Welcome Letter    Course Syllabus  Assignments   Discussion Board Topics 

Welcome to "Special Projects in Education CI 790."  My name is Tonya Witherspoon and I will be the instructor for this course. You can visit my website to learn more about me.

This course is  designed for those successfully completing "Robotics in the Classroom Workshop CI 751B." In the Robotics workshop we learned how to use the Lego Mindstorms Equipment to design, build, and program robots. We discussed WHAT subjects we could teach while using this tool, WHO we could teach it to, and HOW and WHEN we could use this tool.  We all took part in creating a classroom environment that allowed for experimentation, discovery and innovation. What a great learning experience we had!

In this class we will practice what we learned about building robots with our own classrooms. We will share our experiences and how we are using the Mindstorms kit in our classrooms with each other in this online forum.  Together we will  create a "community of practice" (CoP). A Community of Practice is a group of people who are bound to one another by a common interest or goal. Instead of meeting together we will use this online forum to meet, share and communicate what is happening in our classrooms.  I will be facilitating and directing the discussion and assignments but we will all be learning together.  Your participation is essential in making this forum successful!  If you follow the assignments and the suggested pacing I think that this will be an invaluable learning experience. 

Each week we will have specific assignments to complete but all of our information and conversations will be posted through the duration of this course.  Please feel free to revisit topics as they become more pertinent to you and your teaching. This class is offered online so you can have the opportunity to do your work whenever it is convenient for you. This can be incredibly liberating but can also snowball and become difficult if you're not a disciplined learner. I have included a suggested pacing with your assignments.  I hope this helps you set a rhythm for participation.  If you have any problems remember we are all just a keystroke away!

In order to make you more comfortable with the Blackboard interface I will point out some of the important features. You will find the course syllabus listed under the button "Course Documents."  All assignments and due dates will be listed under the button "Assignments." The button "Discussion Board" button will be your entrance into our threaded discussion area. The "External Links" button will list the resources for this class. The "Tools" button is where you can check your grade, access an online Bb student manual, and upload to your drop box. The "Communications" button is where you can find a class roster and e-mail list.  If at any time you have any problems that you can not find answers for please feel free to post to the group for help or e-mail me directly tonya.witherspoon@wichita.edu . 

I look forward to learning and sharing with you all!

Tonya Witherspoon

Back to the top

Course Information
CI 790
Special Projects in Education  (3 graduate credit hours)

Catalog Description: Special Projects in Education is a graduate course designed to allow students to develop and practice a predetermined project in the educational setting.

Prerequisite(s): Robotics In The Classroom CI 751B


Student Learning Outcomes:

Students will research learning strategies using the Lego Mindstorms kit in education.
Students will practice creating a classroom environment that allows for experimentation, discovery and innovation.


Required textbook: None

Evaluation:
A= 90% of possible points
B=80% of possible points
C=70% of possible points
_______________________________________________________

Academic Honesty: A standard of honesty, fairly applied to all students, is essential to a learning environment. Students abridging a standard of honesty must accept the consequences; penalties are assessed by appropriate classroom instructors or other designated people. Serious cases may result in discipline at the college or University level and may result in suspension or dismissal. Dismissal from a college for academic dishonesty, constitutes dismissal from the University.(WSU Student Handbook)


ADA: In you have a physical, psychiatric/emotional, medical, or learning disability that may impact your ability to carry out assigned course work, contact the office of Disability Services (DS), Grace Wilkie Annex, room 173. (Voice phone number 978-3309; tdd/tty phone number 978-3067). DS will review your concerns and determine, with you, what accommodations are necessary for you. All information and documentation of your disability is confidential and will not be released by DS without your written permission.  

Back to the top

If you spend a short time each day keeping up on this class you will be able to have time to comprehend and reflect on what you're learning.  Pacing yourself will be more enjoyable and you will get much more out of the information than if you save everything up for one long session each week.  I have written a suggested pacing that will help you begin to set a rhythm for participation.

Suggested Pacing for Each Week:

Monday:  Log in and read your Assignments.  Begin to look over the links or course documents assigned.

Tuesday: Continue to research links and course documents.  Begin formulating your post to the group.  If possible make initial posting.

Wednesday: Post your assignment to the group.  Begin reading classmate's assignments. 

Thursday:  Continue reading classmate's assignments and begin to respond.

Friday: Continue reading responses and revisit course documents or links to clarify information.  Respond whenever appropriate.

Saturday and Sunday:  Catch up on any work from the week.  Relax and enjoy - another week is coming up!

February 20 - 23: 

• Pick up your Mindstorms Kit.
• Log onto Blackboard and become familiar with the interface.
• Take a look at the website I created with pictures, movies and your comments from our Robotics in the Classroom Workshop.

February 26 - March 2: 

• Introduction Assignment #1:  In the Discussion Board post your name, school, and describe the group you will be teaching using your Mindstorms kit. - 10 pts.
• Research and Share Assignment #2: Check out the websites listed under External Links.  Share something you learned and respond to what others share.  Can any of this information help you in planning a lesson, teaching a concept, or managing the equipment or time schedule?  - 15 pts.
• Respond to others - 15 pts.

March 5 - 9:

• Lesson Plan Assignment #3: Plan a lesson introducing the Mindstorms kit to your students.  Share a summary of this lesson in the Discussion Board. Respond to what others share. Did you use the Pathfinder design and the program to complete a square or did you come up with your own idea?  - 25 pts.
• Respond to others - 15 pts.

March 12 - 16:

• Share the Robot Challenges created by the Student Engineering Council with your students.  I have posted these in the Course Documents. 
• Begin discussing these challenges and how they might be solved.
• Team Jobs Assignment #4: Share in the forum how your teams are forming and what kinds of jobs the students are taking.  Are they working cooperatively?  What roles are they taking on?  Are they the jobs we discussed in our workshop or are their new jobs that the teams have created?- 15 pts.
• Respond to others - 15 pts.

March 19 - 23:

• Share and Help Others Assignment #5: Summarize your student's activities.  What have they learned?  How are their groups working? Is time becoming a factor?  If so, how can we deal with it?  Respond to others in the Discussion Board.  This is how we will learn and help each other. 15 pts.
• Respond to others - 15 pts.

March 26 - 30:

• Countdown Assignment #6:  Post an update to where you're at with your students. Are we still having fun?  Don't let the looming Expo stress you or your students.  This should be a fun way to share what we've learned and built.  Respond to others with encouragement and suggestions when possible. 15 pts.
• Respond to Others - 15 pts.

March 31: 

• Lego Mindstorms Expo
  9:00am - 4:00pm
  Wallace Hall
  Attendance: 40 pts.

April 2 - 6:

• Lesson Plan Assignment #7: Write a lesson plan for using the Mindstorms kit. This can be adapted from a lesson you find in the External Links or can be an original. Post your lesson in the Discussion Forum. - 40 pts.
• Reflection Paper Assignment #8: Write a two page reflection on your experience using the Lego Mindstorms Kit in your classroom.  Include information about how you introduced the kit to your students,   how they responded,  new things they learned, new things you learned, one thing you will do differently when you use this kit again. -  40 pts.
• Course Evaluation Assignment #9: Fill out the evaluation form found in Course Documents.  Let me know how you liked this course format.  Did it facilitate your learning?  How could I improve the class in the future? - 15 pts.

April 10:  

• Lesson Plan Assignment #7 Due
• Reflection Paper Assignment #8 Due
• Respond to others - 15 pts.

April 20: 

• Final Grades Posted  

Back to the top

• About This Course: Technical Problems or Questions
• Introduction Assignment #1
• Research and Share Assignment #2
• Lesson Plan Assignment #3
• Team Jobs Assignment #4
• Share and Help Others Assignment #5
• Countdown Assignment #6
• Lesson Plan Assignment #7
• Reflection Paper Assignment #8
• Course Evaluation Assignment #9

Back to the top

LEGO® is a trademark of the LEGO® Group of companies which does not sponsor, authorize or endorse this site. 
Please visit the Official LEGO® WWW page.

Background courtesy of fibblesnork.com(tm) (Copyright held by by Todd Lehman)

Contact Tonya Witherspoon
Last Update: July 2003