Google classroom

During the situation due to pandemic outbreak of the COVID 19, almost all  the schools and the institutions across the world were closed,where teachers keep their students engaged and updated with their teaching by using Google classroom. Google classroom is one of the important ICT tools through which an educator can deliver his/her lesson to the learners.

sample Google classroom,2020

After learning about the Google classroom, I came to know that there are many advantages in using it in teaching and learning process. Google classroom helps teachers and students to communicate, can be also used to organize and manage assignments, and can have collaboration between students and teachers for teaching from the distance.

Promotional video created on the overview of the lesson,2020

I personally felt that using Google classroom in teaching and learning process is very important to the teachers like us. Knowing how to make use of such ICT tools can help us to overcome any kind of situations like that of COVID 19. Usi g such tools, teachers can assign any sort of task to the students like conducting online test, uploading reading materials to the students and also providing announcements and instructions to the students whenever needed. Therefore, we as a primary teachers needs to keep ourselves updated with the ICT knowledge so as to avoid any kind of circumstances that we may encounter in our lives in the the field of teaching and learning.

Reflection on Situating tool

The final tool that we have learned in this module is ICT as a situating tool.
Like the other tools that we have discussed earlier, this tool is also used to integrate in teaching and learning process. I found this tool very engaging and interesting when I actually used this tool in designing simulations in teaching and learning of different concepts in different subject areas. After learning about this tool, I knew that situating tool is an application that helps to situate learners in an environment in order to experience the context and the happenings.

Some of the examples that we have learned in this tool are simulations, Virtual Reality and CD ROM. Among which, I found that creation and integration of simulation in teaching and learning is the most important example of situating tool which helps the learner experience a certain real life experience that is possible to attain. After discussing on situating tool, I came to know that the simulation makes our learners to take decision, boost problem solving skills and manipulates the elements of the model as the computer provides the feedback.

Moreover, I personally found that there are many benefits or importance in using situating tool in the educational field. Some of the importance are that it situates user in an environment, comprehend and manipulate variable, and communicate with other user's login, foster creativity and visualisation skills.

Therefore, I feel that the schools which have adequate computers and access to good internet facilities allow the teachers to have the opportunity to engage students effectively in their learning. On addition to that, It also provide them with the opportunity to interact with the real life situations without danger and difficulty and make teaching and learning progress a meaningful one.

Face book as a teaching tool

Face book can be used as a tool for education because face book teaching can strengthen communication between student themselves and between student to teacher.

I personally felt that using face book as an educational tool can help to increase student’s informal learning, in particular discussions of course content outside the classroom. Moreover, our personal connection with students will grow much more swiftly through face book teaching and learning. Beside this, many of the students use face book and has become safe and easy alternative.

Figure 1. Collaboratively Learning using Face book .

To share about my experience in using face book as a teaching tool, what I found during my teaching practice was that many students made personal call to me seeking help in connection to their studies . So I opted to use face book in order to help my students in clarifying their doubts regarding the concepts taught in the class. I decided to go ahead and accept student friend requests, and to be honest, it has had a far more advantages than disadvantages. Firstly, my personal connection with students grew much more quickly. They felt immediately more connected to me, and turn, opened up more even in my classroom resulting to a better learning progress.

Therefore, we as a teacher can make use of Face book as an ICT tool in order to scaffold our students whenever they are in need.

Simulation as Constructive tool

Simulation is yet another interesting strategy that fits well with the principles of students-centered and constructivist teaching and learning.
Though it was my first time experience creating simulation using PowerPoint, it was worth learning. Through this experience, I knew that one of the primary benefits of simulation is  that it allows the designers to determine the correctness and and the efficiency of a design before the system is actually constructed. Moreover, it also helps an individual to construct their knowledge through the collection of relevant information on the chosen topic.

Figure 1: Simulation created using PowerPoint.

Blog and its benefits

A blog is an online diary maintained by an individual or small group, which can be used for personal use or to fulfill a business needs. I personally feel that becoming a blogger is one of the best ways to get ourselves exposure to the wider world and broader audience.

Since I was not a blogger before but after having exposure to this module, I even created my personal blog through facebook page where I have started composing articles and sharing my little knowledge with others and receiving the comments from the broader audience which in turn helped me to  come up with a better composition. Beside this, I have learned that the blogs help us to refine our writing kills, help us to earn more exposure as well as  express ourselves and share our passions to the wider audience.

Figure 1: Image of my personal blog.

Moreover, after having learnt about blog, I came to understand that blogs offer many benefits for education. The uses of blog promotes independent learning by providing opportunities for each individual  to take more control of their learning. Since blog is Web page where an individual share their personal composition,  so it motivates an individual to become better readers and writers. In addition , it also encourages the use of the internet and the web among their friends and teachers enhancing both technological skills as well as academic achievement through interaction.

Figure 2: Blog created in reflecting our reflection on different ICT tools.

Uses of Camtasia studio

Camtasia is a software suite, created and published by TechSmith,for creating video tutorials and presentations directly via screencast or via a direct recording plug in to Microsoft PowerPoint.
The Camtasia studio is used in designing and for creating online training videos such as tutorials, software domos, as well as online training courses. Moreover, the camtasia is popularly used in educational field in creating videos tutorials in any subject areas.

Figure 2: Video tutorial made using Camtasia studio. 

The video tutorials that are created using camtasia have the advantages such as transferring knowledge to others which was a part a learning process. The use of camtasia video tutorials are more interactive and specific than a book or a lecture as it seeks to teach by example and supply the information to complete a certain task. The visual and auditory nature of the videos appeals to a wide range of audience and allows each user to process information in a way that is natural to them. Morever, the use of camtasia videos in teaching and learning serves to not only benefit students,  but also teachers and their affiliated institutions.

Reflection on Co-constructive tool

The fourth ICT tool that we have learned is yet another important tool known as the co-constructive tool. During the discussion, we looked what the definition of the co-constructive tool is, some of it's examples and the importance and applications of co- constructive tool in teaching and learning process. Then we have concluded our discussion by creating our own Google docs in a group of three and planned an ICT integrated lesson.

Figure 1: ICT intergated lesson plan using                              Google docs,2020

Through this discussion, I came to know that co-constructive tools or collaborative tools are the applications that support the construction of knowledge through a shared understanding that is consolidating the ideas. Some of the examples of co-constructive tools that we have learned are Google docs, electronic whiteboard, blogs, wikis and the discussion forum on portals (pce.edu.bt). Moreover, we have also learned that Google docs is a word processor which is included as part of a free, web-based software office suite offered by Google within its Google Drive service. On the other hand, the electronic whiteboard is a hardware device that is similar to a whiteboard that is found in schools and business. All these co-constructive tools are used in teaching and learning process allowing our students to work collaboratively through online.

When it comes to the importance of using Co-constructive tools, by using the co-constructive tool, the students can co-edit the same document from their homes, they can communicate their ideas with each other, which in turn will them to develop their collaborative learning. Beside this, when they take part in exploring and sharing their views in terms of learning, they are involved in series of high-level cognitive processes such as explanation, problem finding and problem solving. The co-constructive tool also helps students to have an active and intentional learning progress because students participate to edit, refine and construct their work jointly.

Figure 2: Co- Editing the same document from their respective homes.

We have also discussed about the advantages of using Google docs. The three features of Google docs; edit, can comment and can view, gives the user full right to change the setting. Moreover, the user can give right to the viewers to edit if he/she is competent enough to do so, select who can comment and select who can just view their work on Google docs .After creating the Google docs, I also learned that any kind of changes that we made on Google docs gets automatically saved. To access Google docs, we can either use Google ID and login www .docs.google.com or login usig an Gmail account which will directly take us to Google docs.

Figure 3: Sharing it with other members  with "can edit"access ,2020.

Figure 4: Loging into Google docs using Google ID, sample 2020.

Figure 5: Loging into Google docs using Gmail acoount, sample 2020.

Therefore, I feel that it is very imperative for the teachers to make use of the co-constructive tool in teaching and learning process. Through co-construction, the teacher can let his/her students to explore and share their views in terms of learning. The teacher can act as a facilitator in providing the comments on the progress of the students achieving high quality of learning through collaborative work.