COMT 109 Digital Media Pedagogy   Brian Goldfarb, Winter 2012   Dept of Communication, UCSD Overview Meetings Resources

Meetings: Tues/Thurs 9:30 -10:50 AM (Tues in Center Hall 218;, Thursdays at HTMMA in Point Loma)
Office Hours: Tues 11:00 am - 12:30 pm or by appointment in MCC 241 
Email: bgoldfarbucsd.edu
Website: http://communication.ucsd.edu/goldfarb/comt109w12/

The class will be limited to 26 students.

Course Objectives:
To develop students' critical understanding of educational uses of digital media technology and to provide first-hand experience engaging with students using digital media in school settings. Participants will consider the challenges, benefits and pitfalls of educational application of communication technology through discussion of readings and experiences in public school classrooms. Questions addressed include: How do digital media shift the relationships between various sites of learning including the school, the home and the workplace? What are the challenges digital media present to teachers, students and schools? How do educational uses of digital media compare to older technologies such as pen and paper, textbooks, typewriters, film cameras and analog video? How do gender, class, age, differences in ability affect the way students and teachers respond to and learn digital media? Are computers improving school-based education?

Course Requirements:
Students must complete all readings and attend all class/lab meetings. In addition students are required to spend 3 - 3/12 hours per week at site visits to High Tech Middle Media Arts (HTMMA) school in Point Loma. The class will be meeting on campus every Tuesday in Center Hall 218, and at the HTMMA school during our scheduled meeting times on Thursdays 9:30 -10:50. Your hours of weekly site visits can be scheduled either on the day that we meet at the school or on other days that fit your schedule. You should account for a half hour transportation time from campus when figuring out your schedule for attending the site visits and the classes at the school. I will send a schedule of available times in a follow up email very soon.

The site visits will involve participatory observation of teaching/learning with teachers and students at the school. You will be working on digital media projects with middle school students.

Written work for the course includes: journals observations and reflections on the weekly site visits and readings; and a lesson plan that may draw on experiences in the classroom. In addition, you will be making oral presentations of your lesson plans.

This class requires dedication at an advanced level in terms of time and academic considerations. Quality work is expected.

Evaluation:
Grading is based on:

• 30%: Attendance and participation in classroom discussions and site visits;
• 40%: Written journals based on observations from site visits and reading assignments (total of six journal entries);
• 30%: Learning activity project. (design and presentation of a learning activity appropriate for the HTMMA students, related resources, and reflection/analysis).

 No incompletes will be granted for this course!

Attendance and Participation:

• Participation in class is mandatory and constitutes 30% of your grade. Students are required to read assignments and to come to class prepared to participate in discussions. Students are encouraged to contribute to class meetings by bringing in examples and ideas from experiences outside of class. 
• Unexcused absences are not acceptable and will significantly affect your final grade.
• Late arrival (over 10 minutes) will be considered half an absence.
• School site visits are a central component of this class. It is very important that you arrive promptly. Please be considerate of the time of the teachers, staff and students at the site. If you are going to be absent from a site visit because of illness or an emergency you must contact both me and the teacher in advance.
• When visiting your school site you must adhere to the professional dress code of the school (the following are not permitted: hats, highly revealing clothing, flip flops, t-shirts with logos or images), and conduct yourself in an exemplary manner. Do not listen to ipods or do other non-related activities during your time in the school.
• All students are required to visit the professor during office hours at least once during the first seven weeks of the quarter.

Required Texts:

• Cathy Davidson, Now You See It (Available at UCSD Bookstore)
• Additional required readings are on reserve and/or e-reserve at Geisel Library, or on WebCT or linked to the online syllabus.

Disability Accomodations:
If you require any accommodations for disabilities, please communicate with the Professor at the beginning of the course, and register with the Office of Students with Disabilities (OSD). This way we may make arrangements to fit your needs.