Module 0: Introductions - Getting Acquainted

Objectives

You will be able to:

Demonstrate readiness to succeed in this online course
Practice using technologies to be used throughout the course
Practice the process of learning new technologies quickly (as you will throughout this course)

Welcome to EME 5050-Fundamentals of Technology for Educators!

Although Web-based courses lack the face to face time, it is still possible to get to know your classmates and professor via the various reflection and discussion activities, e-mail, and social networking opportunities. We are happy you can join us for this exciting adventure.

New to Learning Online@UCF?

If this is your first online course at UCF, I'll say welcome all over again. Welcome to a whole new (to you) way of learning together with others. You might find it helpful to check out a couple of modules designed to introduce you in greater detail to learning online at UCF. Even if you've taken online courses elsewhere, you might wish to check these out to find out how things are different here at UCF. These modules are not required, but they might just help you be more successful. Please note that you will need to know your UCF Network ID (NID) in order to access these modules.

Knights Online: Overview of Online Courses
Knights Online: What Does an Online Course Look Like?

What is Curriculum Specific Learning?

The heart and soul of the this course is curriculum-specific learning or discipline-specific learning which is when you learn how to apply teaching principles, knowledge, and ideas to authentic and practical classroom lessons and projects that can benefit your students. Chapter 1 of the textbook describes curriculum-specific learning in greater depth on pages 2 and 3. Be sure to review this carefully. Understanding this concept will help you establish new learning environments and apply what you are learning to your specific situation thereby making your learning more meaningful.

Using the Textbook Web Site

The Teachers Discovering Computers: Integrating Technology in a Connected World (7th edition) textbook Web site has many multimedia enhancements that make the site fun and interactive. There are ten end-of-chapter sections and all of the end-of-chapter materials are stored as Web pages on the World Wide Web to enhance your learning experience by providing you with extensive and in-depth curriculum-specific information and integration ideas.

To access the textbook Web site, launch your browser and enter the following Web address, http://bit.ly/gunter_7th. The textbook online end-of-chapter sections will provide you with countless World Wide Web links and resources as well as interactive quizzes, games, and interactive labs. Some of the Web sites are high-end and will take a little time to load. If one Web site is taking too long to load, use the Back button on your browser's toolbar and select a different site. The busier the Web, the longer some sites may take to load. To minimize waiting, try accessing the textbook Web site earlier in the morning or later in the evening.

Pages 31 through 32 in Chapter 1 discuss the different end-of-chapter sections and explain how to get the most out of the textbook Web site. You will be using this Web site extensively throughout the course. Be sure to review the video tutorial and read Chapter 1 to learn more about how to best utilize this incredible resource.

Do This!

Attach your completed "Course Preparation Checklist" in a course email message to the instructor.
While most of our communications will occur here within Webcourses@UCF, from time to time I may need to send an important message outside of Webcourses. UCF uses "Knights Email" as the official means of communicating with students, and you really should get in the habit of using that system if you haven't already. However, I'd like to send messages to your preferred address, so please make sure to enter your email address on the EME5050 Contact Information form.
We want to get to know you! So, as part of Module 0's orienting activities, you'll have the opportunity to get acquainted with your classmates in the "Week 0 Discussion." You'll find detailed instructions for this discussion in the "Discussions" area of Webcourses@UCF. This is one of only two required online discussions in this course. (In future weeks most of your online interactions will occur via your own publicly accessible blogs. (See below.) Instructions for blog assignments will come in subsequent weeks' module pages.
You should also complete all three of the assigned Information Literacy Modules with a score of 80% or higher in order to receive full credit for each. (You'll receive one-third of the credit for each you complete successfully.) Links appear below. Please note that you'll have to log-in to the Information Literacy Modules using your Network ID (NID) and your NID password. (Since it is early in the term, it is likely that you'll need to reset your NID password using the instructions on the log-in screen. See http://infolit.ucf.edu/students/help for help getting started.)
Log-in to HootCourse. Hootcourse allows each of us to make short “micro postings” that will be displayed on our Webcourses@UCF home page as well as via Twitter (and via SMS text messaging if you enable this via Twitter). Existing Twitter usernames will allow you access to Hootcourse. If you do not have a Twitter account or wish to use a separate account for this course, you may set- up a "disposable" Twitter account in a matter of moments. For instructions on Twitter sign-up see: https://support.twitter.com/articles/100990-how-to-sign-up-on-twitter. For more on the concept of “disposable” Twitter IDs, see: http://chronicle.com/blogs/profhacker/disposable-twitter-accounts-for-classroom-use/40145. In addition to your contributions to this course's information stream, numerous supplemental content links will be sent during the course by your instructor as will short status updates (e.g., grading progress, etc.). Additionally, you will be expected to post promotional links to your blog postings to encourage readership. You may also choose to post excerpts from the readings that you find meaningful. (Note: Your Hootcourse posts will be viewable via Twitter unless you choose to disable each post’s connection to Twitter. For more information see: http://hootcourse.com/about. You may access the EME5050 Hootcourse outside of Webcourses@UCF at: http://hootcourse.com/course/7
Join the EME5050 social bookmarking "Diigo group" at: http://groups.diigo.com/group/eme5050 in preparation for a hands-on activity in Week 02. From this group page you'll have the option to create a Diigo account if you don't already have one. To begin, click the blue "Apply to Join this Group" button. You may choose to continue to use Diigo throughout the remainder of the course as well. More information on Diigo will be supplied during Week 02.
Make sure you can access the publisher-provided companion web site for our textbook. In later weeks, I will occassionally refer you to specific resources from this site that may prove helpful to you. You might need to set-up a free account on the web site using a course access number provided in your textbook. However, the direct link to the companion web site has worked without a log-in when I've tested it: http://bit.ly/gunter_7th
Set-up a blog and email the web address (URL) to me via "Course Mail" within Webcourses@UCF. Apart from this Webcourses@UCF tool, your blog will be your home away from home during this course. It is on your blog that you will post your Learning Journal entries. Additionally, you'll be reading and commenting on the Learning Journal entries of others on their blogs throughout the course. This is why I'll encourage you to "advertise" your blog postings with a link posted to HootCourse. (I'll also share other ways of getting to your classmates' blogs.)

(Note: If you already have a blog, you do not need to create another one. Just email me the URL, and I'll review it and let you know whether it is appropriate to integrate with this course.)

If "blog" is a totally unfamiliar term, or if you've never spent any time interacting with a blog, don't panic! You can do this! You may find the following resources useful:

Regardless of the requirements of this course, you may wonder why anyone would blog. Here are a general response and an educator-specific response (see the comments section). By the way, links I share in modules have passed the test of relevance over time. Links I post via HootCourse are typically fresh off the press. (So to speak.)
Free blog hosting: Blogger.com*, Edublogs.org, Posterous.com* Wordpress.com*, and Xanga.com* Each of these should have a straightforward, free registration process and help documentation. However, those marked with an asterisk will integrate with HootCourse so that if you want, you can make your entire blog entry from within the HootCourse interface. See http://hootcourse.com/about/#essay_writing for details and a video demonstration of this process within the "Start Here" area. By the way, I've included Edublogs because it is a very popular site for educators around the world. However, some past students have found it difficult to embed widgets using a free Edublogs account. (We'll talk about widgets later in the term.) Swim at your own risk.
Some blogging-related resource links compiled by an educator

Put the Schedule in a place where you will check it often. Due dates for all weekly activities are listed in your Schedule. (The most up-to-date version of the Schedule is located in the "Syllabus" area of the "Modules" section of this course.

.
Pages are maintained by Dr. Glenda Gunter and updated by Dr. Kelvin Thompson
© Copyright 1998-2013