GROUP 2

LESSON 8:
Higher Thinking Skills Through IT-Based Projects
In this lesson, we shall discuss four types of IT-based projects which can
effectively be used in order to engage students in activities of a higher plane
of thinking.
It is to be understood that these projects do not address all of the thinking
skills shown previously in the Thinking Skills Framework.But these projects
represent constructivist projects, containing the key elements of a
constructivist approach to instruction namely;
(a) the teacher creating the learning environment
(b) the teacher giving students the tools and facilities, and
(c) the teacher facilitating learning.
On the other hand, it is the students themselves who demonstrate higher
thinking skills and creativity through such avtivities searching for
information, organizing and synthesizing ideas, creating presentations, and
the like.
Now let us see four IT-based projects conducive to develop higher
thinking skills and creativity among learners.
I. Resource-based Project
In these projects, the teacher steps out of the traditional role of
being an content expert and information provider, and instead lets the
students find their own facts and information.The general flow of events in
resource-based projects are:
1. The teacher determines the topic for the examination of the class (e.g
the definition of man")
2. The teacher presents the problem to the class.
3.The students find information on the problem/questions.
4. Students organize their information in response to the
problem/questions.

Relating to finding information, the central principle is to help the

students go beyond the textbook and curriculum materials.Students are also
encouraged to go to the library, particularly to the modern extension of the
modern library, the internet.
Furthermore, the inquiry-based or discovery approach is given
importance in resource -based projects.This requires that the students,
individually or cooperatively with members of his group, relate gathered
information to the 'real world'.
Finally, the process is given more importance than the project
product.It doesn't matter for example, if each group comes up with a
different answer to the problem. What matters are the varied sources of
information, the line of thinking and the ability to argue in defense of their
answers.
The table below can provide the difference between the traditionl and
resource-based learning approach to instruction.
Traditional Learning Model

Resource-based Learning
Model

Teacher is expert and, information

provider
Textboom is key source of
information
Focus on facts
Information is packaged - in neat
parcels

Teacher is a guide and facilitator

Sources are varied (print, video,
Internet, etc.)
Focus on learning
inquiry/quest/discovery

The product is the be-all and endall of learning

Assessment is quantitative

Emphasis on process
Assessment is quantitative and
qualitative

II. SIMPLE CREATIONS

Students can also be assigned to create their software materials to
supplement the need for relevant and effective materials. Of course, there

are available software materials such as Creative Writer (by Microsoft) on

writing, KidWork Deluxe (by Davidson) on drawing and painting, and
MediaWeave (by Humanities software) on multimedia.
In developing software, creativity as an outcome should not be
equated with ingenuity or high intelligence. Creating is more consonant with
planning, making, assembling, designning, or building. Creativity is said to
combine three kind of skills/abilities:
*Analyzing - distinguishing similarities and differences/ seeing
the project as a problem to be solved.
*Synthesizing - making spontaneuos connections among
ideas, thus generating interesting or new ideas.
*Promoting - selling of new ideas to allow the public to test the
ideas themselves.
To develop creativity, the following five key tasks may be
recommended:
1. Define the task. Clarify the goal of the completed project to
the student.
2. Brainstorm. The students themselves will be allowed to
generate their own ideas on the project. Rather than shoot doen ideas, the
teacher encourages idea exchange.
3. Judge the ideas. The students themselves make a n
appraisal for or against any idea. Only when students are completely off
track should the teacher intervene.
4. Act. The students do their work with the teacher a facilitating
tator.
5. Adopt flexibility. The students should be allowed to shift
gears and not follow an action path rigidly.
III. GUIDED HYPERMEDIA PROJECTS
The production of self-made multimedia projects can be approached in
two different ways:
1. As a instructive tool, such as in the production by students
of a power-point presentation of a selected topic.

2. As a communication tool, such as when students do a

multimedia presentation (with text, graphs, photos, audio narration,
interviews, video clips, etc. to simulate a television news show).
IV. WEB-BASED PROJECTS
Students can be made to create and post webpages on a given
topic. But creating webpages, even single page webpages, may be too
sophisticated and time consuming for the average student.
It should be said, however, that posting of webpages in the Internet
allows the students (now the webpage creator) a wider audience. They can a
lso be linked with other related sites i the Internet. But as of now, this
creativity project may be to ambitious as a tool in the teaching-learning
process.

LESSON 9
Computers as Information and Communication Technology

It was pointed out that the advent of the computer is recognized as

the third revolution in education. The first was the invention of the printing
press, the second, the introduction of libraries; and the third, the inventiom
of the computer, especially so with the advent of the microcomputer in 1975.
Through computer technology, educators saw the amplification of
learning along computer literacy. Much like reading, the modern student can
now interact with computer messages, even respond to questions or to
computer commands.
Soon computer-assisted instruction (CAI) was introduced using the
principle of individualized learning through a positive climate that includes
realism and appeal with drill exercises that uses color, music and animation.
The novelty of CAI has not waned to this day especially in the basic
education level as this is offered by computer-equipped private schools. But
the evolving pace of innovation in today's Information Age is so dynamic that
within the first decade of the 21st century, computer technology in education

has matured to transform into an educative information and communication

technology (ICT) in education.

THE PERSONAL COMPUTER (PC) AS ICT

Until the ninetiese, it was still possible to distingiush between
instructional media and the educational communication media.
Instructional media consist of audio-visual aids that served to
enhance and enrich the teaching-learning process. Examples are the
blackboard, photo, film and video.
On the other hand, educational communication media comprise the
media of communication to audiences including learners using the print,
film, radio, television or satellite means of communication.
To illustrate, let's examine the programs (capabilities) normally
installed in an ordinary modern PC:
Microsoft Office - program for composing text, graphics, photos into
letters, articles, reports, etc.
Power-point - for preparing lecture presentations.
Excel - for spreadsheets and similar graphic sheets.
Internet Explorer - Access to the internet.
Yahoo or Google - Websites; e-mail, chat rooms, Blog sites, news
service (print/video) educational softwares etc.
Adobe Reader - Graphs/photo composition and editingi.
MSN - Mail/chat messaging.
Windows media player - CD, VCD player.
Cyberlink Power - DVD player.
Windows media player - Editing film/video.

 GameHouse -Video games.