AD682
Learning Activity
Group Project
David M. Marcovitz

Question: How can computer technology effectively be integrated into the curriculum?

This is a difficult question to answer. Technology is often used as an add-on to the curriculum, not an integral part of the curriculum. This generally makes its use ineffective. You will begin to explore this question during this semester through the development of a learning activity.

You will divide into groups of three or four students and work on this with your group.This project must be done in a group.

There are four electronic sources for curriculum ideas you might find useful.

  1. The primary resource you will use is the book National Educational Technology Standards for Students: Connecting Curriculum and Technology (NETS-S), available online at http://cnets.iste.org/students/s_book.html. This book contains information about and examples of learning activities that meet the National Educational Technology Standards for Students.
  2. Additionally, you should look at Apple Computer's Units of Practice pages at http://ali.apple.com/ali/uops.php (the Units of Practice concept is discussed in Chapter 8 of the Sandholtz, Ringstaff, and Dwyer textbook referred to on the references section of the syllabus).
  3. Next, you should look at http://www.webquest.org/ for examples of WebQuests. Click on Search, Top, Middling, and New on the menu bar on the left.
  4. Finally, look at the Baltimore County Public Schools Technology Integration Planning Tool at http://www.bcps.org/offices/oit/word_files/Planning%20Tool%20for%20Technology%20Integration.doc (in Microsoft Word format).

All four of these are effective models for integrating technology into the curriculum. Note that lessons in the NETS-S book are professionally created and reviewed and are all excellent examples, but the other second and third sources might not be reviewed; many of those examples are excellent, and many are not. The last source does not contain examples but an effective planning model.

Your goal is to create a learning activity that could be used in your classroom or in your school. You may use the template in Appendix B of NETS-S to create the activity or you may modify the Baltimore County Technology Integration Planning Tool. For curriculum standards, you should use the ones listed in Appendix A of NETS-S or the appropriate content standards from the voluntary state curriculum, available at http://www.mdk12.org/instruction/curriculum/. Note that the "Print Version" of these standards is numbered for easier reference. For technology standards, use the NETS-S standards found in Appendix A of NETS-S. Whenever using numbers to reference standards, be sure to include a link to the Web page where the standards can be found.

You must use at least two of the following technologies in your learning activity:

Note that the final exam will be based on these technologies so each group member should be familiar with each of the technologies.

Your use of the technology might involve creating the technology for your students or your students creating the technology. If you will be creating the technology for your students, you should hand that in as part of the project. If you expect your students to create the technology, you should create an example of what you expect them to create and hand that in.

All projects should be given to the instructor in printed and electronic forms (floppy disk, CD, zip disk, or email). All written work should be typed in a word processor with numbered pages and one-inch margins. Each project should include a cover sheet with a title for the project and the names of all members of the group.

Each group member must hand in a Group Self Evaluation Form in a sealed envelope so no other group member can see it. These forms are confidential.

Detailed requirements for the Learning Activities and the technology for the Learning Activities can be found in the rubrics (Adobe Acrobat Reader required).

Note that some of the technology requirements might not match your own needs exactly. In this case you should consult your instructor. You may be able to create several smaller technology examples, or you may choose to create an example that is more complex than what you actually would use, but if you want to have your project vary from the requirements, be sure to consult your instructor.

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This page was prepared by Dr. David M. Marcovitz.

Last Updated: September 13, 2005