FrontPage


Welcome to the UNC Teacher Education Technology Innovations Collaborative Wiki.

 

What this site is all about...

        The information contained on this site is generated from preservice teacher investigations of various technology tools. It provides some foundational information about the tools, but focuses on ideas and examples of implementing the tools into middle and secondary level classrooms. Through this assignment, students (past and present) collaborate to update and share this information. Collaborative teachers shift between the roles of teacher, learner, group member, contributor, and mentor as needed in their common pursuit of professional development and school improvement, thus using a wiki for this project was a natural fit.

Supporting Research and other materials

 

Through our learning process we have:

 

        This Wiki is easily navigable.  One can use the Navigation Folders to the right to enter the Elementary or Secondary sections of the wiki. Then, use the links on the page or the sidebar to explore the different tools. The sidebar is extremely useful while visiting other pages in this wiki since you won't have to go to the home page to navigate to any of the others.

 

 

Project Overview

 

Description: You will partner with other students (as assigned by your instructor) to become an expert in one innovative technology, then collaboratively you will design a wiki page highlighting your innovative technology. Additionally, you will create a brief (3-5 minute) video highlighting a group teaching experience using the assigned technology where you and your group members are the teachers, and your classmates are K-12 students (you get to determine the specific grade). This demonstration should be as engaging as possible for your classmates. Videos will be constructed after the initial wiki creation is complete. (More details on the video will be provided).

Completed videos will be linked to your group's wiki page.

 

Rationale: Innovative teachers shift between the roles of teacher, learner, group member, contributor, and mentor as needed in the common pursuit of professional development and school improvement. This is especially relevant to the adoption of new technology tools. This assignment will be very dependent upon collaboration and promises to acquaint you with new and evolving technologies, and to help you better understand how technology can be integrated to improve student learning. The archived knowledge from all groups will be housed in a class wiki, which will no doubt contribute to your growing collection of teaching materials.

 

Purpose of Assignment:

•    To acquire a range of understanding about a variety of innovative technologies

•    To collaboratively learn “inside-and-out” one innovative technology and its possible classroom applications

•    To practice designing and delivering instruction that integrates technology

•    To collect usable resources for future class assignments and possible use as a teacher (via the class wiki)

 

Standards: This assignment addresses these standards:

Colorado Performance-Based Standards for Professional Teaching Standards (APTS):

          3.3

          4.3

          7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, 7.5

 

National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers (NETS-T):

1a, 1b, 1d

2a, 2b

3a 

 

Collaborative Requirement: Each group member will receive an individual grade based on this project.  EQUAL contribution is expected of all group members to both the planning and presentation processes.   Minor hiccups in group functions are expected, as with any social endeavor; but should persistent problems inhibit performance, professionalism is expected. If you have attempted, but cannot handle problems within the group, please be proactive and ask for instructor assistance.  In most cases, if it is not too late, I can mediate, and will be happy to do so.  Any students with unprofessional behavior will be handled appropriately. This includes any student who overcompensates as well as any student who does not follow through with their commitments.

 

Steps Leading to a Successful Project

  1. TOPICS: Your instructor will assign groups, page topics, and benchmark dates based on student experience and interest.
  2. PLAN TO PLAN: Complete a Group Contract. The contract must be consensus of all group members and be approved by your instructor. It is expected that group members will make frequent communication a priority to minimize misunderstandings.
  3. GROUP PREPARATIONS:
    • PRIOR WIKIS: Read what other students have prepared for their course wikis by reviewing the innovations project archives. 
    • GET TO KNOW YOUR INNOVATION: Learn the ins and outs of your assigned innovation to the point you are comfortable demonstrating the tool to some one else. It is expected that all students will become experts in the assigned innovation.
    • PREPARE A PAGE OF THIS WIKI for use by other students. Be sure to follow the criteria listed in the evaluation rubric to assure the information will be useful to your classmates, even after the end of the semester. (You can borrow from other class wikis as long as you cite them.)
    • PLAN A TEACHING SCENARIO: Prepare for a model teaching experience whereby members of your group are the teachers, and your classmates are the K-12 students (grade of your choice) who you ask to use your innovation.  This scenario will be formated into a video. You can prepare this as creatively as you like. A few ideas include: infomercial, news report, snapshot of a classroom, whatever you can imagine.
    • POLISH: Practice your teaching event with your group. Plan Plan Plan. Practice Practice Practice. Details of the video are coming soon, but you are expected to share the tool in a  3 to 5 minute video constructed by your group.
  4. SELF EVALUATION: At the end of the project, each individual team member will need to complete their own evaluation using the middle column of the RUBRIC.
  5. Group Video- GPS by Stacy MacGown, Erin Mullins and Stephen Paulson