Final Project

 Relevant and Innovative Learning Scenario Plan

The Use of Schoology for Implementing a Technology Fair

Target Audience: Education Media Design & Technology Students (Master Degree Program)

Materials:

·      Computer with access to the Internet and Schoology

Objectives:

            At the end of this scenario the learner will be able to:

·      Design a technology fair to be presented by students to an audience.

·      Define technology fair

·      Explain the components of a technology fair

·      Evaluate student projects

·      Evaluate the technology fair and its components

·      Discuss student needs and materials

·      Identify possible conflicts (student, logistics, time, etc.)

·      Assess the needs of the venue and its attributes (sound system, seating, stage, etc.)

·      Develop their own Schoology site

·      Implement their own Tech Fair and courses on Schoology

Procedure:

·      EMD&T students will set-up an Schoology account.

·      EMD&T students will create their profile.

·      They will join the created course named: Technology Fair: EMD&T RILS.

·      They will participate in a discussion strand, an assignment, see examples, and have access to a procedural document for a Tech Fair.

Web 2.0 Tool: Schoology

            Schoology is a free Web 2.0 course management system built on a social network that allows teachers and students to communicate on coursework. Teachers can set-up courses, create discussion posts, keep attendance, contact students and parents, create, post and collect assignments, and keep a grade book.

https://www.schoology.com/about.php

Social Participation/Social Learning:

            The students will participate and collaborate in a learning opportunity on an Schoology course set-up by me. Schoology is an interactive, social network where the EMD&T students will be able to communicate about the development of a Tech Fair. Also, we will begin our activity in iChat in order to begin the process.

Making Connections:

            The students will need to rely on prior knowledge of computer skills in order to demonstrate their use of Schoology. The students should gain new knowledge from the Tech Fair course, and they will be able to continue working in Schoology (which we will again in month ten).

Create/Produce:

            The students will have knowledge in order to implement their own Technology Fair. They will also have created their own Schoology site. They could even use this site in order to develop their own Tech Fair.

Assessment:

            The students will have created their own Schoology site, which they will use again in month ten of the EMD&T program. The production of this site is a passing grade.

Reflection:

a.       The students will have opportunity to discuss the benefits of a Tech Fair. Some have noted in the EMD&T program frustration with administration over the control of technology in their schools. This may give them the edge they need to demonstrate a need or to flaunt what has been achieved.

b.       I will have an opportunity to hear from other professionals their ideas of a Tech Fair and the improvements that I can make on the process. I will also see my ability in teaching adults.

Additional Instructions

In order for Schoology to provide you with an account, they take three days to validate your email address. I was not able to set-up an account due to the fact that I did not have a school email address, so I needed to get one from Full Sail University, who graciously provided me with an account through the school, because we will be using it in the 10^th month anyway.

I was not aware of the three-day wait period, so one of my students had to share her site with another in order to participate.

I had prepared a course called “Technology Fair” that I assumed my students could access through the search engine; however, this was not the case. Each course is assigned a number, so my students needed the number in order to apply to my class.

The cohort communicated through iChat throughout the project.

I introduced the students to the course material. They were able to see an example of a technology fair project and a document of the process. The discussion question was: “What would be the benefits for you, your students, and your school from sponsoring a technology fair?”

According to their responses, they agree that a Tech Fair would be a benefit to their schools. 

Reflection

Overall, the demonstration of using Schoology as a platform to teach a lesson was a success. Some of the logistics needed to be worked out ahead of time, but that’s why we do these things to learn from our mistakes. I also realized too late, that I could have used WiZiQ, a similar platform that I actually researched and used for my Web 2.0 tool, instead of Schoology. However, Schoology is free, and WiZiQ has plans for a price, but it also has more features than Schoology.