EDTECH 573

Spring 2008: January 22 - May 9

3 Credit Online Course

Course Information

Instructor:
Name: Dr. Chareen Snelson
Location: BSU Education Building, Room 307
Phone: 1-208-426-2952
E-Mail: csnelson@boisestate.edu
Web Site: http://edtech.boisestate.edu/snelsonc/
Office Hours: Monday and Wednesday 1:00 - 3:00, Thursday 3:30 - 4:30 (Mountain Time)

Course Location:
This is an online course supported by the Blackboard course management system. The login page is located at: http://blackboard.boisestate.edu

Use your BroncoWeb username and password to login to Blackboard. Problems with user name or password not working should be directed to the BroncoWeb Helpline (208) 426-BWEB (2932) or bweb@boisestate.edu. If you experience technical problems with Blackboard please send an email to blackboard@boisestate.edu to request assistance.

When you login to Blackboard look for a link to Sp08 - EDTECH573 - The Internet for Educators. This link will become visible on Tuesday, January 22. This is the first day of the spring semester. If you are taking other online courses at BSU it is possible that those course links will appear earlier, later, or at the same time as EDTECH 573. It depends on when the instructor makes the course site available in Blackboard.

EDTECH 573 Course Description:
Students access and use the Internet and its tools for locating and retrieving remotely archived information. Students then synthesize and publish the information using multimedia or hypermedia software. Students also identify and learn appropriate models for using the Internet in the classroom as well as collaborate in online work groups as they build knowledge based on Internet data sources.

Course Goals: After completing this course students will

1. be able to use some of the basic tools available in Blackboard;
2. adhere to rules of netiquette when corresponding with others over the Internet;
3. attain a working knowledge of HTML/XHTML/CSS code;
4. apply appropriate design principles to create professional looking Web sites;
5. develop knowledge and skills in the use of Web page authoring software;
6. create Web pages and upload them along with dependent files onto a server for Internet access;
7. apply file management skills to maintain local and remote Web site files and folders;
8. use image editing software to create and edit images files in a form appropriate for the Web;
9. insert images correctly into Web pages;
10. attain an understanding of policies and rules related to copyright, fair use, and plagiarism;
11. understand, use, and be able to teach effective Internet search skills;
12. understand and be able to apply appropriate integration models to create instructional materials for the Internet.

Course Materials

Required Course Texts:
The books selected for this course cover the full range of Web design topics for the course. The authors for all three books have written multiple books or volumes for their topic over the years. The first two books listed below have companion Web sites with practice files and notes about mistakes that may have been found (errata).

	Dreamweaver CS3:The Missing Manual Author: David Sawyer McFarland Date: 2007 Publisher: Pogue Press, O'Reilly ISBN-10: 0596510438 Companion Web Site: http://www.sawmac.com/missing/dwcs3/
	HTML, XHTML & CSS (Sixth Edition) Visual QuickStart Guide Author: Elizabeth Castro Date: 2007 Publisher: Peachpit Press ISBN-10: 0321430840 Companion Web Site:http://www.cookwood.com/html6ed/
	The Non-Designer's Web Book: An Easy Guide to Creating, Designing, and Posting Your Own Web Site (Third Edition) Authors: Robin Williams & John Tollett Date: 2006 Publisher: Peachpit Press ISBN-10: 0321303377
	Adobe Fireworks CS3: Using Fireworks--Download it for Free at: http://help.adobe.com/en_US/Fireworks/9.0/fireworks_cs3_help.pdf

Please order your books immediately if you have not already done so.

Books for this class may be ordered online: Here are two suggested vendors who can take your order online and send your books through the mail. If it turns out that one vendor cannot get books to you in a timely manner please cancel your order and look for another vendor.

• Boise State University Bookstore: http://www.boisestatebooks.com/
• Amazon: http://www.amazon.com
  

Software Requirements:

Current software requirements for the EDTECH program include Dreamweaver CS3 and Fireworks CS3. See: http://edtech.boisestate.edu/web/hardware.htm

• Adobe Dreamweaver CS3: This software is used to create Web sites.
• Adobe Fireworks CS3: This is image editing software that works with Dreamweaver. Images are used frequently in Web pages.

You may find that one of the Adobe Creative Suite packages is a better deal than buying titles separately. You get more for your money. For example, the Adobe CS3 Web Standard includes Dreamweaver, Fireworks, and Flash for less money than buying all three individually. Currently, Flash is taught in EDTECH 574.

Please do not pay full price for your software!!! An academic discount is available for students and teachers with proof of eligibility. The academic price shaves hundreds of dollars from the original cost.

Here are two places where you can obtain the academic (lower priced) versions of the software:

• Boise State Bookstore: http://www.boisestatebooks.com/ (Click Technology/Software)
• Academic Superstore:http://www.academicsuperstore.com/ (Search for titles)

Antivirus Software: Please make sure to have up to date antivirus software installed and running on your computer.

Popup Blocker: This is highly recommended. Google has one built into their free toolbar if you want to try it: http://toolbar.google.com/T4/index_pack.html

Free Software: Please make sure that the following are installed and up to date on your computer.

• Adobe Reader: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html
• Flash Player: http://www.adobe.com/products/flashplayer/
• QuickTime Player: http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/
• Firefox Web Browser: http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/

Internet Connection and FTP Capability:
Of course, an Internet connection is required to participate in this online course. If you have a high speed connection it is preferable to dial-up access. If you only have dial-up access you can still get by, but patience is a virtue when waiting for files to download.

We will be creating a Web site over the semester and it will be necessary to FTP files to a Web server here at Boise State University. Dreamweaver uploads and downloads files through FTP (File Transfer Protocol). If you plan to work from a school or business location it may be necessary to request help from your network administrator. Sometimes FTP is blocked. Please be prepared for this possibility so that you can either get help or find a different place to do your assignments.

Alternative Web Site Space:
Typically, we provide Web site space for students on the EDTECH2 server. However, sometimes things go wrong with the server or students are unable to FTP to it. This has sometimes been an issue for students who are outside of the United States. Please be prepared to obtain alternative Web site space if necessary. You may already have Web site space as part of the Internet Service Provider subscription you are using. Free, or inexpensive Web site hosting is also quite easy to find.

Assignments and Grading

Detailed information about assignments will be posted in Blackboard. After opening the course site click the Assignments link in the left hand navigation panel to access this information. The course schedule has been set up so that new assignments will be posted on Wednesdays. Due dates are always set for Tuesdays. Please check at least twice per week to read announcements since these can be posted at any time. Also, check your BSU BroncoMail (email) at least once per week for course related correspondence. The default email address in Blackboard is your BSU email address. You can set up BroncoMail to be forwarded to another email address if desired. For information about the BSU student email system (BroncoMail) please visit: http://helpdesk.boisestate.edu/students/broncomail/getting_started.shtml

The following table contains a list of the assignments to be completed in EDTECH 573. You may track your progress through My Grades in Blackboard. All of the assignments are listed in My Grades and points will be added as we progress through the semester. Announcements will be posted when assignments have been graded.

Standards:
The assignments in this course have been aligned to the Standards for the Accreditation of School Media Specialist and Educational Technology Programs: http://www.aect-members.org/standards/standards2004.doc

Class Policies

Academic Honesty:
It is expected that students in this class will create original works for each assignment. We will follow the BSU Student Code of Conduct and also observe U.S. copyright laws in this course. Several great links to copyright information are available on the BSU Academic Technologies site at: http://itc.boisestate.edu/resource.htm

In addition to this please adhere to the following guidelines:

• Please do your own original work for each project. Projects that were created for other classes may not be submitted for credit in EDTECH 573. Each project may only be submitted for credit one time by the person who created it. The BSU Student Code of Conduct states: "Academic dishonesty also includes submitting substantial portions of the same academic course work to more than one course for credit without prior permission of the instructor(s)."
• All projects and other assignments should be composed in original text that is written by the student who is submitting it. The exception to this is the use of small amounts of quoted material that is properly cited. Copying and pasting from other Web sites or projects (including the instructor's examples) is not permitted.
• Images or other media used in projects should be original, or used with permission of the owner, or come from the public domain. Please check terms of use on sites containing these items. If in doubt, don't use it.
• Please cite the source for materials that are obtained for your projects unless they are created by you. If permission is granted for use of copyrighted materials please post a statement explaining that near those materials.

In the event of academic dishonesty a complaint is filed with the BSU Student Conduct Office with supporting documentation. This complaint remains on file and actions may be taken against the student (e.g., loss or credit, grade reduction, expulsion, etc.).

Late Work:
Please be advised that the following late work policy will be enforced in this class:

• Only one assignment may be submitted late. This one late assignment can be no more than one week late or it receives zero points. All other late work receives a zero.
• All assignment due dates fall on Tuesdays. Assignments must be submitted by midnight Mountain time on scheduled due dates. For time zone information please visit the World Clock Web site: http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/

It is a good idea to schedule specific times to work on your assignments each week and keep the appointment with yourself. Plan to spend 8 - 12 hours per week on this class. It is in your best interest to start early on each assignment to give yourself time to fix technical problems or get help before the due date passes.

Advanced Copies of Assignments:
Please understand that I am continually adding new materials and multimedia to my course assignments. Although I applaud students who wish to work ahead it is not feasible for me to prepare advanced copies of assignments. Full assignment details will only become available at the beginning of each new assignment week (Wednesdays). An outline of topics and reading assignments is available in the course schedule below. The reading assignments are all listed so they may be completed in advance if desired.

The EDTECH Program

EDTECH Web Site: http://edtech.boisestate.edu

The Department of Educational Technology supports the study and practice of facilitating and improving learning of a diverse population by creating, using, managing, and evaluating appropriate technological processes and resources.   Believing technology is a tool that enhances and expands the educational environment, we promote the use of current and emergent technologies for teaching and learning in a dynamic global society. Educational technologists are leaders and innovators, serving in institutions of higher education, public or private school settings, federal, state or local educational agencies, community organizations, and the private sector.