Refelection # 6: ICT as Tutor

ICT-Tutor is a directed- constructive teaching strategy that uses software and web resources for educational purpose. The aim of this strategy is to deliver information that helps learner to acquire and retain information as well as skills. Also it helps them to explore topics and generate self knowledge as well. Nowadays sources like YouTube are counted as the most important source of video, audio and presentation tutorial.

Educational software comes in many forms like:

• Drill-and-practice

Drill & practice is familiar to all educators. It "promotes the acquisition of knowledge or skill through repetitive practice." It refers to small tasks such as the memorization of spelling or vocabulary words, or the practicing of arithmetic facts and may also be found in more supplicated learning tasks or physical education games and sports. Drill-and-practice, like memorization, involves repetition of specific skills, such as addition and subtraction, or spelling. To be meaningful to learners, the skills built through drill-and-practice should become the building blocks for more meaningful learning.

• Tutorial


A tutorial is used to teach material. More interactive and specific than a book or a lecture; a tutorial can be a ready made software or website which seeks to teach by example and supply the information to complete a certain task. Depending on the context a tutorial can take one of many forms, ranging from a set of instructions to complete a task to an interactive problem solving session.


• Instructional games and simulation:


Simulated games and virtual worlds provide educators with an opportunity to engage with an immersive and interactive environment that requires knowledge, decision making, and information management skills. I believe children learn by being actively involved. Games are a perfect method to engage elementary students in educational tasks.

It may appear that using games in the classroom is simply a way to let kids play instead of attending to important academic tasks, but children learn more when they find the task enjoyable.

Applying games in the classroom is an amazing way to attract students and get their attention in a way to make sure that they understand the lesson well. I used to apply this method inside my classroom, students was so attractive and enthusiastic to begin the lesson. 

Microsoft Excel was the hardest subject to the students but when I used game the lesson was easy to them they enjoy the lesson and they were waiting for my lecture just to play and learn.

Unfortunately simulation games are not widely available as entertainment games; there is a big fan base for such type of games. The most famous one is "Microsoft Flight Simulator", but there are many others such as "Ship Simulator" and "Train Simulator". In these types of games, you are given the opportunity to exactly mimic the real life plain for example, you are given basic lessons, and then advance until you completely understand the functions of planes, how they work and how to fly them.

I think simulated learning games, is one of the effective strategies that will be used widely in future education; unfortunately simulation games are not widely available as entertainment games but fortunately the Modern education policies are directed to achieve students desires , which in turn will meet the goal of effective learning process.

If you feel more interesting about this topic here are some useful websites please and videos kindly visit them and enjoy the experience.


• The site for ICT Education
www.teach-ict.com
• ICT Teaching ideas
www.teachingideas.co.uk
• ICT Specialist
www.ictspecialist.com

Reflection # 5 : ICT as Mind Tool (Mind Mapping)

Mind Mapping

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Mind mapping means ‘the use of graphic organizer maps model that presents certain idea or subject. The main reason behind using mind mapping approach is to reduce the amount of information presented for complex subject in a form of paragraph or scenario to simple graphic form. Visual students could save the graph maps in their mind and retrieve information back whenever needed.

There are various types of readymade software’s that can help us to demonstrate complex ideas like: Visio, Inspiration, Cmap and many more. I believe using this approach in computer field can made students understand things in more professional way especially in programming and analysis stage processes.

Regarding to computer field, teachers can preset the concept of mind mapping for students by explaining the concept of input and output resources for computer peripherals or dataflow. After all, I think that mind mapping concept is an essential tool for education and that any teacher should make full use of it to help his/her students easily understand the lesson and are kept engaged and entertained, eventually they will learn more.

• If you feels more interested to know more on how to make mind-maps please watch this video tutorial.

Reflection # 4 : WebQuest

A WebQuest is an inquiry-oriented activity in which most of the information used by learners is drawn from the internet or other similar resources. WebQuests are designed to utilize and achieve the greatest benefit for the learners’ time as well as involving higher levels of thinking built around a topic or interest.

I believe WebQuest will help learners to focus on using information rather than looking for it, this approach will support learners' thinking at the levels of analysis, synthesis, evaluation and problem solving. 

WebQuest consists of the following five steps:

1- Introduction: The learner provides brief background information about specific subject in which it presents it in an attractive context.

2- Task: Usually is a set of questions or problems that learners required to answer and solve.

3- Process: It describes step-by-step instruction on how the learners will accomplish the task in a way that provides guidance and steps to achieve the given task.

4- Evaluation: consists of what is expected to be achieved by the given task successfully theses can include grading, rubric and detail account of how it will be measured.

5- Conclusion:  brings closure to the quest or subject presented, it reminds the learners about what they've learned, and perhaps encourages them to extend the experience into other domains.

I think WebQuest will fits more on high school because of what it may request, learners with higher ages has more chances to be succeeded with this technique or style of learning because of their mental maturity. 


Before I finish my post I would like to share with you some examples of WebQuest's websites which it presents the thread in clearer view:

1-http://my-ecoach.com/project.php?id=14825
2-http://questgarden.com/85/64/4/090729113624/
3-http://questgarden.com/95/83/6/100206113734/



And for those who would like to create a WebQuest here is a couple of video tutorials which explains to you what are the steps to create your own WebQuest website. 

Reflection # 3 : Inquiry-based learning

The traditional approach of learning has changed significantly, teachers role becomes more as a guider and facilitator whereas students become more involve in education process through asking and investigating. This method will lead the students to gain knowledge more deeply and closely. students may construct the knowledge and becomes more centered in education process.

Today I will talk about new techniques of learning which is called : Inquiry Based Learning (IBL). Inquiry based learning  is a technique that encourage students to seek the information by asking questions, creating hypotheses, examining and building new knowledge. I believe this methodology is a very effective technique of teaching in which it allows students to look at the problem analytically and actively by searching and integrating founded information over their knowledge. At the end students will came up with solutions, reflection, thoughts and suggestions to the presented problem .

On the ground, similarly I have tried this kind of learning technique applying Project Based Learning (PBL). A group of students are giving a scenario about certain topic where they discuss ideas and thoughts to solve and investigate various stages of this scenario and then present it as project.

There are several models of Inquiry based learning like Big6, super3 and WebQuest. The first two models are the same they were addressed for younger age students because of their sample steps, both asked students to analyze the problem and solve it by following series steps. Super 3 is specially used for children because it has only three steps processes to solve an existing problem. WebQuest has different story it has more details and phases, I will present this concern on my next blog inshalla.

Reflection #2 – Student Centred Learning & Flipped Classroom

From my humble experience in teaching field I think sometimes I had applied this method of learning with out knowing its academic term or application, computer subjects rarely applied this kind of learning method ,most of the time students are busy with computers doing their class work or browsing the internet. As I went through the material I have concluded that Student Center Learning (SCL) is method of learning which focus most of the work in the class on the student where the teacher roles becomes only as a guider or facilitator in which he directs student to the right approach therefore student become the axis of the educational process inside the class. 

The aim of SCL is to place students on the middle of learning process where they can participate more so they will be fully involve in the learning process through responsibility and activity. Student can benefit from this method by giving them the opportunity to practice several skills and techniques of learning like: problem solving (problem based learning), critical thinking, reflective thinking and cooperative learning.

Students who employ this technique of learning can be more social in the future and it will encourage them to become more active in the society. I believe student who’s been attempt this kind of learning has more chance to become leaders of the future.

Before I end my post, I would like to share with you these two documentary movies that shows a scenario of a student-centered learning class in more than one view.

Flipped Classroom : 

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Flipped classroom is a new methodology of learning where it inverts traditional teaching method by means of delivering instructions outside the classroom using online resources where homework is moved backward into the traditional classroom to be discussed. 

Students learn and interact with the lesson from their homes with out time and place restriction if it not vital; they can communicate with their peers and teachers via online discussions, problems, and activities using the available internet resources. Teacher helps student equally by giving them feedback of certain activity or lesson at onetime as well as reviewing question individually for each student.

Benefits of flipped classroom:

• Time flexibility.
• Students equally understand.
• student are managed equally by instructor.
• No time and place restriction.
• More planned and constructive.
• Absorb student misbehavior or discipline.  
• Students can study with their own pace.
• It may serve all models of learners.
•  lesson can be repeated several times.  
• Stimulates and active high level of learning.
• Parents will have more time to spend with their children.

Reflection #1 : Computer As Tool,Tutor and Tutee

COMPUTER

As Tool:

Nowadays computer can be a very powerful and effective teaching device where a carefully planned computer expression or activity will involve students’ interactions and can bring life to your lessons once it needed. As a tool computer is commonly used to accelerate and maintain complex processes or clerical routine tasks which are required by certain organization or community. Through my simple experience as a computer teacher, computer is widely spread in schools as tool more than as tutor or tutee, student are using it usually for the purpose of word processing, calculations, gaming ,graphic design and more as communication medium.

As Tutor:

Computer can act as a tutor on a way that teachs students through well designed software or simulated ones’ where it can give those students results or feedback upon their interaction with it. For example online exams, YouTube’s, flying simulators etc... . I believe there are many subjects where a computer tutor can fit in and begin very efficient. For example as a teacher it helps me a lot to learn and understand several aspects in the field of “servers and networks”. The advantages of computer tutor is that it can repeat the lesson thousands of times without being bored or tired and it can be paused several times to let you think and understand the point which is being presented and for that I think students who's begin considered as slow learners will benefit more from this style of learning effectively and efficiently.  

As Tutee:

To identify the term "tutee" we can declare it as the interaction of human tutor needed by a program or software in computer to build up certain method or function in which it can be considered as a meaning of tutoring the computer in a language it understands to do certain function or procedure. As specialist in this field I know that the computer cannot recognize anything until it is begin programmed by someone who is expert or at least involve with this area somehow establishing what it is supposed to do or to be. Expert user isn’t necessary all the time some normal users doesn’t know that they are tutoring computer by simple click or action. For example recording our voice to be recognized later by the computer, writing sample formulas to calculate bank interest, adding some unknown term or verb to dictionary, etc… all of those could be consider as a type of tutoring computer or made a computer as “tutee”.

About me

Hello every body my name is Abdul-Ameer I'm a computer teacher I have a bachelor degree in Information Technology and computing (ITC) from Arab Open University graduated on 2008.  I have worked in many professions which are related to (ITC) in the past 8 years. My last profession is teacher and I have been on the filed of teaching sine the year of 2009 up to present. since early 90's of the last century I was obsessed with computer world which was in my opinion the beginning of computer technology revolution, the world of numerous, buttons, attractive screen colors and communication tools, my beginnings with computer filed was in the year of 1995, I was a student in high school at that time and never knew that my passion with this filed will ever lead me to become a teacher in this magnificent area.