Assignments
  1. HTML and Publishing (5%)       due June 27

    Throughout the course you will be building a web site to collect your submissions. A template for this is provided but you can vary it any way you see fit or build your own from scratch. This part of your course grade will be based on your accomplishment in building your site and publishing it. You'll submit a single URL from which all of your assignments can be accessed.

    There is no requirement as to where you can publish, but it needs to be accessible on the Web. You'll find some suggested places to publish at www.udel.edu/sine/pageplaces.

    When your page is online, go to the WebCT Discussion Forum and enter your URL as a reply to the thread for this assignment.

  2. Recommendations on listservs (5%)       due July 13

    After subscribing to several listservs for at least several days and touring various forums, recommend two or three that would be useful to others in your field. These should deal with curriculum or professional issues. Include either the URL for the webpage where you can subscribe or the information for subscribing to the list or forum, as well as a brief rationale for each of your recommendations. Remember to use the suggested links in the syllabus as well as the tools on the Internet Literacy, chapter 7 page.

    When you have added your listserv recommendations to your template and published it, go to the WebCT Discussion Forum and enter your URL as a reply to the thread for this assignment.

  3. Recommended search tools (5%)       due July 13

    There are many more tools than the ones we've covered here. Recommend two or three Web search tools that were not covered in your book or in the class and that you would find most useful to use with the students you teach or that you would target. For each tool, include its name and URL and your assessment of what audience and tasks the tool would be most useful with.

    When you have added your search tool recommendations to your template and published it, go to the WebCT Discussion Forum and enter your URL as a reply to the thread for this assignment.

  4. Evaluation of sites (5%) -- do this with a partner       due June 29

    On The Good, the Bad and the Ugly or Why It's a Good Idea to Evaluate Web Sources, choose Examples.  Take a look at any one of the sets of web pages. These are the types of pages your students would find if they used a search engine to find information for a project or report by looking up keywords. For the set you choose, explain which pages are useful sources on the topic and how you decided. Of course, some of them will be out of range for your students, but use the criteria listed in this module. Remember to use all the criteria for each of the sites.  (One trick you'll find useful in checking the author of a site is tracing back the URL as described on page 43 of your text.) Include a summary statement for each page telling whether you would find this acceptable for student research.

    Since you will be doing this with a partner make sure that you put both names on the web page and link the page to the main class page for each of you.     When you have finished, go to the WebCT Discussion Forum and enter your URL as a reply to the thread for this assignment.

  5. Student web page evaluation sheet (5%)       due July 2

    As you explore Evaluating Web Sites, try to find a form or several that could serve as models for your own classroom use. For this assignment, develop or refine a Web evaluation tool that would be appropriate for students at your grade level. This is something that your students could use each time they use a website for any project. You'll want to consider the ability level of your students. You'll also need to consider the useability of your form. That is, how extensive do you want the form to be, how should it be organized so students can use it as a tool in their research and other concerns you may have. (This may become one of the tools you'll use in your final curriculum project.)

    Publish this with a link from your main page. Make sure to give credit and link to any pages that you used as models.     When you have finished, go to the WebCT Discussion Forum and enter your URL as a reply to the thread for this assignment.

  6. Recommendations on lesson plan sites (5%)       due July 13

    Review the sites referenced in the syllabus to get a feel for what lesson plan sites can offer. Then search the web for new sites of this type. Recommend one or two that would be useful to others in your field. Provide a link to the sites and an explanation of who these sites would be useful for. The sites you include should include actual lesson plans, not just links to other sites full of lesson plans. So from the examples I used only ERIC would be acceptable because it actually provides lesson plans; all of the others provide links to other sources of lesson plans. On the other hand, you certainly can pick from those that the others send you to as your recommendations.

    When you have added your lesson plan site recommendations to your template and published it, go to the WebCT Discussion Forum and enter your URL as a reply to the thread for this assignment.

  7. Evaluate a WebQuest (15%)       due July 3

    Using the template based on A Rubric for Evaluating WebQuests, evaluate any one of the WebQuests from the Matrix of Examples. Be sure to add comments as to how you arrived at each score. Remember that there are both good and bad WebQuests represented in the matrix. Since you will also be looking at this as a potential model for your own projects, you'll probably find it most useful to evaluate one that looks pretty good; as you delve more deeply, you may be surprised by your first impressions. Make sure to provide a link to the WebQuest you are evaluating.

    Link your completed rubric to your main page. Then go to the WebCT Discussion Forum and enter your URL as a reply to the thread for this assignment.

  8. Recommended data set or online tool (5%)       due July 13

    Find at least one other site that provides real-world data or online tools -- not one that uses these in a lesson. These occur in all sorts of unexpected places -- rate calculators, personality quizzes, audio archives... Be imaginative!

    On your web page, provide a link and short description. Also comment on who you would you recommend the data set or tool to and what precautions you would give them as to the necessary preconditions to make the site useful in the curriculum. Then go to the WebCT Discussion Forum and enter your URL as a reply to the thread for this assignment.

  9. Recommendation on telecollaborative curriculum projects (5%)       due July 13

    From the projects linked from day 2 or day 7 or your own searches, select two or three you would recommend. You will come across many projects that are now defunct; since these are recommendations of usable resources, limit yourself to current or future projects which rely on     collaboration that is carried on electronically over some great or small distance. Include links to your recommendations and a brief rationale for each of your recommendations.

  10. Essay on Using the Web in the Classroom (15%)       due July 20

    Throughout this class, you have reviewed many uses of the Web in the classroom. You've also read articles expressing various viewpoints on the value of different approaches. The first of these was the article from the very first module on Harnessing the Web. You have also created your own Web-based unit.

    Drawing on all of these experiences as well as your professional background, create an essay reflecting on what you consider the best uses of the Web in the classroom for the age level you work with. You should also include your thoughts on any impediments you view such as classroom management, equity, learning styles and other issues.

    This is a formal essay which should include references with appropriate citations to provide examples of the things your mention and to substantiate claims you make in your essay.

    Publish your essay using the template provided or your own page. Link it to your assignment page. Record the URL in the WebCT Discussion Forum under the appropriate heading.

  11. Curriculum Project (30%)       
  • Topic due July 2 -- 2%
  • Presentation due July 6 -- 5%
  • Final Version due July 27 -- 23%
Requirements 
You can use any format that is clear and seems appropriate to you. A number of models have been or will be reviewed in class. If you use the WebQuest format and recommended templates, you should be able to meet all of the requirements of the project by using the elements correctly. Remember to check your WebQuest against the rubric, A Rubric for Evaluating WebQuests.

Your project must include the following:

  • A statement of purpose clearly defining the target audience, subject area, and specific curriculum objectives linked to the standards.

  • An explanation of how network resources will be used by the students and by a teacher who may want to use this.

  • A management plan for carrying out the project including an explanation of how your students will have access to the Internet. (This does not have to be based on fact.)

Your project should include at least one Web page specifically designed for students. Parts of your projects should be on separate web pages to make it easier to use. Some tips on how to make sure your webpages are clean and clear can be found at projects.edtech.sandi.net/staffdev/tpss99/finepoints/index.htm You can take a look at some sample projects by following the links on previous years' syllabi or by viewing the projects from spring, 2001.

Scoring Rubric  (also on a separate page to ease printing)
 
Poor
Good
Excellent
Objectives
 Objectives and links to standards are missing or vague. Objectives and links to standards are stated. Objectives are clearly stated and directly linked to the appropriate standards. Variations are provided to stress different standards.
Network
Resources
 Few resources are available. Multiple resources are used but all are of the same level or Multiple resources are available for different interest areas and ability levels. Resources are varied and all are of high quality.
Uses of the
Internet
 Internet use is limited to following links and reading information from pages. Students use Internet resources for research and some communication. The Internet is essential to the project and is used in a variety of ways that capitalize on unique properties of the Internet, such as immediacy, international communication or access to experts or collaborators.
Classroom
Management
 Directions to the teacher are vague or activites make it difficult to use the lesson with a whole class. Directions are clear but all of students time is not accounted for. Directions to the teacher are clear and make good use of all students' time.
Quality of
Web Pages
 Pages are poorly laid out making it difficult to follow. Graphics and/or links don't work properly. Pages work properly, but lack some element to set them apart such as use of color or graphics or placement of elements on the page. Pages are clean and clear. All links work. Color and graphics enhance the pages.