Syllabus

Participation

Participants will:

• exchange e-mail with other participants and participate on a discussion board and electronic conferencing;
• review and discuss resource readings on Web page development;
• execute a series of activities to create templates for page layout and design;
• confer one-to-one with the instructor via e-mail to solve individual design problems;
• create a five-page website as a final project;
• complete a final self-assessment.

Each participant will determine the type of web project most useful, such as classroom web site, lesson web page, or school web site.

Collaboration
As we complete each activity, you are encouraged to share your discoveries and successes with other participants and collaborate during team problem-solving. Participants may share drafts of works-in-progress for peer feedback and discuss ideas and suggestions before submitting the final project.

Each participant brings unique needs and resources to the group. Our sharing will provide a broader base of experience as we discover the solutions to each other's design needs and challenges.

Since our diverse groups are usually in many different time zones feel free to use the following aids to determine what time it is in your classmates' countries and/or cities. This will help when setting up real-time chats with your learning partner during collaborative projects .

The World Clock - Time Zones
WORLDTIME
The Time Zones for PCs (free download)

Course Discussion Board
Many of the course instructional materials will arrive via the class discussion board, so it is important that you check it regularly. You will also submit selected assignments to the discussion board.

Perhaps its most vital use, however, is the exchange of ideas that can occur among class participants. You will be able to communicate with everyone in the class through your postings to the discussion board. Communicate with each other frequently and freely.

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Self-Reflection
At the conclusion of the class you will write a concise (250-300 word) reflection that responds to questions such as:

• What was the most valuable thing you learned in this class?
• How has your perception of the World Wide Web changed after taking this course?
• How will you implement this in your teaching or training?
• In what area(s) do you feel you need more information or practice to feel comfortable designing Web pages?
• How can you use your new skills to benefit your school? district?

Evaluation
Your grade will be based on:

40% - Satisfactory execution of lesson activities

30% - Final Project

20% - Online Discussion (postings to discussion board and participation in real-time chats)

10% - Self-reflection

Your Web pages will be evaluated on your demonstration of standards listed on the rubric.

A -- Exceeds the standard

B -- Proficient demonstration of the standard

I -- Incomplete demonstration of the standard (Work must be resubmitted.)

Evaluation of your discuaaion board participation is cumulative and subjective based on notes that the instructor records each week. E-mail your instructor for help in upgrading your participation in the WebBoard discussion.

Excellent indicates you participated above the minimum level in both quantity and clarity of communication in your discussion board postings.

Average indicates you met the minimum requirement.

Below average indicates you consistently contributed below the minimum two messages per week or contributions were merely perfunctory ("I agree with so and so.") or unclear.

Reflections will be evaluated for clarity and your understanding of the course readings and activities.

Any time that you want to ask about your progress, send a message directly to your instructor.

Resources and Software Needed
Reading materials will be included in most sessions, either as e-mail or references to materials on the WWW. There is no required textbook. The following software is needed to complete the course:

• a text editing program, such as Simple Text or Notepad
• Netscape 4 or higher *AND* Internet Explorer 4 or higher
• a graphic conversion program, such as GIF Converter or Graphic Converter, available as shareware at http://www.lemkesoft.de/ (Mac users) or Paint Shop Pro available at http://www.jasc.com/download_4.asp? (Windows users) is also useful but not required.

An optional purchase which you may find useful is Susan Hixson and Kathleen Schrock's Developing Web Pages for School and Classroom, available at http://discoveryschool.com/schrockguide/order/index.html

Questionnaire
Tell your facilitator about yourself and your goals for the course by completing this short questionnaire.