A focus on the application of technology to the local school setting. Students will become knowledgeable of the latest innovations in

computer and multi-media technology as they apply to classroom and administrative tasks.

The following assumptions will guide how and why this course designed:

I. Education technology is in a constant state of change.

Companies that develop the tools and technologies educators use come and go. Product features, user interfaces, pricing and availability, and other key aspects of the products that educators have come to rely upon are regularly updated. Market forces and societal demands can rapidly and drastically cause seismic shifts that impact not only what products are available, but also how teachers are expected to teach and what competencies they are expected to have.

"Once a niche sector with an ambitious vision to transform the way the world learns, EdTech Venture investment is now 40x larger than it was a little over a decade ago in 2010, nearly 5x the previous investment peak in 2015 and 3x pre-pandemic investment levels in 2019...this cumulative wave of investment in innovation and technology marks a meaningful milestone in the digital transformation of learning from early childhood though school, college and university to a new approach from industry for up-skilling and lifelong learning."

(HolonIQ, 2022)

Due to this fluidity, this course will not cover specific product tutorials, features, or other details that are susceptible to being rendered obsolete. Rather, this course focuses on transferable skills, concepts, and practices that educators can utilize regardless of the shifts in technological landscape and market demands.

II. The educators taking this course will have different levels of experience with education technology and will be teaching different grade levels and subjects.

The tools, applications, and electronic resources used in ECE will differ vastly compare compared to what is appropriate at the high school level. Similarly, what will be helpful in middle school chemistry courses will often not carry the same weight in AP psychology for seniors. Accordingly, this course will focus on generally applicable concepts and strategies that will be of assistance to all educators. We'll also evaluate a few tools and models that will help educators assess how and why certain tools or strategies are appropriate given their specific situations.

Additionally, educators in this course will find that many of the resources are optional and that there is a lot of choice with regards to the assigned work. This is to give educators the power to maximize the value of this course in a way that is tailored to meet their individual needs and objectives.

III. As a 7-week course, there is neither enough time to cover all of the subtopics and specialities within the field of education technology nor review foundational teaching concepts.

This course is designed with the assumption that the educators taking this graduate-level course will have already gained proficiency in foundational educational theories and concepts. Unless such topics are directly related to topics of educational technology, we will not cover topics that are either unrelated to or only tangentially aligned the course objectives. Nevertheless, when reviewing the course materials or submitting assigned work, the educators taking this course are expected to have a solid understanding of any and all such foundational theories and concepts (or otherwise responsible for reviewing them).

Similarly, degree offerings in the field of education technology will require courses in specialized subtopics. See sample course offerings here. Although we will cover and discuss how many of these items are related to the field of education technology as a whole, they are simply beyond the scope and inherent constraints of a single course. These subtopics may include:

• HTML/CSS/Javascript coding

• Mobile App Design

• Game Development & Gamification

• Multimedia Design

• Graphic Design

• Instructional Design

• Network Administration

• Learning Management Systems

• Technology Integration & Planning

1. HolonIQ (January 03, 2022). Global EdTech Venture Capital Report - Full Year 2021. https://www.holoniq.com/notes/global-edtech-venture-capital-report-full-year-2021/