Module 6 Assignment 2

What can I say about this module?  In other words what would my essential question be?  How has this module impacted my teaching and learning activities?  Firstly it started off a bit shaky working my way around the Intel presentation, but once I got the hang of it, everything went smoothly.  While it was quite tedious at times it was manageable.  There are many benefits to Project Based Learning because students would no longer be passive but active learners.  They would take part in their own learning.  

At first I did not know what subject area to choose from and then when I decided to choose General Science I could was undecided on the topic.  Anyway after much  decision making assignment two (2) was on the way. It was a lot of work putting the Web Quest together but I enjoyed doing it.  It was hectic because I was busy preparing for test and all the added paperwork that comes with the new dispensation in our education system.  

This Web Quest is an eye opener.  It can be used in all the subject areas with all the topics.  It takes a little planning, but once that is out of the way students should be able to produce work of a very high standard to meet the curriculum standards.  Students would be very active participants in their own learning so that means they retain more because they do their own research.  In today's world that is so open to technology and the students are very technologically advanced and savvy web quests are the way to go to grab and hold their attention.  It also teaches them to be good researchers, critical thinkers and  to decide what material is relevant or irrelevant.  Web Quests are definitely the way to go.

Module 8 Activity 2

As a teacher to actively engage and hold students attention in an ICT enabled  classroom we must engage ourselves in carful and proper planning.  We ought to foresee and ensure that the challenges that may be encountered and be prepared to deal with them.  There are always bad and good to everything, however, whatever side we lean to - bad or good - depends on how we embrace the change.

Module 8 Activity 1

Integrating ICT in the classroom is very engaging to students. When students are engaged there is less classroom misbehaviour, and when there is less students misbehaving, more learning takes place and this makes my life as a teacher a lot less stressful.

I also had to create a wiki account.....this was something new to me.  It was challenging to follow but after a few tries I got it.  It seems to be very useful and interesting and I plan on using it a lot.

Module 5 Activity 6: Using Office Software with Subject Learning

I am elated. I am happy. I am excited.  I welcome this activity so much.  I have never known there are so many things I could use Microsoft Office to do! I will be putting so many of this new information to use.  My favourite is manipulating paint to get my desired image and using equation editor. Usually making a Mathematics worksheet, test or exam has been hard.  Using Symbol has limited the number of the denominator and  I do not like to use the slash method to show fractions.  This is now a lifesaver!  I am really thankful for this activity as I am better prepared to teach and prepare worksheets to meet my students needs. 

Module 5 Activity 5a Software Evaluation

As an educator it is always a welcomed experience to discover new sites that lend themselves to various interactive activities to share with my students.

The sites I browsed provided relevant information that can be used by both students and teachers.  The sites are very user friendly and most were recently updated.

I especially liked the http://interactivesites.weebly.com/  site as is it interactive.  In fact, I spent a lot of time on the site  myself doing some of the activities and I enjoyed doing them so I know my students would enjoy themselves too.  This site makes learning fun.

Some other sites I browsed were:

www.english_online.org.uk

www.biologyjunction.com

www.discoveryeducation.com

https://sites.google.com/site/sailonedu/

Module 5 Activity 3b - Reviewing Educational Software

The new dispensation in learning is using educational software.  While it should not take the place of the teacher it should be a very good help to both students and teacher.  It is therefore very important and critical that we review the software/sites to ensure they meet the necessary criteria before presenting it to students.  We should always  take the time to plan and prepare our lessons and ensure that the sites we use and direct the students to meet most if not all of our criteria. 

Module 5 Activity 2 - Experiencing Educational Software

The various sites my colleagues posted were very informative.  There are a few of the sites I know but there a few I have never seen nor encountered before.  Those that I viewed were very informative and educational and would be very useful and helpful to  me.  I especially loved the sites with the games as my students would be very happy with these sites - they enjoy playing games.  While they are 'having fun' they would be learning at the same time.