FYE Technology Curriculum
Developed by Scott Silverman , Tania (Dudina) Luna, and Red Rover.
Introduction: This is a web technology curriculum plug-in for instructors to use in their FYE seminars. You can use it as developed or scale it up/down as to best fit into your FYE seminar. Since this is a wiki, we welcome you to add your own suggestions and insights.
Background: Though you'll find that most of your first year students are using Facebook and Myspace and spending a great deal of time on the web, an overwhelming majority still aren't familiar with the web tools that are most conducive to enhancing their education. Tools like RSS feeds, wikis, blogs, and social bookmarking can greatly improve individual productivity, group communication, and classroom engagement. And perhaps most importantly, helping your students develop positive digital identities early on through sharing their work online sets them up for success in an increasingly digital age (afterall, Google is the new resume).
Structure:
We've split the curriculum up into three themes: 1) Digital Identity, 2) Networking, and 3) Contributing. Within each theme there's a lesson plan component that can either stand alone as the lesson plan for any given seminar meeting, or as part of a larger lesson plan. In some cases, there is more than one component in a theme for you to use however you prefer. You'll also notice extra exercises and at-home assignments to weave in throughout your entire curriculum. Here is the content you will find within each component:
Exercise: an activity that ties in to the topic and theme of this component of the curriculum.
Class Discussion / Small Group Discussion: talking points or questions
Homework: assignments that students can do on their own time.
*We've found that students will benefit more from our encouragement to explore web tools on their own time than they do from a lecture or a demonstration.
Goals:
1. Provide a comprehensive technology component to FYE seminar instructors for adoption into the course.
2. Provide students the know-how to best use available technology to supplement their in-class and out-of-class college learning experience.
3. Enable students to begin developing the digital identities that they will have throughout college and beyond.
Learning Outcomes:
Students who complete a FYE seminar that incorporates this tech curriculum module will:
1. Create a positive digital identity and understand the advantages and potential dangers of having a public identity.
2. Learn how to network effectively online and translate that to on campus interaction (to connect to people, support and opportunities).
3. Understand how to seek out resources and information online and how to make responsible and meaningful contributions to information on the web.
