1B_4Activity 8b:Why wait for ICT?

I think that we should not wait for ICT before we examine our teaching methods. Children learn differently or have multiple intelligences as Howard Gardener indicated and we should all aspire to adjust our techniques as well as our pedagogical skills in order to cater to their individual differences. Times are changing and therefore advancements in technology as well as the environments, in which children live, enable them to learn new information and consequently, teachers need to devise new strategies of teaching and motivating students intrinsically. The behavourists methods of teaching will not help students to construct meaningful knowledge for themselves. Teachers also need to become smart workers and collaborate with colleagues so that they can all learn from each other and acquire professional development.

1B_4 Activity 9: School Readiness

Having examined both the Mankato Scale and the Star Chart, I realized that the Mankato Scale could be somewhat utilized in our setting at this moment  but not the Star chart. The Mankato Scale has features that would enable us to see our progression where ICT development is concerned and also our shortcomings. The   Star chart has features that have not been introduced in our schools but i think that in the not too distant future when further steps have been taken to integrate ICT in teaching and learning, both tools, especially Star Chart, would be excellent for assessing our advancements in integrating ICT in our curriculum.

2A_5 Activity 11: Creating a Personal Learning Network

In creating my personal learning network, I created a community on the PIL site and named it ICT for Primary School Teachers. I then created a purpose for the site. I also uploaded a photo, made an announcement, invited persons to join, and posted a discussion topic. Finally, I shared my community on twitter by sending a tweet to my followers.I think that having a PLN is a great start towards integrating ICT in teaching and learning, in my school setting. A PLN would enable you to collaborate with colleagues globally by sharing ideas and best practices as well as solving problems that may arise.

1B_4 Group Activity 7 - School staff development

An effective School staff Professional development programme must be systematic and sustained as well as should provide the expertise that teachers need in order to make the ICT vision a reality. ICT cannot be successfully integrated in the classroom without the appropriate professional development, irrespective of the number of ICT tools that are available at the school. Teachers need to acquire both the knowledge and skills( technical and pedagogical) to effectively integrate technology as a teaching and learning tool. Hands-on training with easy access to resources should be provided. The training should focus on staff development as opposed to specific applications training. Appropriate evaluation and feedback should be provided so that the success of the training can be ascertained.

2A_5 Activity 10:Social media as a professional development resource

I am of the view that we can all be smart workers but there must be certain conditions that need to be satisfied. We must seek to acquire the necessary skills and knowledge where technology integration is concerned. Additionally, we must share our ideas and thoughts with others so that we can learn from each other and develop professionally. Finally, we must collaborate and engage in continuous learning via the use of social media network that we have at our disposal. We do not have to leave our jobs to share ideas and engage in personal development with our colleagues neither are we restricted to interacting with persons in our local environment. The world has become a global village as a result of technological advancements and it is up to us to use the new technology to our advantage.

2A_5 Actitvity9- Evaluating web-hosted information

It is all good and well to get information from the internet to use in teaching and learning. However, we sometimes do not take the time to examine the materials and ensure that they are purposeful, the sources are credible, accurate and free from bias.Standards for publishing information are absent from the internet. Hence, we need to evaluate sites and information before presenting them to our students and in the same vain we need to teach our students how to evaluate information that they get from the web and other sources. Some criteria would include: Source, Content,currency, Authorship, bias/Intention, Site Design and access.

2A_5 Activity 8: Integrating Spreadsheets with learning.

 

Spreadsheets are useful tools for individual or group work. Once students understand what a

spreadsheet is and the ease at which  variables can be manipulated,  they would see the effects of this manipulation.They are able to manipulate a spreadsheet by changing values in cells, and will also, perhaps, change formulas to see the effects. Graphs, based on the values entered in the cells, may be generated automatically. Students would also be able to understand the various uses of a spreadsheet in their daily task. They can be taught to get ready for the real world using spreadsheets to keep track of all sorts of things. They can also learn how to keep a list of bills, when they were received, when the bills were paid, and the amount paid. The spreadsheet can be arranged so that the bills are listed by month and by category such as utilities, groceries, clothing, health care, and so forth. This can be made into a year-round project. They could also be given a monthly “income” and a sheet of what type of bills to pay and how much they cost.

Overall, spreadsheets can be seen as a very effective learning tool which provides vicarious experiences for our students .