The New Capstones

Marcia Foster

Nadyne Hick

Background

• ISTE released 2008 NETS•T summer 2008

• TeacherLine decision to align to standards because– Expectation of Capstone Program– ISTE Certification– Customer Expectation

The New Capstones

• TECH 401 Capstone Introduction modified to meet new Standards

• Capstones I and II completely rewritten to address the 2008 National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers

*ISTE Review

• Alignment for Development to 2008 NETS•T

• Alignment for Assessment to 2000 NETS•T

• Working toward Alignment for Assessment to 2008 NETS•T

*International Society for Technology in Education

2000 NETS•T - NETS•T 2008

www.wordle.com

New Portfolio Tool

• More user-friendly and more flexible in the design of the exhibits.

• Easier formatting of entries • Built on a very stable platform - using the latest

version of Django. • Posting sample exemplary exhibits easier.• View Exhibit

Sample Capstone Exhibit

• Global Connections: Crossing Language Barriers

• Catherine McDonald, English teacher, Lovejoy Technology Academy, Brooklyn, IL , the oldest African American town in America

• Features a collaborative learning effort between 12th grade Language Arts students and children from Escola Parque in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil addressing the essential question, 'How can global connections cross language barriers?'

• Both schools are in high poverty, high crime areas.

Students

• Watched the video, Freedom Writers and used it as a springboard for sharing information about their own lives in their own often violent communities.

• Downloaded and installed conferencing and language software to the computers.

• Used a digital camera and downloaded pictures of themselves and the school to share.

• Lovejoy students wrote their senior research paper on Brazil about a cultural, governmental, educational, or shared teen issue. 

• Created a multi-media presentations, brochures, timelines, and posters which are displayed on the Internet, in the school hallways, at school board meetings, and in special programs for the community.

• Composed and shared poems• Recorded poems with VoiceThread• Created book of student poetry.

Teacher Collaboration

• Tyrone and Cathy continue– exploring new technology sites– sharing lesson plans– collaborating about the next step to take to facilitate

their students’ 21st century skills in cultural understanding, global collaboration, and critical thinking.

• Say this is a highlight of both of their careers. • The project continues in the 2009-2010 school

year

Catherine McDonald

• Blog about experience • Awarded Emerson Teaching Grant of

$2500 for school and $2500 for webcams and digital cameras, accessories, and online publishing costs with lulu.com

• Presented at state and national conferences

Tyrone Santiago (Brazilian teacher)

• Surveyed his students for a monograph and wrote:• 100% of students said project was great and they loved

interacting with Illinois students. • Everybody said that your students have taught them how

to face obstacles and to have hope, despite the difficulties!!!

• They have the feeling your students are their "brothers and sisters".

• One of them even said maybe yours have a more difficult live than theirs.

• They don't know, but our project has helped us to increase their self esteem.

Capstone – Worth the Journey!

• My Capstone project has turned into an ongoing project.  I learned to be concise, say what I needed to say, use research to back it, and to address the ISTE technology standards and 21st century learning skills. 

• I likely would never have done anything without myCapstone classes.  Not only did I learn new things, but it helped me develop self confidence as I communicated with other educators outside of my own school.  I know for me there was real growth.

• I am not a tekkie who has always been good at technology.  I still have so far to go.  But the trip is so worth it.

Catherine McDonald

Other Capstone Comments

• Worth all of the work!

• The good thing about being involved with Capstone is that it forces you to rethink previous practices.

• Your students will thank you for it!