The information contained on this page is designed to give students a representative example of material covered in the course. Any information related to course assignments, dates, or course materials is illustrative only. For a definitive list of materials, please check the online catalog 3-4 weeks before the course start date.
EDTEC 462 Coordinating Technology Use in Education (3): Skills and knowledge needed to direct the use of learning technologies in educational
settings. Prerequisite: EDTEC 448
Technology coordinators wear many hats. They are called on to identify and
meet technology needs, to advise and develop technology-related policy, and
to lead the district in important directions. Technology coordinators determine
which technologies will meet learning and administrative needs; acquire and
install them; educate and train district personnel in the use of these technologies in their own curricula;
and evaluate the effectiveness of the district's use of technologies.
This course deals with the most daunting aspects of the technology coordinator's
role—the activities that require study and reflection and for which interaction
with others enhances the learning experiences. Most would-be technology coordinators
are drawn to this new role because of their interest in and knowledge of new
and exciting learning technologies, but they lack experience in the tough issues, which have been gathered here to form this course:
Leadership
Laws and Regulations
Professional Development and Integration
Technology Planning and Budgeting
The course involves students in online activities related to these topics,
including reading, e-mail conversations, wiki and blog usage as well as other Web2 applications, chats, development of papers and projects using individual effort as well as collaboration with peer, and peer review of papers and projects.
There are five major "deliverables" for this course:
A position paper on leadership, both traditional and collaborative.
The development of a comprehensive technology plan conceived in committee
The development of an effective staff development plan
The development of an effective in-service training program on a technology-related topic.
The development of 3 lessons with and for fellow educators in the district.
Most World Campus courses require that students purchase materials (e.g., textbooks, specific software, etc.). To learn about how to order materials, please see the Course Materials page. You should check LionPATH approximately 3–4 weeks before the course begins for a list of required materials.
Many of the University Libraries resources can be utilized from a
distance. Through the Libraries website, you can
access magazine, journal, and newspaper articles online using library databases;
borrow materials and have them delivered to your doorstep—or even your desktop;
get research help via email, chat, or phone using the Ask a Librarian service; and
much more.
You must have an active Penn State Access Account to take full advantage of the Libraries' resources and service. The Off-Campus Users page has additional information about these free services.
Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8*; Mac OS X 10.5 or higher *Windows 8 support excludes the tablet only RT version
Processor
2 GHz or higher
Memory
1 GB of RAM
Hard Drive Space
20 GB free disk space
Browser
We recommend the latest ANGEL-supported version of Firefox or
Internet Explorer. To determine if your browser fits this criterion,
and for advice on downloading a supported version,
please refer to the following ITS knowledge base article: Supported Browsers and Recommended Computers.
Note: Cookies, Java, and JavaScript must be enabled.
Pop-up blockers should be configured to permit new windows
from Penn State websites.
Due to nonstandard handling of CSS, JavaScript and caching, older versions of Internet Explorer (such as IE 6 or earlier) do not work with our courses.
Students will be evaluated on their ability to direct technology use in school
settings. The overall performance in the course will be determined based on
the following weights (110 possible points)
Position paper that focuses on the topic of educational leadership (20 pts.)
As you move through the course, you will be asked to read Web sites and
text sections and then post your thoughts about the readings to one of the
electronic "fora" (discussion forums). You will then read what others have
posted, talk with them about what they said, and improve your original positions.
In this two- to three-page position paper, you'll develop your thinking
about important aspects of leadership as it relates to leading a school
or district toward effective use of technology.
Development of an inservice program (20 pts.)
An effective technology coordinator is often called on to train others.
For this reason, the Pennsylvania Department of Education requires that
the ITS candidate demonstrate the ability to develop and deliver effective
training to practicing teachers. Students in this course will select a topic
identified as needed by teachers, and will develop and deliver a training
session of at least 45 minutes in duration. Evidence submitted will include
the audiovisual materials used during the session (handouts, PowerPoint
presentations, overhead transparencies, etc.) and evaluation forms from
participants stating that the session met its objectives.
The development of an effective technology plan (20 pts.)
Students in this course will create an effective technology plan, including
the following elements:
Plan Preparation
Mission & Vision
Analysis of Current Status
Identify Strategic Goals & objectives
Build Major Initiatives and Create Action Steps
Technology Solution Design and Action Plans
Human Resources and Support Management and Development Action Plans
Fiscal Analysis and Budget
EVALUATION STRATEGIES
Staff Development Plan (20 pts.)
An effective staff development plan is necessary in any school district to determine where a district is located in SD and also where the district is and will be going in the near future. Students will be expected to develop such a plan for their particular district as a prelude to their inservice program assignment.
Integration of Technology into the Curriculum (20 pts.)
Students are expected to assist at least three teachers in their district in the use of technology in one of their units from their curriculum. The student will assist the teacher in the development of such a lesson but will not be expected to teach it for the classroom teacher. The teacher is expected to present the lesson.
Other class assignments and class participation (10 pts.)
Students will be expected to participate in all online discussions, and to provide effective feedback on other students' work as well as take part in the collaborative process with fellow students. The professor will award up to 20 points for participation in these areas.
Note: If you are planning to graduate this semester, please communicate your intent to graduate to your instructor. This will alert your instructor to the need to submit your final grade in time to meet the published graduation deadlines. For more information about graduation policies and deadlines, please refer to Graduation at the Chaiken Center for Student Success.
Unit 00: Introduction and Initial Activities
Assignments:
Complete the steps outlined in this lesson.
Unit 1: Leadership and the Technology Coordinator
Assignments:
Read identified Web sites and text pages.
Participate in an online discussion on leadership in education.
Interview an effective educational leader and post the results of this
interview to an online forum.
Read and react to the postings of two other students
READINGS
Web sites on educational leadership (see lessons)
Individual readings assigned during discussions
Unit 2: Laws, Regulations, and the Technology Coordinator
Assignments:
Read Web sites (see lessons and follow discussion leads)
Discussion of the TEACH Act expanding into video, audio, software, and materials downloaded from the Internet
Internet discussion including censorship, filters and the need for them
Define IUP (Internet Use Policies) and discuss why each
is necessary
Unit 3: Staff Development: A Key Aspect of the Technology Specialist's Role
Assignments:
Investigate technology-staffing patterns in school districts comparable to student's own.
Investigate and compare the practices of your districts using technologies effectively, to understand inventory management and maintenance procedures.
Report the findings of this investigation to the class in the form of a Web page or forum posting.
Review the findings of other course participants.
READINGS
Web sites (see lessons)
Unit 4: Planning for Technology
(done in committee of classmates starting in Unit 2 to allow time for completion)
Assignments:
Read identified text sections and three examples of good school district
technology plans.
Identify the components of effective technology plans.
In a committee along with classmates develop a comprehensive technology plan for a hypothetical school district provided by the instructor.
Critique and revise technology plan.
Complete the End-of-Course Survey.
Course Wrap-Up and Debriefing
Assignments:
Wrap-up of committee activity on Technology Plan
Make up and revision of assignments
Question and review sessions
Participate in online discussions
Formal instruction will end on the last day of class. Provided that you have an active Penn State Access Account user ID and password, you will continue to be able to access the course materials for one year, starting from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered (with the exception of library reserves and other external resources that may have a shorter archival period). After one year, you might be able to access the course based on the policies of the program or department offering the course material, up to a maximum of three years from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered. For more information, please review the University Course Archival Policy.
You will be evaluated based on the quality of your participation in each of
the activities above. The following grading scale will be used to determine
the satisfactory completion of the course:
A (Excellent)
Indicates exceptional achievement.
B (Good)
Indicates extensive achievement.
C (Satisfactory)
Indicates acceptable achievement.
D (Poor)
Indicates only minimal achievement.
F (Failure)
Indicates inadequate achievement necessitating a repetition of the course
in order to secure credit.
The grades of A, B, C, and D are assigned the following grade-point equivalents
by Penn State:
Grade
Grade Point Average
A
4.00
A-
3.67
B+
3.33
B
3.0
B-
2.67
C+
2.33
C
2.00
D
1.00
F
0
Please refer to the University Grading Policy for Undergraduate Courses for additional information about University grading policies.
If, for reasons beyond the student's control, a student is prevented from completing a course within the prescribed time, the grade in that course may be deferred with the concurrence of the instructor. The symbol DF appears on the student's transcript until the course has been completed. Non-emergency permission for filing a deferred grade must be requested by the student before the beginning of the final examination period. In an emergency situation, an instructor can approve a deferred grade after the final exam period has started. Under emergency conditions during which the instructor is unavailable, authorization is required from one of the following: the dean of the college in which the candidate is enrolled; the executive director of the Division of Undergraduate Studies if the student is enrolled in that division or is a provisional student; or the campus chancellor of the student's associated Penn State campus.
For additional information please refer to the Deferring a Grade page.
According to Penn State policy
G-9: Academic Integrity
, an academic integrity violation is “an intentional,
unintentional, or attempted violation of course or assessment
policies to gain an academic advantage or to advantage or
disadvantage another student academically.” Unless your instructor
tells you otherwise, you must complete all course work entirely on
your own, using only sources that have been permitted by your
instructor, and you may not assist other students with papers,
quizzes, exams, or other assessments. If your instructor allows you
to use ideas, images, or word phrases created by another person
(e.g., from Course Hero or Chegg) or by generative technology, such
as ChatGPT, you must identify their source. You may not submit
false or fabricated information, use the same academic work for
credit in multiple courses, or share instructional content.
Students with questions about academic integrity should ask their
instructor before submitting work.
Students facing allegations of academic misconduct may not
drop/withdraw from the affected course unless they are cleared of
wrongdoing (see
G-9: Academic Integrity
). Attempted drops will be prevented or reversed, and students will
be expected to complete course work and meet course deadlines.
Students who are found responsible for academic integrity
violations face academic outcomes, which can be severe, and put
themselves at jeopardy for other outcomes which may include
ineligibility for Dean’s List, pass/fail elections, and grade
forgiveness. Students may also face consequences from their
home/major program and/or The Schreyer Honors College.
How Academic Integrity Violations Are Handled
World Campus students are expected to act with civility and
personal integrity; respect other students' dignity, rights, and
property; and help create and maintain an environment in which all
can succeed through the fruits of their own efforts. An environment
of academic integrity is requisite to respect for oneself and
others, as well as a civil community.
In cases where academic integrity is questioned, the
Policy on Academic Integrity
indicates that procedure requires an instructor to inform the
student of the allegation. Procedures allow a student to accept or
contest a charge. If a student chooses to contest a charge, the
case will then be managed by the respective college or campus
Academic Integrity Committee. If that committee recommends an
administrative sanction (Formal Warning, Conduct Probation,
Suspension, Expulsion), the claim will be referred to the
Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response.
All Penn State colleges abide by this Penn State policy, but review
procedures may vary by college when academic dishonesty is
suspected. Information about Penn State's academic integrity policy
and college review procedures is included in the information that
students receive upon enrolling in a course. To obtain that
information in advance of enrolling in a course, please contact us
by going to the
Contacts & Help page
.
Penn State welcomes students with disabilities into the University’s educational programs. Every Penn State campus has an office for students with disabilities, including World Campus. The Disabilities and Accommodations section of the Chaiken Center for Student Success website provides World Campus students with information regarding how to request accommodations, documentation guidelines and eligibility, and appeals and complaints. For additional information, please visit the University's Student Disability Resources website.
In order to receive consideration for reasonable accommodations, you must contact the appropriate disability services office at the campus where you are officially enrolled, participate in an intake interview, and provide documentation. If the documentation supports your request for reasonable accommodations, your campus's disability services office will provide you with an accommodation letter. Please share this letter with your instructors and discuss the accommodations with them as early in your courses as possible. You must follow this process for every semester that you request accommodations.
Your surface-mail address (include street, city, state, postal/zip code, and country).
Please keep a copy of all your work. We cannot assume responsibility for lost items.
Late Policy
Assignments are due on the date posted in the course. If you have a situation that prevents you from submitting your assignment on time, you should contact your instructor before the due date has passed. Unless previous arrangements have been made, work will not be accepted after grades have been posted for an assignment.
For information about additional policies regarding Penn State Access Accounts; credit by examination; course tuition, fees, and refund schedules; and drops and withdrawals, please see the
World Campus Student Center website.
Disclaimer: Please note that the specifics of this Course Syllabus are subject to change, and you will be responsible for abiding by any
such changes. Your instructor will notify you of any changes.
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