COURSE TITLE:
NO. OF CREDITS:
5 QUARTER CREDITS
[semester equivalent = 3.33 credits]
| WA CLOCK HRS: OREGON PDUs: PENNSYLVANIA ACT 48: |
50 50 50 |
INSTRUCTOR:
Charity Staudenraus
charity.heritage@gmail.com
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Give your students the power to access their reading assignments online and interact with text through questions and comments that lead to increased engagement. In Actively Learn, an online text reading platform built specifically for students and teachers, course participants can access a catalog with core content across all subjects or they can display their own PDF’s, Google Docs or web articles and be able to embed assignment questions, notes and responses to students. Your students will complete readings inside your Actively Learn space from their laptop, tablet or desktop computer. Educators in this course will learn how to use Actively Learn and will develop and implement several lessons that include the use of this platform.
Actively Learn is integrated with Google tools such as Drive, Docs, Classroom, and Gmail, and can be used for joint teacher projects.
This course is recommended for any K-12 teacher or administrator looking to better their technology skills and literacy in the classroom.
There is no textbook for this class, all references and materials are located on-line.
LEARNING OUTCOMES: Upon completion of this course, participants will have:
Upon completion of this course, participants will:
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Completion of all specified assignments is required for issuance of hours or credit. The Heritage Institute does not award partial credit.
The use of artificial intelligence is not permitted. Assignment responses found to be generated by AI will not be accepted.
HOURS EARNED:
Completing the basic assignments (Section A. Information Acquisition) for this course automatically earns participants their choice of CEUs (Continuing Education Units), Washington State Clock Hours, Oregon PDUs, or Pennsylvania ACT 48 Hours. The Heritage Institute offers CEUs and is an approved provider of Washington State Clock Hours, Oregon PDUs, and Pennsylvania ACT 48 Hours.
UNIVERSITY QUARTER CREDIT INFORMATION
REQUIREMENTS FOR UNIVERSITY QUARTER CREDIT
Continuing Education Quarter credits are awarded by Antioch University Seattle (AUS). AUS requires 75% or better for credit at the 400 level and 85% or better to issue credit at the 500 level. These criteria refer both to the amount and quality of work submitted.
CREDIT/NO CREDIT (No Letter Grades or Numeric Equivalents on Transcripts)
Antioch University Seattle (AUS) Continuing Education Quarter credit is offered on a Credit/No Credit basis; neither letter grades nor numeric equivalents are on a transcript. 400 level credit is equal to a "C" or better, 500 level credit is equal to a "B" or better. This information is on the back of the transcript.
AUS Continuing Education quarter credits may or may not be accepted into degree programs. Prior to registering, determine with your district personnel, department head, or state education office the acceptability of these credits for your purpose.
ADDITIONAL COURSE INFORMATION
REQUIRED TEXT
There is no required text and all reading is done online.
None. All reading is online.
MATERIALS FEE
All reading materials are done online.
ASSIGNMENTS REQUIRED FOR HOURS OR UNIVERSITY QUARTER CREDIT
A. INFORMATION ACQUISITION
Assignments done in a course forum will show responses from all educators who have or are taking the course independently. Feel free to read and respond to others' comments.
Group participants can only view and respond to their group members in the Forum.
Assignment #1: Introduce Yourself
Briefly introduce yourself (1-2 pgs.) including your professional situation, your reasons for being interested in this course, what you expect to learn from taking this course, and your general level of experience and proficiency with using technology in the classroom.
Assignment #2: Getting Started with Actively Learn
Welcome to Actively Learn. This is where you will become familiar with Actively Learn and the options available to you with this exciting new resource. You should be able to get around Actively Learn and be familiar enough to explain what Actively Learn is to a colleague or to students in another teacher’s classroom. After you complete the tasks listed below, in a 1-2 page paper, discuss what you believe will be most useful about Actively Learn, what innovation you have discovered, what you want to know more about, and how you will use Actively Learn with your classes.
Assignment #3: Add Content from the Catalog
Actively Learn provides the opportunity to chunk text so that students must answer questions, take notes, or view a video prior to continuing onto the next section of text. Meanwhile, teachers can monitor and assess student progress. Read the article, "Stop Skimming, Start Learning". Using what you've learned, create a reading assignment for your students. Actively Learn allows teachers the opportunity to assign readings to students in a variety of subject areas from their catalog. So for example, if you are a middle school science teacher studying the Periodic Table. You can assign students a reading on the Periodic Table from the Actively Learn Catalog. Readings are also available at various different lexile levels to maximize learning and provide acceleration for students who need it. Assign content from the Catalog, once students have completed the assignment, complete a 2-3 page paper, including screen shots, discussing the text(s) you chose, and lessons learned from the experience.
Assignment #4: COURSE FORUM - Import an Internet Article or Upload a PDF
Actively Learn allows teachers the opportunity to assign readings from the internet or from a PDF. So for example, if you are studying Abraham Lincoln, you could visit the Smithsonian website, find a link on Abraham Lincoln, import the resource, and add directions for your students. Read the article, "How to Scaffold Texts for Struggling Readers in Actively Learn". Assign content from the internet or upload a PDF, once students have completed the assignment, complete a 2-3 page paper, including screen shots, discussing the text(s) you chose, and lessons learned from the experience. Please take the time to add any helpful resources to the group forum so other teachers can learn about the great resources you use.
Assignment #5: Insert a Question (Short Answer)
Actively Learn empowers teachers by allowing them to chunk text so that students must answer questions prior to continuing onto the next section of text. Complete the Actively Learn module "Ask higher-order questions". Assign a reading, insert a minimum of (3) short answer questions, once students have completed the assignment, complete a 2-3 page paper, including screen shots, discussing the text(s) you chose, the questions you asked, student answers, and lessons learned from the experience.
Assignment #6: Insert a Question (Multiple Choice)
Actively Learn empowers teachers by allowing them to chunk text so that students must answer questions prior to continuing onto the next section of text. Assign a reading, insert a minimum of (3) multiple choice questions, once students have completed the assignment, complete a 2-3 page paper, including screen shots, discussing the text(s) you chose, the questions you asked, student answers, and lessons learned from the experience.
Assignment #7: Insert a Question (Poll)
Actively Learn empowers teachers by allowing them to chunk text so that students must answer questions prior to continuing onto the next section of text. Assign a reading and insert at least one poll. Take this opportunity to explore the options in “edit text details” and the “cover image” for the reading. Once students have completed the assignment, complete a 2-3 page paper, including screen shots, discussing the text(s) you chose, the poll you gave, student answers, the options in “edit text details”, the “cover image” you chose for the reading, and lessons learned from the experience.
Assignment #8: Insert Notes and Media
Students often need additional resources to exceed expectations in your class and on specific assignments. Assign a reading, insert a note, make sure to include a screen shot of the category you chose, the note(s) you wrote to students, and media you attached to the reading. Complete a 2-3 page paper, including screen shots, discussing the note you chose to embed, the notes that students took on the assignment (please protect student privacy), the media you attached to the text, and lessons learned from the experience.
Assignment #9: Insert Links and Utilize Whiteout
Students often need additional resources to exceed expectations in your class and on specific assignments. Assign a reading, insert a link, and utilize the whiteout function within Actively Learn. Complete a 2-3 page paper, including screen shots, discussing the link you chose to embed, the notes that students took on the assignment (please protect student privacy), the reasoning behind what you chose to whiteout, and lessons learned from the experience.
Assignment #10: Select Standards and add Depth of Knowledge
If you have not already done so, go back through the readings you have created thus far. For each reading select the appropriate Standards and Add Depth of Knowledge. If this assignment is not applicable to the content you are currently teaching please send me an email with a suggestion as to an alternate assignment. Complete a 2-3 page paper, including screen shots, discussing how you and your students can utilize this information.
Assignment #11: Create a Quiz
Actively Learn has a new feature allowing you to create a quiz within their system. Create a Quiz and have students complete the quiz. Complete a 2-3 page paper, including screen shots, discussing the quiz you created, the student responses (please protect student privacy), the reasoning behind your quiz, and lessons learned from the experience.
Assignment #12: Peer Learning & Collaboration
Notes can be shared with classmates, creating an opportunity for shy students to “speak up” and discussions to occur outside the walls of the classroom. Students can compare their responses to those of their peers’ so they monitor comprehension and spend more time processing the content. With proper pre-teaching, students will surprise you with their insight! Assign a text to students with an assignment to complete notes that can be shared with classmates. Go to your “Student Reading Settings” and allow students to share their notes with other students in the class. After students finish the assignment, complete a 2-3 page paper, including screen shots, discussing the assignment, student notes, and lessons learned from the experience.
ADDITIONAL ASSIGNMENTS REQUIRED FOR UNIVERSITY QUARTER CREDIT
B. LEARNING APPLICATION
In this section, you will apply your learning to your professional situation. This course assumes that most participants are classroom teachers who have access to students. If you do not have a classroom available to you, please contact the instructor for course modifications. Assignments done in a course forum will show responses from all educators who have or are taking the course independently. Feel free to read and respond to others' comments. Group participants can only view and respond to their group members in the Forum.
Assignment #13: Flipped Classroom
Actively Learn enables teachers to put all of their resources for a lesson in one place. With this assignment teachers will experiment with creating a “flipped classroom” where students complete their readings and watch lectures/videos outside of class time and complete their homework in class where you can give them the assistance they need. Set up a lesson for students to complete outside of class time (or in your absence if technology access is limited outside of class time) including a reading, readings, and/or videos i.e. the “learning” portion of the lesson. Then have students apply the knowledge during class time via a discussion, lab, etc. After students have finished the assignment complete a 2-3 page paper including screen shots discussing your experiences with a “flipped classroom” including student comprehension and lessons learned from the experience.
Assignment #14: Capture the Middle
Actively Learn allows you to capture the middle of the process. You can access each student’s assignment and provide feedback to him/her mid-way through an assignment. Assign students a text and give students feedback on their short answers mid-way through their assignment. Complete a 2-3 page paper, including screen shots, discussing the assignment, student comprehension, and whether providing feedback mid-way through an assignment has changed your thinking on student grades and assessment.
Assignment #15: Utilizing the Poll Feature
You have become a proficient Actively Learn Teacher! In this lesson you are asked to reflect on the experience and give students a survey using Actively Learn’s poll feature as to how they felt about the experience of using Actively Learn. After you have reviewed the student data complete a 2-3 page paper, including screen shots, discussing the poll, student comments, and how you can use the polling feature in the future.
Assignment #16: (500 Level ONLY)
In addition to the 400 level assignments, complete one of the following:
Option A)
Prepare a presentation or an in-service for other teachers on what you learned through this course.
OR
Option B)
Complete an entire unit in a paperless environment. Write 2-3 pages including screen shots and examples discussing how you were able to eliminate paper from your classroom for an entire unit.
OR
Option C)
Use Actively Learn to create a “flipped” unit. Write 2-3 pages including screen shots and examples discussing how you were able to “flip” your classroom for an entire unit.
OR
Option D)
Another assignment of your own choice, with the instructor’s prior approval.
Assignment #17: INTEGRATION PAPER (Required for 400 and 500 Level)
C. INTEGRATION PAPER
Assignment #18: (Required for 400 and 500 level)
SELF REFLECTION & INTEGRATION PAPER
(Please do not write this paper until you've completed all of your other assignments)
Write a 400-500 word Integration Paper answering these 5 questions:
INSTRUCTOR COMMENTS ON YOUR WORK:
Instructors will comment on each assignment. If you do not hear from the instructor within a few days of posting your assignment, please get in touch with them immediately.
QUALIFICATIONS FOR TEACHING THIS COURSE:
CHARITY STAUDENRAUS, M.A.T, received her BA from Willamette University, her MAT from Willamette University. Charity has experience teaching math, science, social studies, business, and language courses at the middle and high school level. She is currently serving on the 2014-2017 Oregon Science Content and Assessment Panel as well as the Oregon Instructional Materials Criteria Development Committee. In addition Charity is consulting on a Rutgers University and WPI project funded through multiple Department of Education and National Science Foundation Grants.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
ONLINE INTERACTIVE READING
Arney, L. (2015). “Go blended!: A handbook for blending technology in schools” (1st ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Alice Keeler. http://www.alicekeeler.com/teachertech/2015/07/16/google-classroom-creating-a-discussion-board/
Alice Keeler has a fantastic blog “Teacher Tech” that I highly recommend following. She is tech savvy and the tips she gives save significant time and headache.
“International Society for Technology in Education.” 2011. http://www.iste.org/welcome.aspx
This website is the premier membership association for educators and education leaders engaged in improving learning and teaching by advancing the effective use of technology in PK-12 and teacher education.
“Northwest Council for Computer Education.” 2011. http://www.ncce.org/
NCCE is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting effective uses of technology in education. In addition to hosting the largest educational technology conference in the Pacific Northwest, NCCE provides its members with resources and professional development opportunities throughout the year.
The mission of NCCE is to promote and support the effective use of technology in all aspects of education as Technology plays a fundamental role in lifelong learning and is used in all aspects of education such as teaching, learning, assessment, evaluation, record keeping, personal productivity, and communication systems. They put on an amazing conference every year in the Northwest.