please read the course material, you'll be getting your money's worth.

Breathe- Take a moment and breathe. Setting time to plan your schedule for completing assignments and reading will help ease the stress.

Other helpful suggestions

Look ahead for assignments that may require unfamiliar technology. In the tools section of the course will be links for tutorials for the different software used in the course. 

Don't wait till you’re too far behind to reach out. Call, text, or email me if you don't understand an assignment. I am happy to help. 

These next six weeks, while strenuous, will be very rewarding. I look forward to working with you!

Code of Ethics

There a few things that will not be tolerated, including foul language, rude comments and remarks, and sexual and illicit content. Discussion posts and responses need to stay on topic to the discussion prompt and guided response.

 Recycling work isn't allowed. Please all original work. Students who found to have plagiarized or recycled a paper will receive a zero for the assignment.

Informed Consent

.Student data, excluding identifying information, is stored within the learning management system and is analyzed by the school to improve the quality of educational programs offered. Throughout the duration of the course, assigned technology and the course website will be evaluated to ensure effective teaching and learning strategies are being used, and to provide valuable feedback to students and administration. In addition, all work produced in this course, including web tools, are the sole property of the individual student. Instructor and student use of such property needs written permission of the student whose work will be used. . Please contact instructor with questions and further information, including opting out of having your data excluding from being included in data analysis.

Technical Requirements

A computer with internet and word processing abilities is required. Word processing, emailing, and Web 2.0 abilities are necessary for academic success. There will be tutorials available for additional instructions on using the software required for class.

Support Services and Resources

Course objectives, a course calendar, course materials, class announcements, syllabus, and rubrics are all given to guide students’ work and gauge performance. Work Samples will be made available to help students understand what is expected. Emails works as a communicative tool to ensure dialogue. Feedback is a tool that helps know how to improve.

Accessibility information and policies related to the online course environment

This course complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Sect 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Students in need of accommodations or special assistants should contact the instructor for further information. The American Disability Act website gives detailed students’ rights and responsibilities, http://www.ada.gov/.

Late Work Policy

Assignments will be have 10% deducted for each day late. Late assignments will not be received after five days from the due date.

Grading Scale

All assignments will be graded on a 4 point grading scale.

Here is an example a grading rubric and 4-1 scale that is being used for a group project,

Rubric-

Group Wiki Rubric	4 Exemplary Performance	3 Commendable Performance	2 Developing Performance	1 Below Performance
Content	Wiki contains at least seven important components of an emergent literacy program, and corresponding lesson example.	Wiki contains at least six important components of an emergent literacy program, and corresponding lesson example.	Wiki contains at least five important components of an emergent literacy program, and corresponding lesson example.	Less than five components of emergent literacy are given, and corresponding lesson example.
Layout	Each component include three to five sentences that clearly explains its   effectiveness for emergent literacy.	Each component include three to five sentences that somewhat explains its effectiveness for emergent literacy.	Fewer than three to five sentences are used to clearly explain each component for emergent literacy.	There is little explanation is given on why each component was chosen.
Grammar & Sentence Structure	Wiki is free from grammatical errors.	Wiki has fewer than three grammatical errors.	Wiki has fewer than five grammatical errors.	Wiki contains less than ten grammatical errors.
Description of member contribution	Group member gives a clear, detailed description justifying their reasoning for component(s) chosen.	Group member gives a clear, somewhat detailed description justifying their reasoning for component(s) chosen.	Group member gives somewhat clear justifying their reasoning for component(s) chosen.	Group member give little detail justifying their reasoning for component(s) chosen.
Wiki Page Presentation	There are images and graphics where appropriate, and white space throughout. The wiki page is easy to follow.	There are images and graphics where appropriate, but little white space. The wiki is somewhat is easy to follow.	Few graphics are used. Some white space throughout wiki. The wiki is somewhat easy to follow.	Images are used, but are not appropriate for the assignment. There is little white space. The wiki is difficult to follow.

Technology has been the most transforming factor to education this century, in my humble opinion. Hypothetically, students from third world countries could receive a degree from a reputable university, thirty students in an elementary classroom can receive thirty different educational plans that could be implemented with ease, and working moms can add college to her long list of things to do. Now, the data being collected with technology use can further educations impact in this custom ordered world. First, students’ privacy and protection needs to be taken into consideration.

            

The use of technology within education has given opportunities for differentiated instruction in a way that has not been made available before. With all of this technology a lot of data is collected by schools, intentionally and unintentionally, that can be used to better the schools’ level of effectiveness. This collection of data can be used to determine when students are in danger of dropping out before it happen, creating positive impact on student retention, and enables for a personal more convenient and engaging learning environment (Wagner & Ice, 2012, July/August). Data analytics, the use of taking data and reading it for useful information the information, is not without concern. Student rights and privacy is a major concern of leaders in the instructional technology field, of this concern is the real possibility of student and university data being retrieved into government databases, identity theft, and data sharing; precautions (such as student disclosure) need to be taken before using students data (Picciano, 2012).

            

In my course syllabus for Elementary Reading and Literature, tk-3, information regarding the nature of the course is given. Technology is used heavily to help achieve the course objective and inform students of what would be expected of them as a future reading teacher. This includes links to the California’s Common Core Standard, discussion forums, and internet access for web 2.0 use. After careful consideration I noticed that my syllabus, which is often looked as a contract between teacher and student, did not include a section of “informed consent”. Within the section I included information about rights and uses of student work, and site tracking, and other data that will be shared on the course site. By including this information in the syllabus, at the beginning of the course, I will be treated my students with respect which create more buy in and a willingness to share data (Edge, 2012, August 30). The new section in my syllabus is typed in red.

           

In conclusion, education today is bursting with opportunity. The data being collected through hybrid and online courses gives a picture of what effective changes could be made to further education as a whole. The information used can help students make needed adjustments to remain in school, schools can see what areas they need to improve in, and tap into untapped potential within the field of education. As long as students information is guarded and students are informed that their data is being tracked, data analysis is an essential, beneficial aspect of education today.

 References

Edge (2012, September 9). Reinventing society in the wake of big data. Retrieved from Edge:             http://www.edge.org/conversation/reinventing-society-in-the-wake-of-big-data

Picciano, A. G. (2012). The Evolution of Big Data and Learning Analytics in American Higher    Education. Journal Of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 16(3), 9-20. Retrieved from             ERIC. http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ982669.pdf

Wagner, E., & Ice, P. (2012, July/August). Data changes everything: Delivering on the promise    of learning analytics in higher education. Educause Review, 33-42. Retrieved from             http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ERM1243P.pdf

Here is a copy of my course syllabus, which can be found at Coursesites.com, as well as real world application of program learning outcomes in a functioning online course.