Course Description

This course is designed to help students develop the competencies needed to effectively adopt, adapt, and apply technologies to enhance teaching and learning in a variety of settings. In addition to developing competencies with an array of software and hardware, students develop their abilities to evaluate websites, learning platforms, and the uses of technology in an instructional setting. The ethical and legal uses of technology are examined as well as the standards for universal access to technology.

"BRAIN" is the first core course. The goal of this course is to produce teachers who will use the latest brain-based research to improve instructional design. Examination of the development and dynamics of cognitive processes with emphasis on emergent research findings from the fields of biology, neuroscience,and pedagogy. Analysis of implications for design of instructional environments in addressing variables among learners.

Rationale

Recent studies are beginning to reveal how various brain areas are working together to produce cognitive processes. Numerous seemingly unrelated areas of biology, neuroscience, psychology, linguistics, and computer simulation are attempting to understand mental processes. The educator has control over the creation of effective, efficient, and enjoyable learning environments; however, the bridge between the process of teaching and learning is limited to the five senses. In preparation for the changing needs of the learner and the workplace in the 21st Century educators must incorporate what this recent scientific research has provided into their teaching strategies.

Goal

The goal of this course is to produce teachers that will use the latest brain based research to formulate better models of how we learn and remember in order to become more effective educators.

Objectives

Upon successful completion of the course, students will:

1. Understand how memory systems work, especially working memory capacity, and how learning is stored in long term memory.
2. Use the results of research to provide a better understanding of what occurs inside the brain during the process of learning.
3. Differentiate learning for their students using an understanding of learning style models and multiple intelligences.
4. Use technology resources to create student-centered lessons that address the varied needs of the learner and develop individualized lessons that use technology to enhance the teaching and learning process. These technologies include graphic organizer programs, presentation tools, and web design.
5. Create deliberate and focused instruction using Backward Design.
6. Use Bloom’s taxonomy to create a multi-tiered scale to express the level and types of thinking required to achieve each measurable student outcome.
7. Engage in effective pedagogical practices by competently selecting and using high quality resources and/or approaches that have been built around a strong evidence base.