Spring, 2010 John Sklar, Instructor

Why We Are Here: This is a 3 credit course with some interesting features that will make assessments both interesting and challenging for me. The main goal of the course is to produce a portfolio that will be part of your comprehensive exams. (Could also be part of your PI-34 process too.) The secondary goal is to complete for your proposal for a culminating project (CEdo599)

First, the WIKI I’m using PBworks again. I like their interface and they have improved their editor. I have loaded the assignments, syllabus and other documents their for you to see. Please check the left side of page one daily for announcements. The sidebar is a virtual, and actual, menu of the material that is there for you to use.

Blog and Team Forms Use the blog and team forms so that I know what is going on. I will not count your blog post unless you fill out the form. Your team meeting will not count unless the team form is filled out. If you have not noticed, I love google forms!

Second, the Syllabus (just the high points): Please take the time to read it. (If we don’t print it, I believe it will be green!) Contact me by email at my wolfmail account only unless there is an emergency, or wolfmail is not working. Call me on my cell 262-227-3805 but not after 9 PM. (I will be in California, basking in the sun, from March 18-24th so please remember it is 2 hours ealier there.)

Objective 1 - Blogging You need to blog three times. You must reply, or comment, on two colleagues each blog session. I have tried to space them so you can blog and reply and then fill out the blog form so that I know you are done. You are not done with the assignment until you have filled out the form. This is listed as 10% of the grade. I may have to change it to 3 or 12 to get the math to come out right.

Assessment 2.1 – The Portfolio Experience Be sure to look at the assignment sheets for detailed directions Part 1: Find some exemplars, look at them and glean from them some of the headers one might use to create their own portfolio. Part 2: Prepare an initial draft of your portfolio in Google Sites. Log into Wolfmail and use sites from their. That will keep us all on the same page and private for now. (Make sure I can see them)

Assessment 2.2 – Mission and Vision Be sure to look at the assignment sheets for detailed directions You may want to bounce these around with your team, colleagues etc. You need to submit them twice, once on a wiki page so people can react, and second put them in your portfolio.

Assessment 2.3 – Appropriate Standards You will identify a set of standards, reflect on their value to you… (see the assignment sheet) Add the standards and artifacts to you protfolio. Reflect on other students. This is due April 20th, the 4th class and will take a lot of time so start now!

Assessment 2.4 – Artifacts from CEDonline See the assignment sheet. In this section you will add to your portfolio a list of courses and appropriate artifacts. (These may overlap with the artifacts from 2.3. You should upload as many as possible to the sites document section to avoid dead links later. Linking is appropriate but may result in problems later.

Assessment 2.5 – The Gimmie If you use google sites, and if you are polite and kind to the instructor… This will happen automatically as you create your site. This would be a challenge if you were creating a site somewhere else. It could be a challenge even here if your organization is poor. ( I won’t let that happen!)

Assessment 2.6 – The Portfolio If you have been keeping up all along this will just happen. We will be working on the portfolio site all along. This is the final draft that I will assess. Keep in mind that you will still have artifacts to accumulate from courses yet complete. Mark them “Under Construction” so that they are pages but not complete.

Assessment 3.1 – Culminating Experience Proposal We will discuss this more at a later date. Please look at the assignment sheet and the rubric and keep in mind that I will be assessing the proposal but not the project. Louis will be actually working with us on this part of the course (I hope) and I want to be sure that your project is do-able and within the scope of a CE!

Good Things… We have a nice break, from March 23rd to April 13th. You might need this to accumulate artifacts and work on your site. All in all, the assignments overlap, i.e complete one and another is almost done. Working ahead with an eye on the objective will serve you well. Take the time to understand the assignments and you will be rewarded.

Good Things (2)… No one ever taught this course before. If something doesn’t seem right, doesn’t work or if you think it could be reworded, reworked or otherwise changed, let me know right away. (I may not have thought of it.) Communicate with me and classmates. Keep in touch and ask questions, that way I will know if I am moving in the right direction.

Next Class… Class two will come to you from my sister’s house in California. Last time I did this it worked fine, you just never know with someone else’s connection. I will set up the link, etc early so don’t lose it. I will check email while I’m gone and answer my phone, if I’m not basking in the sun, so keep in touch.