Video Lesson

The Solar System (video)

Learning becomes a lot easier and students would appreciate learning of any concept and application when its being taught through convincing mode like adaption and application of ICT gadgets or tools. The young learners learn effectively when taught through the aids of audio visual that enable to enhance realistic learning. ICTs have the potential to innovate, accelerate, enrich, and deepen skills, to motivate and engage students, to help relate school experience to work practices, create economic viability for tomorrow's workers, as well as strengthening teaching and helping schools change (Davis and Tearle, 1999; Lemke and Coughlin, 1998; cited by Yusuf, 2005). The Solar System is one of the typical topics that demands a lot of patience of teachers and perseverance of students while teaching and learning alike. Essentially it requires a lot of visualization of the students and extensive deliberation and demonstration by teachers. 

 Therefore, I choose a video to teach on ‘The Solar System’ to my fifth grade students during the revision course lesson. The video was used in the follow-up phase of the lesson by playing it to the class through OHP. Students were made to watch the video for two times, thus, it enhanced the learners to see, hear, understand and remember the names of planets in a chronological order with ease like remembering their favorite movies. The students were full of curiosity and excitements to watch and learn about the solar system virtually with the help of video. 

They enjoyed watching the video that helped them learn the names of the planets and about the asteroids, comets, meteorites and other celestial bodies those make the solar system. Doubtless, the learning was full of fun, easy and purposeful. The importance of ICT and emerging roles of teachers using the ICT is well emphasized by Wheeler that the ICT shall become precursor determining and influencing/impacting lives of future generation and careers paths (Wheeler, 2001).

Further, Littlejohn emphasizes “Changed pool of teachers will come changed responsibilities and skill sets for future teaching involving high levels of ICT and the need for more facilitative than didactic teaching roles” (Littlejohn et al., 2002).

The catalytic roles of the ICT has been well emphasized by other academic personalities, Reeves & Jonassen when they express “ The use of ICT in educational settings, by itself acts as a catalyst for change in this domain. ICTs by their very nature are tools that encourage and support independent learning. Students using ICTs for learning purposes become immersed in the process of learning and as more and more students use computers as information sources and cognitive tools (Reeves & Jonassen, 1996), the influence of the technology on supporting how students learn will continue to increase. In the past, the conventional process of teaching has revolved around teachers planning and leading students through a series of instructional sequences to achieve a desired learning outcome.

Importance and application of ICT in teaching and learning domain is increasingly gaining ground across the globe and its advantage shall be exponential. Typically, Duffy & Cunningham expresses that “these forms of teaching have revolved around the planned transmission of a body of knowledge followed by some forms of interaction with the content as a means to consolidate the knowledge acquisition.

Contemporary learning theory is based on the notion that learning is an active process of constructing knowledge rather than acquiring knowledge and that instruction is the process by which this knowledge construction is supported rather than a process of knowledge transmission” (Duffy & Cunningham, 1996). Finally, Teaching and learning is interesting when ICT is integrated and made possible in the classroom teaching and learning. When planned with determination use of ICT can be made available in our classroom to our passionate 21^st century learners to learn social science with understanding.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzbCEF37MfU

Using Smart Phone in teaching and learning

Using smart phone

New technologies encourage independent and active learning, and students’ responsibility for their own learning (Passey, 1999). ICT proves that students who used educational technology felt more successful in school they are more motivated to learn more and have increased self- confidence and self-esteem. It is also confirmed that many students found learning in a technology-enhanced setting more stimulating and much better than in a traditional classroom environment (Pedretti and Mayer-Smith 1998). Hence, I used mobile phone to integrate ICT in classroom teaching and learning in the simplest way.

Almost all the lesson begins with mind training activity in my school. So, Music 

was played from my mobile phone and made students to listen, focus on the 

whispered words and feel the music. The music helped the students to learn the

 

human values, promote positive thinking, compassion and made them ready for

 learning the day’s lesson effectively. When the music was played students were 

silent and enjoyed the music as they meditated. It is one way to integrate ICT 

thus, making teaching and learning exciting.

Therefore, ICT can be used in our daily teaching and learning process through the use of the easily available technology to cater to the 21^st century learners’ desire to learn using ICT. It would support realistic learning for our contemporary learners.

Note : Could not upload the music. The music is "Meditation by Aum Phuntsho".

Using online images in classroom teaching

Using images in science class ( 14th October,2016)

Learning becomes just a partial with the restricted materials that are being provided in the text book. The evidence about fishes in the science text book is insufficient and imprecise for class V students. If the teachers just limit themselves  to imparting the bare information from the text book , doubtless, it will be inadequate. The learners of today are curious and full of excitements to learn outside beyond prescribed books. Accordingly, I decided to use some of the impressive images of different kinds of fishes that are available through the internet service.

These images were downloaded and saved in the smart phone which were later on used in classroom teaching during the follow up phase of the lesson. Students were delighted to see the images as it made them to understand about the different fishes evidently (color, features, size.). It also aided them to grow an awareness that smart phone can be used purposefully in learning or for educational use.

Using ICT makes the students further involved thereby increasing efficiency of learning and also makes teacher’s work easier. Correspondingly, ICT promotes reflective learning in students on what and how they have learnt. Furthermore, ICT usage shall also increase students’ self-assurance and enthusiasm by creating learning environment more pleasing and considered more as fun rather than simply as systematic monotonous instructions. Thus, students’ active participation in the learning activities alter their attitudes to take greater responsibility for their own learning. Using ICT will enhance students in emerging a habit of independent and effective learning.

For instance, few students were interested to google search and bring the printout Images of different fishes for the classroom display on the following day that will benefit the whole class. Hence, It is also confirmed that many students found learning in a technology-enhanced setting more stimulating and much better than in a traditional classroom environment (Pedretti and Mayer-Smith 1998).

Flow of Blood in our Body

Flow of Blood in our Body ( 4^th October,2016)

Learning with theoretical aspects would mean only half the distance travelled and practical aspects learning can only add essence into learning. An audiovisual /video based lesson can dramatically transforms a passive class room into a virtual reality. Student can understand better the concept and essence of a lesson and whole learning becomes very interesting.

Thus, I decided to teach a science lesson using a video on a topic “Flow of Blood in our Body” for grade six during the substitution period. I prepared the lesson as part of my ICT assignment and was waiting to teach the lesson and experience its relevancy and effectiveness.   The students were taken to the IT laboratory and presented the lesson through OHP to them.  The students displayed keenness and eagerness to learn the lesson in different way. The video was played for three times and distributed the worksheets accordingly. 

Students watched the video in the first round, they labelled the parts of human circulatory system in the second round and answered the questions in the third round. Then they were asked to check the worksheet by going through their text book. It was good to hear from the students that they enjoyed learning the lesson differently that boosted their learning meaningfully. The video lesson not only heightened interest for learning but also supported the visual learners.

The students were actively involved throughout the lesson and were also inspired to be responsible for their own learning. The concept was vibrant after they saw they “flow of blood in our body’ like in reality as equated to when imparted the same lesson without using ICT. Using ICT through different peripherals and strategies supports teaching effectively but correspondingly reduces burden to the teacher.

Preparation phase is the most vital since the better is the preparation phase so is its implementation. The outcome can have an everlasting impact in the understanding of a student that can attribute to paving of future. Lastly, I would like to urge every teacher to use the ICT into teaching and learning since its use makes the students actively engaged and enhance effective learning.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-s5iCoCaofc

Video Tutorial on Subtracting Integers using Tiles (3rd October)

Video Tutorial

“If we teach today as we taught yesterday, we rob our children of tomorrow.” John Dewey Traditional teaching is no more relevant and meaningful for the contemporary students of the modern world who are witnessing unprecedented boom of modern technology. Therefore, the topic “Subtracting Integers using Tiles” was taught through the video tutorial to meet the learners’ desired strategy of learning.  I prepared the video tutorial using Camtasia Studio 6.0 as part of our ICT assignment. I was excited to try out teaching students using video tutorial which would help substitute a teacher so as to make teaching learning is as comprehensive as possible. The students were asked to carry their math note book, pen, pencil and math Text book.

They were then taken to the ICT laboratory and informed them that
they will be learning by watching a video tutorial clip. They were eager and exhibited curiosity for learning the lesson further than typical teaching and learning process.  The lesson was then played on the laptop and subsequently presented through OHP. The method allowed students to learn at their own segment of learning by pausing the video and revisiting the part of the lesson that was not understood well. It helped them to clarify their doubts own their which otherwise would remain as doubt since our students are hesitant to approach teacher. As the lesson proceeded the students followed the instructions and completed the desired task by pausing the clip and checking their work.

I was glad that the students expressed that they had fun learning the topic as it made them to understand the lesson better. Later, students wanted to take the soft copy so that they can use it for learning at home which would promote being responsible for their own learning.  The use of video tutorial in teaching and learning is advantageous to both the teacher and learners as it can substitute teacher’s absence and promote active and effective learning in each individual student. The students can have an access to those absentees as it provides the lesson in soft copy and offers opportunity to update the information about the lesson imparted. Unlike in our common classroom teaching where if a student can’t attend a classes he/she misses lesson that’s being taught. Likewise, teachers can sustain efficient and reliable drift of teaching. I am confident to share that individual teacher must learn to prepare lesson tutorial using camtasia  as it can substitute a teacher when he or she is absent  However, student revisiting the lesson in video remain considerably incomplete as it lacks scaffolding and supervision from the teacher.

Finally, learning is continuous through the process that creates, sustains and synergize learners’ efforts leading into acquiring more and useful knowledge, skills and experiences that truly added value to their lives in real world eventually that can be enhanced through the use of ICT in our teaching and learning process.