Projects

Current Projects

The TPACK Teacher Game: Gamifying a Technology Methods Course for Teacher Candidates (2013-present). Development of the TPACK Teacher Game, which is not really a game, but instead gamification - or the application of gaming elements to non-game instructional situations - of the course materials teacher candidates use to build their TPACK knowledge about tech-enhanced teaching. The TPACK Teacher Game is available at: http://www.handy4class.com/tpack-teacher-game/

The TPACK-based PDLM Workshop Model (2011-present): Development of a workshop model of professional development activities that promote transfer of TPACK-based technology enhanced teaching by working with faculty members in a collaborative profesional learning community, and preparation of teacher candidates to design and deliver these professional development opportunities.

TPACK-in-Practice: Developing Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge in Teacher Candidates (2007-present). Development of a taxonomy of technology-related content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and technical knowledge that is essential to initial success when teaching with technology. (http://unpackingtpack.wikispaces.com/)

ETFO Teachers Learning Together (2007-2010). Provincial project sponsored by $35,000 grant from Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario that selected teams of teacher researchers across the province to conduct action research. The Brock University partners are supervising eight teams and conducting case study research on the impact the action research process has on the professional development of three of these teacher teams.

Brock Learning Network (2007-2009). Investigating the use of a blogging tool for an online community and its effect/impact on faculty members and teacher candidates. (http://www.brocku.ca/BLN/)

Mentor-Connector Program (2006-2010) International online mentoring project designed to support at-risk Grade 9 students from the Niagara Catholic District School Board by pairing them with pre-service teachers from Niagara University and Brock University.

Internet Projects


The TPACK Teacher Game
 

The game which "gamifies" background information that builds TPACK knowledge in teacher candidates in the EDUC8Y24/34 technology methods course at Brock University.
Handy4Class.com
The home website for the EDUC8Y24/34 technology methods course, and a clearinghouse web site for teachers in K-12 interested in teaching with technology and integrating computers into daily classroom practice.

Published Multimedia Projects

Word Processing Wizardry: A Tutorial for ClarisWorks 5.0. A multimedia tutorial, created in HyperStudio, that was developed through participatory design with the students of the basic computing tools class for educators at the University of Texas.
LiteraCD: Illustration of the Texas Essential Knowledge & Skills in English, Language Arts, & Reading. 
A multimedia presentation of teaching vignettes created by Texas teachers. These vignettes demonstrate lesson plans and instructional designs that incorporate the Texas state educational standards (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills) in Reading and Language Arts instruction. Published by the Texas Center for Reading and Language Arts, Nancy Rosen, Director, (1997). with Editors: M. Abel, I. Alanis, S. Audel, H. Bidot, B. Braud, L. Brown-Hutton, D. Cato, C. Figg, A. Frost, J. Jellison, K. Lewis, A. Mullen, K. Schumaker, S. Strecker, C. Street, R. Stucky, E. Swearingen, V. Taylor, & E. Wagner, in partnership with Region XIII Education Service Center, Austin Independent School District, & the University of Texas.
Previous Projects

The I.T. Doctoral Student Survival Guide. This project was for the I.T. doctoral seminar class (EDC 385G, Spring semester, 1999).  The class constructed a "guide" for other doctoral students enrolled IT to design their study program, including the steps to the doctoral degree, forms and reviews needed to successfully complete the program, and a database of program participants/faculty.
Legos for Learning. This projects contains a collection of materials, resources, and links gathered by the exam study group in which I participated. 
Flat Stanley Visits Austin. This project, which demonstrates the link that can be created between technological applications in the classroom and the world of literature, is a webpage that resulted from a second grade classroom assignment in which my niece was involved.  Her assignment was to write a letter to someone in another town, include Flat Stanley(from the picture book by Jeff Brown, 1926) in the envelope, and request that the receiver of the letter respond with the adventures that Flat Stanley could encounter while visiting there.
Computing Tools Competency Tutorial. This project was created in collaborationwith Dr. Jenny Burson for the purpose of providing students with preparation materials for the department computing tools competency exam. By using WebCT as the framework for distribution of exam preparation materials, students, faculty, and others may access the materials online. The combination of webpages and downloadable project files provides students with access to online tutorials as well as projects that simulate those actually encountered during the testing situation.