Final Thoughts

Finally at the end of the first semester to me at Bahrain Teachers College with all its assignments, exams, and projects as an IT teacher I can say that I learnt a lot from this subject that will help me during my next teaching experience starting with how to create a blog that will be an important and effective tool to write the diary online till we reach the computer games and simulations.

From the subject I've studied 6 main topics listed in Student-Centred Leaning, Computer as a Tutee, Tutor, and Tool, Inquiry-based Learning, How to create a Web Quest, the Mind Tool, and the Simulation and games.

For the Student-Centred Learning I've understand that how the teacher give the student the direct to teach; where the example of it was the Project based Learning, Web Quest, and the Video games.

To show for the students how the computer in an intelligent machine in education it has to be delivered in three modes as tutee, tutor, and tool. Each one of them differs than the other; where in the Tutor mode the Technology will control the environment where on the other hand for the Tutee mode the Student will control the environment and when it comes as a Tool the Technology is assist in Learning.

The three modes have different applications; where for the Tutor the applications are Drill and Practice, Tutorials, Simulations, and Games with problem Solving, while Tool applications are Word Processing, Spreadsheets, and Database, and the Tutee applications are the Programming Languages such as the Java, Visual Basic, and C++.

Moreover, I got the knowledge from studying the Inquiry based to seek the information using the questioning strategy, because it is rather than getting the information directly we have to research for it prepare it as a Web Quest that is a learning activity that will allow the students to get interest with resources to shoe how the students accomplish the tasks and then expect to successfully achievement for the given tasks and finally write down the summary of all activities.

And finally we studied about computer games and the concept map or Mind Tool that are used in Schools and eve at the universities now a days in education; where with creating the concept map we have to place the Title in the centre of it and the main points to be placed on  the nodes.

As an IT teacher I need to study more of these topics in order to help my students to be aware of computing in different ways.

Games, Simulation & Virtual Reality

Computer simulations are computer-generated versions of real-world objects or processes, while Virtual reality is a technology that allows students to explore and manipulate computer-generated, 3-dimensional, multimedia environments in real time, and A personal computer game or computer game or PC game is a game played on a personal computer, rather than on a video game console or arcade machine.

There are schemes to think about the game in general either by action, adventure, Puzzle, Strategy, MMOG, RPG, and Simulations. The other scheme is to look at the types that are categorized as Business games, Health games, Political games, Competency games, and Modified games. And the scheme is the organization scheme that is from the developer of online games as the Instructional games, Crosswords, Maze game, War game,  and Memory game.

To find the games you have to find the Structure of the game, the goals, the interactive, the challenge and requires skills, and the competitive.

Simulations are considered as Open-close ended, Time manipulation, Research based, Individual, Multiplayer, Decision making, Problem solving and complex environment.

To deal with the simulations you have to find out Different outcomes, Cognitively complex, Real life, Trial – and – error, Interactive and Manipulative.

The use of classroom games is to motivate the usual answer, to break from the usual, to allow personal engagement with the material, to develop social skills and to view the content of different way.

In the motivation of the classroom we have the challenge, the control, and fantasy.

In my point of view that what's happening now a days we use to have at school but not with this improvement, because now a days teachers are applying this during the classes to motivate their student to solve games in order to get interested with the teacher class.

During my Teaching Practice observation to the Cooperative Teacher I found that when the teacher started to give a game for the students such as Puzzle or a crossword game and they have to answer it within 5 minutes and the group who ended the first will give them a small gift; where this gift was a challenge between the groups to finish solving the game to achieve it, also it was a motivation strategy to let the student use their high level of thinking. And in my point of view that I will use this strategy in the coming experience in order to  attract the student to attend my classes; where this kind of questions is one of the QA requirement that should be applied in the classroom either as an Introductory Activity or to break the deadlock.

ICT as a MindTool

  

A concept map is a special form of a web diagram for exploring knowledge and gathering and sharing information. Concept mapping is the strategy employed to develop a concept map. A concept map consists of nodes or cells that contain a concept, item or question and links. The links are labeled and denote direction with an arrow symbol. The labeled links explain the relationship between the nodes. The arrow describes the direction of the relationship and reads like a sentence.

Concept maps or graphic organizer is defined as spider diagrams that are used to organize the information about any topic in a hierarchical or the top of it that includes the title of the topic and the related words to that topic should be placed on the nodes that are extended from the topic.

The concept maps is also used to organize information either during the Learning or after the Learning occurred. For the topics that took long time in explaining the concept maps are used to take down notes to be the connection once it is reached the end. Also during the classes the teacher can prepare an empty concept map and the students have to fill it according to what they have learned.

Before the students start designing the concept map they should write down only the main points that are used to explain what they've been learning after the lesson is done. They will start preparing the concept map by having a planned concept map and they have to complete it using graphic organizer.

To start with designing the concept map there are some procedures has to be followed in constructing the concept map listed in Brainstorming Phase, Organizing Phase, Layout Phase, Linking Phase, and Finalizing the Concept Map. Where in each specific point lots of things to be done; where in Brainstorming Phase:  identify facts, terms, and ideas that you think are in anyway associated with the topic from your memory. Make a list of these items and print them neatly on small Post-It notes, one per note, in very brief form, like for example a single word or short phrase. This is a brain-storming process, so write down everything that anybody in your group thinks is important and avoid discussing how important the item is. Before your group completes this step, you may have more than 50 items.

 More over in Organizing Phase: Spread out your concepts on a flat surface so that all can be read easily and, together, create groups and sub-groups of related items. Try to group items to emphasize hierarchies. Identify terms that represent those higher categories and add them. Feel free to rearrange items and introduce new items that you omitted initially. Note that some concepts will fall into multiple groupings.

In addition, for Layout Phase: On a large sheet of paper, try to come up with an arrangement (layout) that best represents your collective understanding of the interrelationships and connections among groupings. Feel free to rearrange things at any time during this phase. Use a consistent hierarchy in which the most important concepts are in the center or at the top. Within sub-grouping, place closely related items near to each other. Think in terms of connecting the items in a simple sentence that shows the relationship between them. Do not expect your layout to be like that of other groups. It may be advisable to meet outside of class to work on this assignment and plan for its completion.

Adding to this, in Linking Phase: Use lines with arrows to connect and show the relationship between connected items. Write a word or short phrase by each arrow to specify the relationship. Many arrows can originate or terminate on particularly important concepts.

And finally, Finalizing the Concept Map: After your group has agreed on an arrangement of items that coveys your understanding, you need to convert the concept map into a permanent form that others can view and discuss. Be creative in a constructive way through the use of colors, fonts, shapes, border thickness, etc. to communicate your group's understanding. Give your concept map a title. If you want to construct your final concept map on a computer, try using PowerPoint.  In reviewing your concept map, consider the following attributes:

·         Accuracy and Thoroughness. Are the concepts and relationships correct? Are important concepts missing? Are any misconceptions apparent?

·         Organization. Was the concept map laid out in a way that higher order relationships are apparent and easy to follow? Does it have a title?

·         Appearance. Was the assignment done with care showing attention to details such as spelling and penmanship? Is it neat and orderly or is it chaotic and messy?

·         Creativity. Are there unusual elements that aid communication or stimulate interest without being distracting?

Moreover, one main idea that we should talk about is how the visual learning helps the students: it is to say that Visual Learning abstract ideas visible, connect the knowledge and new concept, provide the structure of thinking, writing, discussing, analyzing, planning, and reporting, and finally to focus on ideas in order to understand.

The main ideas that comes under visual learning are listed in clarity thoughts; where students see how ideas are connected and to observe how information being grouped and organized. The second idea is to organize and analyze information that when the student use diagrams and plots to display large amount of information in ways that are easy to understand relationships. The third main point is Integrate new knowledge and that according research so that students will remember information and finally the think critically when visual and verbal information help students to make connections.

In my point of view that concept maps increased now a days more than before because when I was at school I didn't use to do the same, but now a days they are focusing on concept maps either at schools or even in the universities to have high level of education among different ages of students.

Inquiry-based Learning

Inquiry Learning is a technique that is used to search and find out the truth, knowledge, and information using the question strategy either by doing interviews or distributing the questionnaire sheets among group of people and that process could be done by applying the human senses such as seeing, hearing, touching, tasting, and smelling.

Inquiry based is different than the traditional educational, because traditional educational will discourage the process of inquiry; where the student will not be able to ask question which is totally different than the inquiry based especially when schools and students learn not to ask too many questions, instead to listen and the expected answers.

If we are going to talk about the importance we have to take in mind that Educators must understand the school needs to go for the data and information also it supports Educators by using questions it will allow the students to build on what they are already aware of and also it will encourage meta-cognitive thinking.

Individuals in human society transmit the knowledge; where it is important that the knowledge transmitted to all members of society especially when this transmission take place through schools, families and training courses. The Experts are working between the known and unknown.  

Moving from the importance of Inquiry based toward the application is not that difficult; where if we are going to talk about application there are many researches found that Inquiry can be applied in different disciplines. Individuals needs many perspectives to view the world from artistic, scientific, historic, economic and many other perspectives.

Finally with the outcome of Inquiry that should be useful knowledge about the natural and human-designed world. In addition an appropriate education should provide the individuals with different ways to view the world, how to communicate about it and how to copy the questions of daily living.

The questioning and researching are the two important parts of inquiry, where the knowledge that is achieved from questioning is cooperative with the context of learning; where the students should not be focusing on the content only but also needs to ask questions and to research for the answers of it.

Well designed Inquiry based learning activities should be set in conceptual context to help the students to accumulate the knowledge whenever they study.

Finally the Inquiry in Education should be about understanding the world that they live, work, learn, and communicate in.

Creating a Web Quest

When a student is looking to create a Web Quest he/she is required to have a bit information of the main ideas and points that are related o that topic.

First of all, the first main point that the student should aware about is how to define a Web Quest that could be considered as how the student interact with internet resources through browsing to find out information if it was required for reading or preparing assignments either for schools or universities.

Moreover, the other main point that is important to be aware of is the importance of using the Web Quest; where we can say that it is important to use the Web Quest because it will increase the motivation between the students in the classroom, it will build a high level of critical and reflective thinking in students, and it will challenge the students to better use the web browser to browse for information.

So once the student became aware of all these information  he/she will start creating a Web Quest there are two main software should be used to create the Web Quest which are the PowerPoint and the Word Document by following the five main steps in creating that are Introduction, Task, Evaluation, and Conclusion.

So by taking these steps individually in explaining we will be later fluent in creating a good Web Quest, so firstly in the Introduction step the student should draw and write down all the information that they have regarding the topic that requires creating a Web Quest.

The second step is the task when the student will be able to provide a brief explanation of the activities and objectives desired to achieve. For the process which is the third step; the students will be distributed into groups and they will describe what are the steps should be followed to achieve the goals, while on the other hand the teacher should provide a goals assistance and resources for the students. In addition, the fourth step is the Evaluation, to decide how the students to be assessed. And finally, the Conclusion which summarize the experience give a good reflection of the process.

In my point of view that creating a Web Quest was unknown years ago, and I didn’t use to create similar to this the same as now a days because the Internet was not available in houses such as these days.

Moreover, Ministry of Education encouraging creating Web Quests more and more especially when these Web Quests will be marked as quizzes or exams by teachers and professors.      





Students Centred - Learning

Student Centre of learning is an approach to education focusing on the needs of the students, rather than those of others involved in the educational process, such as teachers and administrators, or in other words Student Centred-Learning is totally the opposite of the Teacher Centre, because the student will have the opportunity to talk most of the time and to perform most of the jobs in the class. The teacher will not teach but will by the guidance for the student during the activity performing and the teacher will give the student the way to learn without her help.

 

This is a new technique that we didn't use to have at our studying years at school, but I noticed it from my one year experience in teaching.

From my experience I noticed that student centre learning that the main example for the student centred- Learning is the group work; because during the performing the tasks or solving the problems between groups in my point of view that will allow the students to cooperate with each other, desire the achievements, solving the problems, and share the information.

From what I read about this topic and from my experience in teaching I think that this is a good technique that could be better than the teacher learning because the students will get the knowledge themselves, will participate more with the teacher in the lesson, and share their knowledge   with the classmates.

But the question that I'm thinking about is that applicable now a days with all the subjects studied? Or  is it related to specific subjects? Are the teachers going to apply this technique with their students in the next coming years? What are the goals that will be desired if they apply this technique? 

Tool, Tutee, Tutor

Three modes of using computers in education

Taylor, R., P. describes three modes of using computers in education, which are listed in tutor, tool and tutee.

If we are going to talk about each part of which the computer can be considered we can say that if the computer is acted as a Tutee, then there are lots of advantages of being a tutee described as

• You will learn what you are trying to teach the computer, because you can't teach something you don't know about yourself.

• As the computer can only operate within narrow confines this will force you to think about how to teach the computer.

• Teachers can save time and money by using computers as tutees because they don't have to locate and pay for tutor or tool software.

In other case to talk about the computer as a Tool.  It is a useful machine to install different software in, such as calculator or word processing, paint, and Microsoft Office  that are useful for the students in different subjects studied, where the calculator will be used with math subjects to get the results for calculation.

but to talk about the computer as a tutor it will act in both ways as a teacher when the user try to learn something, and as a student that will help them to build their own information. so   when the student uses the computer this will  develop high level of thinking, and solve problems and make decisions.

In my point of view that we didn't use to have this with us when we were students so the Ministry of Education is now trying to improve the teacher skills into now a days technology.

From my one year experience, in my point of view that the computer will act in two different modes the Tool that will be used by the students to perform some tasks, and could be as a tutor that will looks like a teacher when you are going to use it to learn something.

About me...

My name is Maryam Mohammed Yaseen, I'm 25 years old. I've graduated from AMA International University with the course of Bachelors of Engineering Informatics ( BSEI ) for the school year 2008/2009. I worked at MotorCity show room before I joined to Ministry of Education. I have one year experience in teaching. Currently I'm doing my masteral degree with AMA International University for evening time and I hope that I will continuou my Phd. once I ended my Master thesis. I enjoyed browswing through the Internet, swimming, and looking among magazines.