Lesson 10 " The Computer as Tutor"

          Computers make our lives completely different. Our current significant development is due to computers in many areas. Examples of these areas are business, medicine, environment, technology, education and also our daily lives. Computers are one of the most important elements to make our modern society.

Computer-Assisted Instruction (CAI)

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

·         Insure that the 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 of the specific expected outcomes.

Today, educators accept the fact that the computer has indeed succeeded in providing an individualized learning environment so difficult for a teacher handling whole class. This is so, since the computer is able to allow individual students to learn at their own pace, motivate learning through a challenging virtual learning environment, and assist students through information needed during the learning process.

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 he appropriate learning objectives.
• Plan the sequential and structured.
• Evaluate the students’ achievement by ways of tests specific expected outcomes.

On the other hand, the students in CAI play their 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 sort of tutor (the role of traditional played by the teacher)
• Provides a learning environment.
• Delivers learning instruction.
• Reinforce learning through drill-and-practice.
• Provides feedback

Over View

          There has been a fear that someday in the future teachers will be replaced with CAI because as an assessment it is much better if we will used the computer to assist as in our learning for it is consistent and objective. Yes, it is partly true and also partly wrong because we all know that there are roles that teachers have to do that CAI cannot. A computer cannot assess and insure if the students have the needed knowledge and skills for it does not have any will and intellect, a teacher can decide the appropriate learning objectives while computers do not, a teachers can plan any structured activities to achieve objectives suited to the needs of its students and a teacher can evaluate the student’s achievements by ways of tests of the expected outcomes. With CAI, we can only expect lower level learning skills and what is only programmed in the computer will be the only thing a student will learn unlike with a teacher, we can learn more from him/her as we can freely asks questions or can interact with different experiences in life.

          Maybe CAI can be used on some areas of a student’s learning but it can’t represent in behalf of the teacher in all aspects. Drill and practice software materials can be useful if we want excellence in the use of the computer. But to make it a teacher, it can’t never be. Teachers are still the best and suited way for a student to learn more, computers can only assist.

Lesson 9 :" Computers as Information and Communication Technology"

           Computer assisted instruction (CAI) was introduced using the principle of individualized learning through a positive climate that includes realism and appeal with drill exercise that uses color, music and animation. The novelty of CAI has not waned to this 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

The Personal Computer (PC) as ICT

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

                 Close to the turn of the 21st century however, such a distinction merge owing to the advert of the microprocessor, also known as the personal computer (PC). This is due to the fact that the PC user at home, office and school has before him a tool for both audio-visual creations and media communication.

                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, report, 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 service (print/video) educational software etc.

- Adobe Reader - graphs/photo composition and editing.

- MSN - mail/chat messaging

- Windows media player - CD, VCD player, editing film/video

- Cyber Power - DVD player

- Gamehouse - video games

Lesson 8 " Higher Thinking Skills Through IT-Based Projects"

         
            There are  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 is the fact that these projects differ on the specific process and skills employed, also in the ultimate activity or platform used to communicate completed products to others.

The general flow 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/question. (4) Students organize their information in response to the problem/question.

Traditional learning model	Resource-based learning model
Teacher is expert and information provider	Teacher is a guide and facilitator
Textbook is key source of information	Source are Varied (print, video, internet, etc.)
Focus on facts information is packaged in neat parcels	Focus on learning inquiry/ quest/ discovery
The product is the be-all and end-all of learning	Emphasis on process
Assessment is quantitative	Assessment is quantitative and qualitative

                                                     

To develop Creativity, the Following five key task may be recommended. First is Define the task, Brainstorm, Judge the ideas, Act, and the last is Adopt flexibility.

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. Communication 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.

These four IT based projects helps  student to be more creative and resourceful. and also an experience that can be applied in their own lives.

Lesson 7 "IT For Higher Thinking Skills And Creativity"

              I

              In the traditional information absorption model of teaching, the teacher organizes and presents information to student- learners. He may use a variety of teaching resources to support the lesson such as the chalkboard, videotape, newspaper or magazine and photos. The presentation is followed by discussion and the giving of assignment. This teaching approach has been proven successful for achieving learning outcomes following the lower end of Blooms Taxonomy: knowledge, comprehension and application are concerned.

               Today, students are expected to be not only cognitive, but also flexible, analytical and creative. In this lesson, there are methods proposed for the use of computer-based technologies as an integral support to higher thinking skills and creativity.

HIGHER LEVEL LEARNING OUTCOMES

-          To define higher thinking skills and creativity, we may adopt a frame work that is a helpful synthesis of many models and definitions on the subject matter. The framework is exhaustive but a helpful guide for the teacher’s effort to understand the learner’s higher learning process.

COMPLEX THINKING  SKILLS	SUB-SKILLS
Focusing	Defining the problem, goal/objective-setting, brainstorming
Information gathering	Selection, recording of data of information
Remembering	associating, relating new data with old
Analyzing	Identifying idea constructs, patterns
Generating	Deducing, inducting, elaborating
Organizing	Classifying , relating
Imagining	Visualizing and predicting
Designing	Planning , formulating
Integration	Summarizing and abstracting
Evaluating	Setting criteria, testing idea, verifying outcomes, revising

HE UPGRADED PROJECT METHOD

       _ Project method for higher learning outcomes consist on having the students work on projects with depth, complexity, duration and relevance to the real world, this new method involves students in active creation of information.

 THE PROCESS

      The process of project implementation takes the students to the steps, efforts, and experiences in project completion. Meanwhile, thus to be borne in mind is that;

Lesson-6 "Developing Basic Digital skills"

Meaningful learning

         If the traditional learning environment gives stress to rote learning and simple memorization, meaningful learning gives focus to new experience that is related to what the learners already know. New experience departs from the learning of a sequence of words but gives attention to its meaning. It assumes that.

          Students already have some knowledge that is relevant to new learning

          Students are willing to perform class work to find connections between what they know and what they can learn.

          In the learning process, the learners are encouraged to recognize relevant personal experiences. A reward structure is set so that the learner will have both interest and confidence, and his incentive system sets a positive environment to learning. Facts that are subsequently assimilated are subjected to the learner’s understanding and application. In the classroom, hands-on activities are introduced so as to simulate learning in everyday living.

Discovery learning

           Discovery learning is differentiated from reception learning in which ideas are presented directly to students in a well organized way, such as through detailed set of instructions to complete an experiment or task. To make a contrast, in discovery learning students perform tasks to uncover what to be learned. New ideas and new decisions are generated in the learning process, regardless of the need to move on or depart from organized setoff activities previously set. In discovery learning, iti s important that the students become personally engaged and not subjected by the teacher to procedures he/she is not allowed to depart from.


Generative Learning

           In generative learning we have learners who attend to learning events and generate to learning events and generate to learning events and generate meaning from this experience and draw inference s thereby creating a personal model or explanations to the new experience in the context of the existing knowledge.

             Generative learning is viewed as different from the simple process of storing information. Motivation and responsibility are seen to be crucial to this domain of learning. The area of language comprehension offers examples of this type of generative learning activities, such as in writing paragraph summaries, developing answers and questions, drawing pictures, creating paragraph titles, organizing ideas/concepts, and others. In sum, generative learning gives emphasis to what can be done with a piece of information, not only on access to them.

Constructivism

           In constructivism, the learner builds a personal understanding through appropriate learning activities and a good learning environment. The most accepted principles of constructivism are

-        Learning consist in what a person can actively assemble for himself and not what he can received

passively.

-        The role of learning is to help the individual live/adapt to his personal world.

These two principles in turn lead to three practical implications:

-        The learner is directly responsible for learning. He creates his personal understanding and transforms information into knowledge. The teacher plays an indirect role by modeling effective learning, assisting, facilitating, and encouraging learners.

-        The context of meaningful learning consists in the learner connecting school activity with real life.

-        The purpose of education is the acquisition of practical knowledge, not abstract or universal truth.