Technology

Hardware and Software Requirements | Required Computer Skills

How Technology is Used in the Program

The two-year MSPE Program combines on-campus and online instruction.
As the table below illustrates, students enrolled in the MSPE Program are engaged in both face-to-face instruction and online instruction during their two years of coursework.

Both summers, the MSPE cohort and the instructors are together on the UW-Madison campus for ten days of study over a two-week period, with weekends off. Online discussions, independent readings, and assignments precede and follow these residency experiences.

During the school year, practicing teachers learn on-line through the easy-access format of the MSPE Program from any place with Internet access.

Lessons are designed in a way that allow for scheduling flexibility while maintaining cohort study groups and class discussions. Learn@UW, UW-Madison's course management tool, provides a learning environment that includes:

• Email
• Online discussion and file sharing
• Chat groups for teachers with similar interests
• Interactive learning activities, e.g., animations, self-tests, web-based exercises
• Quizzes with immediate feedback

Web conferencing technology. Adobe Connect makes live class discussions, student presentations, debates, and other real-time activities possible. MSPE students partake in one- to two-hour audio conferences every 3 or 4 weeks. Audio conferences are held on Tuesday evenings from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. and students should reserve that time on their calendar.

MSPE Program Technology supports learning that is

• Convenient
• Practitioner-oriented
• Teacher-friendly
• Easy-access

Hardware and Software Requirements

• Windows PC (7/XP/Vista) with a Pentium III 1 GHz processor, 256 MB RAM, Audio in/out

• Mac OS (10.5), G4, G5 or Intel processor, 256 MB RAM, Audio in/out

• Internet access. If your computer is not already connected to a network, a DSL or Cable modem is highly recommended. A 56.6kbps modem will be sufficient to connect, but the slower speed will limit your experience.

• Browser to connect to the Internet

  • Windows Browsers

  • Windows XP and Vista: Internet Explorer 7, Firefox 3.5 and Firefox 4.0 

  • Windows 7: Internet Explorer 8 and Firefox 4.0 

  • Mac Browsers

    • Safari 3, Firefox 3.5 

• Microsoft Office 2008 (or a more recent version). Word, PowerPoint, and Excel are used in the MSPE Program. (Students enrolled in the MSPE program are entitled to student discounts on Microsoft Of0fice from the Division of Information Technology (DOIT) on the UW Madison campus.)

  *Note: You may be directed to save files in a specific format to ensure compatibility between everybody. Different format options can be selected under File, Save As in Microsoft Office.

• Adobe Acrobat Reader

Computer Skills Required for MSPE Applicants

Completing a degree is a big undertaking. It's important to know what to expect and what is expected to ensure you're ready, willing, and able to use technology and participate and learn in different ways.

Students in this program must be comfortable and familiar with technology in order to participate. Minimally, you must be able to:

• Word process
• Edit/collaborate on files
• E-mail files
• Manage files
• Navigate and search the Internet

At the beginning of the program, students will complete an online orientation to confirm they have these skills, to get a better understanding of how technology is used in the program, and to begin to use the technology.

Comments or Problems: Eric Simons.

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