Situating Tool

Situating Tool

 The fifth tool of ICT is situating tool. It is a tool which enables the teacher and the learner to situate in an environment to experience the context. Using of ICT as a situating tool in the learning classroom will helps the users to experience a virtually real environment mostly in a 3D image. Some of the examples of situating tools are simulation, virtual reality and CD-ROM.

Using of simulation is very helpful in the classroom. It helps the teacher to provide the learners with certain real-life environment which is difficult or impossible to attain. As for the learners, it helps them to experience those real-life situations which they have never been to. In this way, it increases the students’ interest to learn more.

 

Some of the importance of situating tools is, it helps the user to situate in that particular environment. It also helps the learner to comprehend and manipulate variables and communicate with another user login. While using situating tools, the learner can foster their creativity and visualize different skills.

If I cite an example, the use of Google Map was interesting. I could see the visual 3D form of different places which I have never visited. By sitting in the lab room of Paro college of education, I could go to my village and see the visual representation of my own house. It was very amazing and interesting to explore more. If we use these tools, I am sure that the students would be more curious and interested to learn.

Situating tool

Situating Tool                                                                                   

Situating means stimulation which helps to situate learner’s in environment to experience the context happening. Simple example could be watching 3-D movies where we see and feel. Using situating tool to teach is best thing to use as it situates learner in the environment. It also fosters creativity and visualization skills.

Computer serves as a situating tool. We can locate lots of simulations and games which can enhance learning. Simulations are mostly used while teaching science. By means of virtual reality (RS) extension systems, the computer can create 3-D images on display to give the user the feeling that are situated in virtual environment. For example, a flight stimulation program, driving simulation, play station and etc.  

Situating tools are transcript of computer as situating tool. Students become more effective when it is associated by computer as the teacher’s tool because it makes the classroom atmosphere more conductive to learning due to its capabilities of being a tutor. If we want to teach any science topic, we can use PHET to provide students ‘stimulation’ about the particular topic for better learning.

I learned to use graphic cal and how to teach using this application. Learning different types of equations through it was fun. Learning becomes interesting and I was able to learn better compare to the usual teaching. It also gives students gives opportunity to explore and experiment.  So in future I will be able to use such type of simulation.

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Google classroom

Google Classroom

Google classroom is a free web service developed by Google for schools. It aims to simplify creating, distributing and grading assignments in a paperless way. The primary purpose of it is to streamline the process of sharing files between teachers and students. Google Classroom is a learning platform that offers a variety of benefits for both students and teachers.

Whether you’re a 1:1 class or you just rock the computer carts from time to time, it can elevate your classroom’s productivity. It can also take the workflow management to the next level. By assigning the assignments and conducting online test, we would not have to carry heavy stacks question papers which would hurt our backs. We don’t even have to wait for the next day to give information or the announcement, we can just post it any time.

Google Classroom makes it easy to check on student work. By entering into the student work screen, we can click on to any student’s assignment thumbnail to view real-time progress.  Therefore it is easy to provide targeted feedback using the comment feature. We can easily track those students who need help with the help of revision history as it also allows us to see how productive (or not so productive) a particular student was during class time.

Since Google apps are cloud-based, meaning they live on the Internet rather than on your hard drive. Thus works in Google Classroom are saved automatically and is accessible from any device. Students can also work seamlessly wherever they are, without worrying about clunky flash drives, emailing files back and forth, or losing progress due to computer malfunction. You need not have to worry of losing the data even if your computer crashes before you could save it. 

Co-constructive tool

Co-constructive tool

Students can use constructive tools to work cooperatively and construct a shared understanding of new knowledge known as co-construction. The co-constructive tool is the use of face book where students may post educational video and then friends’ comments on it.  By reading through comments, students can co-construct the video again. Some other examples are Google docs, blogs and discussion forum.

The constructivism and social constructivism both emphasis on co-constructive tool, it is used in teaching and learning. In constructivism, knowledge is constructed by individual and students build their own learning. They organized information to create new concept and will have self discovery of knowledge. In social constructivism, knowledge is constructed within a social context. They exchange information and share ideas where it stimulates thinking. 

The importance of using co-construction tool is to share knowledge, communicate through text, graphic, co-edit with friends and enhance collaborative learning environment. We can integrate co-constructive tools in our lesson by using discussion forum on portal (pce.edu.bt). Thus, it provides wide range of information and interaction between particular institutions and the person or students who are in part of it. Another example could be use of Google docs and having interacting session with friends.

At the same time, it also helps each other to share opinions and have shared meaning of particular concept or topic. This tool is interesting as I could see our friend’s opinion and  I can even share our own opinion. Hence, it allows me to correct if they make error. However I should be careful too while writing my points because it allows anyone to delete points (who ever contribute). 

Constructive tool

Constructive tool
Constructive tool is used to manipulate information, visualize ones understanding and build new knowledge. It helps us to  work in a collaborative and cooperative manner. Thus we construct a shared understanding of new knowledge through creating and using blogs, Gmail account, virtual learning environment, Google classroom and etc. It also enables us to represent what we have learnt.

Lev Vygotsky said that children's experiences happen in a socially constructed way on a individual level. He stated that learning best happens when students get to construct from their own knowledge. Instead of being told how to think or what to memorize. Actually students are encouraged to create their own understanding of a subject.

By using constructive tool like simulation, we made a advertisement. To create simulation, I constructed knowledge I had little on festivals of my village using Microsoft PowerPoint. Therefore, I was able to create simulation to those who watched it. Not only that, it helped me to reach the information in a creative and 
interesting way.

During my school days, we didn't get opportunities to explore on various constructive tools. Teaching methods was always a teacher centered. And through my teaching practice, I also realized that learning does not happen from talking with students. Therefore we need to use these tools to make  learning  better by constructing new knowledge based in pre- existing knowledge.

Communicative tools

Communicative tools

The communicative tools are the application which makes  communication between two persons (sender and receiver) in terms of exchanging information in spite of space and time. Many people in today's generation use communicative tools to communicate with eachother. In fact, wherever you go, you can see people holding smart phones talking and chatting. There are two types of this tool i.e. synchronous, example mobile and the other is the asynchronous, example vle or WeChat.

Many communication applicaticatin are come such as line, twitter, WhatsApp or etc. We can integrate those tools in our lessons in a form of graphs, sounds, images, video tutorials, through power point, using projector in the class to change the medium of instruction. We can also use bulletin board where students are given opportunities to write comments and give feedbacks. 

These tools are very much helpful when we are apart for example, because of the COVID-19 schools and colleges are closed and students are scattered here and there, by using WeChat, vle, or Google meet, students are able to learn by exchanging feedbacks.

So learning are happening in a effective way. Not only that, through this tools, we cant transmit printed messages, pictures and even life performance to all the corner of the world with speed. It brings people together and closer to each other. It also bridges gap between individuals and groups through flow of information and understanding between each other.

I would say that if students are given freedom to use mobile phones to search information related to that particular topic then it would surely help in learning and expanding their knowledge in the classroom teaching. Henceforth it will be very effective in teaching field. It helps us to correct our mistake through suggestions and comments. The common tools used for the people are WeChat, Facebook, messenger, twitter and Instagram.

Informative tool