Distance Education CourseResponsible Use of Technology

ETAD 804Jade Ballek

Course Content: Digital Citizenship

“Over the years, users of technology have come together to interact with one another, creating, in effect, a digital society . . . [But] what are the appropriate behaviours in a digital society? How can an individual learn what is appropriate and what isn’t? These are big questions, and this [document] is an attempt to address them through a “teaching solution” called Digital Citizenship.” (p. 2)

- Ribble and Bailey, authors of Digital Citizenship in Schools

Importance/Relevance

• TEL Committee: Technology Enhanced Learning

• Teacher survey - June 2011– technology use and corresponding attitudes

around this use

• Teachers asking for more support• Time is a roadblock to learning about this • Meeting needs - a flexible learning schedule

Goals of the Course

• There are two goals of this distance education course:

• 1) To provide professional development for staff in the area of responsible use of technology.

• 2) It will also be used to educate students regarding appropriate behaviour regarding computer use.

Modules

• Module 1: Introduction to Digital Citizenship for Teachers

• Module 2: Acceptable Use (Kindergarten to – Grade 4)

• Module 3: Acceptable Use (Grades 5-9)• Module 4: Acceptable Use (Grades 10-12)

Module Goals

• Learning Goal for Module 1 – Given information about the 9 Elements of Digital Citizenship (Ribble and Bailey), teachers will identify ways to assist students as they participate in online learning activities.

Module Goals

• Learning Goal for Modules 2, 3, and 4 – Given information about the Acceptable Use Procedures for Students and an introduction to Digital Citizenship, students in Kindergarten through Grade 12 will identify safe, ethical, legal, and respectful practices when using computer technologies.

Digital Citizenship in Schools

Timeline

• Course Development– during the 2011-2012 school year

• Course Implementation– fall of 2012

Course Delivery

• Asynchronous web-based online course

• Moodle (a web-based course management system)

• Moodle used in Sun West to deliver its distance learning courses/other professional development

• CMS is familiar to most teachers in the Division.

Course Delivery

• Module1 – can be completed by teachers any time

• Modules 2, 3, 4 – delivered in classrooms at the beginning of the 2012-2013 school year

• All students in Sun West will be expected to complete the course prior to being given network access

Lead Technology Teachers

• 26 lead teachers with varied expertise• Share a willingness to support the teachers in

their school in the area of technology• A team of four lead teachers will be

responsible for working collaboratively to design this course.

• Little background experience in online course design.

Supporting the Process

• Supervisor of Technology• Learning Coaches• Building Leadership Capacity in our

Division

Funding

• Annual budget is approximately $1 million

• Lead teachers currently receive 10% classroom release time, so no additional funding for course development will be necessary.

Learners

• Lead technology teachers• Classroom teachers• Students

Implications for Design

• Present Content in Different Formats• Student Motivation• Chunking Information • Reflective Practitioner

Evaluation and Assessment

• Usability Test• Course Evaluation• Student Assessment of Content

Some final thoughts

• a starting point for supporting technology • online courses may be one strategy for

offering professional learning opportunities throughout the Division