The Final Project is your opportunity to demonstrate what you have learned throughout the course in a summative and comprehensive assignment. Begin preparing for this assignment by reading the Week Six Instructor Guidance and by imagining the following scenario:
In just two months, members of your community will vote on an $18 million educational technology bond intended to update the technology infrastructure of both the school district and local community center. The passing of the bond would provide upgraded technology to improve learning for Pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade students enrolled in the school district as well as adult learners enrolled in the community’s blended adult learning programs. The leadership teams of both the school district and community have decided to join forces in an effort to encourage voter participation. The leaders believe that by raising awareness and interest in technology as a teaching and learning tool, voters will have a better understanding of and appreciation for the issues pertaining to the bond, which will increase the likelihood of it passing at the polls.
Since this is a joint effort between the school district and community center, you will assume the role of either an educator in the district, or a representative of the community center and plan a portion of a local event involving community members. Your goal for the Final Project is to get residents of your community into the doors of your school and/or community center to raise awareness of and interest in technology integration in the learning environment. As such, this event will need to provide opportunities for attendees to be exposed to and interact with various types of technology. In essence, your event will showcase current examples of technology use in your respective learning environment as well as feature the impact that the bond money would have (i.e., how teaching and learning would improve) if passed.
Once a written plan is drafted, you will propose your event plan to either the school board or community center administrative team through a professional presentation detailing your plan along with a written synopsis of the event plans provided to your audience. Select from one of the two roles shared in the content expectations below and include each component in your Community Event Plan.
Create your assignment using the content and written communication instructions below. Use the Grading Rubric
to review your assignment before submission to ensure you have met the distinguished performance for each of the components described below. For additional assistance, review the Week Six Instructor Guidance page and, if needed, contact the instructor for further clarifications using the “Ask Your Instructor” discussion forum.
Content Instructions
Based on the role you have selected to take (either a district educator or a representative of the community center), you will create two components for this assignment: a professional presentation that will be recorded and a two-to- three page handout of the specific ideas for your community event that will be submitted to Waypoint for evaluation. Your community event will consist of several different stations for attendees to visit and gather information from and/or interact with. Your presentation will describe what will be included at each station. Remember that the goal of the event is to inform and excite local residents about how technology is currently being implemented in either the schools or community center and how technology use and thus, instruction and learning would improve if the bond is passed.
PART ONE: Presentation Content Expectations
Create a professional presentation to be shared using any of the digital presentation tools listed in Week One. You will talk through your presentation, creating a video and/or audio recording with the link provided in part two of the assignment. More specific instructions can be located in the Week Six Instructor Guidance. In your presentation, describe what will be included at the following stations at the Community Event;
Station 1: Universal Design for Learning (UDL): Three to four slides. Information shared on the slide(s) and viewed by the audience should be succinct and void of excessive detail. Specific details and descriptions should be included in part two; the written synopsis.
Audience (0.5 point): Discuss how you will get the audiences’ attention to visit this station. What might the station look like or include to draw people to it?
Information (1 points): Describe the most essential information attendees should know about UDL and how it specifically pertains to the population of Pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade students in the school district or the adult learners at the community center.
Demonstrate (1 point): Discuss how would you demonstrate UDL in action. For example, would you include a video of it being modeled, a sample instructional plan, or an example of a resource or source of technology that supports UDL?
Differentiation (2 points): Discuss the impact UDL has on teaching and learning for the specific population of PK through 12th grade students at the school district or adult learners at the community center. In your discussion, include how incorporating UDL principles enhances learning by providing differentiated learning opportunities.
Interaction (1 point): Describe how attendees could interact in this station. How might this increase their interest and appreciation for educational use of technology?
Station 2: Technology and UDL for All Learners: Two to three slides. Utilize information gleaned from your state’s Department of Education website, your local school district’s website, and/or the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE) website to support your ideas for this station. Information shared on the slide(s) and viewed by the audience should be succinct and void of excessive detail. Specific details and descriptions should be included in part two; the written synopsis.
Mission, Belief, and Goals (3 points): Craft an original mission and belief statement for your school district or community center as it pertains to technology integration and career and technical education (CTE). Construct two to three specific goals for the educational programs or courses offered to the respective population served that align with the mission and beliefs.
Course and/or Program Offerings (1 point): Construct a list of eight to ten courses or programs including CTE courses offered in either the school district or the community center to serve as examples to attendees of this station. The school district’s courses should include courses or programs that impact all three levels of learners and school environments including elementary, middle/junior high school, and high school students.
Station 3: 21st-Century Skills Acquisition and Employability: Two to three slides. Information shared on the slides and viewed by the audience should be succinct and void of excessive detail. Specific details and descriptions should be included in part two; the written synopsis.
Technology and 21st-Century Skills (5 points): Showcase one specific course from the courses offered list that integrates technology. Describe at least one 21st-century skill from each of the four 21st-century outcomes represented in the Partnership for 21st-Century Skills framework that students should gain as a result of participating in the course. Describe how Information, Media, and Technology Skills (ICT) Literacy outcomes ICT Literacy outcomes are addressed, specifically for applying technology effectively, and how such applications will support future employability.
Tools (1 point): Include an additional example of a tech/digital tool used in one or more courses.
Interaction (1 point): Describe how attendees might interact with the information and tool(s) presented at this station. How might this increase their interest and appreciation for educational use of technology?
New Technology (1 point): Discuss how school or community programs, courses, and students would benefit from upgraded technology from approved bond.
Slide Design and Format (2 points): Total of 8 to 10 slides including the title and references slides. Use relevant graphics to enhance the presentation without distracting from the main focus. Slides should have a consistent theme, format, and font that augment the readability of the presentation. Rather than using the speaker’s notes on each slide, details that would be shared with the audience will be provided in the second part of the assignment; the written synopsis. Save the presentation as a pdf., pwpt., or pwptx. file that shows speaker’s notes for viewing in Waypoint and Turnitin.
Title & References Slides (1 point): The Title slide should include your name, course name and number (EDU620), instructor’s name, the date, a title for your event and the role you have selected to take for the project (district educator or community center representative).
PART TWO: Written Synopsis
Follow the same outline for all three stations of your event featured in the Part One: Presentation. Here, you will provide the details for each part that would help inform the audience during your presentation. The details are what cannot be included on the slides. This three to five page document will include the link to your presentation and be submitted to Waypoint for evaluation. Your instructor will use your recorded presentation and the written synopsis to evaluate your work.
Link to presentation (0.5 points)
Follows presentation guidelines (2 points)
Written Communication Instructions
Syntax and Mechanics (0.5 point): Display meticulous comprehension and organization of syntax and mechanics, such as spelling and grammar.
Source Requirement (0.5 point): Utilize a minimum of five resources in addition to the Edyburn (2013) text. All sources on the references page need to be used and cited correctly within the body of the assignment.
APA Formatting (1 point): Use APA formatting consistently throughout the assignment. Refer to the Ashford University Writing Center for assistance with APA style and formatting or your copy of the APA Style Manual.
