The first week, we will examine how the computer and Internet is being and can be used to create a powerful learning environment for a wide diversity of K-12 students.  You are invited to explore ways the Internet can supplement your own project interests.  In addition, we will take care of a few "housekeeping" matters for the new course:  your Major Projects (phase II) and assignment submission.  Finally, we introduce you to a more complex communication environment -- TAPPED IN, an educational MOO in preparation for week 2.

1. Major Project update: 

Post a WebBoard message by Tuesday (July 7) into WebBoard conference 387 1. Major Project update. Describe the current status of your Major Project, including a linked URL to your project site for Jim and your Feedback Group to comment on. 

If, for some reason, your original Major Project has reached a dead end, try to come up with a plausible new proposal. (You have only 4 weeks now!)

In Waugh's C&I 335 course, you were used to publishing your assignments  by creating a Web page, then linking it to your ePortfolio page.  In this course, however, your assignments will be submitted via a special database, CTERbase, entered through this URL <http://lrsdb.ed.uiuc.edu:591/387db/tcd.html>.  In this method, you merely submit the URL for your Web pages -- they can exist on any server you choose.

This database was constructed by joining a Web page composed in Claris HomePage to a database contained on the LRS server which was created with Claris FileMaker Pro.  The two software applications are designed to work seamlessly together to link databases to the Web, something you might later wish to do as instructional Web designers.

To test it, submit your original ePortfolio page (its URL) by clicking on the CTERbase button in the "Class Communications" section at bottom and filling out the appropriate information once inside the site. On the opening page of the CTERbase web page, there are instructions on how to use it.

Each week, you will be assigned a reading to broaden your awareness of thinking in the field of Computers in Educaton.

For the first week, read Judi Harris' article entitled "Organizing and Facilitating Telecollaborative Projects"-- or, if this isn't so applicable to your situation, you might choose another article from "Guidelines for Educational Uses of Networks".  If your special interest isn't covered by any of these, you are encouraged to search the Web for a more suitable article.

Complete the reading by Wednesday (July 8) and post your response to the WebBoard, including in the WebBoard title blank the author(s) of the article. Post it into 387 1.1 Internet-based project reading.. 

In your response, discuss any implications/applications the article might have for your Major Project:  Could/Should there be an Internet component to your project?  If so, how might the Internet best be used for your Project? Did the article give you any extra perspective if your Project uses the Internet?

Due to the Internet's inherent diversity, many teachers and educational theorists have begun turning to it as a way of diversifying instruction to meet the needs and spark the interest of K-12 students of all kinds.

a) Find two exemplary Internet-based K-12 educational projects (this includes e-mail, MOOs, in addition to the World Wide Web) -- either finished or in process -- that are related to your Main Project.  We offer these projects as a starting place. (Look familiar?)  Of course, you should also conduct a Web search under your topic to see what else might be "out there".  Post these in the WebBoard conference 387 1d. Exemplary Internet-based Projects".

Discuss these questions:

• Does any part of your Project (or entire project) lend itself to being Internet-based? (You are not obliged to actually implement this in your real Project.) 
• Are there any ideas from the other two projects that you might integrate into your own Project? 

b) On the CTERbase, post the URL (Web address) of your WebBoard posting. You can get this URL by viewing your WebBOard posting, copying the "Location" field, and pasting that into CTERbase. Due by Sunday (July 12).

Many contemporary educators are advocating turning K-12 curriculum into an open system in which students of all ages work independently or in groups on projects of their own interest instead of the more controlled traditional system in which students work on what the teacher assigns.

On WebBoard, find the conference entitled "387 1b. Debate on a project-based curricula" and contribute your views and experiences on the topic:

"State a position, either pro or con on this point:
Educational network projects allow all students to participate more actively and to learn more than conventional learning environments."

Your posting is due by Friday (July 10).

For live conferences and some assignments, we will be using an Educational MOO called TAPPED IN, listed in the "Class Communication" section at the bottom of every course page.  Membership is free, but you need to register by the end of the week Friday. We will start using it next week.

For a step-by-step instructions, go to the following instruction page. Here is a "cheat sheet" of the basic TAPPED IN commands (and a few more advanced ones, which you can ignore if you want).