Reflection on Situating tools

Tenth Reflection on Blog

Reflection on Situating Tool

Situating tools is the tools that situate learners in an environment where they may experience the learning context, environment or happenings. Some of the example of a situating tool includes simulation (fight, farming, movie-make, problem-solving problems, driving, History city, Sim city, play station, virtual reality and CD – ROM. A flying simulation program is an example of situating tools because it places the user in a simulated flying environment. The computer generates high-speed 3-D images on the displays and gives the user the feeling that they situated in the computer-generated virtual environment.

Through simulations, students can learn strategies and rules which are made to apply to real life situations. The situating tool illustrates that students are actively involved in addressing real world problems. As the practice implies, the students are situated in the learning experiences and knowledge acquisition become a part of the learning activity, its context and culture which it is developed and used. This tool is authentic and interactive in nature where the user feels that they are situated in a real environment in their learning. If we teach this ideas the students will became independent learner and gain more confidence in their life. In addition, with this application, students are able to conceptualize their thoughts to the real world by applying the theories into practice.

The situate ideas provides us with opportunities to interact with real-life situations without danger, expenses or difficulty and it also involves learners conceptual understanding and high order thinking skills. Google map is a web mapping service application that you can use on the internet. It is an amazing web tool that allows us to look up any road map that we desire, get step by step directions from one address to another. We as a teacher can use those ideas of situating tools in the schools and make students learn better and understand more. 

Reflection on Google classroom

Ninth reflection on Blog

Reflection on Google classroom

Google classroom is a free service for educational intuitions, including schools and universities. Classroom allows educators to enroll students in a digital class, which is a page for students to access their assignments, including instructions, due dates and other helpful tools.

Within the Google classroom, students and teachers can have conversation about the assignments and task. It makes the work of the teacher easier as well as it encourages the students to learn and explore. We can have effective teaching and learning by using Google classroom. After discussing how to create and use Google classroom, I can assure that I will use this ideas in the schools to teach and interact with the students.

We can also create the forum and upload the information that we were going to teach and let the children read it before the session. It will also save a lot of our time as we don’t have to use paper, pen and the green board. In addition, we as teacher can also upload the additional materials like videos, links and additional readings for the better understanding of the students.

We as a teacher can also check whether each individual is participating or not and can give feedback and correct their answers. It provides an easier way for us (teacher) to collaborate out of school without the hassle of meeting up somewhere. At the same time, teacher and students can all come together and help one another. During a current situation like this we can integrate and apply these ideas to teach to students through Google classroom and let them keep on track. As a teacher, we must know how to use Google classroom.  

ICT as co-construction tool

Eight Reflection on Blog

ICT as co-construction tool

A co-construction tool is emphasis on collaboration and partnership working. After learning co-construction tool it helps me to expand my knowledge and skills on collaborating with my friends. The idea of co-construction or collaboration was inspired by Vygotsky’s social development. Vygotsky focused on the connections between people and the social development in which we interact and convey messages.

Some of the co-constructive applications tools are Google docs, electronic whiteboard, blogs and discussion forum. After discussing co-construction, I am able to build strong relationship with my friends and have effective communication and learning. We also create a Google docs in which we were to plan the ICT integrated lesson plan. In this, the idea of co-construction was implemented where we have to be cooperative with our friends while planning a lesson. While planning and writing the lesson plan, we have to cooperative and understand each other so that the idea of collaboration was used properly. 

Our group discussed the ICT integrated lesson plan on 'Pure Substances and Mixtures' from class four science. While discussing the lesson plan, we use the idea of co-construction that is collaborating and understanding each other. Moreover, we interact and pass messages to each other. We can also give comments and interact in the google docs which helped us a lot in coming up with a good lesson plan. While discussing the lesson, we made sure the the ides of ICT integration in the classroom was implemented and used properly. In general the idea of planning a lesson on Google docs was interesting and worth learning at the same time. In the future, I can use those ideas and help students’ to expand their knowledge. We also used google docs in other module such as action research as we were doing the research in group and it has helped us a lot in coming up with the final proposal. 

Importance of using camtasia

Seventh Reflection on Blog

Importance of using camtasia

After learning different types of features in camtasia, I think it will be useful for teaching those to students in future while teaching and learning in the class. The uses of technology like camatsia in education system create effective teaching for teachers and enhance students learning. I can use this concept in the teaching and learning context as teaching – learning materials in the class. I think it will help students comprehend better and make teaching and learning interesting. Moreover, the students can be motivated and become active learner. It will also boost student’s interest in learning and create conducive learning environment. In this way the constructive tool helps in providing information to students through the use of ICT.

There is a group in the face book which is created by the sir to upload our video. We can view our friends' video and give comment to their videos. After going through the comments given by the friends, I realized that I need to remember those comments while making video using camtasia in the future. I can also use those feed backs to come up with better video in the coming days. 

We have also gone through our friends’ video tutorial and comment on their videos. While going through friends’ videos I learnt a lot and gain new experiences as well. By watching their videos I understand what are some of the things that we need to remember while producing a video in camtasia. In order to produce a good video we need to know the features of designing principle along with features of using animations and camtasia. Moreover, we need to have lots of experience of using camtasia if we want to make a good video.

By going through the comments made by friends, I know what are some of the things that I need to improve for the future references and to produce a good video using camtasia hereafter. After that I realized the importance of giving comments and feed-backs for the further improvements. As a teacher, we should always give positive comments and encourage students to learn and perform better. In general, I found this topic very useful and worth learning.

                                                                                                                               

Benefits of camtasia

Sixth Reflection on Blog

Benefits of camtasia

Compare to our olden days, learning has changed a lot because of the advancement of technology, where teacher’s can use different methods to teach students. One of the methods that we can use to teach students is using camtasia studio. Camtasia studio is two products in one, the screen recorder and video maker and editor. It is capable of creating powerful, interactive and professional videos that can be used for wide range of project such as making yotube videos, educational videos and videos related to topic that we are going to teach. I have found camtasia the most appropriate and convenient while recording, editing the videos and it is also user friendly. 

In camtasia, we can record our voice by clicking the record button. We can import video or picture from our computer and edit it using the feature of camtasia. It is also easy for us to edit both the video and the audio. It is easy to arrange the videos, audios and images with the background music and tracks. We can also edit visual effects and animations. It is useful for making presentation interactive and fun learning. It allows and helps us to record power-point presentation with voice recording too. I have made camtasia video lesson on the topic 'Nets of prism and pyramids' for class II mathematics. 

There are different types of features in camtasia that I have learned which will be useful for teaching those to students in near future. The uses of technology in education system create effective teaching for teachers and enhance students learning. I can use this concept in the teaching and learning context as teaching –learning materials. I think it will help students comprehend better and make teaching and learning interesting. Moreover, the students can be motivated and become active learner. We can also record and edit the video on camtasia. In this way the constructive tool helps in providing information to students through the use of ICT.

ICT as constructive tool

Fifth Reflection on Blog

Information and communication technology (ICT) as constructive tool 

Constructivism is an approach to learning that holds that people actively construct or make their own knowledge and that reality is determined by the experiences of the learner. After learning constructivism we were able to construct our own meaning related to our experiences. The meaning is influenced by the interaction with our prior knowledge and the events that are happening in and around us. Constructivist approach to learning was emphasized by Piaget.

After learning the constructive tool we were able to construct our own understanding, we were able to create meanings and knowledge, we were able to actively participate in the activities and we also developed critical thinking and become independent learners. We also came through different means of teaching and learning through technology, it motivates the learners as it emphasis more on students and let them explore own their own. Some of the constructive application tools that help learners are to manipulate information, visualize one’s understanding and construct knowledge. Some of the examples which help us were electronic bulletin boards, MS publisher, social networking sites and simulations.

We also design one page simulation activity which is a difficult task but it is interesting and we learnt a lot from there. At the same time we also know how to make simulation and it is helpful for us as well. After making simulation activity, I know we can make similar activity in the future too and we can teach those concepts to the students. Moreover, we can also make simulation video and teach to students. After discussing  I realized how it is important to know about the constructive tool. I made a simulation activity about Trashi Yangtze, Ramjar. 

Importance of ICT integration in the classroom

Second Reflection on blog

The Importance of ICT integration in the classroom and designing effective power point

The educational system are adopting new technologies to integrate ICT in the teaching and learning process to prepare students with the knowledge and skills they need in their subject matter. In this way teacher profession is evolving from teacher centered to student centered learning environments. After discussing about ICT integration, I came to know that one of the main reasons for the integration of the ICT in the class is to let students explore more and comprehend better. It is also to move with the modern science and technology so that we know what is happening in and around the world.

                                                                                                                                         

We also discussed about the ways for designing effective power – point presentation. After discussing that I came to realized many of my past presentation lack those effective power point principles. After that I started using those effective designing principle in my power point presentation. Some of the ways to design effective power point presentation were making it progressive, consistent, clear and writing simple instructions. 



Integrating technology with the teaching means the use of learning technologies to introduce, reinforce, supplement and extend skills. Integrating technology into classroom is a little like cooking a meal for important guests; it requires a careful selection of ingredients and thoughtful preparation. It is important that we must do reflects on practices and takes the appropriate step to improve ourselves. We also learned what are some of the things that we need to consider while talking about ICT integration in the classroom and the importance of ICT integration in the class. I found those two topic very relevant and meaningful to me. 

ICT as communicative tool

Fourth Reflection on Blog

Information and communication technology (ICT) as communicative tool  

After discussing about the communicative tool I realize that one of the fundamental skills that every one of us should possess is to have good communication skills. Education is the basic need of every human being and today’s technology has a big part in every sphere of life. In fact, education is the most important investment by countries, societies, families and individuals for the future. A communication network has become an essential tool in today’s educational environment than ever before. Today’s society is said to have entered into the age of a new social revolution that is ‘information revolution’. The 21^st century has witnessed the explosion of information technologies.

By digital revolution, technologies in computers, audio-visual devices, and communications are integrated into a powerful technology-information technology. The global era is characterized by rapid advances in technology and expansion of knowledge. Basically technology is nothing but a tool used in implementing our ideas and methodology in education. In addition teacher must have good communication skills to help our students achieve their academic success. We also use communicative tool as a means to learn in the online classes. 

Communicative tools are those applications which enable easy communication. Some of the communicative tools that help us in communicating through various forms are g-mail, we-chat, messenger, face book and video conferencing. We can also use ICT as a communicative tool in our classroom to convey the messages for the students, to analyze and think critically and develop speaking skills. We also use we chat group to communicate and pass message to one another and learn together at the same time. We can also apply the same concept in the future and help students learn better through we chat and other means of communication tools. 

We also learn two types of communications skills and they are synchronous (also called real time, in which users must be simultaneously connected, rather like a telephone call) and asynchronous (not requiring the people communicating to be logged on the internet at the same time). Some the ways to communicate through synchronous are videoconferencing and face to face whereas asynchronous includes e-mail, vle discussion forum and blog. We also learn how to create a blog and what we need to do or write in the blog. We create our own blog and give address to our blog. In this way ICT act a communicative tool which brings a greater impact in our life.

ICT as Informative tool

Third Reflection on blog

Information and communication technology (ICT) as informative tool

In both schools and homes, information and communication technologies are widely seen as enhancing learning. After discussing about informative tool I know the meaning of it that is an informative tool is an application which provides vast information or content to learners. The use of information and communication technology (ICT) increases students’ motivation to learn and explore new things and improved their confidence and became aware of their own learning and most importantly their creativity.

After learning about it, I know that the information and communication technology acts as a main tool for getting information. The uses of computer help us in getting information through various forms such as graphics, text, sound and movie. We can also use ICT as an informative tool in our classroom to provide information for the students, to analyze and synthesis and construct their own knowledge and meaning. It also helps students to organize, reorganize and improve their critical thinking and creativity. 

In the past, the teachers were the main source of information for the students and the students believe what their teachers say. The knowledge is limited and they depend solely on teacher and textbook. With the advancement of science and technology in our country, it makes our work much easier. The living standard become high and makes our life more comfortable. All the information that we need is uploaded in the internet and we can easily search from it. It also helps us to analyze the information and enhance our critical thinking.We can also provide the information through online such as google meet, vle and we chat. Moreover, we can use those forums and concepts to teach and provide information to the students in the future too. In this way, ICT act as an informative tool which expands our knowledge and analyzing skills.  

Introduction on blogging

Reflection on Blogging

Informative Communicative Tool (ICT) teaching and learning (EDN/ICT-419) is one of the interesting modules which teachers got to learn without exception. With advancement of modern technologies and endorsement of 21^st century pedagogies, ICT is playing a vital role to cater different types of learners (auditory, kinesthetic, linguistic and visual). The teaching is done with much ease for the teachers as well as the students also enjoy the freedom of comprehending information without much difficulty. We also discussed about SAMR and TPACK model. After discussing about it, I came to know about it clearly and the idea will be useful in the future too. 




One of the topics learnt in this module is ICT integration which unfurls sub-topic like low, medium and high level of integration. This is one of the main strategies most teachers practice on starting from primary education till tertiary level. With learning ICT integration, I knew how to effectively and appropriately integrate ICT in teaching. Task of designing activities and investigating case studies enabled expansion of understanding about the topic.

The activity of designing PowerPoint presentation titled “Was Adolf Hitler a gay?”  This enlarged not only skills of making PowerPoint presentation, but also on comprehending information beside gathering information. This gave insight of life of Adolf Hitler (history) beyond the ICT knowledge which indeed was greatest pleasure to do. After discussing about Hitler, I also know how to search related information online. 



The last topic we learnt was Blogging. We had created a blog site of our own which is earliest step to bringing milestone changes in personal development and career development.  Blogging was one of my curious topics that I longed for but I felt blessed having got to embark on with the blogging. Since it was ICT class, we were instructed to address the blog as relating to ICT classroom. Then I thought of a title as “Thinley and ICT integration at home”.  Entitlement should be one that gives hint to the content we are going to write, so did I. With the time and help of sir, I positively sight for further exploration about the blogging.