TRANSFORMING THE MIDDLE GRADES CLASSROOM WITH  INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES

INTRODUCTORY MATERIALS 

Foundations of Middle Level Teaching and Learning

What we know about young adolescents and learning:

• A Tour with Prezi
• Characteristics of Young Adolescents 
• Intro Beane’s Curriculum Guidelines and Pressures
• Developing an effective team and  the importance of common planning time

Ubiquitous Learning

• Learning in and for the future
• Digital Youth: the Two-Pager, the White Paper, and the Hanging Out, Messing Around, Geeking Out

Student Engagement and Involvement

• An Overview
• You may find the information at http://www.soundout.org helpful as you think about incorporating student voice into your projects. The overview and links at http://www.soundout.org/frameworks.html are particularly helpful.
• Forum Special Issue on Student Involvement

21st Century Resources

• Resource List

Syllabus in Word Doc (from summer 2009)

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course guides educators in enhancing learning opportunities for middle level students through the use of readily available technology. Participants will examine research and use technology in a collaborative and supported environment. They will learn to identify opportunities for effective technology use, manage technology rich learning, and embed technology in responsive middle grades practice. Participants will create and implement technology-enhanced solutions to support team teaching, an inclusive classroom culture, engaging instructional methods, and integrated learning.

TEXTS

Prensky, M. (2010). Teaching digital natives: Partnering for real learning. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Partnership for 21st Century Skills. (2007). Route 21: Building 21st Century Skills. Available:
     http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/route21/index.php.

Vermont Department of Education. (2008). The transformation of education in Vermont: A framework for transformation
     from the Vermont State Board of Education. Montpelier: Vermont State Board of Education. Available:
     http://www.education.vermont.gov/new/pdfdoc/dept/transformation/transformation_080108.pdf

Vermont Department of Education. (2009). Learning with 21st century tools: The 2009-2012 Vermont Educational
     Technology Plan. Montpelier: Author. Available:
     http://education.vermont.gov/new/pdfdoc/pgm_edtech/edtech_plan_2012_complete.pdf

Additional journal reading listed in schedule and available online through the course Wiki.

LEARNING OUTCOMES 

International Society of Technology Education Standards addressed in this course:

1. Facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity.
2. Design and develop digital-age learning experiences and assessments.
3. Model digital-age work and learning.
4. Engage in professional growth and learning.

National Middle School Association Standards addressed in this course

1. Make decisions about curriculum and resources that reflect an understanding of young adolescent development using current research.
2. Creatively engage all young adolescents in activities related to their interpersonal, community, and societal responsibilities.
3. Develop middle level curriculum that is relevant, challenging, integrative, exploratory, and reflects the interdisciplinary nature of knowledge.
4. Incorporate all young adolescents’ ideas, interests, and experiences into curriculum in ways that encourage all young adolescents to observe, question, and interpret knowledge and ideas from diverse perspectives.
5. Use a wide variety of teaching, learning, and assessment strategies that are developmentally responsive, motivating culturally sensitive, and technologically sound, and know when to implement them.
6. Create learning experiences that encourage exploration and problem solving so all young adolescents can be actively engaged in learning.
7. Provide all young adolescents with opportunities to engage in independent and collaborative inquiry.
8. Understand that the team process is the most effective strategy for school improvement and student learning.
9. Evaluate the relative effectiveness of developmentally responsive programs, best practices, and organizational components that reflect the philosophical foundations of middle level education and implement those that are most effective.

Targeted Participant Dispositions:

1. Hold high, realistic expectations for the learning and behavior of all young adolescents.
2. Believe that all young adolescents can learn and accept responsibility to help them do so.
3. Believe in the importance of being positive role models, coaches, mentors, and advocates for all young adolescents.
4. Believe diversity among all young adolescents is an asset.
5. Value the need for being knowledgeable and current in all curriculum areas taught.
6. Are committed to implementing an interdisciplinary curriculum that is challenging, relevant, integrative, and exploratory.
7. Value the need for a repertoire of teaching, learning, and assessment strategies that are appropriate for reaching all young adolescents.
8. Value the need for providing and maintaining an environment that is fair, equitable, and developmentally responsive, and that maximizes student learning.
9. Believe that culturally sensitive, developmentally responsive instruction and assessment are essential.
10. Value on-going and varied assessment strategies.
11. Believe that good instruction is based on a variety of informal, formal, and performance assessments.

     

ASSIGNMENTS

Action Research Project

Assignment Ideas

COURSE EVENTS CALENDAR

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