Lesson 17 Tablets for Textbooks in Schools

      

      Today, books are still the primary medium of instruction in most schools. Already, there is a disadvantage of using books for learning that are being debated upon. The errors in public school textbooks have also been exposed. errors resulting from wrong information. Technical mistakes and editorial lapses.

       Today, technology is being viewed as a savior because the students are enamored by computer games. By that, the educators, have begun to think that the computer screen can very well serve as a power point educational medium.

       In general, tablets as a primary learning tool can be replacing the textbooks tablets are conductive to higher thinking constructive and participative teaching and learning By, that parents gave full support to the IT advancement. Technology itself may be a key to problem resolution and Filipino ingenuity is called to respond to the challenge facing the digital generation of the millennium.

         Having something that can make replace heavy bulky books as a good idea, the students will no longer suffer from carrying heavy books and if the only use tablets they can access their books anytime anywhere because it can be brought easily hassle.It is no longer impossible as what students in La Salle were experiencing. Even ordinary college students were no longer buying books in the store especially now that PDF format copies of the books were already available and free to be downloaded In the near future this kind of events will be achieve by all levels of schools in the Philippine it may sound impossible because of the current situation in our country that cannot even provide good classrooms and equipment. But nothing is impossible if there's  a will to become better these will always in achieving better and higher things.

Lesson 16 The Internet and Education

• Internet, also simply called the Net is the largest and far - Flung network system of all systems. The Internet is not really a network but a loosely organized collection of about 25,000 networks a accessed by computers on the planet.

• Everything is coordinated in the Internet through a standardized protocol 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 great attraction of the Internet is that once the sign - up fees are paid, there are no extra charges. E- mail for example is free regardless of amount use. The vast sea o information now in the Internet 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  the browser, the user can use a mouse to point and click on screen icons to surf the Internet, particularly the WORLD WIDE WEB, an Internet's subset of text, images and sounds are likened together to allow users to access data or information needed.
  
• Educational software materials have also developed both in sophistication and appeal. 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.

     Imagine a world without the Internet. we all know we can't imagine such a world. The Internet is one of the reason why the world is the world we know today, a digital world. It is useful, convenient, and effective. Name it and the internet can give you access to it. I,m not exaggerating here but my point is that the information beyond borders, connecting lives and liking vast networks of people and culture who shares a common interest. The Internet for me is a powerful innovation of man and made for the use of man.

Lesson 15 Understanding Hypermedia

    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. Most educational IT applications are hypermedia and these include tutorial software packages, knowledge webpages, simulation instructional games, and learning project management and others.
• 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 own path of activities thus providing an environment of learner autonomy and thinking skills.

     THERE ARE THREE IMPORTANT FEATURES THAT ARE OUTSTANDING THAT CHARACTERIZE THE HYPERMEDIA SOFTWARE.

1. LEARNER CONTROL - The learner makes his own decisions on the path, flow or events of instruction.
   
2. LEARNER WIDE RANGE OF NAVIGATION ROUTES - The learner controls the sequence and pace of his path depending on his ability and motivation.
   
3. VARIETY OF MEDIA - Which includes more than one media but does not necessarily use all types of media in one presentation.

       Hypermedia is an example of an educational software that we could use in the teaching - learning process. Among these are different software that are useful and effective in a certain type instructional  activity. In using hypermedia, teachers allow students to follow his on path activities and control the flow of instruction while making his own decisions. In the classroom environment, the learner will develop a sense of autonomy and independence at the same time developing higher - order thinking skills.

Lesson 14 The Software as an Educational Resource

• 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: the systems software, which is the operating software that is found or bundled inside all machines; and applications software, which contains the system that commands a particular problem. In turn, the applications software may be. a custom software that is made for specific tasks often by large corporations, or a commercial software packaged for personal computers that help with a variety of tasks such as writing papers, calculating numbers, drawing graphs, playing games and so much more.

2 types of software:

1. Systems software- this is the operating system that is found or bundled inside all computer machines.

2. Applications software- this contains the system that commands the particular task or solves a particular problem.

1. MICROSOFT WINDOWS - Also referred to as a program, is an operating environment between the user and the computer operating system. Actually, Windows is in itself a self - contained operating system which provides    user convenience, a new look, information center, and plug and play configurations.
   
2. INSTRUCTIONAL SOFTWARE - Can be visited on the internet or can be bought from software shops or dealers. But beware since computer - based instructional materials need much improvement, while web - based educational resources are extremely good or what is complete garbage.
   

• In using the computer, software is being used. There are software for entertainment , business, and also for education and instruction. Software is important because the computer is useless without it. It cannot function in the way that we know if there is no software, nor it can be useful to us. Choosing appropriate and updated educational software as teaching material is the responsibility of  the teacher and the school. Somehow, learning is quite interesting when educational software is used.

Lesson 13 Cooperative Learning with the Computer

• Cooperative or collaborative learning is learning by small groups of students who work together in a common learning task. It is often also called group learning but to be truly cooperative learning, Five elements are needed:
  

  FIVE ELEMENTS

1. A common Goal
2. Interdependence
3. Interaction
4. Individual Accountability
5. Social Skills

• It encourages active learning while motivating students; increases academic performance; promotes literacy and language skills; and improves teacher effectiveness.

  SEVERAL TASKS IN ORDER TO ENSURE COLLABORATIVE LEARNING

1. Assigning students to mixed- ability teams
2. Establishing positive interdependence\
3. Teaching cooperative social skills
4. Insuring individual accountability
5. Helping groups process information

Cooperative Learning and the computer

• Researches have made studies on the learning interaction between the student and the computer . The studies have great value since it has been a long standing fear that computer ma foster student learning in isolation that hinders the development of the student’s social skills.

Components of Cooperative Learning

• Educators are sill wary about the computer’s  role in cooperative learning . Thus they pose the position that the use of computers do not automatically result in cooperative  learning. In that case, , therefore, assign the teacher several tasks in order to ensure collaborative learning. 
• Assigning Students to mixed- ability teams;
• Establishing positive interdependence;
• Teaching cooperative social skills;
• Insuring individual accountability, and
• Helping groups process information.

Lesson 12 Information Technology in support of Student - Centered Learning

• In the traditional classroom, It may be observed that classrooms are usually arranged with neat columns and rows  of students chairs, while the teacher stands in front of the classroom desk. This situation is necessitated by the need to maintain classroom discipline and also allow teacher to control classroom activities through lecture presentation and teacher - led discussions.

• In the student - centered classroom, the students have now become active not passive learners, who can interact with the learners, demonstrating independence and self- awareness in  the learning process. Generally, the new school classroom by student individually or in groups who are performing computer word processing, preparing power, point presentations, searching for information in the internet, and brainstorming on ideas. problems and project plans as needed. The teacher facilitating instruction also gives individualized instruction to serve individual needs.

• The usefulness of the computer is a man concern when it comes to student - centered learning. With the computer's vast capabilities, it allow teachers to let students be independent learners and not merely being spoon - fed with information by the teacher. They can search and gather information on their questions independently developing their higher thinking skills. The students are primary concern for teachers and they become center of the teaching - learning process. Information Technology supports this kind of learning environment.

Lesson 11: The Computer as Teacher's Tool

Constructivism was introduced by Piaget (1981) and Bruner (1990). They gave stress to knowledge discovery of new meaning/ concepts/ principles in the learning process. Various strategies have been suggested to foster knowledge discovery, among these, is making students engaged in gathering unorganized information from which they can induce ideas and principles. Students are also asked to apply discovered knowledge to new situations, a process for making their knowledge applicable to real life situations.

Social Constructivism is an effort to show that the construction of knowledge is governed by social, historical and cultural contexts. In effect, this is to say that the learner who interprets knowledge has a predetermined point of view according to the social perspectives of the community or society he lives in.

The psychologist Vygotsky stressed that learning is affected by social influences. He therefore, suggested, the interactive process in learning. The more capable adult( teacher or parent) or classmate can aid or complement what the learner sees in a given class. In addition, Dewey sees language as a medium for social coordination and adaptation.

COMPUTER CAPABILITIES

• INFORMATIVE TOOL - The computer can provide vast amounts of information in various forms such as text, graphics , sound and video . The Internet itself provide an enormous database from which user an access global information resources as well as educational information directly useful to learners.

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

• CONSTRUCTIVE TOOL - The computer can be used for manipulating information, visualizing one's understanding and building new knowledge . The Microsoft Word is an example wherein it allow users to organize and present their ideas in attractive formats.

• CO - CONSTRUCTIVE TOOL - Students can use co - constructive tools to work cooperatively and construct a shared understanding of new knowledge.

• SITUATING TOOL - By means of virtual reality extension systems, the computer can create 3D images on display to give the user the feeling that are situated in a virtual environment. A flight simulation program is an example which places the user in a simulated flying environment.