LESSON 10: COMPUTER AS A TUTOR

 The computer is one of the wonders of human ingenuity; even in its original design in the 1950’s to carry out complicated mathematical and logical operations. With the invention of the microcomputer , the PC has become the tool for programmed information.

Computer-assisted Instruction

          The computer can be a tutor in effect relieving the teacher of many activities in his personal role as classroom tutor. It should be made clear, however, that the computer cannot totally replace the teacher shall continue to play the major roles of information deliverer and learning environment controller. Even with the available computer and CAI software, the teacher must:

• Insure the students have the needed knowledge and skills for any computer activity.
• Decide the appropriate learning objective.
• Plan the sequence and structured activities to achieve objectives.
• Evaluate the student’s achievement by ways of test the specific expected outcomes.

CAI Integrated with Lesson

          CAI computer learning should not stop with the drill and practice activities of students. In effect, CIA works best in reinforcement learning through repetitive exercise such that students can practice basic skills or knowledge in various subject area.

Simulation Programs

            Simulation software materials are another kind of software that is constructivist in nature. This simulation software:

• Teacher strategies and rules applied to real-life problems/situations.
• Asks students to make decision on models or scenarios
• Allows students to manipulate elements of a model and get the exercise of the effects of their decisions.

Instructional Games

      While relation to low-level learning objectives (e.g. basic spelling or math skills), instructional computer games add the elements of competition and challenge.

An example is GeoSafari which introduce adventure activities for Geography History and Science. The programs can be played up to four players to form teams. Learning outcomes can be achieved along simple memorization of information, keyboarding skills, cooperation and social interaction, etc.

Problem Solving Software

            These are  more sophisticated than the drill and practice exercises and allow students to learn and improve on their problem solving ability. Since problem cannot be solved simply by memorizing facts, the students have to employ higher thinking skills such as logic, recognition, reflection, and strategy-making.

 

  

                                                                    Multimedia Encyclopedia and Electronic Books

             The Multimedia Encyclopedia can store a huge database with texts, images, animation, audio and video. Students can access any desired information, search its vast contents, and even download/print relevant portions of the data for their composition or presentation. An example is the eyewitness Children’s Encyclopedia.

       Electronic books provide textual information for reading, supplemented by other types of multimedia information (sounds, spoken words, pictures, animation). These are useful for learning reading, spelling and word skills. Examples are Just Grandma and Me animated storybook which offer surprises for the young learner’s curiosity.

Conclusion

         The Computer is a tutor in this new age of learning. It does not replace the teacher, although it assumes certain roles previously assigned to teachers who now has to take the new role of facilitator and guide.

             Also, computer activities are not the end-all of learning since they have to conform to the lesson/curriculum. Integrating computer exercises is the new task of the teacher who can find in the computer and computer software an alternative medium to the traditional classroom practice of delivering information and supporting learning activities.

        In the years ahead, we shall see the computer in schools as a common tool for the enhancement of the student’s thinking, communication and collaboration skills. Computers will become an integral component of the future classroom and not a mere machine that can deliver routine drills and exercise.

Discussion:

1. Many software materials available in developed countries are not yet available in developing countries. Do you think awareness of the existence of these materials can still help teachers in developing countries?

-Yes, being aware of this technologies that are used in teaching will help this countries on coping up with the developed countries.

2. Students play games at home and nearby school computer cafes. How do these games differ from instructional computer games?

-For me the difference of this was that those students playing video games on computer cafes find this games much enjoyable and satisfying than those of the instructional computer games.

3. Discuss the difficulties of using software: number of school computers available, need to evaluate these software materials, need to find ways to integrate them into lesson/curriculum. How futuristic are computers as tutor in our Philippine education scenario?

-Computers are really challenging to use if people really don't have an idea of how it works, lacking of computer units is one factor that affect the appearance of this difficulties. Computer is futuristic in the sense that they are ready to run and present information in just a few commands.

LESSON 9: COMPUTERS AS INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY

 

SUMMARY:            

          Instructional media consist of audio-visual aids that served to enhance and enrich the teaching- learning process. Examples are the blackboard, photo, film and video. On the other hand, educational communication media comprise the media of communication to audiences including learners using the print, film, radio and television or satellite means of communication. For example, distance learning were implemented using correspondence, radio, television or the computer satellite system. 

Uses of the Computer as ICT in Education:

The PC

               Communication Media                                                            Audiovisual Media

                      (Internet)                                                                              (Multimedia)

               E-mail (text and video)                                                         Text, sound, graphics, chart, photos                  Chat rooms                                                                          Power-point presentation

               Blog sites                                                                             CD, VCD, DVD player

               News services (print, video clip)                                           Educational Software

               Music/movie/television room                                                          (Internet)      

                                                                                                           Educational websites

                                                                                                           Softwares, coursewares

                                                                                                           School registration/ records                                                                    

Programs normally installed in an ordinary modern PC:

• Microsoft Office- program for composing text, graphics, photos into letters, articles, reports, etc.
• Power-point - for preparing lecture presentations
• Excel- for spreadsheets and similar graphic sheets
• Internet Explorer- access to the internet
• Yahoo or Google- websites; e-mail, chat rooms, blog sites, news services (print/video), educaional software, etc.
• Adobe Reader- graphs/photo composition and editing
• MSN- mail/chat messaging
• Windows Media Player- CD, VCD player, editing film/video
• Cyberlink Power- DVD player
• GameHouse- video games

REFLECTION:

          The use of ICT has become an integral part of our society. Mainly, the computer, the Internet and social media had become a huge part in different aspects of the society; economy, industry, and education. In teaching, ICT is very useful in the sense that information and communication are important elements in teaching. As teachers, we share and give information to our students during instruction. And to be able to deliver this information, effective communication is important. Through the use of ICT,  teachers and students can share and communicate information outside the classroom environment. It can be a tool for information gathering, storing, and communication. The vast capabilities of the computer and ICT are useful and essential in the world today, for it can shrink the global world and we can easily connect with different people from far distance.

LESSON 8: HIGHER THINKING SKILLS THROUGH IT-BASED PROJECTS

In this lesson, we shall discuss four types of IT-based projects which can effectively be used in order to engage students in activities of a higher plane of thinking. To be noted id the fact that these projects differ in the specific process and skills employed, also in the ultimate activity or platform used to communicate completed products to others.

            It is to be understood that these projects do not address all of the thinking skills shown previously in the Thinking Skills Framework. But these projects represent constructivist project.

            Key Elements of a constructivist approach:

a)      The teacher creating the learning environment.

b)      The teacher giving students the tool

c)      The teacher facilitating learning.

Now let us see four IT-based projects conducive to develop higher thinking skills and creativity among learners.

I.   RESOURCE-BASED PROJECTS

The teacher steps out of the traditional role of being an context expert and information provider, and instead lets the students find their own facts and information.

The general flows of events in resource-based projects are:

1. The teacher determines the topic for the examination of class.
2. The teacher presents the problem to the class.
3. The students find information on the problem/questions.
4. Students organize their information in response to the problem/questions.

TRADITIONAL AND RESOURCE-BASED LEARNING

Traditional learning model

Resource-based learning model

Teacher is expert and information provides

Teacher is a guide and facilitator

Textbook is key source of information

Sources are varied(print, video. Internet, etc.)

Focus on facts Information is packaged In neat parcels

Focus on learning inquiry, quest, or discovery

The product is the be-all and end-all of learning

Emphasis on process

Assessment is quantitative

Assessment is quantitative and qualitative.

II.   SIMPLE CREATIONS

In developing software, creativity as an outcome should not be equated with ingenuity or high intelligence. Creating is more consonant with planning, making, assembling, designing or building.

Three kinds of skills/abilities:

·        Analyzing- distinguishing similarities and differences/ seeing the project as a problem to be solved.

·        Synthesizing- making spontaneous connections among ideas, does generating interesting or new ideas.

·        Promoting- selling of a new ideas to allow the public to test the ideas themselves.

The five key task to develop creativity:

1. Define the task- clarify the goal of the completed project to the student.
2. Brainstorm- the students themselves will be allowed to generate their own ideas on the project. Rather than shoot down ideas, the teacher encourages ideas exchange.
3. Judge the ideas- the students themselves make an appraisal for or against any idea. Only when students are completely off check should the teacher intervene.
4. Act- the students do their work with the teacher a facilitator.
5. Adopt flexibility- the students should be allowed to shift gears and not follow an action path rigidly.

III.  GUIDED HYPERMEDIA PROJECTS

The production of self-made multimedia projects can be approached into different ways:

1. Instructive tools- such as in the production by students of a power point presentation of a selective topic.
2. Constructive tools- such as when students do a multi-media presentation (with text, graphs, photos, audio narration, interviews, video clips, etc. to simulate a television news show.

IV. WEB-BASED PROJECTS

Students can be made to create and post web pages on a given topic. But creating new pages, even single page web pages, maybe tool sophisticated and time consuming fort the average student.

            It should be said, however, that posting of web pages in the Internet allows the students (now the web page creator) a wider audience. They can also be linked with other related sites in the Internet. But as of now, this creativity project maybe to ambitious as a tool in the teaching-learning process.

LESSON 7: EVALUATION OF TECHNOLOGY LEARNING

 
   This topic talks about how we are going to evaluate or judge technology as a whole or specific. According to the topic that we had, we should have Mass Amateurization. It means that we should be also good enough for the changes that our environment has. We, as a future teacher should be good enough on the things that we must be improve. We should remember always and do not forget that the goal of this is to bridge the gap between the amateur individual to those professional ones. We should not let our student have even a single leaner to be amateur in using this technology. We should adapt to the change that is happening to our environment, this would include on how we are going to evaluate our students in doing their activity. we should remember that the evaluation we are applying to the activity that our student have done should be in line with the assessment/ activity have undergone. This evaluation should not just be good enough to make them feel the instant reward that they expecting but also should cater not just their skills but also their logical and critical thinking skills.

Experiences

            On the experiences that I have on my high school years, I think that my teachers before are not equipped enough with skills that they should possess since I observed that they usually don’t apply this thing to us. I just observed this kind of evaluation when I was in college already where different teacher of mine are using different strategy in doing their evaluation that just not cater our thinking skills but other skills rather than this. I noticed that it is not also the fault of teacher before in not using this kind of evaluation, maybe because our school before lack some of these things that could be used in evaluation and making the students involve in this. I experienced using computer when I was in high school in second year level and fourth year, the problem is we just made some research and the guidelines and rules are not clear and specific resulting to a nonsense product. I observed that this kind of evaluation can be noticed in a school where the teacher really loves teaching and the school is having complete materials and equipment. I observed that those teachers who does not undergo any training about the skill of it really striving to cope up with it but there are still those who do not care.

Reflection

            Based on the experiences that I have, I realize that sometimes, no matter how tried we do, we cannot achieve something because it is beyond our hands, it beyond our capability, and beyond our reach. Sometimes, we tend to do anything in achieving these things but forget those important ones. I realized that sometimes, the things we have done for good result to chaos. As a future teacher, we should be prepare enough not just to those technology that may arise but to the effects it could have to you and to your student in the future. You need to practice in balancing everything, because based on the observations and experiences; I realized that everything should be in balance so that the learning of the student is really there. You need to be a good scriptwriter in making a story that is very comprehensive and very substantial to them that is having a smooth connection from the topic that you are discussing up to the evaluation that you are using with the aid of technology. I realized that we should be aware enough of the impacts of these to our students in the future.

                                                  Application

            In line with the reflection and the experiences that we have undergone, we could apply this in implement in doing evaluation to your students in the future. You could use technology based evaluation if you think it is more appropriate. It means that it depends upon the topic that you have. It can be more applied in doing laboratory activity like virtual game we did in our cell biology. We could use PowerPoint in having quizzes or doing something actually using the PowerPoint as a guide, in that, we could say that we are having an evaluation using technology.

Lesson 6: Developing Basic Digital Skills

 

Solution fluency
   
      This refers to the capacity and creativity in problem solving. It tells on how we think properly to solve a problem. It requires whole brain thinking and design the appropriate solution.

Information fluency
 
   The book realistically examines the abilities of Internet searchers today in terms of their efficiency and effectiveness in finding online information, evaluating it and using it ethically.

Collaboration fluency
      This refers to teamwork with virtual or real partners in the online environment. There is virtual interaction in social networking and online gaming domains.

Media fluency
      Media refer to channels of mass communication (radio, television, magazines, advertising, graphic arts) or digital sources.

Creativity fluency
     Fluency (also called volubility and loquaciousness) is the property of a person or of a system that delivers information quickly and with expertise.


                                                                               Digital ethics

    The digital citizen is guided by principles of leadership, global responsibility, environment awareness global citizens and personal accountability experience as a education students I can say that I already developed this solution fluency it's because when you're a physics students means you are living in a world full of problems and for you to be able to continue to live you should provide solutions to the problem.
reflection by developing these fluency we are now ready to face the stimulus and challenges brought by this new generation's technology which really affect the teaching and learning process.  moreover, this fluency will make us ready to enter the new world of information and communications technology which opens the way for complex and higher cognitive skills application.

As a future teachers we should acquire these skills for effective teaching and learning process.  and also teach your student on how to acquire this fluency skills  is not just for then sake of learning in order to pass the subject but learning because these skills are necessary in a digital world.