Aubrey High School	Dr. JJ Ayers
Principles of Art, Audio/Visual Technology, and Communication	940-668-3900 x2309
Fall & Spring 2018-2019	Room C109
aubreyisd.instructure.com	jayers@aubreyisd.net

 

Welcome and Introduction

Welcome to our class. I say “our” because you will be a large part of what happens in this classroom.  We will explore all types of technology and its applications in the educational and corporate world together.  I hope that this class will be the most enjoyable of all your classes. The first part of this Syllabus will outline our classroom expectations and the specific course descriptions can be found at the end.

I am Dr. JJ Ayers and I will be your teacher this year.  I hold a doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction and have been in education for 20 years.  I have lived in Denton for the past 25 years with my wife and three children and just relocated to Aubrey ISD from McKinney ISD this past summer.    I am the ultimate science-fiction geek out there and love everything from comic books, to video games, and of course, movies galore!

Enough about me though, on with our classes.

Our Course Motto

“Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think!”

- Albert Einstein

Course Goals

• Students will create their own pathway of learning to accomplish the goals set forth by the Texas standards in class.
• Students will self monitor their content mastery progress in class through blogging.

Course Component Specifics

We will be utilizing the Canvas learning management system everyday in this class.  It can be found at https://aubreyisd.instructure.com This is an online platform where students will have access to assignments, discussion boards, information, and routine announcements.  All lesson plans normally found on the Aubrey ISD Teacher websites will be found here for my classes. Parents will also have full observer access to this system as well.  Students will be given their login information in class and Parents will need to create accounts that associates them to their students to have access. More detailed instructions for Parent access will be sent home soon.   

Plagiarism, Copyright Violations, and cheating have no place in a community of scholars. Have the confidence in yourself to give your original best. This is all that is required of you.

Methods of Instruction

Throughout the course of the year, there will be several methods that we will use over and over again; Question Focusing, Strategic Planning, Blogs, and Brain Breaks.

Question Focusing.  Question Focusing is an activity where students are given a statement that is both emotionally charged and intellectually challenging.  The students are to then brainstorm questions about the statement that both broadly and deeply explore the statement. Students will post their top three questions inside the discussion board on Canvas everyday. If you would like to learn more, please look up Make Just One Change by Dan Rothstein and Luz Santana.

Strategic Planning.  Students will be expected to choose their paths of mastery for each topic and category being learned in class (see course specifics for list of topics).  This requires students to be fully aware of their learning objectives and to develop their own strategic plan of action by

• Looking, Listening, and Learning everything about the state standards they are required to understand.
• Asking lots of questions
• Understanding the problem or process by mapping out what that learning will look like.
• Navigating Ideas by developing an expectation of how that content mastery will be measured.
• Executing their plan of action.
• Highlighting what’s working and failing

Sometimes when this time of classroom learning environment is used, the question of “What is the teacher teaching?” arises.  Please understand that the purpose of this type of structure is to create a supportive environment where students can productively struggle and learn how to see a problem, analyze it, formulate a plan, and successfully overcome the problem.  The teacher (myself) will be using design thinking to boost creativity and bring out the innovator in all my students. I will be providing suggestions, coordination, and support so that the students feel comfortable to achieve higher expectations than I could ever place on them.  If you would like to learn more, please check out Launch by John Spencer and A.J. Juliani.

Blogs.  Everyday, students will be asked to reflect on their learning through the use of an online blog.  They will be using the application Blogger that is owned by Google and accessed using their Aubrey ISD district Google accounts.  In these blogs, students will be asked to reflect on what they’ve accomplished or learned (struggled with) so far, what they are currently attempting, and where they anticipate that learning will lead them to.  This will help everyone embrace the understanding that failure is nothing more than another path in learning and only leads to success. As Thomas Edison said when asked about the light bulb, “I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.”

Brain Breaks.  Everyday, about half-way through the class period, music will begin to play in the classroom.  At the sound of that music, everyone will stop what they are doing and participate in one of twelve different activities that we will have learned for a quick 2-3 minute brain break.  This will help us be more attentive, inspired, and focused when we return to work after the break.

Attendance, Make-Up Work, and 2nd Attempts

It is the student’s responsibility to ask for missed assignments and make arrangements with the teacher to make up any daily work or exams. If you are tardy, absent, or suspended, you are responsible for all assignments missed. Completing the daily prompt (Question focus & blog) and regular attendance is required. Students are responsible to contact the teacher for any missed assignments in the event of an absence.  

Students who are not across the threshold of the classroom door by the end of the tardy bell will be required to sign in at the Tardy Kiosk at the intersection of B and C hallway.  In order to be admitted to class, they will have to show the printed tardy slip they recieve.

Per Aubrey ISD’s guidelines, students will have the same number of days missed to turn in any missed assignments.  For example, Susan is absent Thursday and Friday for an away game. She returns on Monday and has until the end of class on Tuesday to turn it in.

Per Aubrey ISD’s guidelines, students will be given an opportunity to attempt any failed summative grade for a maximum grade of a 70.  

Course Requirements and Grading

Per the Aubrey ISD guidelines, grades will be broken down into the following:

• Summative grades will make up 50% of the final grade.  This includes tests, projects, presentations, portfolio reviews, etc.  All summative assignments will be marked as such ahead of time. There will be a minimum of three (3) summative grades per quarter.
• Formative grades will make up 50% of the final grade.  This includes progress checks, checkpoints on projects, and weekly demonstrations of skills.  There will be a minimum of nine (9) formative grades per quarter.

Tutorials

I will be holding tutorial on Thursdays 7:30a-7:55a or 3:40p-4:30p.  If these times do not work, please contact me and we can arrange for an appointment.

How to Reach Me

In addition to all the points of contact at the top of page one, I can also be reached through the Canvas app via direct message.  Unless there is a problem, I always answer messages and emails within 24 hours.

Classroom Expectations:

• Respect yourself, your teacher, and your classmates
• Listen and follow directions the first time they are given please
• Use appropriate language-no profanity
• Responsibility for all school rules will be enforced all the time. This includes:
• NO FOOD (including gum) OR DRINKS ALLOWED - water must be kept on the floor at all times due to the nature of the room configuration (computer lab).
• Students must be in dress code at all times
• Reliability to take care of equipment - which means:
• Follow all instructions for technology use.
• Do NOT unplug computer components such as mice, keyboards, or ethernet cables UNLESS directed to do so.

Mobile Devices, Cell Phones, MP3 players, and iPods:

Student devices will only be allowed in class for an educational purpose. Otherwise, devices should be powered off, or placed on silent, and stored out of sight. I will notify you when you will be using any mobile device for class work.  There will be a hanging phone pouch at the front of the room for use when needed.

Restroom, Nurse, Library, and Front office visits:

Students are expected to spend their time in the learning environment.  If during class, you need to leave for any reason please follow this procedure:

1. Ask permission if you can leave.
2. Sign out of the classroom on the Sign In/Out clipboard at the front of the room.
3. Trade your cell phone for a pass.  

As soon as you return,

1. Sign into  the classroom on the Sign In/Out clipboard at the front of the room.
2. Trade the pass for your cell phone.

If you do not trade your phone for a pass (claiming not to have it) and are found to have it after the fact, you will be subject to discipline for insubordination.  I do not anticipate having an issue with this. However, this rule is in place to prevent the likelihood of just such an event.

Classroom Discipline:

• 1st offense- Warning
• 2nd offense- Phone call to parents
• 3rd offense- 30 minute mandatory tutorial (within one week of offense) & parent conference
• 4th offense & subsequent offenses- Referral to assigned principal & phone call to parents
• Severe offense- Referral to assigned principal immediately; removal from class.