iPaducateMe Training Course Syllabus

Site & Course Designer: Karah Parks

Email: karahparks@yahoo.com
Twitter: @karahkarahparks


Teacher Information:
Teacher (Karah Parks) availability:
Available onsite: Tuesday Friday, 10:30am 4pm
Available online: Monday Friday, 9am 9pm
*I respond to e-mails within 2 business days.

Troubleshooting appointments:
*If you are experiencing a specific issue, feel free to contact me and, if it cant be resolved
online, we can set up an appointment.

*You may also visit the general discussion board on the course website,
iPaducateme.weebly.com to gain community insights.

Training Course Information:
Online Learning Expectations: In order to complete this training, you will need a basic
knowledge of Internet use, including Internet search, uploading, downloading and saving files,
both documents and images. You will also need have access to and understand how to use e-
mail.

Course Teaching Methods & Meeting Times
This is a self-paced, as needed training. All materials are free for educational use only and
designed to be used as guidelines for self-critique.

Course Description:
This course is designed to give teachers hands-on experience with iPad technology, commonly
used applications in education and EF-designed applications (For EF teachers but all teachers
can use the basic functionalities!). In conjunction with practical application, this course aims to
create a space of discussion and idea-generation on best practices of iPad use in the classroom
and collaboratively expanding ways this technology can enhance the learning community.

Learning Objectives:
At the end of this course, you will:

1. Have a working knowledge of basic iPad functions and troubleshooting
2. Understand and demonstrate best-practices practices regarding on how to integrate
iPad technology in your classroom
3. Know how to access help and share development ideas within our online community

Resources: All class resources are online. You will need an iPad. EF Teachers will need EF
iPads to access the ElektraClass application. The training takes place on an iPad 2, but any
iPad 2 or beyond should function in the same manner.

You may want to download your own versions of some of the applications mentioned on the
course website many are also offered on Android platforms.

Assignments and Requirements:
Requirements for Course Completion:

Optional Assignments:
Discussion Board x 2 (meets Learning Objective 3)
Elektraclass Demo Lesson (meets Learning Objective 1,2)
iMovie Demo Lesson (meets Learning Objective 1, 2)

Attendance: Generally: As this is professional growth training and self-paced, there is no
grade. For EF teachers: Online attendance is judged by the time timely submission of
assignments and discussions by the given due date in each module. If you can complete of the
assignmements above, you are considered iPad literate for classroom purposes.

Absences: N/A

Late Work: N/A

Plagiarism: Using or sharing someone elses work without giving credit is a very serious
offense, and it is important, as academic instructors, to be aware of model correct online
copyright compliance. Please do give credit where you use images or writing from sources
other than yourself.

Course Policies:
Role of the teacher:
The nature of online learning, our busy training environment and the constant change within
technology means that I will not be the center of all knowledge for the class, but a lead
collaborator as it were of building understanding around the topic. My main role is as a
facilitator of information, helping you build your own practices around integrating technology
in a way that suits your individual teaching style.

Role of the student:
Online Participation Guidelines: This class relies heavily on student discussion and effort.
Participation includes putting your own thoughts on the discussion boards but also engaging
with others opinions online. It also means being respectful of others work & opinions, and
having a positive, engaged attitude. Giving thoughtful feedback on discussion boards
constitutes good participation and respect for your colleagues time and efforts. Failure to abide
by this policy may result in your removal from the training/site.

Content & Posting Guidelines: For each module, you will be asked to participate in one
threaded discussion. Your content should be thoughtfully developed and on the given topic,
ranging from 100 200 words. You will also be asked to respond in the same way to two of
your colleagues posts (you may of course respond to more than two!) by a deadline given by
the academic director at the start of the training. If you are unable for any reason to meet these
requirements, contact me via the contact information above.

Writing Guidelines: This is a professional development course for Teachers of English
Speakers of Other Languages. Grammar, usage and punctuation are our bread and butter, and
should not be neglected in written assignments and discussion boards. If you have a question or
need guidance on a finer grammatical issue, please visit the Purdue Writing Lab:
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/

Nettiquette Policies:
1. Be respectful in tone and language: remember, there are real people contributing to this
discussion who come from a variety of backgrounds.

2. Be open: if someone presents a viewpoint you disagree with, give it some thought before
your respond. If you have a strong emotional response, you may want to give yourself more
time before responding. Others will give you the same courtesy.

3. Be safe: only give out information that is on the topic and please don't share others
comments without asking first.

4. Be professional: this is an academically oriented discussion board, and good grammar and
punctuation usage count.

5. Be succinct: like any conversation, give your thoughts in 100-150 words and then let others
give input.

6. Be clear: we can't see your face or hear your tone. Try to avoid sarcasm and do use
emoticons or put feelings in [brackets] if it helps your point.

7. Be thoughtful: the more authentic and meaningful your posts are, the more the community
benefits.

8. Be flexible: Technology doesnt work the way we want it to for any number of mysterious
reasons. Maintain your sense of humor. Pretty please.


Rubrics:
iPad Lesson Demo:
Criterion
Excellent Proficient Competent Novice
Comments

Organization





Lesson is
organized in an
interesting,
cohesive manner.
Lesson
objectives are
clear and all
elements clearly
support
objectives.
Lesson is organized
in a logical order.
Lesson objectives
are mostly clear,
and most of the
elements support
objectives. 1-2
elements seem out
of place.
Lesson is
somewhat
organized, but
some elements feel
forced or are off-
point of the
indicated
objectives.
Objectives are
present but not
Major elements
of the lesson
do not sync, or
are over/under
planned.
Objectives are
either non-
existent or
unclear.





very clear.
Integration
iPad use,
including
selected
applications,
within the lesson
is seamless and
clearly engages
on lesson
objectives.
Variables taken
into account.
iPad use, including
selected
applications, is
mostly integrated
with the lesson, but
some elements may
be forced/off-
topic/over-planned.
Various constraints
are mostly taken into
account
iPad use is limited,
but where applied,
somewhat supports
learning objectives.
There are some
larger issues with
over-planning or
inappropriate
application
selection.
iPad use is
forced and
applications
used make little
to no sense
with the
learning
objectives, if
present.

Total:


Discussion Board:
Criteria
Excellent Proficient Competent Novice
Comments

Initial Posting




Posts well-
developed
response that fully
addresses and
develops the given
topic or task.
Posts well-
developed
assignment that
addresses all
aspects of the task;
Lacks full
development of
concepts.
Posts adequate
responses with
superficial
thought-
preparation;
doesnt address all
aspects of the
task.
Posts no
assignment.





Follow-up
Postings
Demonstrates
analysis of others
posts; extends
meaningful
discussion on
previous posts.
Participates 4 5
times throughout
the assignment
window.
Elaborates on an
existing posting with
further comment or
observation.
Participates 3-4
times but postings
not evenly
distributed
throughout the
assignment period.
Posts shallow
contribution to
discussion (e.g.
agrees or
disagrees); does
not enrich
discussion.
Participates 1-2
times on the same
day.
Posts no
follow-up
responses to
others.


Grammar
and
mechanics
Grammar and
mechanics are
flawless. Entry is
within the
prescribed 100
200 words.
Grammar and
mechanics have a
few minor errors.
Entry is over or
under the prescribed
100-200 words.
There are some
errors in grammar
or mechanics that
impact clarity.
Entry is under 100
words.
Posts a long,
unorganized
or rude
assignment
that contains
multiple
errors.

Total:

Adapted from Discussion Board Grading Criteria Rubric by Joy Lopez, University of San Francisco, 2014

FAQs:
How do I know when my assignments are due?
Generally, there is no due date however, for EF teachers, the Academic Director may set a
deadline.

How much time should I expect to spend on each online module?
This course is designed to accommodate a busy teacher schedule, so 1-2 hours per module is the
time commitment for the online component.

If this is a self-paced, professional development training, how am I evaluated?
For the general audience, you can self-assess using the above rubrics. For EF Teachers, you
will agree on a method of evaluation with the Academic Director.

EF Teachers: Will my standing as a teacher at EF be compromised if I fail to complete
the course?
No. This is an at-will training, and is meant to enhance your skill-set. EF has placed a lot of
value on teaching with iPads, so it is encouraged, but not required as part of your good
standing as a teacher.

What should I do if I cant complete an assignment correctly?
Feel free to contact me (karahparks@yahoo.com) for troubleshooting help, or to post your
concern to the community discussion board.


You are welcome to e-mail me at anytime with questions, comments or concerns
throughout the training. I will gladly respond within 2 business days.