• Online - no travel to campus required
• 2 graduate credits
• Next sessions:
  EDUC 744 917 June 16-  July 28, 2008
  EDUC 744 917 October 1- November 19, 2008

Inspiration® & Kidspiration ^TM:
K-12 Strategies to Build Study Skills and Comprehension

Description: Exploration of visual thinking strategies to enhance learning in all curricular areas and grade levels. Integration of technology tools and creation of a portfolio of graphic organizers to enhance students' critical thinking skills in note-taking, outlining, organizing and communicating information, and reading comprehension.

Target Audience: Designed for K-12 classroom teachers, special education/learning disabilities, ESL teachers, speech clinicians, library media specialists and technology coordinators.

Consider enrolling as a team with others from your district. Past participants who have taken this class with building colleagues have found it to be a wonderful way to share and adapt ideas that are tailored to their school’s needs. You can expect to come away from this class energized to work together on implementing new strategies to transform teaching and learning with technology in your school!

Using Graphic Organizers and Concept Mapping
Learn how to go "beyond the basics" with Inspiration® and Kidspiration^TM software to enhance learning in all curricular areas and grade levels with special benefits for speech/learning disabilities, special education, talented and gifted, and English language learners.

Discover more than a hundred exciting new ways to integrate Inspiration® and Kidspiration^TM with existing curriculum and expand your students’ reading comprehension with these versatile software tools! This course will include step-by-step instructions for concept-mapping including a tutorial and guidelines for assessment.

Both beginning and intermediate users of Inspiration/Kidspiration will enjoy the variety of tips and techniques shared in this dynamic, hands-on class.

Check out a few of our past participants' comments and project showcase.

Learning Outcomes:
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:

1. Analyze methods and benefits of structuring information visually, characteristics of visual learners, and the role of visual symbols and communication ;
2. Analyze, compare and classify the characteristics of an effective graphic organizer
3. Demonstrate strategies for scaffolding, concept-mapping and using graphic organizers to structure students' knowledge, enhance reading comprehension, and help students organize their research ;
4. Apply evidence-based research when analyzing instructional problem solving activities;
5. Apply assessments and analyze appropriate performance indicators for classroom activities utilizing graphic organizers;
6. Implement and facilitate collaborative instructional activities utilizing graphic organizers to:
   • Summarize the key points of a unit or chapter
   • Organize notes to improve comprehension and retention
   • Brainstorm ideas to determine prior knowledge
   • Assess student comprehension of written material
   • Plan research projects
   • Arrange ideas in outline form and convert to a concept map
   • Design idea webs, concept maps and comparison charts
   • Use audio features to enhance speech and language skills
7. Design an individual action plan applying instructional best practices using graphic organizers

Alignment with Wisconsin Teaching Standards

Participants in this class will gain experience that will help them meet the following Wisconsin Teaching Standards: 3, 4, 6

Instructor:
Karen Franker
Karen's background information

Hardware Requirements
What are the minimum technology requirements?

Operating System: Windows 2000, XP or Vista; Macintosh OS X

Complete the system checkup on this website, go make sure your system is compatible with Learn@UWStout https://uwstout.courses.wisconsin.edu/
by clicking on the link that says: Check your system.

Review the list of compatible/recommended browsers and software programs for Learn@UWStout at the Online Help Desk.

If you have any questions about these preferences, please call one of the numbers listed below and indicate that you are a UW-Stout student needing help with Learn@UW-Stout . Help is available 7 days a week.

• 1-888-435-7589 select option 3
, or
• 1-608-264-4357 select option 3

Modem - 56 kbps ( A high speed connection to the Internet is preferred. )
Operating System - Windows XP, Macintosh OSX or System 9 (Older operating systems will work for most of the course content.)
Memory - 128MB of RAM (256 or greater preferred) Older computers will be able to access most of the course content.

All projects will be exchanged by posting to the class Discussion Board as attachments, and your peers and instructor will provide suggestions and comments on the Discussion Board.

This class will take advantage of WWW resources and materials developed by the instructor. It will also include hands-on training as participants are guided through readings and tutorials, engaging in discussions, and completing individual assignments.

Conducted completely online with no face-to-face sessions, you may participate from your home or school computer 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Take a few minutes to review the Frequently Asked Questions, (FAQs).

Registration:
Sign Up Soon
Enrollment is limited to twenty participants; register online .

Tuition is payable by university billing, MasterCard or Visa. Withdrawal and refund information

Check out the list of additional online classes .

For additional information, e-mail your comments or questions to:

Contact: Joan M. Vandervelde
Online Professional Development Coordinator
School of Education
University of Wisconsin - Stout
Menomonie, WI 54751
phone: (715) 642-0209
fax: (715) 232-3385

Orientation Activities
After you are enrolled, review the orientation activities, Student Expectations and Responsibilities and Academic Expectations and Dishonesty Policy.