Session 3 Designing lesson ideas for ICT-based engaged learning

Today's lesson is hectic. A lot NEW things to absorb.

After attending today's session, as I recall back when I was still a student, I might have came across some pedagogical approaches just that I never really realized it. I still remember for my history lesson, our teacher divided us into groups of 5 and assigned groups with different topics. We need to do our own research (by using Google) on the given topic and perform a sketch in front of class. At first, we dug out the historical facts and important points. We brainstormed and delegated our work. As each group presented the mini sketch, some groups did a very good job as they incorporated some jokes and silly acting somehow made understanding and memorising history was not that a tedious job. The whole class having fun as I find most of the time we were laughing and soon, all of us were looking forward for history classes everyweek.

I think the only ICT tool we used was just Google. I feel that the pedagogical approach used in that scenario was similar to project based learning as we needed to conduct background research and collect data related to the topic from a selected range of resources.I also find that there's some overlapping with as the history was based on something that had happened.

When I was in uni, I can still remember my human physio module where my tutor actually created a problem-based learning approach. She gave us a problem and divided us into groups for discussion and we need to present our findings in a powerpoint format to her.

I think these approaches actually invites the students to think critically and actively. Interaction and brainstorming among students were actually guiding students into deeper understanding. And I also felt that, the teacher from the scenarios given were just a facilitator where they give us some resources and guided us from time to time without giving too much information. Students are able to learn independently from the ICT tools and also through peers.

The ICT tools enrich a student's learning process and somehow producers independent learners. For some of the pedagogical approches, I feel the ICT tool were used as mainly as a tool to search for deeper infromation that might not be mentioned in the school textbook. The ICT tool might motivate students to acquire for more information and therefore inculcate exchange of ideas among students. However, from the teacher's point of view ICT tool might be a great way of delivering lessons but teachers need to upgrade themselves from time to time as there are a lot of students who are more familiar to the tools used than teachers themselves.

Connecting Student Learning and Teachnology

I find this piece of reading very useful as I've that constructivism is a learning process that is computer aided and controlled by the teacher. In other words, I think it means student-centred learning and not the traditional teacher talking in front of the class. This theory is much more student independant of learning at their own pace.Students who finds this approach more motivating will explore more and learn more while slower learners are able to be identified by their teacher and perhaps teachers can pay more attention to these kids. However, I feel its still a new approach and some students might not understand why teachers are implementing this as most teachers are still using the traditional spoon-feeding approach.

There are 6 principles of constructivist theories:
1. Before a lesson begin, the teacher must be able to connect the lesson to the prior knowledge of the students just to get them engaged and look forward to participate. I also feel that it's also important as the students feel that the particular topic will be very relevant to them and thus they are more motivated.

2. The students get information and process information to fit their understanding, if not make new understanding. Therefore, what individual A receives and process might be different from individual B receives and process althought the source is the same.

3. Learning is not restricted or limited to classrooms and books. Teachers should create more opportunities for students to experience and so learn more through various different ways. That's because the more different ways of knowledge come (presentations, field trip) the more engaged students become.

4. information is relevant to prior knowldege, it tends to be processed more easily.

5. Lessons learnt must be reflected.

6.discussion among students is important as they are able to clear their doubts and voice out thiei oppinions and exchange ideas.

Therefore, when inculding ICT into lesson plans, it's best to inculde the principles mentioned for better engaged student-centred learning.

Session 2

Session 2 was very fruitful. What I’ve already known is that engaging learning somehow is to be able to catch the student’s attention maybe by doing some activities instead of just the teacher talking. What I wanted to learn was to know the various forms of engaging learning instead just by having group discussions among students. I’ve learned two very important points of the engaging learning:

1. Engaging learning does not mean that the lessons MUST be fun. (from the readings given)

2. Showing Video to students is NOT n ICT tool. All these while, I thought that anything connected to the computer was an ICT tool. Now I know that, showing Video to students is just a one-way interaction from the teacher to the students to help visualize the concept better. The students did not get to learn HOW to use the video. So, for something to be considered as an ICT tool, it has to be utilized by the students as medium for searching information.

3. For an engage-learning to take place, prior knowledge of experience must be connected before it actually takes place.

4. It’s also important to let students interact with each other for discussions and the teacher will play the role as a facilitator. The students will be given choices when answering questions.

5. At the end of lessons, reflection session that is important to know the students progress to be done.

Class session 1

Today's lesson is mainly an introduction of what I will be doing for this course. Mainly it's about using ICT to engage learning of students , to answer the call for the master plan 1,2, and 3!

Dr.Ashley(nope,a guy) started out talking in detail about the course expectations and then with an ice-breaker.

Well, from my understanding, ICT does help students learn in an certain extent. The hands on experience they gain through ICT helps them to understand better, faster and more efficient.

I hope to be more exposed to different types of ICT tools that can be useful for the students. I wish to learn the pros and cons of the different ICT tools used to target certain type of students or to reach out students that might only perform better or well with ICT.

From this first lesson, frankly speaking I felt a bit excited? and a bit scared?
Why excited?---> because its interesting to learn new stuff, especially things that has got to do with computers?
why scared?---> umm, I donno, maybe I'm emo? or maybe Dr.Ashley is scary because he bites people's head off if their late for class? haha...
Ok I'll cut the crap and back to business.
I've learned that other than blogspot.com, there are others such as EduBlog and LiveJournal. =)
I've learned that to make the MP3 a reality takes time as we(trainee teachers) are the changing element.
I've learned that differences between MP1,MP2 and MP3. haha.

Well,my questions are now how to construct a lesson plan and integrate a suitable ICt tool in it? I guess my answers are all in the upcoming lessons.. haha.