Options for Meeting the
Candidates
earning a preliminary teaching credential are required to meet the California
Level I technology standards. In order to help them fulfill the requirements,
CSULB offers multiple pathways, including several Level
I technology courses (e.g., ETEC 444, ETEC 411, Math 273) and a series of
methods courses integrating the standards. The information presented here is
intended to inform candidates of their options so as to facilitate their
decision-making in course selection, especially in choosing ETEC 444 or ETEC
411 offered by the CSULB Educational Technology Program. The two sample syllabi
for ETEC 444
and ETEC 411
provide an overview of the courses.
The three
types of assessment below include sample instruments that are used to determine
if credential candidates meet the Level I technology standards. Candidates
wishing to take ETEC 411 are advised to assess themselves before enrollment.
Please go over the following links and make sure you are able to perform the
tasks with at least 70% accuracy. In addition to the paper-and-pencil format, the
multiple-choice test is available on Beachboard. (If you choose to take the
test on Beachboard, you need to join the Beachboard organization, ETEC 411
Credential Candidates, so that the test will be available to you.) After you
take the multiple-choice test, the computer will grade it for you. For the
hands-on procedures, you have to grade yourself with reference to the samples
provided. Regarding the electronic portfolio, you may wish to check if you have
the knolwedge and skills to put the required materials together by refering to
the requirements, rubric, and sample work. Please also note that because passing or
failing of the course depends mostly on individual performance during the
four-hour final assessment, candidates are advised to assess their own fit in
an intensive high-stakes assessment situation.
Both ETEC
444 and ETEC 411 are designed according to the national (ISTE) and state (CCTC) technology standards for teachers. The
two courses are comparable to each other but their intended audiences are
different. There is no pre-requisite skills or
knowledge required of the candidates taking ETEC 444, whereas in ETEC 411
candidates are expected to possess the Level I technology competencies. More
specifically, in ETEC 444 candidates have ample opportunities to develop their
competencies. In ETEC 411 candidates demonstrate their competencies, which they
have acquired through self-learning or professional experience prior to the
course.
In addition to the difference in expected pre-requisite skills and knowledge,
the two courses differ in their formats. On the one hand, ETEC 444 is a
three-unit semester long course, which meets four hours every week in a
computer lab on campus. The first two hours are allocated for lecture and
discussion and the next two hours are used for lab activities and practices on
computer procedures. On the other hand, ETEC 411 is a one-unit hybrid course, which
has two on-campus meetings along with other out-of-class activities, including
video assignments and online discussion. At the first on-campus meeting,
candidates receive guidelines regarding the assessment with which they will
demonstrate their competencies. The major components of the assessment include
(a) a test that covers basic computer operations and concepts, technology
integration,copyright and security issues, etc., (b) hands-on demonstrations of
computer procedures, and (c) an electronic portfolio. In the fifth and the
final week, candidates have a four-hour assessment on campus.