Professional Development 1 Credit: Technology Today
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“Technology in education is less about the toolset and skillset and more about the mindset. The teacher’s most prominent role in the digital age is that of lead learner.”
EDUC 600
1 Semester Credit
- Grading: A-F
- Materials: Included in the course fee
- Professional Development Credit: 1 semester credit issued through the regionally accredited
- Instruction Mode: Self-paced, Asynchronous (Online Class), with instructor interaction
- Semesters: Spring, Summer & Fall
(enroll any time) - Enrollment: Start any time
Course Description:
Self-paced Professional Development Credit classes incorporate online content, quizzes, interactivities and a Course Action Plan you can put to use in your work environment. Learning takes place asynchronously, at your convenience, and may be completed over a period of 4 weeks. Note, teachers looking for graduate credits, please check with your issuing authority about whether it will accept these online teacher courses for graduate credit.
Gone are the days when the word classroom brought to mind an image of a dusty blackboard, chalk or the dim light from an overhead projector machine. Instead we think of smart boards, computers and other technology. Libraries and books as reference material are supplemented by the internet, blogs and Google; all of which are available at our (and our students!) fingertips. This three part integrated course, Technology Today, helps to bridge the gap, enabling safe implementation of technology in classrooms and preventing misuse by either students or adults while promoting effective learning.
SECTION A enhances professional development by presenting tools, techniques and resources to advance skills in using technology. Introduction to Technology for Teachers highlights the advantages of using technology as both a resource and a tool for educators in their classrooms.
Technology can promote effective learning only when used in the right manner. SECTION B, Technology in the 21st century Classroom, imparts valuable information regarding the principles of integrating technology in a way that promotes learning without being a distraction.
The third section of this course stresses the need to protect students from possible dangers in the online world. It helps to create awareness about the threats existing in the virtual world. SECTION C, Internet Safety is filled with practical ideas and steps that educators can take to ensure safety of the students who have access to the internet whether through classroom technology, at home or via their cell phones.
This integrated course helps educators gain an extensive outlook using technology effectively as well as safely.
Objectives & Outcomes:
As a result of successful participation in SECTION A, Introduction to Technology for Teachers, students should be able to:
- Understand the basics of computers and operating systems.
- Use office applications effectively.
- Use email effectively.
- Communicate and teach effectively through PowerPoint presentations.
- Use web tools in the classroom.
- Oversee a computer lab.
- Create effective lesson plans that integrate technology.
- Integrate technology into the curriculum.
As a result of successful participation in SECTION B, Technology in the 21st century Classroom, students should be able to:
- Understand the current scenario in educational technology today.
- Envision using a blog to facilitate learning.
- Envision using a wiki to facilitate learning.
- Envision using Twitter for learning in the classroom.
- Envision using Google docs, and Google earth to facilitate learning.
- Integrate various audio and video tools in the classroom.
- Enable students to develop digital learning skills.
- Enable students to take up different roles in the process of digital learning.
- Understand and implement ethical use of technology.
- Understand concepts of digital literacy, informational literacy, visual literacy, global literacy and network literacy.
- Help students learn to use technology effectively to learn, communicate and experiment.
As a result of successful participation in SECTION C, Internet Safety, students should be able to:
- Understand how cyberbullying occurs on the internet.
- Understand how predators find, contact and develop relationships with children on the internet.
- Monitor and control internet use in order to protect students.
- Understand how cellphone use can be unsafe, and teach safe practices to children.
- Teach students to stay safe from phishing.
- Teach students safe use of the internet.
- Report internet crimes.
Special Instructions:
After registering for this course at Professional Learning Board, you’ll be directed to the University website to complete your registration and payment.
This is a good overview of technology in the classroom. I work a lot with technology and students, so I feel like I have more knowledge in this area and therefore the information was not new to me. But, this is very informative and would be great for most people.
I cannot wait to apply some of this technology in the classroom.
Easy to use I work in a high tech. school so a lot was review, but much was good I had an understanding of google classroom for example but didn't exactly know how to define what a wiki is etc.
Thank you so much. I am able to renew my teaching license thanks to your PD online course.
This was most informative, as I have been retired for a few years. As a substitute teacher, with a professional license, this course added to my knowledge regarding what's new.
I am very pleased with the content and format of all the PLB courses I have taken thus far. One of the most helpful aspects of this website is that one is able to view which courses are aligned with each state's requirements. Great work! Will continue to take more courses on PLB! Also, love receiving emails regarding special pricing.
Good Content!!
Thank you for all of the resources provided by this course. Much appreciated! I like learning via my phone while on-the-go!
This appears to be a freshly updated course on technology for educators. I have long thought that I was especially tech savvy -- until now! Through this PLB course, I learned a great deal more on the use of blogs, social media, podcasting, Google Earth, and the ""flipped classroom."" This is all practical knowledge that can easily be applied to enhancing my everyday classroom! Richard Hubbard
It's helping me get my CE credits in line after taking a few years off for my family. Thank you!
This course was more useful than I thought it would be during the introduction. Having used technology in my classroom for the past 20 years, I was somewhat insulted by the first section of the course. I do not need convincing that technology is an essential tool to enrich student learning opportunities. Most of the content has already been used in my classroom, however, there were some areas that I have not done much with, and this interested me. I think that additional courses offered on specific topics would greatly enhance professional development. The most helpful part of the course were the links offered.
I learned a great deal of things in my web tech class.
Over the course of this class I have learned a lot about the use of technology in my classroom. In particular the ways I can share and save my web links with the students for their own research has been a huge find for me. I usually post the links on my website and then take them down as I am done, but this will give me a chance to keep them up on the internet for a while and the students can have constant access to them. The second tool I have taken away for this to increase student participation in my class is through the use of a blog.
This course has taught me the necessary use of technology in my classroom. My students are learning in the 21st century and eventually will be faced with employers who want their employees to have 21st century skills. I understand the importance of educating my students not only math, but how to utilize the new age technology in their learning experience. I learn how I actually could incorporate the use of technology into my teaching and learning experiences.
This course has shown me how to incorporate technology in my classroom. Some of the resources in this class were right there at my finger tips on the internet this whole time that I did not know existed.
I really enjoyed trying out the websites included in this course. I admit I was starting to fall behind in technology and I feel that this course and the websites/resources provided have given me some ideas to incorporate technology into my classroom. Overall I think my students will appreciate these new resources to differentiate their lessons and give them some more hands-on experiences.
I was hesitant to sign up for this course for a couple of reasons. First of all this was my first online course so I did not know want to expect. Second, I generally do not take advantage of technology, both in my personal life as well as my professional one. I use email and am proficient in Microsoft word and excel but I generally do not push myself to learn how to do more. I was given a Smart board in my classroom last year which forced me to incorporate technology into my lesson plans so I thought that I should start to explore what additional technology exists to enhance my teaching. The last reason is that I actually prefer to be in a classroom and learn directly from an instructor with face to face interaction. Having completed the course, I am happy that I signed up. I feel that I have been exposed to a good variety of technology.
This course has provided me with a significant amount of information and tools that I can utilize in my classroom.
The course was very interesting and was a nice refresher in the world of technology.
"I learned so many new sites in this class. I had know idea how many different social networking sites were out there."
"This online course was so full of information. I was a little overwhelmed with it at first. I am not very informative about all the technology choices that are out there to use in the classroom. Now, all I keep thinking about is how am I going to learn them and use them =)"
"This course motivates me to have a mindset of the 21st century teacher."
"Great course! Very informative."
Great course with a lot of ""real world"" resources for protecting children & reporting online criminals.
Taking online courses to fulfill necessary licensure requirements is a very useful and convenient way to help renew a teaching license! I like that this program is easy to use and fulfills the new requirements for my state license.
I have already highly recommended PLB to my colleges. I was truly pleased with the content, the pace and the links provided in my Technology course. This was my first experience taking an online course and I must say that PLB made it painless. Thanks to this course I have learned to make technology an essential part of my teaching. I was integrating technology, but now I have gained at better understanding of what it means to effectively use technology to facilitate learning. The links and videos that were part of the course are extremely useful and already part of my Digo account. Thanks for making professional development relevant, easy, practical and affordable! PLB is simply the BEST! Thankfully, Andrea
I appreciate the combination of videos and readings.
I enjoyed learning about the Exif data on pictures, did not know about that. I also plan on going back through to visit the websites that were recommended. Thank you for the information to make me more aware as a parent and teacher.
Thank you for providing this convenient online learning experience. I appreciate this material.
This is my fifth course through PLB and by far the most useful; although, each course was excellent. As a stay at home mom/ professional teacher on hold, it is imperative that I keep up on technology to remain relevant once I re-enter the workforce. I feel excited instead of anxious in regards to what has changed in regards to technology since I left teaching in 2006. I'd love to see more!