There are three papers required for this class. Each paper should be 5-8 pages in length (at least–but quality is always more important than quantity.  Except that sometimes, in order to get real quality, you do need sufficient quantity.  Nothing is more disappointing than a paper with promise that is too skimpy to fulfill that promise), well-organized, and of course the grammar and syntax should be completely correct.  (And of course all work should be your own.  Plagiarism is never acceptable, and if you include any writing that is not your own, without giving credit to the original source, your grade on the paper will be F.  No makeups, no questions, no excuses.  But I really don’t have to even say that, do I?).

All papers should be submitted (before 11:59 PM on the specified due date) directly to my dropbox using the dropbox page.  No late papers will be accepted!

We’ll be developing the specific topics as we go along, but these are basic themes they should cover.

• Where Have You Been? (DUE FEBRUARY 26)

  This paper is an examination of your own educational history.  Looking at what we’ve learned about past (and current) images and ideas about education, as well as your own reflections and those of your classmates, what has worked in your history of schooling? What has failed?  Compare some of the points we’ve covered in this class to what has happened (is happening) and what you’ve done (are doing) in your time as a student.  Be specific and give us lots of examples.

• What Are You Finding? (DUE MARCH 26)

  How is this course working for you as an example of the future of education (even though we’re in the present)? Are we doing something all that different from what’s been done before? Should we be? Think about another course that you’re taking right now–maybe a more “traditional” one, or maybe one that is quite similar to this one.  Are the differences positive? Negative? Mixed?

• Where Are You Going? (DUE APRIL 30)

  What’s your educational plan? Now that you’ve spent (most of) a semester learning and thinking about what schooling means and where it’s been and where it’s going, how will you change your own experience of your own education in the coming years of college…and beyond. If most learning takes place outside of the classroom (does it?), how will you continue to learn and what will you continue to learn?

There will also be a final project (DUE MAY 21).  This project will be your own version, your own vision, of the future of education.  And it should be as visionary and unique as you can make it.  Show us (rather than just telling us) what the future will look like.  We’ll be talking and planning more about this project as we go along–and this project can be (your choice) a group endeavor.  But more about that later.

That’s me!  Does it feel strange to you to start a class without “meeting” the professor in person (unless you have met me–I think some of you have).  I’m pretty used to it now after teaching online for almost 10 years, but it still isn’t quite normal (something we can discuss more).  But maybe it’s more normal for you?  Still, I think I should give you as much of an opportunity as possible to “meet” me.

There are a lot of ways to do that–of course you could google me (did some of you do that already?).  You can also take a look at my profile in our own eportfolio system (if you’re logged in) and you can friend me there!  And yes, I’m jugoretz on facebook, too (but does it feel strange to “friend” your professor on facebook? There’s a lot of debate in the academic community about whether that’s a good idea or not. I won’t be hurt if you don’t.  And maybe that’s something else we can discuss.)

And I have my own “expo site” that I made for online students some time back.  There’s more biographical information there.

We can (we will!) talk about what it means to have a digital identity, how we’re building them, and how close they come to the “real” people we are in “real” life.

But probably most of you just want to know how to reach me if you have a question or need help.

That’s easy.

• My email address is joseph.ugoretz@mhc.cuny.edu .
• My office phone number is 212-729-2920
• (my office is at Macaulay, at 35 W 67 Street)
• I’m jugoretz on googletalk
• and jugoretz on skype (we’ll do some “skype your professor” office hour sessions, if you like)
• And jugoretz on twitter, too (we’ll all be getting set up on twitter soon, if you’re not already)

With all of that, I think the best way to get in touch with me is by email–I always answer emails in less than 24 hours.  Sometimes much less.

I’m sure all of you have your own digital identities…and we’ll be looking at those, too!

It’s been said (by Woody Allen, I believe) that 80% of success is showing up.  In this class, even if the numbers don’t exactly match up, that is certainly the case. The formal and precise requirements are listed below, but the main thing you have to remember is that if you are here, working, trying and contributing, you’re doing what you need to do!

• Posting Reflections: for each two-week unit, you will need to post at least one “reflection” on a topic related to the unit (the topics will be posted for you to respond).  You should also comment on your classmates’ reflections, as they comment on yours.  Reflections should be considered and planned, with correct grammar and syntax.  (You may password-protect these reflections if you want to keep them private). These reflections will count for 25% of your final grade.
• Discussion Forum: for each two-week unit, there will be several discussion topics.  You are required to participate (posting frequently) in all of the forums.  You need to post with quantity and quality (measured by the rubric), but grammar and syntax are not particularly important in these.  Discussions are the equivalent of face-to-face conversation, so it’s OK if you are a bit informal, or if you don’t stick strictly to the topic.  Your discussion forum posts will count for 25% of your final grade.
• Papers: You will need to write three 5-8-page papers on topics that will be posted.  The paper topics will grow out of your reflections and our discussions, and you should include connections to what you are reading in the mini-lectures, the readings, and your classmates’ reflections and forum posts. The papers, averaged together, will count for 25% of your final grade.
• Final Project: The final project will be a video, voicethread, enhanced audio, collage, digital story, web project, model, drawing, or other multimedia production of your choice.  Be creative and pick the best method to communicate your vision.  The final project will count for 25% of your final grade.
• Quizzes, Web Discoveries, Extra: There will be quizzes at various times throughout the course, all of which will be multiple choice or true/false, and all of which will count as extra credit to raise your grade.  If you post web discoveries to the Reflections section, those, too, will count as extra credit, especially if you annotate them (just a link with no explanation is not going to count for much).  Any other extra additions to the course, anything that adds value, will also earn extra credit (as well as the admiration of your classmates!).

Here you are in an online class! Maybe your first fully-online class? It’s not my first (I’ve been teaching this way–not exclusively–for almost 10 years).

I wanted you to be able to get started right away, so I’ve made a very short video tour for you.  It would be good to watch this right away!

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And I have a few more getting started tips for you.

• Is an online class easier than a face-to-face class?  No, not really.  Some people find that, in some ways, it’s harder.  You have to do a lot of reading and a lot of writing.  You have to be motivated yourself, without a daily schedule enforced on you, to do your work (but no travel time, no sitting in a classroom, and yes, you really can do your work anywhere at any time).
• Is an online class better than a face-to-face class? Well, in some ways, for some students, it really is.  You set your own schedule, which means that you’re in class at your best time of day (or night).  When you’re ready to concentrate, you really can concentrate.
• But is there a schedule? Can you just do all the work at the last minute? There is definitely a schedule! We work on a semester schedule, just like any other class, and you need to be working and participating regularly, throughout the semester, just like in any other class, to meet all the deadlines (they’re all there for you under “Schedule.”
• How will I interact with other students? With my professor? Most students report that in online classes they end up interacting with their classmates and their professor more, sometimes much more, than in a face-to-face class.  You’ll be posting your own reflections.  You’ll be discussing in the forum.  And we will probably do some live skype and other audio-visual meetings.
• What’s the most important thing to know? I’m glad you asked that! (Well, you didn’t, did you? But I did!)  The most important thing–the primary way to succeed in an online class–is to participate regularly.  You need to be in this class, on this site, reading and posting, three times a week at least.  More like five or six times a week.  In a face-to-face class, you might meet for three hours a week.  And spend another five or six hours a week doing homework and studying.  In this class, too, you will probably be spending around ten hours each week.  But in this class, you can spend those ten hours in half-hour blocks, in between other classes.  Or at 930 at night or 630 in the morning.  You set the schedule.  We’ll be talking about how (or whether) that makes things different for you.

I know you saw the quick video tour already, but if you want an even more basic summary of how to get started, let me give you the 1-2-3.

1. Read everything in this Course Information section
2. Start the reading assignments for this unit (and buy the books so you have them for the future units!)
3. Read the mini-lectures for this unit and start posting on the forum!

Posting your own reflections is the next step–the step number 4–but it’s OK to wait on that until we really get rolling.  Watch the announcements (you see them? Right over there on the right? =======>) for the “go” signal and more guidance about that.

I think you’re ready.  If you’re not, you know what to do, right? If in danger or in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout.  No, that’s not it.  If you have questions, post on the Question and Answer Forum, or email me!

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I’ll be posting quizzes here, as we get moving with the readings.  Let’s start off with a simple one, just to see how it works.
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Many of the readings for this class are available online (and watch for links which I and your classmates will be providing throughout the course).  Those are linked below.

You will also need to purchase three books for this class.  None of them should be very expensive, and all are available through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other online sellers.  Please purchase them immediately–to allow for shipping time.

The books you’ll need to buy are:

• Rethinking Education in the Age of Technology, by Allan Collins and Richard Halverson (ISBN 978-0807750025)
• Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card (ISBN 978-0812550702)
• Feed by MT Anderson (ISBN 978-0763622596)

We’ll have quizzes (open-book, of course, five questions or less, multiple-choice or true/false) on many of the readings.  If you do the reading, the quizzes will be easy.  If you don’t, they’ll be impossible.  Simple solution!

Weeks 1-2 (January 28-February 12): Introduction and Foundations

• “Dear Kids: You Don’t Have to go College“
• “Is it OK to be a Technologically Illiterate Teacher?” (and try to read at least some of the 220 comments there.  Maybe you will even comment yourself!)
• The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Chapter 20
• First look at the Map of Future Forces (we’ll be seeing this one again)

Weeks 3-4 (February 13-February 26 (First Paper due)): Education as Cultural Marker

• Vernor Vinge’s “Fast Times at Fairmont High” (you will need the password for the copy on reserve)
• Cory Doctorow’s “Anda’s Game“
• Chapters 4-6 of Rethinking Education (pages 49-104)

Weeks 5-6 (February 27-March 12): Learning to Learn

• Excerpt from John Varley’s Red Lightning.
• “How People Learn” from Lloyd Armstrong’s “Changing Higher Education” blog.
• “Mimsy Were the Borogoves” by Henry Kuttner and CL Moore (you’ll need the password for the copy on reserve)

Weeks 7-8 (March 13-March 26 (Second Paper due)): Learning to Ask

• Excerpt from Robert Silverberg’s Nighwings
• “Three Stars and a Chili Pepper“
• Chapters 1-3 of Rethinking Education (pages 1-48)

Weeks 9-10 (March 27-April 16 (CUNY Spring Break is March 29-April 5)): Technology Changes Us“

• “A Group is its Own Worst Enemy” by Clay Shirky
• Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
• The Learning Ecosystem at School 2.0

Weeks 11-12 (April 17-April 30 (Third Paper Due)): Who Are We? (What is Human?)

• “On Venus, Have We Got a Rabbi!” by William Tenn (listen to a two-hour radio show, including the author reading the story, in RealAudio format. Or use the player below to listen just to the story–or download it to your portable device. The full story is a little more than an hour long. And I apologize for the few IM and incoming email sound-effects in the background!)
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• Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (optional)
• “Nirvana High” by Eileen Gunn

Weeks 13-14 (May 1-May 14): Why Are We? (Why Learning? and Why Literature?)

• Feed by MT Andersen

Week 15 (May 15-May 21 (Final Projects due)): Reflecting and Projecting

• Rethinking Education--Chapter 9-10 (pp 122-146)
• Another look at the Map of Future Forces
• The Horizon Report of the New Media Consortium

In this section you’ll find information about the reading assignments you need to complete and the papers and final project.

Remember that fully half of your grade for this course will be based on your work in two categories (the Forum and the Reflections) which are not traditionally considered “assignments”!

Weeks 1-2 (January 28-February 12): Introduction and Foundations

“The” history of schooling and YOUR history of schooling.  Teaching and learning in popular culture.  What is science fiction and what does it tell us?

Weeks 3-4 (February 13-February 26 (First Paper due)): Education as Cultural Marker

Schooling in culture and culture in schooling. Education and ethics and ethos.  The culture of schoolchildren.

Weeks 5-6 (February 27-March 12): Learning to Learn

Learning styles.  Self-reflection and meta-learning.  Eportfolios.  What about THIS course?

Weeks 7-8 (March 13-March 26 (Second Paper due)): Learning to Ask

Google-Fu and the massive collective brain.  Just-in-time learning and the encyclopedia of everything.  We are wikipedians.

Weeks 9-10 (March 27-April 16 (CUNY Spring Break is March 29-April 5)): Technology Changes Us

Future forces affecting education.  Cyborgs, artificial intelligence and intelligent artifice.  Machines in your life.

Weeks 11-12 (April 17-April 30 (Third Paper Due)): Who Are We? (What is Human?)

Homo homini lupus.  Our ancestors and us.  Is there a homo novo? Would you want your sister to marry a cylon if they were really in love?

Weeks 13-14 (May 1-May 14): Why Are We? (Why Learning? and Why Literature?)

The sophists and jiu-jitsu.  Job skills and the liberal arts.  Literature and pulp and movies and films (and the question of genre).

Week 15 (May 15-May 21 (Final Projects due)): Reflecting and Projecting

Summing up and Envoi.  Planning “the” future of education and YOUR future of education.

This section gives the basic information you need to navigate the course, complete your assignments and, well, learn and enjoy and reflect and explore.

Make sure that you start off by reading all the pages in this section, starting, predictably enough, with “Getting Started.”  They’re listed below and in the drop-down menu above, so you can refer back to them whenever you need to.

• About
• Getting Started
• The Professor
• Schedule
• Requirements
• Grades