what jin xun learnt from the past few weeks.

ICT can work—the challenge comes from within


I read an article online about how the integration of ICT in lessons is dependent on what happens on the ground. Major obstacles include the mentality of schools and teachers alike with regards to a technology-based lesson and their willingness to adopt this teaching approach. To date, the success of the three master plans (MP I, II and III) has yet been witnessed except in a few schools.

Like all major undertakings, perhaps it is best to take it one step at a time. The first few lessons were pretty mind boggling for me. Nevertheless, at the most basic level I learnt that online applications are very useful for the teacher. For example, the online stopwatch makes sure that the lesson proceeds efficiently. The teacher does not have to make constant reminders to the class to “hurry up and finish your work!”

I no longer have to nag till my voice is hoarse!


ICT means more than nifty online applications

This class has reformed my impression of what integrating ICT in lessons really mean. In the past, I used to think that ICT meant students looking at PowerPoint presentations, watching video clips and clicking on the internet explorer icon to surf the net. However, I learnt that ICT has to go beyond that—students need to actively participate in the use of ICT in classrooms. Applications such as the Mindmeister concept map ensure a more interactive and open-ended lesson.

Also, I learnt that it is always essential to follow up after a lesson. This can be in the form of online quizzes, a mini project, or merely a general discussion that can take place online, mediated by me.


Treading the thin line: employing ICT in a way that benefits the students



Then again, ICT is useful insofar as it benefits the students. I endeavour not to make the same mistakes as Mrs Xing did in scenario A. From that assignment I learnt that a good lesson plan and effective classroom management is more important than the use of ICT tools per se. Ultimately, I have to make sure that my students actually learn from an ICT-based lesson. True enough, encouraging the use of computers/laptops and the vast range of information available via the internet ensures that lessons do not follow the run-of-the-mill didactic style of the past. However, the teacher should also get to know the needs of his/her students. What kind of pedagogy to adopt? What kind of ICT tools to use? How should the lesson be planned? These should be considered with the students in mind.

The various pedagogical approaches (Inquiry based, project based, case based and game based learning) can be enhanced through the use of self-made YouTube videos, group or class blogs and podcasts. Certainly I will take these into account and be reminded that the internet has a lot to offer when it comes to making my lessons more interesting or comprehensive. However, the bottom line is that the use of ICT cannot hinder the learning process and should only be used if it can enhance learning.

Alright, that's all for now :) might post more if i can think of more ideas!

Kelvin's reflection

Reflection:

Honestly, I think that e learning is very demanding on student. It is almost like a project for every single subject that has e learning. I really do not like e learning, I think my student will have the same sentiment as me. I hope that by saying so, I will not get a "F" grade.

However, if you were to look at the other side of the same coin, you will be surprised how much you have learned as compared to normal lesson. As e learning focus intensively on self directed learning and collaborative learning, it is really a test of student’s patience and determination for some- especially if the topic given is not of your interest. Therefore, in future before I design one, I will put myself into student’s shoe, to come out with something that they were motivated to do (or at least most of the student were interested in)…. Maybe game based learning might be a good idea to start off with, put lots of interesting ideas into it- edumall is a great resource centre to start with.

Until now, this is my first or second reflections. Have been very busy lately with my new born kid! If not for this e learning, I might not have even start writing my reflection! See the power of e learning. I personally think that ICT is one of my favorite subjects; it teaches us tools that link us to future classroom. Lots of ICT tools were quite foreign to me, but were all introduced to me here... great! Many pedagogies were introduced here, which some might have learned through the hard way or by guessing during our contract teaching before NIE, so it is good that not only we learn here but with in-depth.

Round-up of my e-learning week

A summary of what I got out of e-learning week.

 
I have a deeper appreciation for the power of lesson planning now. Previously, based on my own educational journey and contract teaching experience, my idea of e-learning was: upload Powerpoint slides and online quiz, then sit back and check the access rate and scores. This is in sharp contrast to what I have learned from attempting the activities and reading what my other classmates have written in their assessments. I would say that e-learning should not be disjointed from the usual lessons and its usefulness can be harnessed by aligning post e-learning lessons to what was covered in e-learning week. Planning how the online lesson would be executed is also crucial to minimize any problems that could arise.

I realize that sometimes the default ICT tools used by schools may not be the right tools for the job. Different activities calls for different tools and finding the right ones and learning how to harness its affordances goes a long way in making e-learning much more meaningful and fun.

Another aspect of teaching which should not be forgotten is the involvement of parents in their child's learning. This is especially when the learning involves the use of the Internet, which can bring with it a different set of risks and problems. Involving parents in educating their child is safer, brings intangible benefits to the child and bonds them closer together.

In conclusion, I feel that I can make my online lessons much more effective now and a lot more fun for my students and not forgetting, me.

Summary & Reflection

Summary: Incorporating ICT in Class

Based on the posts I have read, it is clear that classroom management plays a critical role in ensuring that lessons will proceed smoothly. This is especially more pertinent in computer laboratories where the setting makes it harder for the teacher to monitor what the students are doing (e.g. they are hidden behind their computer screens).
I agree with Jing Xun that Mrs. Xing became too preoccupied with her lesson plan and did not improvise on the spot. For example, when students who have completed their work earlier started to disrupt the rest in class, she should have given them another task. In this case, she could have provided a peer editing task to free herself from editing the students’ work and assist students who are not too familiar with working with computers.
Based on the problems she faced, it is clear that prior detailed planning is essential, and there is a need to preempt difficulties that can arise in class. As highlighted in numerous posts including my own, she could have assigned seats according to familiarity with computers so students can help each other. If this sounds too ideal (students may not want to assist), using the paper cup system was shown in the Secondary Class video will be useful.
I also like Adam’s idea of having a Wiki Page where students can refer to instructions. This is an alternative to showing it on the screen in front of class as I suggested. Either way, it helps students keep on track, and will have no excuses when they hand in assignments which do not adhere to the requirements.

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Reflection
Doubts - Can anyone please clarify?
We have established in the first lesson that ICT needs to be two-way. Hence, documentaries are not considered as ICT tools while youtube videos are. However, while reading the text (pp.143-5) I came across the one-PC per classroom scenario and the example provided was one which used a powerpoint presentation, showing video clips etc. The example explained that the teacher would show slides/video and get responses from the students. I suppose that is a two-way communication, but done offline? If that is the case, then the examples of non-ICT tools we thought of in week one would then be considered ICT? Hmmmm confusing stuff indeed. What are your thoughts on this?
After doing e-learning for two modules, I learnt that it is an effective method to get tangible work from students. While we usually sit in class, discuss certain issues and then head home, we now have to read up, think, and produce something at the end of the week. However, I do not think this is very significant change in secondary schools as students usually do get worksheets to complete anyway. It is different in tertiary institutes as we usually only need to produce one paper per module at the end of the semester (and those which require more than one will be termed ‘killer mods’ and students will hesitate before picking those).
What do I think of e-learning? It is definitely useful for SDL as the teacher will not be around to guide them every step of the way. This autonomy also givess the students a sense of responsibility for their learning as they have after all chosen to move in that particular direction. Also, their peers can learn from their work.
I learnt that it is useful to delineate the deliverables at the end of the e-learning session clearly as students can easily refer to the list and check whether they have completed the required tasks. Providing a choice for the activities (all related to a fixed theme/topic) is also useful in facilitating CL as students can learn from their peers the issues they have decided not to concentrate on.

Scenario One, activity B: pre-emptive/ intervention strategies

The computer lab became an unfavourable learning environment for the students in Mrs Xing’s class due to poor classroom management on her part.

Mrs Xing faced a class of mixed abilities—some know how to use the internet, others did not. She could have given out a set of instructions of what to do before the lesson started. The class was also distracted. She should have set firm ground rules, such as disallowing her students to log on to the internet unless she gave the go-ahead (Chai and Wang eds., 2010).

In addition, since the school recently acquired tablet PCs, Mrs Xing could have brought a few extra tablet PCs to class in case any of the computers failed to work. During our QED 527 lessons, I noticed whenever we had lessons in the MXL lab, Dr Tan would make sure to bring extra laptops for those who did not have laptops.

An ICT lesson must be coupled with non-ICT tools, effective classroom management skills and organization skills (Chai and Wang eds. 2010). Mrs Xing was too concerned about her task to integrate ICT in her lessons. In the secondary video, the teacher utilized non-ICT tools to manage the class, i.e.: Blue and Red cups to signal for help and classroom lights to signal attention. Furthermore, Mrs Xing neglected to account for those who finished their work early. Once again, she should have pre-empted it by preparing lesson fillers (crossword puzzles) to occupy them. Once again, an ICT lesson does not have to solely rely on ICT tools.

Mrs Xing did not make full use of what an ICT lesson could provide. The lesson was too teacher-oriented; she could have gotten the class to collaborate in marking each other’s assignments through putting their essays up on Google documents.

With regards to the poor quality of assignments handed in, Mrs Xing overestimated her students’ ability to made effective use of the internet to produce good essays. She could have provided starting or supporting resources so that students would not waste time researching or finding the wrong material—this prevents the submitting of poor quality assignments (Chai and Wang eds. 2010).

We also learnt that Mrs Xing’s lesson plan was not even one-third complete—perhaps it was too tedious with too many SIOs. Breaking down the lesson into mini tasks, with timelines and milestones and coming up with a more detailed and less tedious lesson plan with less SIOs could have made for a more effective lesson and less distracted students (Chai and Wang eds. 2010).

Jin Xun

References

1. Video clip (Secondary)
2. Lim, Cher Ping; Pek, Meow Sien; Chai, Ching Sing. (2005). Classroom management issues in information and communication technology (ICT)-mediated learning environments: back to the basics. Retrieved September 03, 2009, from http://www.accessmylibrary.com/article-1G1-142339826/classroom-management-issues-information.html
3. Lim, Cher Ping. (2007). Effective Integration of ICT in Singapore Schools: Pedagogical and Policy Implications. Retrieved September 03, 2009, from http://www.redorbit.com/news/education/970275/effective_integration_of_ict_in_singapore_schools_pedagogical_and_policy/index.html
4. Chai, C.S. & Wang, Q.Y. Eds. (2002). ICT for self-directed and collaborative learning. Singapore: Pearson.

Re: Gene's lesson! Summarizing what i've learnt from ICT E learning week

Mrs Xing's dilemma for her English lesson resonates with my own personal experience, for i had been trying to figure out how to incorporate English lessons in the computer lab. This E learning lesson had been invaluable, for through tackling the implementation issues in the case study, i have also realised that it's possible to have a solid and effective English lesson in the computer lab.

This requires :
1) Planning ahead of time
- Finding out student's competencies in computer usage.
- Planning the seating arrangements
- Strategically seat competent computer usage student around those less competent.
- Appoint the more 'IT SAVVY' students as computer reps.

2) Computer lab - class management system
- Using coloured cups to signal problems.
- Nearest computer reps to tackle the easier computer issues that the classmate
is having. If it's a complex issue then the teacher will go handle the issue.
- Denote that switching the lights off or dimming the lights signal that
attention is to be given to the teacher in front.
- Having a master programme that is able to freeze student's screen to take
control of their system so as to grab their attention.
3) Using a Wiki based system instead of Microsoft Word
- Students can be asked to input their essays into a wiki instead of writing it
in word.
- Students who finish ahead of time, can assist in editing the allocated
classmate's essay in wiki. Or they could download the allocated classmate's
work and do the track changes in word, before uploading it back to the wiki.

By using these implementations, i realise that it's possible to have an efficient and productive ICT based lesson. It just requires planning ahead of time and making sure each student has something to do. Tasks should be kept short so as to keep the students in control. And a master switch programme will help heaps in keeping them in check.

There's so much possibilities. I can't wait to go out to my attached school to try the implementations out!

Question:

When you think you are ready to show how much you have gained, you will write a summary of not more than 250 words on what you learned. Post this summary in your group blog.

I have learned that online implementation required a lot of preparation and the ability to anticipate implementation issues will greatly determine the outcome of the lesson.

Face to face learning is important in my opinion and it is a pre-requisition as it gives opportunity to states the basic rules and acceptable behavior for students to behave in a lab; and also act as an platform for teacher to conclude on the researched topic should the teacher decided to do face to face in the last lesson.

Through this e learning package, it actually prepares me for all possible online and face to face implementation issues. We shall discuss some of the implementation issues and possible solutions that I had put up in the group blog based on the given scenario. Issue & solution 1: Computers not in proper working condition can be solve if the lab TA has a proper preventive maintenance on all the equipments in the lab and teacher must report equipment breakdown to TA immediately so as not to affect the next class. Issue & solution 2: There should be a face to face lesson to talk about basic lab behavior and rules, so as the students know what they were expected when they step into the computer lab. Issue & solution 3: Student should have completed their write up before lesson rather than to start writing during lesson. Issue & solution 4: Teacher must cater additional work for students that are faster in pace or assigned them with additional admin duties to occupy them.