Education 3508: Section AB

Communications Technology and

Education
Professional Semester I – Fall 2019
Thursdays: 9:00 – 10:20am (Section A)
Thursdays: 10:30 – 11:50am (Section B)
Room TH341

Instructor: Leonard Sproule Secretary: Margaret Beintema

Office: TH260 Office: TH323 (West)
Telephone: (403) 329-2392 Telephone: 403-329-2732
E-mail: leonard.sproule@uleth.ca E-mail: margaret.beintema@uleth.ca
Office Hours: By appointment

Your time is important to me. Please arrange all office visits in advance, via
email. I will make every effort to meet at your earliest convenience.

Calendar Description

ED 3508 Communications Technology and Education is an introduction to knowledge, skills,

attitudes, and critical perspectives for effectively integrating communications technology into
teaching and learning.

Course Description

The purpose of the ED 3508 Communications Technology and Education course is to develop
requisite competencies for the purposeful implementation of communications technology in the
classroom, to the learning benefit of school-aged students. ED 3508 utilizes a blended learning
approach; some content will be experienced in-class, during face-to-face interactions with a course
instructor, while other content will be explored individually outside of class time. Students of ED
3508 should allocate at least as much time outside of class as during class time each week to
successfully complete the course.

Course Objectives

The Teaching Quality Standard (Alberta Education, 2018) stipulates that “Quality teaching occurs
when the teacher’s ongoing analysis of the context, and the teacher’s decisions about which
pedagogical knowledge and abilities to apply, result in optimum learning for all students” (p. 3). ED
3508 prepares students for success during PSI practicum by attending to course objectives that align
with key professional competency descriptors within the Teaching Quality Standard.

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 At the successful completion of the ED 3508 course, students will be able to:
1. Demonstrate knowledge, skills, and a critical perspective for integrating technologies
effectively into teaching and learning as a foundation for career-long learning (Competency 2)
2. Apply educational technology research to improve practice (Competency 2d)
3. Access provincially approved digital resources to enhance knowledge of First Nations, Metis,
and Inuit worldviews, cultural beliefs, languages, and values (Competency 2e, 5a)
4. Examine communication technologies in education for their ability to enhance knowledge and
inform practice (Competency 2f)
5. Evaluate communication technologies for their potential to provide optimum learning
opportunities toward provincial curriculum for all students (Competency 3a, 3b)
6. Describe ways in which technologies can enhance learning for all students (Competency 3a)
7. Implement communication technologies with planning and teaching practices to promote
equitable access and inclusive learning for all students (Competency 3a, 4b)
8. Apply policies and expectations of provincially approved resources in teacher planning and
teaching (Competency 6a)

Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities Policy

Your instructor is committed to ensuring that all students are afforded an academic environment
based on principles of equal and equitable access, respect for individual differences, and academic
integrity. If you have a disability, special learning need, or recent injury that requires academic
accommodation to successfully complete the course work associated with ED 3508 within the
timeframes designated in this course outline, please follow the procedures outlined in the University
Calendar.

Students who require academic accommodation are encouraged to contact the Accommodated
Learning Centre:
 B760 in University Hall
 Phone: 403-329-2766

 Email: alc@uleth.ca

For additional information regarding academic accommodations for students with disabilities,
students are encouraged to consult the following resources:

 Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities Policy

 Alberta Human Rights Act
 Accommodated Learning Center
 Counselling Services

Course Schedule

The ED 3508 course is comprised of eight seminar classes, delivered in a blended learning format.
Each week, new topics within the larger arena of communications technology and education will be
examined. Each class will consist of two components: group/face-to-face; and online/independent.
The group/face-to-face component will attend to foundational content and concepts associated with
communications technology and education. The online/independent component will focus on the

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 exploration of technologies determined by student interest, including: hardware, software, apps, and
other possibilities.

The course schedule for ED 3508 provides a long-term glance at upcoming events, activities, and
assignments, including respective due dates. Some of the learning activities associated with the ED
3508 course are dependent upon the schedules and availability of outside facilities and resources.
To accommodate the collective schedules of others, this schedule is considered as tentative, and
subject to change upon further notice.

Note: the schedule for student-led PD workshops and micro-teach activities may be subject to
minor adjustments, based on local and emergent contextual factors. Any and all changes will be
discussed with students with as much advanced notice as possible. Any change that would place
undue disadvantage to ED 3508 students will not be considered.

Week Topics Due Date

(midnight before next class)
1 Technology in Education E-Portfolio URL due
Guiding Frameworks and Policies W, Sept 18 @ midnight
E-Portfolio
2 Technology Integration Exploration One due
Philosophy of Teaching W, Sept 25 @ midnight
Digital Communication
Presentation and Video due
W, Sept 25 @ midnight
3 Digital Citizenship and Safety Exploration Two due
Research-Informed Practice W, Oct 9 @ midnight
4 Makerspace FNMI Database review
Applying First Nations, Metis, and Inuit foundational
knowledge
5 PD Workshops (3) in-class Exploration Three due
W, Oct 23 @ midnight
6 PD Workshops (2) in-class
Micro-teach lesson planning
7 Micro-teach lessons (3) in-class
8 Micro-teach lessons (2) in-class
Philosophical and professional connections

Course Materials
Curriculum materials for ED3508 will be available through Moodle. ED 3508 students will have
access to student-issue laptops and iPads available through the Faculty of Education. Students will
have access to a variety of communication technologies, such as: 3D printing; Lego Mindstorm;
Ozobots; Virtual Reality; Audio/Visual production equipment; as well as various software platforms
and apps. Students are encouraged to bring their own laptops and tablets to each class.

The course outline, references and supplementary resources

https://moodle.uleth.ca are available via Moodle.

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Course Assignments and Evaluation

Attendance, punctuality, and active participation are a minimum requirement for students to pass the
ED 3508 course. In the event of exceptional life circumstances that may result in missing a class, or a
portion of a class, it is the student’s responsibility to communicate with the instructor with as much
advanced notice as possible.

Student writing must meet the expectations of an upper-level undergraduate program, utilizing
standards associated with the APA Publication Manual (6th edition). Students are responsible for
editing written work for grammar, spelling, sentence structure, organization, and formatting prior to
evaluation by your course instructor.

Each of the following assignments in ED 3508 will be evaluated on a Pass/Fail basis:

 E-Portfolio
 Exploration One
 Exploration Two
 Exploration Three
 PD Workshop
 Micro-Teach

PD Workshop
- 10-12 minutes each
- Present in partners to a small group of your peers
- Share emerging knowledge of a student-selected communication technology with peers
- ie. Google Earth, Remind, Plickers, Augmented Reality
- Provide ideas for integration during practicum
- Peer feedback

Micro-Teach
- 15-18 minutes each
- Present in partners to a small group of peers
- ie. Lego Mindstorm, Mobile Video Editing, Interactive whiteboard
- Lesson plan, connections to outcomes from grade/subject program of study, experiential
learning activities for your grade-specific audience, peer feedback

All written work must be submitted via Moodle no later than midnight of the day prior to the next
class.

Grading Scheme

The Ed 3508 course is graded using a Pass/Fail system. In order to pass, students must complete all
requisite assignments on time, and of professional quality. In addition to foundational topics and
student-led activities within the face-to-face component of the course, ED 3508 students will
complete a total of three (3) technology explorations within the online/independent component of the
course.

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 In the event that a submitted assignment does not meet minimum expectations, the instructor will
notify the student via University of Lethbridge email with formative feedback for improvement and
details regarding the due date for final evaluation.

Student Conduct

In accordance with the University Calendar, ED 3508 students are subject to the student discipline
policy for academic and non-academic offences. In the Faculty of Education, students are also
required to adhere to professional standards and expectations as stipulated in the:

 Faculty of Education 2019-2020 Student Handbook

 Faculty of Education PSI Handbook
 Alberta Teachers’ Association Code of Professional Conduct

Academic Honesty

The University of Lethbridge subscribes to Turnitin.com, a plagiarism detection service. Please be

advised that assignments submitted in this course may have their originality verified using this
system.

Privacy and Confidentiality

In keeping with expectations outlined in the guiding professional documents for professional
educators, it is imperative to refrain from unnecessarily disclosing identifying information, such as
the names of school-aged students and/or school personnel. It is a professional responsibility to
address educational issues without revealing the identities of individual people. Any personal
information shared within the ED 3508 course is intended to be offered, and received, in the spirit of
professionalism and collegiality.
Recording lectures or class discussions (audio and/or video) is not permitted without the expressed
permission of the instructor and all audience members, in advance.
While reasoned professional judgments aim to promote online security and safety for all ED 3508
students, there is no guarantee of confidentiality with any personal information exchanged during the
course, whether it be in discussion forms, web conferencing, recordings, assignments, etc.
If you become aware of a situation that appears to contradict these professional expectations, you are
professionally responsible for addressing your concerns directly with the individual(s) of concern. If,
after sharing your concern directly and specifically with the individual(s) of concern, you remain
dissatisfied with the resolve of the matter, it is your professional responsibility to declare this to the
individual(s) of concern, including your intention to take the matter to your instructor, or the next
most appropriate level of authority.
Important: In the event of concern for your individual safety and/or wellbeing, inform appropriate
authorities immediately.

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Attendance, Participation and Non-Academic Criteria

You are required to attend and participate fully in all scheduled class meetings and related activities.
When preparation outside of class is assigned, you are expected to arrive to class fully prepared and
demonstrate work reflecting professional standards in appearance and substance. Teachers are expected
to demonstrate similar non-academic behaviors as part of their daily work with children, parents,
classroom assistants, administrators and other members of the extended educational community. For
these reasons, ED 3508 students are expected to follow the standards for professional conduct as
outlined in the aforementioned guiding documents.

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