Capstone Courses

What are the Capstones?

• A year-long PD program • Capstone Introduction• Capstone I• Capstone II

• For Tech-Savvy teachers/educators

• Certification program in the ISTE NETS for Teachers (NETS-T)

…a partner in development…

• ISTE recognizes PBS TeacherLine as a partner in development. The Capstone courses are aligned to certify that educators have the skills to build curriculum that promotes tech literacy and reach goals of the NETS.

“ISTE NETS”?

• NETS: National Educational Technology Standards• Assumptions: Our Educational System Must

Produce Tech- Capable Kids • To live, learn, and work successfully in an

increasingly complex and information-rich society, students must be able to use technology effectively. Within an effective educational setting, technology can enable students to become…

…enable students to become…

• Capable information technology users

• Information seekers, analyzers, and evaluators

• Problem solvers and decision makers

• Creative and effective users of productivity tools

• Communicators, collaborators, publishers, and producers

• Informed, responsible, and contributing citizens

Who cares?

• Parents want it!

• Employers want it!

• Communities want it!

• The nation wants it!

Capstone Introduction

Capstone Introduction

• Offered once a month

• Un-facilitated (but a moderator is present)

• Course objective: Understand NETS and plan (“pitch”) a unit plan that addresses the NETS

• This plan must be submitted and approved by an ISTE NETS expert

High Standards

• Most learners need to resubmit at least once before their plan is approved

• The online space provides a learning community where educators give each other ideas, critique plans, etc.,

• Moderator is present to help with technical details, etc.,

Changes coming…

• The Capstone Introduction will be re-written to be:• Longer (~12-15 hours)• Facilitated• Not just planning for Capstone (although that is still

part of it!)• Also incorporates advanced technology integration

in the classroom• Still- not for technophobes!

Capstone 1

• Focuses on teachers as primary users of technology to promote and improve student learning. Learners create online exhibits featuring lessons or projects that exemplify effective teacher use of technology to promote student learning and demonstrate proficiency in the ISTE NETS•T.

Sample exhibit….

• “This exhibit features a WebQuest for middle or high school students designed to engage them in historical investigations about people and events surrounding the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955-56, which many credit with starting the modern Civil Rights Movement…”

Sample exhibit…

• … after doing some common background activities, students in small groups review a variety of multimedia Web-based materials, including primary sources, from different perspectives: biographer, historian, investigative reporter, and political activist. Through their research about this important time in American history, students explore larger questions about how history is made and whose stories become part of public memory.”

Capstone 1

• Course is facilitated by highly trained instructor

• Active learning community peer-reviews each others’ work and provides ideas as well as critical feedback

• In order to pass the course, two Capstone trained reviewers must approve exhibit

….same with Capstone 2

But here is the difference…

Capstone 2

• The primary emphasis of the final course in this program is on students as primary users of technology in the classroom. Create an online portfolio exhibit that illustrates proficiency in empowering student learning with technology and demonstrates proficiency in the ISTE NETS•T.

Sample exhibit…

• Multimedia Haiku: “this exhibit addresses visual art and language arts standards as well as technology standards and is designed for middle school students. In this project, students take three original digital photographs of the same subject…

Sample exhibit

• … write a haiku in which each line corresponds with one of the images, and create a Microsoft PowerPoint slide show that incorporates other media elements that reinforce the theme. In addition to PowerPoint, students use Adobe Photoshop to work with their images”

IL E2T2 Cohort

• Over 300 teachers all over IL currently taking Capstone Introduction!

My Capstone Timeline

• Capstone Introduction

Sept – Nov 2004 12 hours

• Capstone I

Jan – May 2005 15 weeks

• Capstone II

Oct 2005 – Feb 2006 15 weeks

Benefits of Capstone Completion

• Increased my credibility

• Filled in gaps

• Increased my repertoire of tools available

• Provided valuable resources

• Reflect on my own practice and how I can best support my teachers

• Basis for conference presentations

Benefits of Online Course

• “I like the flexibility of working when I want to complete activities. I also love the discussion boards. A lot of invaluable information is shared between participants.”

• Build a virtual community• Virtual Community of Practice (VCOP)• Can be local or global

• Asynchronous

Value of Reflection

• “willingness to engage in constant self-appraisal and development.”

• John Dewey, 1933 text How We Think: A Restatement of the Relation of Reflective Thinking to the Educative Process

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS)

• Proposition 4: Teachers Think Systematically about Their Practice and Learn from Experience

• They critically examine their practice on a regular basis to deepen knowledge, expand their repertoire of skills, and incorporate new findings into their practice.

• http://www.nbpts.org

Sample Session

• Cap I, #5, weeks 9&10 of 15

• Read about an issue (21st Century Skills)

• Apply what you have read to own school district (Synthesis)

• Discuss: Whether students should learn ICT skills in isolation or as part of core subject areas

• Work on Exhibit

Portfolio Tool

• TeacherLine

Marketing Capstone Certificate Programs

• Distinct Target Audiences• Program designed for established leaders in

technology integration seeking specific credential• Learners have high comfort level with technology• Program requires significant commitment of time

and effort to complete sequence

Unique Program Aspects Require Unique Positioning

• Price points reflect different value proposition• Cost structure reflects greater level of individualized

attention and coach/peer review• Resulting certification from nationally recognized

organization, referencing established standards is a high-value asset

• Learners also complete the course with very tangible portfolio of projects

Unique Program Aspects Require Unique Positioning

• Adherence to established standards provides consistency among technological leaders within a school, district, or community

• ISTE Certification is meaningful credential

• Outcomes for learners include development of peer-reviewed and vetted project portfolios for classroom application

Highlights of Benefits to Districts and Schools

• Program provides a “turn-key” credentialing solution to existing initiatives and mandates• Virginia’s I.C.A.N. program provides standardized

training for a position mandated by the state (Instructional Technology Resource Teachers)

• San Antonio ISD uses the program as the centerpiece for training Technology Lead Teachers as part of the district’s “TILT” initiative

Key Elements of Recent Successes