Wednesday, September 30, 2015

FIGURE OF ITEM #29


FIGURE OF ITEM #28


FIGURE OF ITEM #26


MULTIPLE CHOICES OF ITEM #26


FIGURE OF ITEM #19


FIGURES ON THE MULTIPLE CHOICES IN ITEM #17


FIGURE OF ITEM #16


FIGURE OF ITEM #13


FIGURE OF ITEM #12


FIGURES OF ITEM #10


FIGURES OF THE MULTIPLE CHOICES IN ITEM #7


FIGURES OF THE MULTIPLE CHOICES IN ITEM #6


FIGURE OF ITEM #6


Saturday, September 19, 2015

LESSON 18 Tablets for Textbooks in School

Tablet for learning is still futuristic. But today, books are sill the primary of medium of instruction in must schools. These will be replaced by digital technology reading tools, but there are now perceptions that virtual literary may very well ease out textual print literary. Already, the disadvantages of using books for learning are being debated upon. The load of books and work books are backbreaking due to their weight and size. Publishing and printing millions of books are just too expensive. The errors in public school textbooks have also been exposed, errors resulting from information, technical mistakes and editorial lapses. Technology is being viewed as a savior. Learning technology along with other audio-visual aids to teaching-and-learning. Classroom instruction which rides the vehicle of gaming admittedly makes learning more effective and more fun. De la Salle school administrators, parents and other stakeholders have met to discuss the need of tables as a primary learning tool to replace the textbooks. And it was argues that young students carry many heavy books that physically burdensome.
This blogpost gives us the idea to need tablets or laptop for textbooks replacement in schools. Why? It is a great idea that young students are enjoying to go to school without carrying heavy books that makes their back break that maybe can cause insufficient learning. And books also needed big budget for printing hard copies instead of soft-copies in tablets or laptop. I know one school wherein students use tablets in replacement to those heavy books in school. Familiar with Saint Paul University in Surigao? 
Students of Saint Paul University Surigao (SPUS) will be the first to enjoy the benefits of a new e-learning solution offered by wireless leader Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart).
New gadgets help students to be comfortable and entertain to use new technology for learning. They can able to learning a lot of information not only for one source but also to many other sources of valid information.

LESSON 17 Educational Technology 2 Practicum

Much like field studies in teacher education, Educational Technology 2 offers students the experiential process of adapting to technology integration within a student-centered paradigm. This is the practicum phase of the course which can be done, as seen fit by the teacher, either at the end of the more theoretical lessons or inserted between lessons. The practicum phase consists of hands-on computer tutorials which the student teacher or professional teacher-trainee will need to make him/her capable. The practicum phase consists in: Basic Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint and Internet as tool of inquiry.

In sum, Educational Technology 2 promises to bring the student teacher and the professional teacher trainee to the challenge of a new age—integrating technology in the teaching-learning process. The brisk pace of technology advancement and innovation continues, but ET 2 is a preparation to bring our teachers to move ahead with their use of technology in the classroom.
As a future teacher, I must appreciate the broad benefits that the computer can bring in the lives of students and teachers. Educational Technology 2 meets the expectation of a future teacher like me - to use and apply the new trends of technology in teaching. Educational Technology 2 aims to have modern teachers that will teach modern students. To use the different technologies as a strategy in teaching, it will be more effective and pleasing to the students.

LESSON 16 The Internet and Education

Everything coordinated in the Internet through a standardized protocol (or set of rules for exchanging data) called Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP). To gain access to the Internet, the computer must be equipped with what is called a Server which has a special software (program) that uses the Internet protocol.
The vast sea of information now in the Internet, including news and trivia, is an overwhelming challenge to those who wish to navigate it. The most attractive way to move around the Internet is called browsing. Using a program called a browser, the user can use a mouse to point and click on screen icons to surf the Internet, particularly the World Wide Web (the Web), an Internet’s subset of text, images, and sounds are linked together to allow users to access data or information needed.

Educational software materials have also developed both in sophistication and appeal. There is now a wider choice from rote arithmetic or grammar lessons to discovery and innovation projects. But the real possibility today is connecting with the world outside homes, classrooms, and Internet cafes. Today schools are gearing up to take advantage of Internet access, where they can plug into the Library of Congress, make virtual visits to famous museums in the world, write to celebrities, and even send questions to heads of states.
The Internet and Education is always connected to each other because, when one speak the word “Internet”, the word that will come into our mind is the “information”, and information, data and facts are always related to field of education so that we cannot deny the fact that they are close to each other. A computer with Internet Connection is very essential for us. This is due to the fact that I can keep in touch with my family and friends, and also, I can get bunch of information though it.

LESSON 15 Understanding Hypermedia

Hypermedia is nothing but multimedia, but this time packaged as an educational computer software where information is presented and student activities are integrated in a virtual learning environment. The presentation of information-learning activities in hypermedia is said to be sequenced in a non-linear manner, meaning that the learner may follow his path of activities thus providing an environment of learner autonomy and thinking skills. There are two important features that are outstanding—among all features—that characterize the hypermedia software, these are Learner control and Learner wide range of navigation routes. Learner control means the learner makes his own decisions on the path, flow or events of instruction and the learner wide range of navigation routes means that the learner controls the sequence and pace of his path depending on his/her ability and motivation.

Furthermore, hypermedia includes more than one media (text, graphics, audio, animation and video clip) but does not necessarily use all types of media in one presentation. Given all its capabilities, hypermedia still does not replace life’s experience and learning from nature and life. This is the saying that information and communication technology cannot replace the teacher altogether.

In the internet, we can find lots and lots of hypermedia. This is use to organize the content of the website or page. Hypermedia is a blending of two words “Hypertext” and “Multimedia”. An example here is this “digital portfolio”, there is certain point by where a hyperlink is placed, and if you click it, you will proceed to another page or site.

LESSON 14 The Software as Educational Resource

It’s more difficult to realize, however, that the computer hardware can hardly be useful without the program or system that tells what the computer machine should do. This is also called the software. There are two kinds of software, systems software and applications software. The systems software is the operating system that found or bundled inside all computer machines while the application software contains the system that commands the particular task or solves a particular problem. In turn, the application s software may be custom software or commercial software. It is custom software when it is made for special tasks often by large corporations and it is a commercial when it is packaged for personal computers with a variety of tasks.

Also referred to as a program, Microsoft Windows or windows for short is an operating environment between the user and the computer operating system. Windows is in itself a self-contained operating system which provides user convenience, a new look, information center and plug and play. Moreover, instructional software can be visited on the Internet or can be bought from software shops or dealers. The teacher through his school should decide on the best computer-based instructional (CBI) materials for the school resource collection.

Software is merely important to a computer because they are the ones to put sense to computer. In using computer, lots of software are being used – some are for entertainment (Farmville), practice (Text Twist), and for instructional (SimCity, Bookworm) as well.

As a future teacher, we must choose an appropriate and updated type of educational software as a teaching material, because, somehow, the learning is quite interesting if we present this kind of software to the students.

LESSON 13 Cooperative Learning with the Computer

The 1:1 pupil-computer ratio is still an ideal to be achieved. Reality, therefore, dictates that schools face the fact that each classroom, especially in public or government schools, may not be equipped with the appropriate number of computers. The creativity of the teacher will have to respond to the situation, and so cooperative learning will likely be the answer to the implementation of IT supported learning in our schools.  But the situation may not be that bad since there are motivational and social benefits to cooperative learning and these can compensate for the lack of hardware that educators face.

Cooperative or collaborative learning is learning by small groups of students who work together in a common learning task. The five elements namely, a common goal, interdependence, interaction, individual accountability and social skills, are needed. In addition, there are studies which show that cooperative learning enhance personal and social development among students of all ages, while enhancing self-esteem and improving social relations between racially and culturally different students. When students work with computers in groups, they cluster and interact with each other for advice and mutual help. And given the option to work individually or in a group, the students generally wish to work together in computer-based and non computer-based activities.

Cooperative learning is same as collaborative or group learning, by which students are expected to perform with each other’s help. If we are working with group, there will be more ideas to contribute and there will be more interesting moments because if we are with our friends, we are enjoyed. I have learned that the computer is a natural learning vehicle for cooperative learning. The creativity of the teacher will have to respond to the situation, and so cooperative learning will likely be the answer to the implementation of IT supported learning in our schools.

LESSON 12 Information Technology in Support of Student-Centered Learning

John Dewey has described traditional learning as a process in which the teacher pours information to student learners, much like pouring water from a jug into cups. This is based on the long accepted belief that the teacher must perform his role of teaching so that learning can occur. This learning approach is generally known as direct instruction, and it has worked well for obtaining many kinds of learning outcomes. In contrast, in individualized societies we find knowledge-based economies in which workers depend on information that can be accessed through information and communication technologies (ICTs). Desiring to gain effectiveness, efficiency and economy in administration and instruction, schools in these developed economies have also adopted the support of ICTs.  Their students have now become active not passive learners, who can interact with other learners, demonstrating independence and self-awareness in the learning process.

Generally, the new school classroom environment is characterized by student individually or in groups:

  • Performing computer word processing for text or graph presentations
  • Preparing power-point presentations
  • Searching for information on the Internet
  • Brainstorming on ideas, problems and project plans as needed, the teacher facilitating instruction, also gives individualized instruction to serve individual needs

As we all know, in the traditional classroom, a teacher can discipline and manage his/her students. The teacher in that has always the first and final say in the lesson. But the difference is that in the traditional classroom, a student can sometimes feel intimidated and bored since it is always the voice of the teacher who echoes most of the time and leads the discussion. While in a SCL environment, it gives students the venue to interact with each other, be motivated as everyone can participate and enjoy. It can be as noisy as it is, but it gives the students independence and self-awareness. It does not mean that in a SCL, the teacher can no longer do classroom management. The teacher still is the one more knowledgeable than his/her students, but he do not anymore act as the teacher who do talking most of the times, but he/she is now a facilitator, open to ideas, problems and resolutions from his/her students. I believe that SCL is fun, memorable and healthy just like training or a workshop.

The main concern of this blog post is the usefulness of computer when it comes in student-centered learning. With the very broad power of this invention, it allows students to be independent learners, where they are not being spoon-fed by their teachers.

LESSON 11 The Computer as the Teacher’s Tool

In my previous blog, we have talked about how the computer acts as a tutor, particularly along a behaviorist and constructivist approach to learning.  And as a promise, this blog post will be all about computer, again, but as the teacher’s handy-tool, supporting the constructivist and social constructivist standards of learning.

Constructivism, a very common term to educators, was introduced by Jean Piaget and Jerome Bruner. They gave emphasis to knowledge discovery of new meanings/concepts/principles in the learning process. Various strategies have been suggested to foster knowledge discovery. For example, making students engaged in gathering unorganized information from which they can induce ideas and principles. Students are asked to apply the discovered knowledge to new situations, a process for making their knowledge applicable to real life situations.

Jean Piaget and Jerome Bruner
While knowledge is constructed by the individual learner in constructivism, knowledge can be also socially constructed, social constructivism. It is an effort to show that the construction of knowledge has a predetermined point of view according to the social perspective of the community or society he/she lives in. Psychologist like Lev Vygotsky emphasized that learning is affected by social influences. He suggested the interactive process in learning. The more capable adult or classmate can aid or complement what the learner sees in a given class project. 

Lev Vygotsky
The table below is the summary of the two learning perspective:

Learning Framework
Constructivism
Social Constructivism
Assumption
Knowledge is constructed by the individual
Knowledge is constructed within a social context
Definition of Learning
Students build their own learning
Students build knowledge influenced by the social context
Learning Strategies
Gather unorganized information to create new concept/principle
Exchange and share form ideas, stimulates thinking
General Orientation
Personal discovery of knowledge
Students discuss and discover meanings
Example
8 x 5 – 8 + 8 + 8 + 8 + 8
Two alternative job offers

Option #1: 8 hours/day for 6 days per week

Option #2: 9 hours/day for 5 days per week

And now were done with the two learning perspectives, we will move on to the computer’s capabilities. The computer can provide access to information, foster creative social knowledge-building, and enhance the communication of the achieved project packaged given t’s presents-day speed, flexibility and sophistication. Without computer, today’s learners may still be assuming the tedious tasks of low-level information gathering, building and new knowledge packaging. Based on the two learning theories, the teacher can employ the computer as:

An Informational tool

  • The computer can provide vast amounts of information in various forms, such as texts, graphics, sound and video. Even multimedia encyclopedias are today available on the Internet.
A Communication tool

  • Given the fact that Internet can serve as a channel for global communication, the computer can very well be the key tool for video teleconferencing sessions.
A Constructive tool

  • The computer itself can be used for manipulating information, visualizing one’s understanding, and building new knowledge. 
A Co-constructive tool

  • One way of co-construction is the use of electronic whiteboard where students may post notices to a shared document/whiteboard.
A Situating tool

  • By means of virtual reality (RS) extension system, the computer can create 3-D images on display to give the users the feeling that are situated in a virtual environment. A flight simulation program is an example of a situating tool which places the user in a simulated flying environment.
The computer has provided as different uses, gives us advantages and convenience. The trend nowadays is information technology which makes use the computer in all its applications. Computers have been already used in schools to provide and facilitate students’ learning. It is obvious that even the youngest generation knew about it and how it is being used. Student’s make their assignments, create projects, and do researches with the use of computer. It really seemed that our present civilization is dependent on computers. It is in anyway advantageous if used wisely and purposely.

Japan, China, Korea and other countries already made used of the use of computer as a teacher; programmed to teach and be objective. Others also can study anywhere in the world without going to schools and be seated inside a classroom. One can already facilitate his own learning through the computer. It can provide vast information, provides easier communication and facilitates constructivism among minds of learners. 

Nowadays, the effectiveness of a classroom can be depending on how you use computer in your class. If you don’t incorporate the computers, the class will be a bit boring. The computers are in our hands so all of we need is to treasure the good things it bring to our daily teaching.

LESSON 10 The Computer as a Tutor

I love computers! I consider it as the most awesome invention in the history of humankind. Who would contradict to this one? And I dare you to give me an invention that is more valuable than computer. Computer is responsible for all the advancement in technology! Cannot think of anything else, right? I guess so. Computer as many of us would say, make our lives easier and better. Computers perform a wide variety of activities in our daily lives reliably, accurately, and quickly. I am here saying as a digital learner that in my schooling computer takes a very hefty role. Truly, computer is my companion. Computer serves as my tutor. And this is what we are going to discuss in this blog post. Especially it’s assistance in education.

The computer is one of the wonders of human ingenuity. Educators saw much use of the PC. They saw its potential for individualization in learning, especially as individualized learning is a problem since teachers usually with a class of forty or more learners. This is a common scenario here in the Philippines, right? What I mean is, the forty or more learners in a classroom. They therefore devised strategies to use the compute to break barriers to individualized instruction.

The computer-assisted instruction (CAI) which acts as a tutor and provides a learning environment should never replace the teacher since the teacher shall continue to play the major roles of information deliverer and learning environment controller. Even with the availability of CAI, the teacher must insure that students have the needed knowledge and skills for any computer activity (which by the way is VERY important! How would you teach something with the use of CAI if you yourself cannot master to operate a computer? Come on guys, seriously?!). The teacher must decide the appropriate learning objectives. Teachers should know their specific goals. They must plan sequential and structured activities to achieve objectives. And lastly, teacher must evaluate the students’ achievement by ways to tests and specific expected outcomes.

Not only the teachers are the proponents of the effectiveness of CAI but the students as well should do their part as the learners. The students in CAI play their own roles as learners as they receive information, understand the instructions for the computer activity, retain the information and rules for the computer activity and apply the knowledge and rules during the process of computer learning.

CAI INTEGRATED WITH LESSONS

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. In these programs, the computer presents a question/problem first and the student is asked to answer the question/problem, immediate feedback is given to the student’s answer. After a number of practice problem, at the end of the exercise, the students get a summary of his/her overall performance.

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.

In integrating computer programs in instruction, use tutorial software associated with cognitive learning. While practice exercise or learning by doing is still the heart of each tutorial, the tutorial software should:
  • Be able to teach new content/new information to students 
  • Provide comprehensive information on concepts in addition to practice exercises
  • Be effectively used for remediation, reviewing or enrichment
  • Allow the teacher to introduce follow-up questions to stimulate students’ learning
  • Permit group activity for cooperative learning

With the integration of CAI in education, simulation softwares are another kind of software that is constructivist in nature. It teaches strategies and rules applied to real-life problems/situations, asks students to make decision on models or scenarios, and it allows experience of the effects of their decisions. I didn’t able to try using this software but I think is suites best with engineering students because as stated from the games definition, SimCity, the student or the simulator will build a city and decides on what tools/materials will he/she use in building it, considering financial limits and etc.  
Example:
In SimCity, the player is given the task of founding and developing a city, while maintaining the happiness of the citizens and keeping a stable budget.
While relating to low-level learning objectives, instructional computer games add the elements of competition and challenge. I would really love to play this game but the only problem is I didn’t have any software of it available. It is also created a long time ago so the tendency is that, its animation is far more advanced that the newer instructional computer games.

Example:
GeoSafari, an educational toy company that releases various technological educational toys.
Problem solving softwares are more sophisticated than the drill and practice exercises and allow students to learn and improve on their problem solving ability. Since problems cannot be solved simply by memorizing facts, the students have to employ higher thinking skills such as logic, recognition, reflection, and strategy-making.

Example:
Thinkin' Things Collection 1 is a set of tools and toys that strengthen auditory and visual discrimination develop spatial awareness and foster visual and musical creativity.
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. I love this software. Aside from I love reading factual and trivial books, this software can really help students in gathering or getting reliable information.

Example:
Children's Encyclopedia, could be used as a conventional reference library. It covered scientific subjects such as geology, biology and astronomy but such scientific terms were generally avoided.
Electronic books provide textual information for reading, supplemented by other types of multimedia information. These are useful for learning reading, spelling and word skills.

Example:
 Little Critter in this interactive book app as he and his Grandma spend a day at the beach! Explore pictures, learn new vocabulary, and personalize the story with your own narration. 
The following examples of CAI being shown above are the presentation of how educators can integrate CAI in their lessons and applications that are applicable in achieving their tools. I will discuss further with the gory details on the CAI’s applications by educators in my next blog post. Those examples above are just few of the vast number of educational softwares available worldwide. All you have to do as a student is to choose for the list and enhance or practice the skills you want to learn or enhanced more. It just a matter of picking and judging what software you are going to use and how will you use that software to boost your talent and skills. Like me, example, as a BSED Physics student, I want to practice my problem solving skills because as we all know Physics is all about problems, (even though I don’t really care about them, haha, I am oblige to do so.) so I installed software in my laptop and also in my smartphone. Softwares like pHet, Physics problem solver, Pocket Physics, Physics Formulas and many more. These softwares are very useful in my studies. They really serve as a guide in my education.

So, how about you? Do you use one of the softwares mentioned above? How do you use computer as a tutor? Just comment in this post below. 

Sunday, August 16, 2015

LESSON 9 Computers as Information and Communication Technology

On my previous blogs, I have been accentuating on how technology partakes to the daily lives of people. Most especially, the gadgets we use every day. As a future educator, it is a must for us to know how these gadgets contribute to education, particularly the computers.

It was pointed out on EdTech1 the role of computer in education, and the advent of 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 computers, especially so with the arrival of the microcomputer in 1975. Thus emerged computer technology in education.

Soon computer-assisted instruction (CAI) was introduced using the principle of individualized learning through a positive climate that includes realism and appeal with drill exercises that uses color, music and animation. The novelty of CAI has not waned to this day especially in the basic education level as this is offered by computer-equipped private schools. But the evolving pace of innovation in today’s Information Age is so dynamic that within the first decade of the 21st Century, computer technology in education has matured to transform into an educative information and communication technology (ICT) in education.

Typical CAI provides

·         text or multimedia content
·         multiple-choice questions
·         problems
·         immediate feedback
·         notes on incorrect responses
·         summarizes students' performance
·         exercises for practice
·         Worksheets and tests.

Types of Computer Assisted Instruction

Drill-and-practice. Drill and practice provide opportunities or students to repeatedly practice the skills that have previously been presented and that further practice is necessary for mastery.

Tutorial. Tutorial activity includes both the presentation of information and its extension into different forms of work, including drill and practice, games and simulation.

Games. Game software often creates a contest to achieve the highest score and either beat others or beat the computer.

Simulation. Simulation software can provide an approximation of reality that does not require the expense of real life or its risks.

Discovery. Discovery approach provides a large database of information specific to a course or content area and challenges the learner to analyze, compare, infer and evaluate based on their explorations of the data.

Problem Solving. This approach helps children develop specific problem solving skills and strategies.

Advantages of CAI

·         one-to-one interaction
·         great motivator
·         freedom to experiment with different options
·         instantaneous response/immediate feedback to the answers elicited
·         Self pacing - allow students to proceed at their own pace
·         Helps teacher can devote more time to individual students
·         Privacy helps the shy and slow learner to learns
·         Individual attention
·         learn more and more rapidly
·         multimedia helps to understand difficult concepts through multi sensory approach
·         self directed learning – students can decide when, where, and what to learn

Limitations of CAI

·         may feel overwhelmed by the information and resources available
·         over use of multimedia may divert the attention from the content
·         learning becomes too mechanical
·         non availability of good CAI packages
·         lack of infrastructure

LESSON 8 Higher Thinking Skills Through IT-Based Projects

In this blog we will add up our knowledge about the four types of IT-based projects which can effectively be used in order to engage students in activities of a higher order of thinking.

It is to be understood that projects differ in the specific process and skills employed thus saying that these projects do not address all of the thinking skills shown previously in the Thinking Skills Framework. But these projects represent constructivist projects, containing the key elements of a constructivists approach to instruction, namely:

a)     The teacher creating the learning environment
b)     The teacher giving students the tools and facilities
c)      The teacher facilitating learning

On the other hand, it is the students themselves who demonstrate higher thinking skills and creativity through such activities searching for information, organizing and synthesizing ideas, creating presentations and the like.

In tackling about the four types of IT-based projects which are the following:

a)     Resource-based Projects

  • In these projects, the teacher steps out of the traditional role of being a content expert and information provider, instead the teacher lets the students find their own facts and information. The general flow of events in resource-based projects is:
  1. The teacher determines the topic for the examination of the 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.

Ex. WebQuest, an inquiry-oriented activity in which most or all of the
 information used by learners are drawn from the web.
b)     Simple Creations

  • Students are assigned to create their software materials to supplement the need for relevant and effective materials. 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. Creativity is said to combine three kinds of skills/abilities: analyzing, synthesizing and promoting.

Ex. Creative Writer, by Microsoft, an available software material on writing.
c)      Guided Hypermedia Projects
The production of self-made multimedia projects can be approached in two different ways:

  • As an instructive tool, such as in the production by students of a power-point presentation of a selected topic.
  • As a communication tool, such as when students do a multimedia presentation to simulate a television news show.

Ex. HyperStudio, by Roger Wagner Productions, a multimedia software.
d)     Web-Based Projects

  • Students can create and post webpages on a given topic. Posting webpages in the Internet allows the students a wider audience. They can also be linked with other related sites in the Internet.