ICT As Tutor

Introduction

We have talked about ICT As a Tutee and As Mind Tool in the previous reflections. This is the time to talk about it as a Tutor.

ICT can serve learning process as a tutor in several ways and by providing students by:

1. Tutorial:

Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI) programs are brilliant examples of computer based tutorials; where the software or a website explains all required content knowledge in details. In this way if a student misses any part due to absence or not concentrating well at the class, he could basically refer to the computer based tutorial. It is an essential tool for self studying. MOE in Bahrain provided teachers with CDs of ICDL tutorials. Teachers saved much time, energy and money by going through lessons and preparing for exams.

2. Drill & Practice:

There are many software programs which assist students to have a good practice on some certain issues. For example, Mathematics teachers should no more be worry about Multiplication tables! Students can use drill and practice programs and master them.



3. Simulation:

Learning some knowledge contents requires existence of the learner in certain environments. However, it is costly to move around to learn! Moreover, some faults during learning process are not acceptable in real life environments. Here is where simulation helps a lot. The learner works as if he is in the real environment. Pilot-candidates learn in a simulated airplane.

4. Games:

Students adore playing games. So let them learn through playing. Memorizing spelling of words through reading and writing is boring to most of students. However, they spend hours and hours playing Hangaroo.

Using ICT appropriately facilitates the learning process and makes it engaging.

Computer as a Mind Tool

Computer is considered as highly powerful mind tool. Organizing thoughts in a visual way is of great importance and beneficial, specially for abstract and complex knowledge. This is called concept mapping, developed by Tony Bozan. It fastens,easies and emphasizes the knowledge in a beautiful way. There are many programs that are used in concept mapping, of which the listed below are more famous:
MindNode, Curio, MyThoughts, CMap, FreeMap and Inspiration.

I have made this picture using the Inspiration 9.
(Click on the picture to enlerge)

Web Quest
What is WebQuest?

It is an inquiry oriented learning methodology, that involves using the internet resources and group work. Bernie Dodge, PhD, was the founder of this approach since 1995, and his web site (http://questgarden.com/) is the mother of all sites in the internet.
Benefits of WebQuest
Researches have shown that this approach is of high benefits for all of the elements of learning-teaching process: Student, curriculum and teacher. Moreover, society substantially benefits from this breakthrough, readily and rapidly. It utilizes the continuously explosion in knowledge, and spreads it through globe.
Components of WebQuest
It is consisted of 6 components:

Introduction Phase:
In this phase teacher writes a short paragraph to introduce the activity or lesson to the students. teacher asks the main question the lesson goes around.
Task Phase:
In this phase teacher describes to students in a clear way the end results that they should achieve. but teacher does not give them the way to get these results, since this refers to process phase.
Process Phase:
In the traditional version of Webquest Process Phase was separated from the Resource, but in the new version they have been merged. However,in this phase teacher describes the steps learners should go through to achieve tasks. This is of high importance, since teachers vary substantially in this phase. If the work has been done professionally, it will be a good benchmark for other teachers to follow.
Evaluation Phase:
teacher should provide a rubric to evaluate the work. There are two approaches: evaluating the group, and assigning the same grade for all of its members, or evaluating them individually.
Conclusion Phase:
In this phase teacher puts a couple of sentences that summarize what students will have accomplished or learned by completing this activity or lesson. Teacher might also include some higher thinking questions or additional links to encourage them to extend their thinking into other content beyond this lesson.



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Inquiry based Learning

What is Inquiry Based Learning?
It is a methodology of learning, where student learns through asking questions, makes searches to gain knowledge. Here is the components of inquiry based learning.

How beneficiary is this?
The traditional way of learning was to fill students with huge quantity of knowledge. However, students role was inactive, and are not encouraged to think out of the box. You just set, listen and accept everything your teacher feeds you! Hence students are knowledge consumer.

However, the inquiry based learning overcome all these drawbacks, encourage students to activate their mentality powers, and try to explore the world around them, by asking questions. This is the true path to creativity.
Teacher Role
Teacher role in inquiry based learning is substantially different. We do not give students fish but we learn them how to catch it. We help them how to think, encourage them to give new ideas, direct them, organize the process and prepare them for higher levels.
A Previous Experience

I have tried this with my 5th year primary students. I decided to give them the lesson of mail merging in Word. However, this topic is considered to be above their levels, because we give it students in the 10th year in the secondary level, though they find it difficult. But when I tried to give it for the 5th year grade students I was surprised! I just gave them the two ordinary files and asked them to merge it. I have just give them they keyword and directed them to benefit from the internet. All of them caught it in few minutes. More they said: "It is very easy sir!", and they were fully happy to discover knowledge by themselves.

Flipped Learning
What is Flipped Learning?

Flipped learning is a new type of learning based on distance learning. It differs substantially from the traditional learning where teacher stands in front of students in the traditional classroom. By this new breakthrough classroom has been flipped to be at home, work or everywhere. Students are not forced to come in certain time, certain place to certain teacher. Rather, teachers can record their lessons on powerpoint for example, and distribute it, so students can study through them.

Benefits

It is a rescue students how have left school during to failure, from messing knowledge. Housewives and workers find it the best alternative to study, that does not conflict with their time. Students can study with their own pace. Repetition of the lesson can be done every time and everywhere. It cuts cost of learning, teachers wages, buildings and so on. Gifted students can study faster and reach high level of learning in early age.

Drawbacks

It lacks the benefit from students debate with teachers, the benefit from working with groups, weakens the social aspects of students and shortens the benefit from teacher behaviors. However, most of these drawbacks can be eliminated by benefiting from other technologies like: facebook.

Computers in School

Computer in Schools: Tutor, Tutee and Tool
Computer plays significant roles in the process of teaching and learning. Computers are widely used in schooling in various ways and play different roles, categorized as: tutor, tutee and tool. Next I will explain this further.

Computer as a Tutor

In this role, expert in the subject makes a program that gives students the knowledge and skills of the subject. For example, Math teacher can make a program that illustrates the subject, trains the student and evaluates their progress. Thus it takes most of the teacher role. The benefits are huge in motivating students, fastening learning, each student study on his pace and many others.

Computer as Tutee

In this role, computer becomes a student, and the human is the teacher. So the human talks to the computer in its language. There are many benefits: No one will teach anything if he/she does not understand it. Besides, you will save money instead of buying a software. Moreover, it gives you a good understanding of how computer understands.

Computer as Tool
Computer can act as a tool with some programs, like word processing, calculator, paint program, and so on. Benefits can be viewed as saving time, saving money, relying on accuracy of computer, simulating dangerous things and so on.

Who am I?

My name is Abdulla Ahmed Hasan Nasser. I have been born in 1976 in Kingdom of Bahrain. I have graduated with BSc in Computer Science in 2000 from University of Bahrain. I have joint Ministry of Education after graduation immediately as a teacher. In 2003 I have been certified as a lead auditor in ISO 9000:2000. Currently I am doing my MBA study in Al Ahliya University, as well as doing the Post Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) in the Bahrain Teachers College (BTC). I have the ambition to get the PhD as soon as possible.