Need something to keep students focused during that period when everyone gets spring fever? How about creating a magazine about spring? Students research their favorite biology topics and write creative articles to publish. Students use their imaginations to develop researched material into a creative writing project decorated with graphics. Encourage students to communicate their interpretations of biology as related to spring.

How do you grade student's work when there is not a single right answer? Dr. Leavell gives examples of rubrics and rationale for using them.

Dr. Leavell continues to discuss rubrics. This module focuses on how to create your own rubrics for a specific assignment.

Dr. Mark Mortensen illustrates basic digital video editing vocabulary and concepts.

RETA, Regional Educational Technology Assistance, presents Best Teaching Practices: Research-Based Models. Bernie Dodge, founder of WebQuest founder, San Diego State University, helps narrate this video about the effectiveness of technology in New Mexico schools. This video highlights six research-based best teaching practices to help fulfill the promise of technology and support educators successfully meeting the challenge to effectively integrate technology into teaching and learning.

Dr. Mark Mortensen discusses the classifications of video equipment and gives examples. Strategies for the acquistion of video equipment are also covered.

Color plays an important role in the look and reception of presentations, printed media, and screen layouts. This module provides useful guidelines to use color effectively.

Computers and printers produce colors in different of ways. This module provides an introduction to color theory and provide and how computers and printers create color.

Objectives of the module include:

Layout of visual images are important aspects of visual arts, desktop publishing, photography, as well as video production. This module provides basic tools and rules for visual design.

Dr. Norris describes background for the Internet including the alphabet soup and different connectivity options.

Dr. Vicky Cereijo illustrates the role of copyright and copyrighted material as it pertains to multimedia.

Dr. Mark Mortensen asks and answers "Fact or Legend?" regarding common copyright questions. Learn the facts about copyright laws and helpful tips about "fair use" of protected materials for education. Some issues include:

Major changes in desktop video production have occurred in the last few years. Digital cameras are rapidly gaining strenth in the consumer and prosumer market. Dr. Mark Mortensen compares the difference between an analog and digital video signal and illustrates other characteristics of digitized video. Details of acquiring video are also introduced.

What are the essential components of quality technology projects? This module challenges the viewer to develop solutions to several questions regarding the focus and components of developing quality technology projects by:

How can desktop publishing be integrated into instruction? Learn about project-based learning (PBL) and how to integrate technology applications such as desktop publishing and multimedia into this rich instructional strategy. In this module you will:

Desktop Publishing provides students with opportunities to create diverse products. Applying principles of authentic learning, students can create paper-based items for their other classes, for the school or community.
Desktop Publishing is one of the Technology Applications courses available for high school students in Texas. This module focuses on:

Dr. Vicky Cereijo illustrates the process of distributing multimedia titles.

Students will work individually to collect information and write a paper on a drug topic. They will then work collaboratively to create a class presentation in the form of a brochure, newsletter, or slide show. After presentations each group will choose to brainstorm an idea for a public service announcement on drug awareness, either in the form of a poster or a commercial.

Students will research an endangered Texas animal in the library and on the world wide web for information on it’s description, habitat, forces causing it’s decline, programs to help it, and any interesting facts they can find. They will use this information to create a slide show about the animal that contains a clay animation video. For the video, students will create the characters and the set, take individual pictures and complete the animation on the computer.

How has communication changed through the years? How have these changes improved our lives? The tools we use for communication purposes have evolved and improved over time. Take a journey through this module and discover the history of the communication process.

A general overview of each system of the body including components, functions, healthy habits, and interesting facts. Students use PowerPoint and Publisher to create a website and presentation using information about systems of the body and a brochure regarding "germs" and healthy/unhealthy behaviors.

What are the major holidays celebrated in Spanish-speaking countries? How are they similar? How are they different? Students do internet research and student interviews, then prepare PowerPoint presentations to teach each other about their major holidays.

Based on the Character Counts program, fourth grade students will present a program titled, "From the Inside Out". Students will assist in behind the scenes preparation for the program. They will help make set decorations on the computer, assist in making PowerPoint presentations to present during the program, and assist in writing a school song to be presented at the concert.

Dr. Gerald Knezek unravels Internet protocols and how computers communicate using the Internet. This module covers:

An introduction to educational technology including historical views and future predictions of computers in the classroom.

With so many different graphic formats, how do you know when to use which one? What are the advantages and disadvantages of the different formats. Dr. Mark Mortensen distinguishes between bitmapped and vector graphics. He details information about common graphic file formats and the software that creates them. He also discusses when to use which format.

Dr. Poirot explains how a computer works both hardware and software. This information is important as you buy a computer or software that will be installed on your computer.

Dr. Poirot discusses the need for teachers to understand basic hardware and software concepts.

How does the history of educational technology affect today's school? Were the predictions of the past realized? What predictions have been made about the future of educational technology?

How do airplanes fly? Over the last 100 years, airplanes have secured a place of importance in our society. This module will direct attention to questions about

How do airplanes fly? Over the last 100 years, airplanes have secured a place of importance in our society. This module will direct attention to questions about

Students will learn about the weather and the growing season with technology integrated into the normal Kindergarten curriculum of Language Arts, Math and Science.

It would appear that one of the hardest concepts to teach elementary children is inferencing. It is an abstract and illusive skill, not readily lending itself to singular interpretation. It involves sequencing, prediction, categorization and association skills, a strong vocabulary, questioning skills and the ability to interpret the information gleaned from the questioning. This unit lesson is designed to make the skill of inferencing more concrete by breaking it down into its parts, allowing the children to analyze the parts and practice the skill through literature and interactive web pages. The students will demonstrate their knowledge by preparing an inferred story based on a picture that reflects the ending of a story.

This module documents the history and development of the Web Library from its inception in 1999 through November 2002.

What aspects are important when recording sound digitally? Dr. Mark Mortensen compares analog and digital sound, then talks about aspects of digital sound files that affect file size.

Use technology to turn everyday routines like taking attendance and lunch count into a math activity that rocks. Record lunch choices in a word processing document made easy with Clicker4, a software program that reads to you. Tally the lunch count and graph the day's choices on Excel. Extend calendar math with the day's meterology

Dr. Vicky Cereijo discusses management of a mulitmedia title and also production of CD-ROMs.

Dr. Cereijo discusses multimedia authoring programs, categories of authoring programs and their advantages and how to choose an authoring program.

Dr. Cereijo illustrates the basic principles of text and graphics used in the development of multimedia.

Dr. Cereijo discuses computer components, multimedia development systems, playback systems and multimedia history.

How do humans explore the world around them? How have tools used to measure and map changed from Columbus' time to the tools used today? Various navigation tools from both eras are demonstrated.

There are many different ways to search the Internet. This module discusses the use of directories or catalogs to explore or narrow a search.

With so many resources on the Internet, how do you find what you want? This module offers information and suggestions for choosing tools to use to search the Internet. Other modules in the set will have more details and examples. Conduct your own Internet search as you work through this set of modules.

"How do you teach technology or have your students use technology in your classroom if you only have one computer in your classroom?" This the real-world question considered in this module. A panel of educators shares their experiences and perspectives for designing and implementing the one computer classroom. Many fundamental and pertinent issues are discussed.

Dr. Norris describes background for the Internet including the alphabet soup and different connectivity options.

What are the first steps in creating a classroom video? Dr. Terry Holcomb discusses the beginning stages of video production. He overviews the creation of teams and team responsibilities. He also introduces the basics of scriptwriting and storyboarding.

Have you been struggling with ways to incorporate technology skills learning into your everyday curriculum? Have you always thought that portfolios were a great idea but...? Creating a core group of art students to function as trainers of trainers for the classrooms can allow you to accomplish both goals with a minimum of technology resources and teacher time.

Dr. Mark Mortensen presents several alternatives for distributing a digital video production including tape, CD-ROM and DVD. He also discusses video compression schemes.

Before you shoot the video, you need to research and write. Dr. Terry Holcomb guides you through the content gathering and scripting writing stages of video production planning.

Dr. Cereijo discusses the process developers use to create multimedia titles and the processes used for creating storyboards.

Students research different countries and the cultures that exist in these countries. The focus then turns to the United States and why the children are proud to live in the United States.

Students will experience robots through an internet tour and WebQuest. Research skills, creativity, analyzation and evaluation are some of the high level thinking skills they will use to complete this self paced unit. Students will discover the use of robots in our society.

The purpose of this lesson is to have fun while discovering that science is everywhere. This hands-on activity allows students to use their higher thinking skills and creativity to feel like scientists while reviewing the major concepts in our science curriculum.

The software evaluation module takes a closer look at criteria for effectively selecting quality software to help students achieve educational goals: mastery, skill acquisition, and transfer. The content is based in part on web links and other resources described in the module supplemented with material from "The Design, Development, and Evaluation of Instructional Software" by Hannafin and Peck, McMillan Publishing, 1988. Students who complete the module will know what questions to ask before they select software, and they will understand methods and procedures for evaluating and using software within a given learning context.
The module focuses on:

Dr. Vicky Cereijo discusses multimedia elements: sound, animation and video.

While integrating technology into your classroom is exciting and stimulating, the new challenges can be a bit daunting at first. In this panel discussion, six technology-seasoned elementary and middle school teachers share their initial fears and helpful tips for a successful outcome when embedding technology into instruction.

This module gives an introduction to teaching students about charts and graphs.

This module gives an introduction to databases as a tool for teaching and discusses common misconceptions students have about databases.

How can spreadsheets be utilized in the classroom? This module answers this question as well as covering basic terminology and common misconceptions students have about spreadsheets.

Dr. Keith Restine, director of the Technology Applications Center for Educator Development (TA CED), guides a tour of the TA CED web site.

The Louisiana Center for Educational Technology, a Division of the Louisiana Department of Education visits classrooms around the state where technology is used to improve student learning and achievement.

Everyone in the school has a role in planning for technology. From awareness of the state and national technology plans to participating in fulfilling the district plan.
This module focuses on

What challenges do Educational Technologists face? An Educational Technologist is every computer-using educator. This module focuses on computer and related electronics ability to motivate students and break down barriers faced by public schools. It also address technologies unique instructional capabilities including creating life-long learners.

Desktop Publishing provides students with opportunities to create diverse products. Applying principles of authentic learning, students can create paper-based items for their other classes, for the school or community.
Desktop Publishing is one of the Technology Applications courses available for high school students in Texas. This module focuses on:

Anita Givens, Senior Director of the Division of Educational Technology, and Karen Kahan, Director, Technology Applications, Educational Technology, both from the Texas Education Agency, discuss the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Technology Applications (TA TEKS). The TA TEKS are the standards that the students of Texas will be held accountable for in technology literacy. Also discussed are the teachers' standards, which are based on the student standards for grades 6 to 8.

Anita Givens, Senior Director, Division of Educational Technology, Texas Education Agency explains the Texas Long Range Technology Plan and Texas Technology Initiatives. She explains how each of the four components of the Long-Range Plan: Teaching and Learning, Educator Preparation and Development, Administration and Support Services, and Infrastructure for Technology, have been realized through the agencies and projects in Texas.

Spice up a dull geometry lesson and let your students test themselves. Students become technologically involved in identifying the parts of a circle and calculating the circumference and area of circles in this lesson. They utilize interactive websites to learn the information, and then, create a PowerPoint presentation or Classroom Performance System test with digital camera pictures to test themselves.

What comparisons exist between the 1930's and 1960's? Researching students discovered information about many topics such as fashion, art, economic conditions, sports and political events. The resulting analysis and conclusions were published into multi-media products, newsletters, brochures, web pages, and even Flash.

Students will learn the processes of how rocks are formed and what traits scientists use to classify them. The unit will culminate with students connecting together all the concepts of rock classification and formation into an interactive rock cycle illustrating the processes that change one type of rock into another using Microsoft^® Excel. This demonstrates that rocks are not static, but part of a dynamic cycle and allows the students to reconstruct this concept with their own words and pictures.

By the end of the unit, the students should be able to identify the nine planets in the solar system and major characteristic of the nine planets.

What makes a polished video different from one fresh out of the camera? Special effects editing includes the creation of titles, transitions and the development of other treatments to the raw video. Dr. Mark Mortensen discusses how to make each look professional.

Jennifer Smolka overviews computer mediated communication in the classroom. She discusses non-typical uses for several different conferencing tools and gives hints for classroom use.

Jennifer Smolka introduces basic web building tools for the classroom. She outlines planning web sites, gives some possible project ideas for classroom creation and discusses acceptable use policies. She overviews basic HTML, HTML editors and conversion from Microsoft products.

Jennifer Smolka overviews using the Internet for research. She includes research and citation styles. The Big6 method of research is also introduced.

Your computer is down. What should you check before calling technical support? How do you know where to look? What can you do to prevent trouble?
The module focuses on:

Dr. Terry Holcomb discusses the use of video in the classroom. He gives specific examples at the elementary, middle school and high school levels. He also gives all level uses of vido including video literacy and evaluation.

Dr. Terry Holcomb review's the history of television and video recording leading to a discussion on the impact of video technologies on society in general and on learning. Specific issues of concern to classroom teachers are introduced.

Give your students the opportunity to dialogue with experts through Videoconferencing. Imagine your students interviewing archeological experts. View this module and learn how to utilize videoconferencing as a real world learning experience for your students. Learn about:

Dr. Cereijo discusses multimedia concepts, the advantages and disadvantages of multimedia, the growth of multimedia, and illustrates the five categories of multimedia.

Dr. Gerald Knezek explains the workings of network topologies and the hardware that connects everything together. This module covers: