Frequently Asked Questions

I want to participate in TIES. What do I need to do?

See our tentative timeline as a guide of what you need to do. The first step is to submit your Intent To Apply form to the Department of Educational Technology.

Do I have to take a Sabbatical to get into TIES?

The answer is yes. At this stage, due to heavy demand on the courses, TIES can only be offered to teachers who receive a sabbatical. However, if you are interested in doing ETEC courses that are similar to what you have read about in TIES, but are not on sabbatical leave, please check out the TAP program.

I’m ready to submit my sabbatical application to my school principal and the Hawaii Department of Education (HDOE). How does HDOE know I’m involved with TIES?

You should staple a copy of the TIES information to your sabbatical application when you submit it.

I want to change which semesters I take TIES courses. Is this possible?

We encourage students to find options that maximize their potential to learn; however, we presently cannot offer every TIES course each semester. We have recently opened TIES up to be available for a Spring, Fall or 1-year sabbatical, which means that many courses are available more than one semester to give greater flexibility. However, once you select the study plan most suited to the type of sabbatical you are on, it may be difficult to reserve a spot in a different semester.

I’m interested in applying for the Master’s program in Educational Technology. How will participating in TIES help me?

The Master’s degree requires 414 as a requirement of its program. If this course has not been taken, it is to be taken in the first semester of the Master’s degree. As 414 is part of TIES, the course helps you meet the requirements of the master’s degree program as well as introducing you to the field and faculty in the department. All credits earned during TIES can be applied to a Master’s degree. (Note: a maximum of 12 credits at the 400 level can be applied to the Master’s degree).

I only want to take one or two courses. Is this possible?

One course, No. Two courses, a tentative yes. First priority for TIES courses is given to teachers who are committing themselves to the entire program. If spaces for courses are not completely full, then spaces will be offered to teachers interested in taking only some of the TIES courses. TIES was designed to spread out standards across the 400-level content courses. Hence, please be aware that you may miss important standards if you attend only selected courses. We strongly encourage participation in the entire series to cohesively tie in and cover all the technology standards.

I’ve already taken ETEC 414 (442 or 448) during my teacher education/certification program at Manoa. Can I only take the remaining courses of TIES?

Usually the answer would be No. Because of the continually changing world of technology, the courses are often redesigned to reflect the current and future trends. ETEC 414, 442, 448, are considered the foundational course content for TIES. However, in some circumstances a teacher may already possess many of the skills and experience gained in these courses so would be encouraged to pursue more of the 600-level courses offered. It is still necessary to complete 15 credits in order to complete TIES.

Can I take both ETEC 414 and ETEC 415?

In short, No. ETEC 415 is designed as an online web-based course to look at educational technology in teaching using various strategies. ETEC 414 covers the acquisition of practical skills relevant to teaching/learning in classrooms and non-school environments. Whilst they are distinctly different courses, there is a large degree of overlap so you need to choose either the 414 face-to-face course at the Manoa campus, or 415 online anywhere, anytime option.

I want to learn a specific software program (e.g., FLASH). Will I learn this in TIES?

Several software packages are explained by instructors in the TIES courses. Although we cannot guarantee that an instructor will cover any one software package, students are encouraged to accomplish the goals they want. Access to any specific software may be the responsibility of the student, if the software is not accessible at the Manoa or Community College sites. If you have a specific software in mind, please let the TIES Advisor know so you can be best directed into a course that may already be using that software, or given alternative possibilities for ways to acquire those skills.

I have a family to take care of as well. Is this workload manageable?

It is recommended for TIES participants to take no more than 9 credits (3 courses) per semester. The time to successfully complete technology courses drastically differs from student to student and is largely dependent with a student’s prior experience with various technologies. A useful hint to lessen the coursework burden however is to always select assignments that produce useable lessons, resources, or activities for your classroom. Although these assignments may be time-consuming for a student trying to simultaneously care for a family, the effort put into them will be reaped when this student returns to the classroom. Hence it was time well spent.

I’ve never taken an online course before. Should I take TIES Online?

You are not required to have experience taking online courses; however, having the required hardware and software, a learning style appropriate for online coursework, and a basis of technology skills to build on are all important for you not to feel frustrated with online courses. In order to assist those who are still deciding if TIES online is the appropriate professional development for their skill level, we have created a tech questionnaire located on our website, to help you self assess your readiness for online courses

If you do decide to take one or more online TIES courses, a useful resource before you get started is the TIES primers.

For any other questions you need answered, just send an e-mail to the TIES Advisor, Diana Amundsen, at damundse@hawaii.edu.