GRADING Modified: October 3 , 2006
Course Work

Course work consists of assignments in which you apply what you have learned about technology, online discussions based on the readings, and a final paper.

Assignments (50% of grade). Throughout the semester you will be asked to implement some of the computing skills you are learning, and think about ways you could use some of the technology you've seen in your own classroom. You will often have some time to work on these assignments in class. In some cases, you will be given some choice in the shape of the assignments so that the course can be adjusted to your needs and interests. Some assignments are fairly simple and will be due at the end of the lab period. Others are more complex, and will require significant time outside of class to be completed.

Reading Responses (15% of grade). Readings from selected articles will help you think about the issues surrounding the integration of technology into classroom activity. A reading guide is provided to focus your response to the readings. Reading responses will be occur approximately every two weeks.

Position Paper (20% of grade). Another objective of the course is to introduce you to some of the social, cultural and instructional issues surrounding the use of technology in K-12 education. There is a great deal of informed disagreement and controversy surrounding the use of computing and communications technologies in schools. The position paper is your opportunity to dig into an issue that has particular interest for you, and refine your own position on it. A draft will be due mid semester. The final paper is due on the last day of class.

PowerPoint Presentation (10% of grade). During the final class everyone will make a PowerPoint presentation based on their Position Paper. The PowerPoint presentation should be no longer than five minutes & will be delivered to the whole class.

Grading

Grading in this course is done on a simple point system. The assignments, reading responses and the position paper total to 100 points, as follows.

3 Reading Responses (5 points each)

15% of final grade

5 Assignments

A1: Saving & finding files on the Mac (2 points)
A2: Searching the internet (5 points)
A3: Building a WebQuest (25 points)
A4: Teaching with a Simulation (18 points)

50% of final grade
Position Paper 25% of final grade
PowerPoint Presentation 10% of final grade

The scale for conversion to letter grades is as follows:

98 or more A+
91-97 A
88-90 A-
85-87 B+
80-84 B
77-79 B-
74-76 C+
69-73 C
60-68 C-
50-59 D
Below 50 F

(Note: There is no Faculty- or University-wide policy on conversion from percentages to letter grades.)

Late Policy

The assignments and papers are due by midnight on the due date, and unless otherwise specified, are to be submitted by sending email to David (bell@sfu.ca).. It is your responsibility to have the weekly assignments submitted on time, and to save a copy of your assignments in case of data loss, problems in transmission, etc. If you are late in submitting an assignment, marks will be deducted from what you earn at a rate of 5% PER DAY (any time after the 12:00pm deadline counts as a day).This means that at one day late, it is still possible to get an A+ on a perfect assignment. After three days, a perfect assignment could only get a B+. At six days late, the best a perfect assignment could get is a C-

Extensions

Extensions are granted only under unforeseen extenuating circumstances, such as illness or a family emergency; not for expected events such as exams. Appropriate documentation may be required. Please contact me prior to the assignment due date to discuss the possibility of an extension.