ColumbiaX: Innovating Instruction Syllabus
The use of a desktop and/or laptop computer is strongly suggested.
Mobile devices limit access to some of the technology components of the course, which could compromise the full educational experience.
Professor Ellen Meier, Teachers College - Columbia University
Prerequisites: None
4-week course starting May 24, 2017
Weekly lectures released every Wednesday at 16:00 UTC
Activities and final project must be completed by June 28, 2017
Table of Contents
Prerequisites
Credit Options
Introduction
Course Themes
Course Schedule and Components
Course Requirements and Grading
Recommended Resources
Discussion Etiquette
Prerequisites
There are no prerequisites for the course.
Credit Options
- Verified Certificate of Achievement
- Auditor status / No credit (free)
- Verified Certificate through the ConnectED Program
U.S. teachers and students in high-need schools who are interested in receiving free Verified Certificates as part of the ConnectED Initiative, please email info@edx.org with the subject line "ConnectED." Include your full name, city, state, zip code and the course name. You will be contacted by a member of the edX support team who will provide you with code to pursue a Verified Certificate free of charge, up until the Verified Upgrade deadline. Learn more about the White House ConnectED Initiative
You can find more information about certificates on the edX Help Center.
Introduction
Welcome to Innovating Instruction. In this interactive MOOC, we will focus on preparing middle school educators to integrate technology
You should allocate between 2-3 hours per week to get the most out of the course. This includes time for watching the video lectures, participating in discussion forums, completing
Course Themes
This introductory course will help middle school educators to integrate technology in meaningful ways in the classroom. You will learn to use a design process to develop authentic, standards-based learning projects. Along the way, you will explore relevant learning theories and their practical applications to technology-infused classroom learning. By participating in a series of design challenges you will work with your peers to design engaging projects. No previous experience with integrating technology is needed. Be a part of establishing an ongoing community of educators interested in exploring new approaches to working with students and innovating instruction.
Course Schedule and Components
This 4-week online course is divided into 4 sections. A new section will be released every Wednesday at 16:00 UTC. You will receive an email from edX when a new section is released.
Schedule:
| Module | Date of release | Topic |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5/24/17 | Our Changing World |
| 2 | 5/31/17 | The Critical Role of Design in Teaching |
| 3 | 6/7/17 | The Role of Technology in Innovating Instruction |
| 4 | 6/14/17 | Assessing Student Learning & Embracing Change |
| Wrapping Up | 6/21/17 | The week will be used to complete the final project and any outstanding activities. |
| Course Closes | 6/28/17 | All activities and final project must be completed. |
Each weekly section contains the following elements:
- A short overview detailing what will be covered during the week.
- A weekly core module video, about 10 minutes in length.
- Interview video(s) with Professor Meier and an expert in the field related to the module’s theme.
- Core reading to support the content being discussed.
- Technology activity that will expose you to a new educational technology tool that you might consider using in your teaching practice.
- Discussion forum. Share views and ask questions; interact with your peers. The instructor and TAs will take part in some discussion threads; these will be “pinned” for easy identification.
- Throughout the course, you will have the opportunity to assume the role of instructional designer, choosing from among the primary sources used in the course to create your own Final Project in the form of a course plan. At the end of the course, you will be self-assessing your project based on criteria laid out in a simple rubric.
Additional course components:
- Recommended resources that include videos, readings, and reports to deepen your understanding of the material, but are not necessary to obtain a certificate.
- Professor Meier will host a Live Online Video Conversation and answer student questions. You will receive information and instructions closer to the event.
Course Requirements and Grading
A note on assessment; you will notice that there are no quizzes or tests in this MOOC. We have intentionally adopted a different approach for multiple reasons. First, this MOOC is designed as a professional development experience to introduce you to concepts and approaches to
There
Another requirement is to self-assess your final project at the end of the course. You will be asked to assess your project based on the following, simple rubric (click on the rubric to be taken to the Doc):
For more information, please see the edX Help Center.
Other elements of the course (discussions, readings, etc.) are optional. But the more you participate, the more you will get from the course!
Recommended Resources
The following is a list of the resources listed in the modules. Although not all resources are required, they will deepen your understanding of the material.
Please visit this Google Doc for a Complete Bibliography of the course.
Discussion Etiquette
One of the most powerful and dynamic components of this edX course will be your contributions! It’s your course, so openly discuss the material. Help each other!
Here are some things to consider to help make the discussion forums as engaging and productive as possible:
- Tone - Tone is a very important part of online communication. Before posting, read your message out loud. Ask yourself if you would say this to a fellow student in your class in a face-to-face discussion.
- Peer support - Make an effort to understand and support your peers. People have different perspectives - but everyone is here to learn! And the more we learn from each other, the better!
- Disagree vs. attack - Disagreeing with peers in debate and discussion is fine and welcome, but make sure to avoid challenges that may be interpreted as personal.
- Check previous postings - Take a minute to read previous posts to ensure that the conversation you want to have is not happening elsewhere
in the board. - Delete the extraneous - When replying to another's post, be specific about the sentence, phrase, or comment that you are addressing. This will help to keep the thread focused, and it will make it easier for all of us to understand how the conversation is progressing.
- Be open to challenges and confrontations
- Encourage others to share their ideas
Here are four approaches to consider when engaging in our weekly discussions:
Agree/Disagree - It is perfectly fine to agree or disagree with others in the discussions, but explain the "level" of your agreement or disagreement. Avoid posting short responses such as "Yes! I agree!", or "No! That is wrong!" Explain WHY you agree or disagree.
Critique - Thoughtful and constructive criticism of each other's posts will help to keep the discussions positive, academic, and interesting.
Expand - If you find a post interesting or thought-provoking, use your reply to expand upon it.
Exemplify - Bring in examples to support your ideas and comments.