Lesson 8 Higher Thinking Skills Through IT-Based Projects

OVERVIEW:

                        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. To be noted is the fact that these projects differ in the specific process and skills employed, also in the ultimate activity or platform used to communicate completed products to others.

Four IT based projects

I.              Resource-based projects

 The teacher steps out of the traditional role of being an context expert and information provider, and instead lets the students find their own facts and information.

Key Elements of a constructivist approach:

a)      The teacher creating the learning environment.

b)      The teacher giving students the tool and facilities.

c)      The teacher facilitating learning.

The general flows of events in resource-based projects are:

1. The teacher determines the topic for the examination of class.

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 make the students “go beyond the textbook and curriculum materials”. Students are encouraged to go to the library, particularly to the modern extension of the modern library,   the Internet.

           

TRADITIONAL AND RESOURCE-BASED LEARNING

Traditional learning model

1. Teacher is expert and information provides

2. Textbook is key source of information

3. Focus on facts Information is packaged in neat parcels

4. The product is the be-all and end-all of learning

5. Assessment is quantitative

Resource-based learning model

1. Teacher is a guide and facilitator

2. Sources are varied (print, video. Internet, etc.)

3. Focus on learning inquiry, quest, or discovery

4. Emphasis on process

5. Assessment is quantitative and qualitative.

II. SIMPLE CREATIONS

v   more consonant with planning, making, assembling, designing and/or building.

In developing software, creativity as an outcome should not be equated with ingenuity or high intelligence.

Creativity is said to combine three kinds of skills/abilities :

•       Analyzing- distinguishing similarities and differences/ seeing the project as a problem to be solved.

•       Synthesizing- making spontaneous connections among ideas, does generating interesting or new ideas.

•       Promoting- selling of a new ideas to allow the public to test the ideas themselves.

The five key task to develop creativity:

• Define the task- clarify the goal of the completed project to the student.

• Brainstorm- the students themselves will be allowed to generate their own ideas on the project. Rather than shoot down ideas, the teacher encourages ideas exchange.

• Judge the ideas- the students themselves make an appraisal for or against any idea. Only when students are completely off check should the teacher intervene.

• Act- the students do their work with the teacher a facilitator.

• Adopt flexibility- the students should be allowed to shift gears and not follow an action path rigidly.