Lesson 10 The Computer as a Tutor

Computer-assisted instruction (CAI)

                        The computer can be a tutor in effect relieving the teacher of many activities in his personal role as classroom tutor.

Even with the available computer and CAI software, the teacher must:

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

On the other hand, the students in CAI play their own roles as learners as they:

•     Receive information.
•      Understand instructions for the computer activity
•       Retain/keep in mind the information and rules for the computer activity
•   Apply the knowledge and rules during the process of computer learning.
  

During the computer activity proper in CAI the computer, too, plays its roles as it:

• ¢  Acts as a sort of tutor (the role traditional played by the teacher)
• ¢  Provides a learning environment
• ¢  Delivers learning instruction.
• ¢  Reinforces learning trough drill-and-practice
• ¢  Provides feedback.

CAI Integrated with Lessons

CAI computer learning should not stop with the drill and practice activities of students. In effect, CAI works best in reinforcing learning through repetitive exercises such that students can practice basic skills or knowledge in various subject areas. Common types of drill and practice programs include: Vocabulary building, math facts, basic science, and history or geography facts.

Suggestions on when and how can teachers integrate drill and practice programs with their lessons:

• ¢  Use drill and practice programs for basic skills and knowledge that require rapid or automatic response by students
• ¢  Ensure that drill and practice activities conform to the lesson plan/curriculum.
• ¢  Limit drill and practice to 20-30 minutes to avoid boredom.
• ¢   Use drill and practice to assist students with particular weakness in basic skills.

The Tutorial software should be able to:

• ¢  Teach new content/new information
• ¢  Provide comprehensive information on concepts I addition to practice exercise.
• ¢  Can be effectively used for remediation, reviewing or enrichment
• ¢  Allow the teacher to introduce follow-up questions to stimulate students learning
• ¢  Permits group activity for cooperative learning.

Simulation Programs

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

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

Instructional Games

While relating to low-level learning objectives (e.g. basic spelling or math skill),

Instructional computer games add the elements of competition and challenge.

Example: GeoSafari

Problem Solving Software

These allow students to learn and improve on their problem solving ability. The students have to employ higher thinking skills such as logic, recognition, reflection, and strategy-making.

Example: Thinking Things 1

Multimedia Encyclopedia and electronic books

The Multimedia Encyclopedia can store a huge database with texts, images, animations, audio and video.

Example: 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 words skills.

Lesson 9 Computers as Information and Communication Technology

            In the Educational Technology Course 1 the role of the computer in education was well discussed. It was pointed out that the advent of the computer is recognized as the third revolution in education, the first was the invention of the printing press; the second, the introduction of libraries; and the third, the invention of the computer, especially so with the advent of the microcomputer in 1975. Thus emerged computer technology in education.

THE PERSONAL COMPUTER (PC) AS ICT

            Until the nineties, it was still possible to distinguish between instructional media and educational communication media.

            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 print, film, radio, television or satellite means of communication. For example, distance learning were implemented using correspondence, radio, television or computer satellite system.

To illustrate, let’s examine the programs (capabilities) 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 presentation

Excel – for spreadsheets and similar graphic sheets



 Internet Explorer – Access to the Internet

 


 

Yahoo or Google – websites; e-mails, chat rooms Blog sites, news service (print/video) educational software etc.

Adobe Reader – Graphs/photo composition and editing

MSN – Mail/chat messaging

Windows media player – CD, VCD player or editing film/video

Cyber link Power – DVD player

Games House – Video games

Lesson 8 Higher Thinking Skills through IT-Based Projects

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.

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. 

1. Resource Based Projects

In these projects, the teacher steps out of the traditional role of being a content expert and information provider, and instead lets the students find their own facts and information.





 2. Simple Creations 

Students can also be assigned to create their software materials. Of course, there are available software materials such as Creative Writer (by Microsoft) on writing, Kid Work Deluxe (by Davidson) on drawing and painting, and Media Weave (by Humanities software) on multimedia).

In developing software, creativity as an outcome should not be equated with ingenuity or high intelligence.

Creativity is said to combine 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.

3 Guided Hypermedia Projects

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

• Such as in the production by students of a power-point presentation of a selective topic.
•  Such as when students do a multi- media presentation (with text, graphs, photos, audio narration, interviews, video clips, etc.).

It can be approached in two different ways. First, As an Instructive tool, such as in the production by the students of a power point presentation. sections among ideas, does generating interesting or new ideas.

• Promoting- selling of a new ideas to allow the public to test the ideas themselves. And Second, as a communication tool when students do a multimedia presentation to stimulate a television news show. It is easy for the teacher to discuss about news or literature if they have tools like television or you can use your own video clips in order to present the topic they wanted.

4. 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 too sophisticated and time consuming for 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.

Lesson 7 Evaluation of Technology Learning

# Evaluation is used in Ed Tech and its means considering the merits of the material used. It entails about how to determine if the technology is appropriate and enhances the teaching and learning process.

# Its strength and weaknesses as a tool for learning.

# The student standard evaluation of learning must change

# Today, students are expected to be not only cognitive, but also flexible, analytical, and creative.

# Students must have six important fluencies that reflect process skills. (Solution fluency, information fluency, collaboration fluency, creative fluency, media fluency and digital citizenship.)

Mass amateurization refers to the capabilities that new forms of media have given to non-professionals and the ways in which those non-professionals have applied those capabilities to solve problems (e.g. create and distribute content) that compete with the solutions offered by larger, professional institutions.

@ The personal and group creative activities in school should aim at bridging the gap between amateur creators of outputs to professional creators of future outcomes and products in the real world.

@The process does not entail the end of traditional report and essay writing.

@ Relevance and engagement shall be carried both in the learning process.

Lsson 6 Developing Basic Digital Skills

As Teachers adjust their teaching to effectively match the new digital world of information technology (ICT), they must be clear on what basic knowledge, skills and values need to be developed by digital learners.

3 R’s:

Reading

Riting (Writing)

Rithmetic (Arithmetic)

Six Essentials to Equip Students for Success

Solution Fluency refers to the capacity and creativity n problem solving.

Information Fluency involves three subjects of skills:

a.       Ability to access information

b.      Ability to retrieve information

c.       Ability to reflect on, assess an rewrite for instructive packages

Collaboration Fluency refers to the teamwork with virtual or real partners in the online environment.

Media Fluency refers to channels of mass communication (radio, television, magazine, advertising, graphic arts) or Digital sources.

Creativity Fluency: templates for PowerPoint presentations and blogs, availability on the free access in the internet (Font, Color, and Pattern) are elements to creative fluency.

Digital Ethics are guided by the principles of leadership, global responsibility, environmental awareness, global citizens and personal accountability.