Teaching with Technology Certification Course Syllabus

Instructor: Shelly Sanchez Terrell

E-mail: ShellyTerrell@gmail.com

Course Description

The Teaching with Technology Certification is an introduction to using computers and mobile devices for education; and specifically, to support English learners of all ages and levels. The purpose of this course is to introduce online applications, software, and tools for enhancing the four skills (speaking, listening, reading, and writing) with specific focus on second language acquisition, classroom management, lesson creation, and collaborative projects. 

Course Requirements

Online Course Structure

This is a fully-online course. All course activities and resources can be found through our course website. This course has 12 modules to complete and a Final Reflective Portfolio. For each module, participants must choose two readings to reflect on in the main discussion forum. Then participants complete one task, which requires analysis technology trends and instructional strategies and/or creation with a web tool.  Some of the modules require participants to publish their digital creations for the course instructor to access and for peers to evaluate. Participants MUST make sure to post the published  and not the editing or personal account . Participants also have the option to upload a PDF or file.  All of the learning activities will be completed in the participant’s own time so long as they are completed by the dates and times required by their institutions.

Course Objectives and Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, participants will:

Required Readings

Each module has a selection of readings listed in the bookmarks for that topic. Choose 2 of the readings and post your reflection in the module’s forum. In addition, you should review the following online articles to learn more about best practices for integrating technology to support English language learners.  

Bax, S. (2011). Normalisation revisited: The effective use of technology in language education.  International Journal of Computer Assisted Language Learning and Teaching, 1 (2), 1-15. Retrieved from http://www.academia.edu/3754724/Normalisation_Revisited_The_Effective_Use_of_Technology_in_Language_Education 

Crystal, D. (2012). Bridges between technology and tradition. In Cristina Cheveresan (ed.), Dialoguri in era E-reader (Institutul European, 2012), 223-48; Romanian translation, 103-27. Retrieved from http://www.davidcrystal.com/books-and-articles 

Davies, G. (2016). CALL (computer assisted language learning). Centre for Languages, Linguistics, and Area Studies. Retrieved from https://www.llas.ac.uk/resources/gpg/61 

Richards, J. (2009). Teaching Listening and Speaking: From Theory to Practice. RELC Portfolio Series. Singapore: Regional Language Centre. 52 pp. Retrieved from https://www.professorjackrichards.com/wp-content/uploads/teaching-listening-and-speaking-from-theory-to-practice.pdf 

Chiverton, S. (2017). Cell Phones for Low-Resource Environments. Retrieved from    https://americanenglish.state.gov/files/ae/resource_files/etf_55_2_p02-13.pdf 

Reinders, H. (2010). Twenty Ideas for Using Mobile Phones in the Language Classroom. Retrieved from  
https://americanenglish.state.gov/files/ae/resource_files/48_3_4_reinders.pdf 

Sad, S. (2008). Using Mobile Phone Technology in EFL Classes. Retrieved from
https://americanenglish.state.gov/files/ae/resource_files/08-46-4-f.pdf

Puentedura, R. (2010). SAMR and TPCK: Intro to advanced practice. Retrieved from: http://hippasus.com/resources/sweden2010/SAMR_TPCK_IntroToAdvancedPractice.pdf 

Rheingold, H. (2014). The Peeragogy handbook (PDF). Retrieved from: http://peeragogy.org

Letter Grade Assignment

To receive the Teaching with Technology TESOL Certification, participants must receive a minimum grade of a 74 or above:

Letter Grade

Percentage

Performance

A

90-100%

Excellent

B

80-89%

Good

C

70-79%

Average

D

60-69%

Poor

F

0-59%

Failing

Course Outline and Topics

This following are the course topics, a brief description of each topic, and linked resources. For each module, participants should review the slide presentation that provides an overview of the readings, research, and resources listed. Participants should also review at least 2 of the reading materials from the list of bookmarks provided for each topic, then post a reflection in the module’s forum for peers to review and leave comments.

I. The Basics for Teaching with Technology

How do we tie learning to learners' real world experiences and environments? In this session, we will explore various resources and digital tools for integrating technology effectively. We will learn tips for managing a classroom full of technology and discover sites to find free web tools you can use no matter what technology situation you are in.

Readings: Technology Theories and Perspectives

Module 1 Readings Forum

Download the Slides

Task: Technology Search Assignment

Handout: Technology Search

II. Building a Personal Learning Network (PLN) and Connecting Online

How do we receive the support and guidance we need as educators? Nearly, a million educators are connecting in online communities to collaborate and share their resources with learners and educators worldwide. When we share and collaborate in our profession, we provide many educators with quality professional development and learn from their experiences as well. These resources and this support transform our instructional practice. In this session, we discover what tools educators are using to connect and walk through the beginning steps of building an online support network.

Readings: PLNs and Connectivism

Module 2 Readings Forum

Download the Slides

Task: Explore Hashtags Assignment

Handout: Hashtag Search

III. Let's Learn with Digital Games

Games can be extremely motivating and many learners already spend hours a week playing them. Imagine if language learners played games to practice their English skills? Free online games help language learners apply the language they learn in class within various contexts. These games motivate learners to interact in English by following a variety of reading tasks, walk-throughs, and more. They will often include speaking to other learners worldwide and have them listen to English. In this presentation, we will learn how teachers integrate game based learning.

Readings: Game Based Language Learning

Module 3 Readings Forum

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Task: Evaluate a Game-Based Lesson Plan

Handout: Evaluate a Game-Based Lesson

IV. Digital Safety and Citizenship

In this session, we will discover multimedia resources and digital games and presentations that help students learn how to be safe online and reflect on their digital actions.

Readings: Digital Safety and Citizenship

Module 4 Readings Forum

Download the Slides

Task: Create a Digital Safety Resource Lesson Plan

Handout: Digital Safety Resource Lesson Plan

V. Creative Commons for Digital Projects

Students often remix digital work online. They find videos, audio clips, and images they integrate into their own creations. In this session, we will discover places to find materials that are licensed for students to use with proper attribution. We will also discover tools for citing content correctly and quickly.

Readings: Creative Commons

Module 5 Readings Forum

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Task: Design a Presentation with Licensed Content

VI. Digital Research for Digital Learners

Digital devices, web tools and apps have transformed the way we research. Now students have access to various free tools and apps that help support annotating, collecting, citing, searching, bookmarking, and evaluating information. In this session, we will explore various offline applications and multimedia that help learners who struggle with the research process. Participants will leave with activity and lesson ideas.

Readings: Digital Research

Module 6 Readings Forum

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Task: Mindmap a Topic Using a Digital Tool

VII. Teaching Writing with Digital Tools

Writing can be a scary and difficult process for many learners who struggle with expressing their ideas, arguments, creativity, and logic in written words. There are great tools and websites to inspire your learners to think creatively and begin organizing their thoughts. In this session, we will discover various web tools, writing prompt sites, and tips to support learners in the writing process.

Readings: Digital Writing

Module 7 Readings Forum

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Task: Storyboard and Outline Your TV Commercial

Storyboard Template: TV Advertisement

VIII. Teaching with Comics

Improving literacy is challenging when learners are not engaged with the material. Creating comics engages students and encourages them to explore vocabulary, summarize information, and contextualize what they learn in a creative way. In this session, we will discover various free comic creation tools and activities to support literacy and reading comprehension.

Readings: Learning with Comics

Module 8 Readings Forum

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Task: Make a Comic to Teach Grammar

IX. Creating Digital Books

Various web tools, apps, and software allow you to create, publish, and distribute digital books for free. In this session, discover web tools and app that help students quickly create digital books. We will review activities, storyboarding, brainstorming and assessment.

Readings: Creating Digital Books

Module 9 Readings Forum

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Task: Create a Digital Book

X. Setting Up an Audio Project

Encourage students to develop listening and speaking skills with audio projects. Students can share their learning with digital talking avatars or through multimedia web tools and mobile apps. In this session, we will explore script writing, rubrics, and setting up audio projects.

Readings: Audio Projects and Resources

Module 10 Readings Forum

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Task: Make a Speaking Avatar to Teach Learners About a Famous Person

XI. Video Storytelling Projects

Students learn in powerful ways with video storytelling. They are able to contextualize and visualize their learning. In this session, discover free video making web tools and mobile apps. We will also cover setting up video projects and assessment.

Readings: Video Storytelling

Readings: Video Creation

Module 11 Readings Forum

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Task: Produce a TV Commercial Based on the Storyboard in Module 7

XII. Presenting with Digital Posters

Students can share their learning through multimedia web tools and apps. These presentation tools help students learn to design dynamic presentations that will be a valuable skill they carry throughout their lives. In this session, discover free web tools and app to make digital posters to suit any technology situation.

Readings: Digital Posters

Module 12 Readings Forum

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Task: Design a Digital Poster with Information About a Landmark

Final Project: Reflective Portfolio Presentation

Congratulations! This is your last task before you complete the course! For your final project, you will need to reflect on your learning throughout the course by creating an audio and visual presentation of at least 4 of the learning modules.

Final Reflective ePortfolio Assignment

Examples of Student Reflective Presentations

Bookmarks: Digital Portfolios

Download the Slides

*Complete the certification application once all your course assignments are complete.