SCHEDULE OF COURSES

This course will acquaint students with several major psychological perspectives for appreciating learning that goes on in school and other settings. Students will also connect theories of learning to their own experiences as learners - inside this course, in other courses, on the job, and in other settings. By constantly examining the relationship between the ideas about learning introduced in this course and the learning situations in the students' world outside of this course, students will find greater meaning and significance in both. We consider implications of these perspectives for practice, particularly the practice in your field.

The course explores the interaction of school mathematics content, technology that supports mathematics teaching and learning, and the cognitive and social processes of learning. It is designed to serve practicing teachers at all levels (elementary, middle school, and high school) in their thinking about the interaction of technology and school content, particularly those who teach mathematics for at least part of their school day. No particular strength in mathematics or knowledge of specific technologies is required, only a willingness to explore and rethink standard assumptions about elementary mathematics and learning. The courses is structured into eight units, five of which explore a specific content area within school mathematics and a specific technology that hold promise for learning in that particular content area. One end product will be a personalized online library of resources indexed to particular mathematics content and issues in teaching and learning.

Portfolios have a long tradition in education. In recent years the portfolio concept has broadened to encompass a range of meanings from a collection of elementary school children's writings in a folder to more elaborate teaching portfolios prepared by preservice or inservice teachers. Most recently, the power of the portfolio concept has been amplified and extended further through the creation of "electronic portfolios" that are created and shared on the Web. The premise of this course is that electronic portfolios on the Web offer teachers and students an extraordinary new medium for self-expression and for creating a nation of writers, poets, and artists who gather authentic work over time and share it with a worldwide audience. In this course you will learn about the wide variety of meanings and applications of electronic portfolios in education. And you will apply what you learn by creating your own electronic portfolio on the Web. Thus the course will have two parts: learning and doing.

New technologies not only have the potential of changing what and how students learn, but they can also alter the task of teaching in significant ways. In this course, we will examine the complex charge of being responsible for managing relationships between technology, teaching and learning. We will look at technology from multiple perspectives to assess its potential benefits and challenges to different audiences. Professional development strategies, project management, planning, evaluation, relationship building, along with the ethical and social implications of technology integration will be examined.

Learning Technology through Design is a course that investigates the process of design particularly as it applies to educational technology. The course is structured around multiple design activities and one (or two) large design projects. Topics covered include learning by design, human computer interaction, art and aesthetics of design, iterative design, design evaluation, and collaboration in design.

Before enrolling for this course go to http://punya.educ.msu.edu/courses/summer09/cep817

Creativity is of increasing importance to educators both for their professional success and that of their students particularly given the complex, evolving knowledge ecology we are live in. In this online course we will explore a range of questions related to creativity. These include: What does it mean to be creative? Is creativity born or can it be developed/ learned/ nurtured? Does creativity reside in the individual or in the social (or organizational) context within which we live? What does the creative process look like? What is the relationship between creativity, play and humor? (In other words, do creative people have more fun?) How can we become more creative in teaching? How can technology help us become more creative teachers and learners? How can we integrate creativity in subject matter learning? How do we assess creativity? How can we develop creativity in others (particularly in learners)? What are the consequences of these ideas in an era dominated by NCLB? 

For further information please visit:
http://punya.educ.msu.edu/2008/04/01/new-course-creativity-in-teaching-learning/

Examining ways in which K-12 teachers can bring the world into their classrooms with technology to better meet the educational needs of students. The course focuses on ways in which teachers and students can broadcast their ideas and information to the outside world for purposes of collaboration and communication. The course includes discussions of various online learning management systems including their functions, strengths, and weaknesses along with the exploration of various teaching methodologies and how they should be used in the online environment to ensure teaching and learning success.

One of the main goals of education is to create compelling experiences for students. By compelling, I mean more than simply getting students started and staying with a task; I mean experiences that deeply move and affect the students. We all have had this kind of experience, typically outside of school settings. Perhaps, it was when we couldn't put a good book down, or were gripped tightly by a dramatic movie, or completely absorbed by a theater performance. We know what compelling means; we also know that these experiences do not happen often enough in schools. This course represents a bold effort to take a different view on how educators can create compelling experiences for their students. It is based on a simple assertion: there are many professionals, in addition to teachers, who are highly successful at creating compelling experiences for others: surely there is much we can learn from them. Thus, in this course, students will come to understand deeply moving experiences in three ways: (a) reading a broad range of thoughtful writing on topics ranging from education, psychology, philosophy, and the arts; (b) learning from people who make a living creating compelling experiences for others. This group includes not only successful teachers, but also filmmakers, playwrights, writers, artists, advertisers, computer game designers, and others; and (c) seeking out, experiencing, and reflecting on compelling experiences.

Perspectives on educational technology, current theories, research findings, and methods of design and evaluation.

Examining ways in which K-12 teachers can bring the world into their classrooms with technology to better meet the educational needs of students. The course focuses on ways in which teachers and students can broadcast their ideas and information to the outside world for purposes of collaboration and communication. The course includes discussions of various online learning management systems including their functions, strengths, and weaknesses along with the exploration of various teaching methodologies and how they should be used in the online environment to ensure teaching and learning success.

Alternative methods of educational research. Identifying researchable problems in education and developing a research proposal. Applications of descriptive and inferential statistics for analyzing and critiquing published studies.

This course will acquaint students with several major psychological perspectives for appreciating learning that goes on in school and other settings. Students will also connect theories of learning to their own experiences as learners - inside this course, in other courses, on the job, and in other settings. By constantly examining the relationship between the ideas about learning introduced in this course and the learning situations in the students' world outside of this course, students will find greater meaning and significance in both. We consider implications of these perspectives for practice, particularly the practice in your field.

New technologies not only have the potential of changing what and how students learn, but they can also alter the task of teaching in significant ways. In this course, we will examine the complex charge of being responsible for managing relationships between technology, teaching and learning. We will look at technology from multiple perspectives to assess its potential benefits and challenges to different audiences. Professional development strategies, project management, planning, evaluation, relationship building, along with the ethical and social implications of technology integration will be examined.

Alternative methods of educational research. Identifying researchable problems in education and developing a research proposal. Applications of descriptive and inferential statistics for analyzing and critiquing published studies.

This course will acquaint students with several major psychological perspectives for appreciating learning that goes on in school and other settings. Students will also connect theories of learning to their own experiences as learners - inside this course, in other courses, on the job, and in other settings. By constantly examining the relationship between the ideas about learning introduced in this course and the learning situations in the students' world outside of this course, students will find greater meaning and significance in both. We consider implications of these perspectives for practice, particularly the practice in your field.

In CEP806, we will take a close look at how technology, Internet technology in particular, can be used to create powerful and worthwhile science experiences for students. We will also consider the potential and pitfalls of students finding and using internet science information. And, we will explore the timely and important issue of how the experience of science ideas is similar and different in on-line and face-to-face interactions. We will explore the vast array of science teaching resources available through the Internet. We'll take a look at virtual science activities, virtual field trips, journals & magazines, technology assistance, resources for students, teacher lesson ideas, and amazing science teachers. We should be clear, however, that this is not a "How To" course intended to give you piles of materials and activities that are guaranteed to work. Anyone with classroom experience knows that teaching situations vary widely and it is a matter of professional judgment as to the "best" way to create learning experiences. So, although we suggest ideas and resources for science teaching, we are expecting you to offer your own ideas and resources as well as insights from your experience. Students are required to have access to a digital camera, microphone and headset.

This is a course designed to bring together current understandings of technology and how it can be used for learning across the academic subjects taught in elementary, middle school, and high school: mathematics, science, language arts, social studies, and the arts. We will weave together three threads in this course, as suggested in the course title -- technology, teaching, and learning. Each of these three topics will receive attention in interaction with the others. Given the speed of change in technology, we will emphasize the affordances of new and developing educational media. The goals of this course are multiple. By the end of the semester, you should

1. Understand the overall affordances of technology for meaningful learning in K-12 settings;
2. Understand how the affordances of technology intersect with current theories of learning;
3. Understand some of the issues entailed in teaching with technology.

Creativity is of increasing importance to educators both for their professional success and that of their students particularly given the complex, evolving knowledge ecology we are live in. In this online course we will explore a range of questions related to creativity. These include: What does it mean to be creative? Is creativity born or can it be developed/ learned/ nurtured? Does creativity reside in the individual or in the social (or organizational) context within which we live? What does the creative process look like? What is the relationship between creativity, play and humor? (In other words, do creative people have more fun?) How can we become more creative in teaching? How can technology help us become more creative teachers and learners? How can we integrate creativity in subject matter learning? How do we assess creativity? How can we develop creativity in others (particularly in learners)? What are the consequences of these ideas in an era dominated by NCLB? 

For further information please visit:
http://punya.educ.msu.edu/2008/04/01/new-course-creativity-in-teaching-learning/

Examining ways in which K-12 teachers can bring the world into their classrooms with technology to better meet the educational needs of students. The course focuses on ways in which teachers and students can broadcast their ideas and information to the outside world for purposes of collaboration and communication. The course includes discussions of various online learning management systems including their functions, strengths, and weaknesses along with the exploration of various teaching methodologies and how they should be used in the online environment to ensure teaching and learning success.