Lab 02: Creating a Technology Tutorial for Students

Description: Manuals for new technology can often be overwhelming to teachers and to students. The minute detail used to describe various aspects of an application or product can be excessive when you are looking only to cover the basics. Often it is helpful to create a simplified step-by-step tutorial with pictures, specifying the exact processes that you want your students to accomplish with a new piece of technology or application. By writing concise copy and displaying detailed illustrations, a teacher can save time when introducing a new technology.

In this lab you will create a tutorial demonstrating how to use a specific feature of the York College Student Email Web Client ycmail.york.cuny.edu. You will be assigned a specific portion of the York email client for your tutorial.

Reading: Integrating Technology for Meaningful Learning, chapter 4: pp. 118 - 169
Applications/Equipment Used: Windows OS, Microsoft Word, Web-Based Email Client.
Skills: Copying and Pasting Text & Pictures; Print Screen Command; Inserting and Editing Pictures in Microsoft Word; Writing Clear Instructions; Emailing Attachments

Lessons:
Inserting and Editing Pictures in Microsoft Word

Links


Sample Technology Tutorials
York Student Email Tutorial
York Student Blackboard Basics
Technology Tutorials for Teachers
Online Technology Tutorials

Lab Procedure:

1. Complete the lesson for Inserting and Editing Pictures in MS Word.
2. Design your e-mailing tutorial by answering the following questions.
  • Identify your audience - Tutorials are meant for non-technical individuals, and their knowledge-level of terminology may vary. Estimate the users' knowledge-level.
  • List the major tasks of your tutorial - These tasks will be given to your group, representing the portion(s) of the York email client you will be working on.
  • Break each major task into sub-tasks - Do this in an outline fashion.
  • Chose which sub-tasks will need graphics - Check each sub-task that will have a graphic.
3. Create your tutorial using Microsoft Word, combining the steps and pictures you have chosen.

4. Save your word document, appropriately named lastname_lab02.doc. Send your word document as an email attachment to jenheuson@yahoo.com. The subject line of the email should look like AC 230 Last name Lab 02.

5. You will not receive credit for labs missing your name or the lab number. Late labs will never receive more than 50% of the total points possible regardless of reason. Labs more than one week late will receive a zero.

Lab 01: Introducing AC230 and Describing Your Experiences with Technology

Description: Teachers have been using multimedia in the classroom for a long time. Showing films or videos, making posters, writing student newspapers, or editing yearbooks are staples of curriculum. But in today's world, there is more intense pressure for teachers to find ways to bring computers and technology into lesson plans. The Internet and the increasing availability of inexpensive multimedia technology has created an explosion of interest and opportunity in digital multimedia production for the classroom.

So, how can teachers keep up with the volatile field of multimedia technology? What are techniques for managing student-produced multimedia projects in the classroom? Are teachers wasting time teaching technology and not curriculum content? The goal of this class is to help you as a future teacher allay any fears of using unfamiliar technology by getting your hands on many of kinds of technology and learning to integrate these technologies into the classroom.

As an introduction to this course, let's look at your background with technology and test some basic skills.

Reading: Integrating Technology for Meaningful Learning, Chapter 1: pp. 3 – 37; Chapter 2: pp. 38 – 75
Applications/Equipment Used: Windows OS, Microsoft Word, Email
Skills: Word Processing, Emailing Attachments
Lessons: York Student Email Tutorial
Links

Technology and Teaching Sites
http://ali.apple.com/
http://www.ed.gov/technology/
http://www.nea.org/cet/
http://learnweb.harvard.edu/ent/home/
http://www2.edc.org/cct/
http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/ciai/mst/techmap/map.html

Media Resources Sites
http://www.classicalarchives.com/
http://www.clipartconnection.com/
http://nix.nasa.gov/
http://www.loc.gov/
http://webclipart.about.com/
Lab Procedure :
  1. Answer the following questions in a Microsoft Word document. Be sure to include your name, email address, and the lab number at the top of the document.
  2. Describe your first experience with using a computer. Was it confusing or exciting? Were you afraid of breaking the machine or making mistakes?
  3. What do you find frustrating about using computers? And, what do you find difficult about using a new piece of software or a new piece of technology (i.e. - digital camera)?
  4. What kinds of technology would you like to learn to use for lessons? And, what new skills do you think you'll need?
  5. Pick one of the above linked Technology and Teaching websites. Describe one of the resources that the site provides teachers and how you might use it.
  6. Pick one of the above linked Media Resources websites. Describe one of the resources provided and how you might use it.
  7. Save your Word document, appropriately labeled with your last name and the lab number (Eg: jones_lab01.doc ). Send your word document as an email attachment to jenheuson@yahoo.com. The subject line of the email should give your name and the lab number (Eg: Jones Lab 01). You will not receive credit for labs missing your name AND lab number. Late labs will never receive more than 50% of the total points possible.

AC 230 (Sec. QR) SYLLABUS

Course Description: Students learn the foundations for using multimedia technology in the classroom, become proficient with multimedia technology, study issues of equity related to educational technology, and become familiar with and integrate NYS K-12 learning standards for technology into projects. Students design curriculum integrating the Internet and student-produced multimedia projects.

Course Objectives: By the end of the semester, students will be able to: (1) integrate multimedia technology into the curriculum; (2) utilize multimedia technologies including the Internet, digital cameras, scanners, digital video, presentation software, and HTML editors; (3) understand the phases for developing multimedia projects: design, production and distribution; and (4) design student-produced multimedia projects.

Course Requirements: Access to York College Blackboard is mandatory.
  • Quizzes are one to two questions long and are conducted at the beginning of every class. Quizzes are open book and are based on the previous evening’s reading assignment. They are available five minutes before the start of class and promptly end ten minutes after class starts. Quizzes will be graded PASS/FAIL and cannot be made up.
  • Labs are started during class time and are often performed with a partner. You are responsible for the completion of the lab assignment by the start of the next class, with or without the input of your partner. Each lab is to be submitted to the instructor’s Digital Dropbox on Blackboard. Labs will be accepted up to one week late with a 50% penalty. Labs more than one week late will receive a zero regardless of reason.
  • More than two absences OR three tardy days will result in failure of the course.
Required Texts: Reserve copies are in the York College library.
  • Grabe, M. & Grabe, C. (2007). Integrating technology for meaningful learning. (5th ed.). Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.
  • Green, T. D. & Brown, A. (2002). Multimedia projects in the classroom: A guide to development and evaluation. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
  • Additional Reading: Labs and links to additional required reading will be provided in class as well as on this blog and on our AC230 York Blackboard.
Grading Policy:
Labs 60%
Quizzes 10%
Mid-Term Exam 10%
Final Exam 15%
Attendance/Participation 5%
Grading Scale:
A+ 97 - 100
A 93 - 96.9
A- 90 - 92.9
B+ 87 - 89.9
B 83 - 86.9
B- 80 - 82.9
C+ 77 - 79.9
C 73 - 76.9
C- 70 - 72.9
D+ 67 - 69.9
D 60 - 66.9
F 0 - 59.9
Below you will find an outline of topics to be covered in this course.
(Click on the picture to see a larger, printable view!)

AC 230 (Sec. QR) COURSE SCHEDULE

SPRING 2008

1. T, Jan 29 - Course Intro.
➢ Lab One: Describing your technology experience.
2. R, Jan 31 - Lab Two: Creating technology tutorials for students. (group)
3. T, Feb 05 - Lab Three: Underpinnings of the Internet.
4. R, Feb 07 - Labs Four/Five: Internet search engines and safety.
5. T, Feb 12 - Lincoln's Birthday. College closed.
6. R, Feb 14 - Lab Six: Internet as a classroom resource.
7. T, Feb 19 - Lab Seven: Creating WebQuest lessons. (group)
8. R, Feb 21 - Lab Eight: K-12 learning standards and equity issues.
9. T, Feb 26 - Midterm review.
10. R, Feb 28 - MIDTERM EXAM
11. T, Mar 04 - Lab Nine: Basics of Excel.
12. R, Mar 06 - Lab Ten: Integrating Excel into curriculum. (group)
13. T, Mar 11 - Lab Eleven: Basics of Powerpoint.
14. R, Mar 13 - Lab Twelve: Integrating Powerpoint into curriculum.
15. T, Mar 18 - Lab Thirteen: Fundamentals of digital images.
16. R, Mar 20 - Lab Fourteen: Fundamentals of digital photography. (group)
17. T, Mar 25 - Lab Fifteen: Digital photography curriculum.
18. R, Mar 27 - Lab Sixteen.1: Video production – storyboarding. (group)
19. T, Apr 01 - Lab Sixteen.2: Video production – shooting. (group)
➢ Class will meet in the television studio, room AC- 4M03.
20. R, Apr 03 - Lab Seventeen: Video post-production – iMovie. (group)
➢ Class will meet in the Mac editing lab, room AC-4M03.
21. T, Apr 08 - Lab Eighteen: Designing digital video curriculum.
22. R, Apr 10 - Lab Nineteen: Basics of Smartboard. (group)
➢ Class will meet in room 1D09 of the Academic Core building.
23. T, Apr 15 - Lab Twenty: Using blogs as a classroom tool.
24. R, Apr 17 - Final Project: Introduction to web design.

25. T, Apr 22 - SPRING BREAK
26. R, Apr 24 - SPRING BREAK

27. T, Apr 29 - Final Project: More web design basics.
28. R, May 01 - Final project work day.
29. T, May 06 - Final project work day.
30. R, May 08 - Final project presentations.
31. T, May 13 - Final review and party!!!

32. TBA - FINAL EXAM