EDST 667-040 Applications of Computers in Teaching Writing Summer Institute in Educational and Assistive Technology, 1999

Overview
Schedule
Topics
Required readings - All readings are available on electronic reserve. 
Requirements
www.egroups.com

Over the years, the Summer Institute in Educational and Assistive Technology has grown in demand and stature throughout the state.  We are committed to offering quality courses that are attractive and useful to working educators.  Although this course meets over a two-week time period, it is designed to offer the same content and expect the same effort and commitment as a semester long course.  Such a commitment will likely require you to spend several hours each day outside of the scheduled class time reading course material, practicing skills, and working in the computer lab to complete projects.  Due dates for each assignment are listed below, but due to the compressed time frame of the course, the instructional project and the final essay can be submitted up to one week after the end of the course.

In designing this course, I was guided by the Conceptual Framework for Professional Education.  At the University of Delaware, our candidates are prepared to be reflective practitioners serving diverse communities of learners as scholars, problem solvers, and partners.  Throughout this course you will have opportunities to, and be expected to, reflect on your experiences and the nature of our profession, treat diversity as a potential source of enrichment, and integrate the professional roles of scholar, problem solver and partner.  As a first step toward this goal, please read the ...

Pre-requisites

Related Internet Links

Requirements

Each day, class will follow a similar format and schedule:

• 8:30-9:00: Read and respond to email

• 9:00-10:00: Group discussion and instruction

• 10:00-10:15: Break

• 10:15-11:00 Software demonstration

• 11:00-12:15: Group questions, comments, and issues

Tentative Schedule of Topics:

• Introduction to the course
• Writing development and cognitive processes
• Set up email accounts
• Browse writing websites
• Homework: Read Bruer (1993)

• Writing and technology
• Discuss Bruer (1993) article
• Listserv
• Homework: Read Bolter (1991)

• Strategy instruction
• Discuss Bolter (1991) article
• Newsgroups
• Read MacArthur (1994)

• Basic writing skills; social processes
• Discuss MacArthur (1994)
• Chatroom
• Read MacArthur (1999)

• Multimedia publishing
• Discuss MacArthur (1999)

• Web page design
• Review software

• Web-site publishing
• Explore websites

• Work on instructional project
• Course evaluation

• Presentations

Readings

1. Bruer, J.T. (1993).  Schools for thought:  A science of learning in the classroom, Ch. 7. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.
2. Bolter, J.D. (1991).  Writing space:  The computer, hypertext, and the history of writing, Ch. 1. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
3. MacArthur, C.A., Graham, S., & Schwartz, S. S. (1994).  Peers + word processing + strategies = A powerful combination for teaching revising.  Teaching Exceptional Children, Fall, 1994.
4. MacArthur, C.A.  (1999).  Overcoming barriers to writing:  Computer support for basic writing skills.  Reading and Writing Quarterly, 15: 169-192.

Requirements:

Class Participation

Online Article Commentaries

Purpose:

1. Stimulate thinking and discussion about the ideas in the readings and their application to the classroom.
2. Experience a technique, online written discussions, that you might use as a teacher or with your students.

Requirements:

1. Submit one written reaction to the required readings (300-500 words) in which you reflect on the importance, validity, or application of the content. For example, you might support an idea in the article and explain how it is related to your teaching or experience. You might disagree with a point made in the article. You might use an idea as a jumping off point to explain your own ideas. You might raise a question for other class participants. Whatever approach you take, please make sure that you briefly summarize the main idea presented by the author before supporting, disagreeing, extending, or questioning it.
2. Respond thoughtfully to the submissions of other participants at least 4 times.

Reports on Software

Purposes:

1. To explore thoroughly selected software and to consider the potential benefits and problems of using it with particular students and
2. To share the results of your explorations and thinking with other teachers to extend their learning.

Requirements:

1. Write two brief reports (300-500 words each) on explorations of software that can be used to support development of writing skills.
2. You may explore software with a partner but each student will submit individual reports.
3. You may review software that you use in your project.

For each report:

1. Select a single piece of software or 2 or more examples of a type of software (e.g., 3 spelling checkers).
2. Thoroughly explore the software and its features.
3. Use the software to complete a task. What you do with it will depend on the software and the resources available. (e.g., analyze student writing samples with 3 spelling checkers or one grammar checker; use semantic mapping or outlining software to plan a paper yourself; use Storybook Weaver to write a story or paper and analyze the experience.
4. In your report, comment on its appropriateness for grade level, subject matter, and student skill level.

 

Website Reviews

Purposes:

1. To explore selected websites and to consider the potential benefits and problems of using them with particular students and
2. To share the results of your explorations and thinking with other teachers to extend their learning.

Requirements:

For each report:

1. Include the complete URL and Title of the site.
2. Report on its content, features and usability.
3. Comment on its appropriateness for grade level, subject matter, and student skill level.

 

Instructional Project

Purpose:

1. To plan for the instructional use of writing related software or to take on exploration of more complex software.
2. Ideally these projects will result in plans that you can use with your students during the school year.
3. To share the results of your explorations and thinking with other class participants to extend their learning.

Requirements:

1. A written report of plans for an instructional unit using computer software to support writing. For example, develop plans to teach students a planning strategy using semantic mapping software; or plan to use multimedia for presentations in science class.
2. The project should be substantial enough to encompass a 2-3 week unit in one subject area.
3. Alternatively, the project might address the infusion of computer writing tools across the curriculum or throughout a school.  Or you might have an in-depth exploration of one kind of computer writing tool and its appropriateness for use in the classroom.  Make sure the project will be of direct value to your situation.
4. The project should include goals and objectives, purpose and rationale, materials used, and an outline of daily topics and activities.
5. You may work in pairs or individually for this project.  If you work in pairs, you may submit a combined project as long as it is of sufficient scope and quality.

Presentation and Website

Purpose:

1. To gain experience with web publishing.
2. To share the results of your explorations and thinking with other class participants to extend their learning.

Requirements:

1. Design and publish a website that, at minimum, will include introductory information about yourself and/or your school/class, links to the websites you reviewed, links to the companies which produce the software you reviewed, and a summary of your instructional project.
2. As time and your level of experience permit, I encourage you to publish your entire project, as well as your final essay as part of your website.
3. During your presentation you will display your website for the class, explain its purpose, demonstrate selected links, and briefly explain your project and how it will help you in the classroom.
4. Due to the size of the class, presentations will be strictly limited to a maximum of 10 minutes.

Essay

Purpose:

1. To integrate what you have learned from the course readings, website, software reviews and group discussions.
2. To think about the status and future of education and particularly your role as a teacher of writing.

Requirements:

1. A 2-4 page essay about the future of writing in the classroom.
2. Integrate what you have learned from the course readings, websites and software with what you know about the status of computers and writing in your classroom, your school, the state, and the country as a whole.
3. Express your plans, your predictions, your hopes and your fears.