ICT as Tutor – Tutorial, Drill & Practice, Simulation, Games

    We live in a digital society; therefore we need to utilize technology in learning to achieve one of the 21st century goals which is link between how students learn and how students live.

   Simulations and games have become a billion dollar industry thanks to the visual and sound effects that attract users to be engaged in them; therefore we need to utilize such an industry in our schools to motivate students to learn as well as help them develop high-level thinking skills required by today's knowledge society that we live in and by that  students not only become consumers in this industry but also become producers where we as teachers provide them the technical skills to create the simulations and games and as a result the students can express their creative skills in producing them. Also, becoming producers will help the students understand the purpose of learning some subjects like geometry when they incorporate what they learned in these subjects to the simulations and games they are producing.

    From my experience as an IT teacher in Bahrain, students are taught programs like adobe flash, Microsoft PowerPoint and 3D-Max and although these programs can create very simple games but it can be a starting ground to help students become creative game producers.

    Simulation and game corporations can use students as testers to their products, where they are exposed to things they won't be able to perform in real life, uncover the hidden world that isn't tangible to people in any other way and help improve the games and simulations.Deploying games and simulations online will enable students to have a teacher anytime and anywhere.

    However, there are some concerns that by using simulations and games in learning may contribute to students becoming computer addicts but isn't that a good thing because they will be addicted to learning which is a requirement in our knowledge society or am I wrong?

This is a link to a video demonstrating how educators can benefit from simulation and games in their classrooms http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-GVEANUEVo.

ICT as Mindtool (mind mapping)

Have you ever studied a subject or brainstormed an idea, only to find yourself with pages of information, but no clear view of how it fitted together?

This is where Mind Mapping can help me and my students .

Mind Mapping is a useful technique that helps students to learn more effectively, improves the way that students record information, and supports and enhances creative problem solving.

By using Mind Maps, my students can quickly identify and understand the structure of a subject. Students can see the way that pieces of information fit together, as well as recording the raw facts contained in normal notes.

More than this, Mind Maps help students remember information, as they hold it in a format that their mind finds easy to recall and quick to review. 

 Mind Maps are more compact than conventional notes, often taking up one side of paper. This helps students to make associations easily, and generate new ideas. If students find out more information after they have drawn a Mind Map, then students can easily integrate it with little disruption.

More than this, Mind Mapping helps  my students break large projects or topics down into manageable chunks, so that students can plan effectively without getting overwhelmed and without forgetting something important.

I think a good Mind Map shows the "shape" of the subject, the relative importance of individual points, and the way in which facts relate to one another. This means that they're very quick to review, as students can often refresh information in their mind just by glancing at one. When created using colors and images or drawings, a Mind Map can even resemble a work of art!

Mind Maps are useful for:

·         Brainstorming - individually, and as a group.

·         Summarizing information, and note taking.

·         Consolidating information from different research sources.

·         Thinking through complex problems.

·         Presenting information in a format that shows the overall structure of your subject.

·         Studying and memorizing information

MIND TOOL

My Example

http://ictmindtools.net/

Web Quest

I created a webquest and while creating the webquest, I found that students can benefit from learning when using webquests.

If a webquest contains a hook in its introduction this can motivate students to get engaged in the webquest and captures their attention. The webquest also has a structured format that can provide a step by step guide for students to achieve the goal stated in the webquest task easily as well as focus on achieving the goal without wasting time looking for appropriate resources on the web because these resources are provided to them by the teacher which are appropriate for their comprehension and reading level. From my experience as an IT teacher intermediate  education, I think students will benefit from using webquests in their classroom projects because it helps them acquire the employability skills posed by the vocational education like team work, planning and organizing, technology and learning.

Sample of WebQuest: 

http://www.sun-associates.com/hhsamp.html

Related Videos:
http://www.slideshare.net/yvette21/creating-a-web-quest
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnJ2moNmbdk&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?

Inquiry-based learning

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLQPXd8BiIA

http://www.ndtwt.org/Blackboard/P2SST2/inqu.htm

Inquiry based learning is mainly involving the learner and leading him to understand. Inquiry here implies on the possessing skills and attitude of yours, which allows you to ask questions about new resolutions and issues while you are gaining new information.

Dictionary meaning of Inquiry is seeking knowledge, information, or truth through questioning. All the people carry on with this process throughout their life, even if you might find it not very much reflecting. For example, infants use inquiry to build their sense of the world, the babies turn towards voices, put things in their mouths, grasp things, and observe faces that come near. The inquiry process is mainly the gathering of data and information and applying them to senses like smelling, tasting, touching, hearing and seeing.

Very sadly, our traditional ways of teaching discourage the process of inquiry. It makes the student get less prone to asking questions as they move through their grade levels, they are just expected to listen and repeat the expected answers. This is due to the lack of understanding of inquiry based learning. Inquiry based learning is not just asking questions, but it is a way of converting data and information into useful knowledge. A useful application of inquiry based learning involves many different factors, which are, a different level of questions, a focus for questions, a framework for questions, and a context for questions.

Much mesmerizing information and facts are readily available, which needs an understanding of how to make sense out of it and turn it into useful knowledge. The teachers must be able to analyze that he or she does into only have to accumulate information and data but also have to generate it into useful knowledge, which can be easily done through inquiry based learning. Our country's success depending upon natural resources is the past; the future of our country's success now depends upon the workforce which works smarter.

There are four essential elements on which inquiry based learning depends, which are, first is that the patterns and meanings should not be deceptive to the beginners, second is that the useful knowledge about a field should be structured, third is that the knowledge which is structured should be applicable, transferable, and accessible to a vast range of situations, fourth is that the structured knowledge should be easily retrieved so that new information in that particular field could be gained without much effort.

Inquiry based learning can be applied on all disciplines which has been confirmed through different researches. Learners have different perspectives of viewing the world like economic, historic, scientific, artistic, etc. The disciplines can be interrelated through inquiry based learning, which ensures the integrity of different disciplines and the world views about them.

The teachers must organize their lesson plans according to the changing, interrelating, and communicating of knowledge. A good teacher's worksheet enables the student to increase its study skills by providing different ways of viewing the world, communicating with it, and successfully introducing new questions and issues of daily life and finding answers of them. Questioning and finding answers is an extremely important factor of inquiry based learning as it aids you in effectively generating knowledge. In the end, inquiry based learning is basically teaching the students to have a greater understanding of the world they work, communicate, learn, and live in.

Computer as tool, tutor and tutee

The world surrounding us is developing and the learner needs to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills to accommodate the needs of this development, therefore we need to integrate computers with education. I believe that computers are able to change education for the better. Computers give both children and teachers more independence, collaborative learning, rather than competitive learning.

In the IT classes I taught the computer is used as a tool only. Students use the Internet, Email, Word Processing, Presentation, Spreadsheet, Database, Desktop Publishing and Multimedia applications for their class activities and projects. Due to the lack of programming skills, the students were unable to use the computer as a tutee although they have a programming course. Also the computer is not utilized as a tutor, but this problem can be overcome with the presence of online tutor websites that students can access easily.

Here is a link to a computer tutor website:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/computertutor/computertutorone/index.shtml

Student Centered Learning - Flipped Classroom as Student

One of the most important thing of flipped classroom that the students are  more involved in the educational process

Advantages:

    Learning through activities like working in groups gives them the opportunity to exchange their opinions and ideas which in turn improves their way of thinking . One extra advantage it helps the students with low academic achievements to take advantage of the students with higher academic achievements.

    Presenting the assignments by using computer programs such as PowerPoint or  making videos by using windows media player  will improve their presentation and computer skills.

Disadvantages:

    Working in groups:

ü Is a relatively slow process compared with working alone.

ü Some students will fell that if they have done the task by themselves will be quicker where some of them tend to rely on others.

ü some students will totally ignore what others are suggesting because they are bussy to express their own ideas

ü working in groups will create  a fertile environment for unuseful arguments which will waste our time

    The technology :

ü Not all of the students can afford to own a computer or internet access at home which makes the process of preparing the assignment using the computer difficult for them. In addition that some of them have low computer skills .

Solve the problem:

    Teachers should explain the importance of group working to the students and how it can improves their academic performance to avoid

    Equal distribution of tasks to avoid conflicts between students

    Students with low computer skills can ask for their teacher's assistance.

    Those who don’t have computers at home can do these activities at school during break time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HB6th8DKr2g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wR4ocKovy28&feature=related

Student Centered Learning - Flipped Classroom as Teacher

There is a large development in the Educational process "flipped class room ", where the students are more involved in this process and the teachers plays a different new roles.

So let us go in  depth and discuss the pros and cons of this development and try to resolve problems

v Advantages:

    Using  Educational Technology such as the PowerPoint, multimedia helps a lot in :

ü Captures student's attention.

ü Facilitate the process of conveying information to students

ü Illustrate concepts.

ü Using the smart board encourage students to participate in teacher – student dialogue which make students thinking more visible to the teacher to make sure and accommodate the arrival of information to the students.

ü Asking the students to prepare a short presentation using High-Tech equipments , which will allow the students to make choices about how to display information / data .

ü Submitting assignments and projects through online delivery to encourage the students to use computers.

    Creating an interactive and warm atmosphere between the classroom members is an essential thing in the educational process by :

ü Asking open-ended questions and using opened up time for discussion will give the opportunity to students to express their own opinions and teach them how to accept other students' opinions.

ü Dividing the students into groups to create a spirit of cooperation and participation in discussion and analysis of tasks assigned to the students.

v Disadvantages :

    Teachers need additional time to prepare the lessons which needs High-Tech equipments.

    Due to financial circumstances each school has only one Smart board which makes it unavailable at all the times.

    There are number of students who don’t have computers at home, so it's prevent them to interact with the teacher and other students.

    Having open discussion in group working will waste a lot of time.

v Solve this problem :

  Exchange other teachers experience in time management.

  In case of unavailability of the smart board we can use other equipments such as data show and projectors.

  Arranging outdoor activities to avoid waste of the lesson time.

  Ask the students which don’t have computer at home to use school libraries and computers to make their assignments. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HB6th8DKr2g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wR4ocKovy28&feature=related

About Me

My name is Mona Ali , I was born in Bahrain 10^th of September, I consider from the Virgo.I have 2 sisters and 2 brothers. I am working as a computer teacher at Isa Town intermediate School.

The things I love most in life are reading, shopping and hanging out with friends. I really enjoy watching movies at home with my family.

I really enjoyed my childhood. I have very exciting memories with my family and friends. Actually I was very naughty but smart at school that’s why my parents are always proud of me .

At high school I worked hard to achieve my dream to be successful programmer. So I studied Computer Science at Ain Shams University which is considered one of the best universities in Egypt. During my undergraduate study my academic results were good and distinguished. During this period I learnt much,  I learned how to be independent, responsible and how to make right decisions.

Before graduation I worked hard to prepare myself for my coming career so I took Computer languages sessions like ( C# ,C++, ASP.NET ,Oracle ,CCNA, Photoshop and, English and soft skills courses..It was a really good experience

My dream for the future is     to be successful teacher which has  an obvious fingerprints in her students lives. That is why I joined PGDE in order to improve my knowledge and skills which in turn will help me to cope with the daily difficulties which I face.