25
March
2009
Which learning style/s does this ICT support?
Sound files support students with an auditory learning style. In saying that, they are still effective for visual and kinaesthetic learners because they can be fun, exciting and engaging.
How could this ICT be implemented as a good cognitive tool within the learning environment?
There are many different ways for sound files to be used in order to improve a student’s cognitive understanding of a topic. If for instance you were teaching a lesson on the sounds animals make, you could use a sound file like chimp to aid you. Teaching a lesson on this particular subject without having sound clips as a resource will not only make it harder for you as a teacher to teach the students, but also harder for students to understand the concept being taught. Sound clips may also be used when teaching students about different countries and languages so that students can actually hear that particular language.
Music lessons will benefit greatly with the use of sound files. Students may be asked to listen to a piece of music and name some of the instruments that are playing in it. Students could also listen to a variety of music (fast, slow, flowing, jumpy, etc music) and say what animal the music reminds them of and explain why they chose that animal. Ultimately this improves their understanding of a topic and makes their learning more meaningful.
How is this ICT enabling the development of creativity?
There are many creative ways that sound files can be used in a classroom. Students can listen to a piece of music and reflect on it, create a picture based on how the music makes them feel. They can even write a story about the piece of music.
Students can also listen to a section of a piece of music and on musical instruments or even by singing they can create their own ending to the song. All of these types of activity help develop creativity within the students.
Reference:
Chimpanzee retrieved from http://www.swbg-adventurecamps.com/animal-info/sound-library/index.htm (google in creative commons).
Posted: Reflective Questions
16
March
2009
Which learning style/s does this ICT support?
Video clips can be an effective tool in the classroom because they can support both visual and auditory learners.
How could this ICT be implemented as a good cognitive tool within the learning environment?
There are many different uses of video clips within the learning environment. They can be used to clarify and strengthen the topic being learnt in a fun and creative way. Also, because they support both visual and auditory learners, they can involve the majority of the class in the learning process. Teachers can use video clips to add variety to a lesson and make it more interesting for the students.
Along with being an effective way of transmitting information to students, video clips can also be used to improve student’s research and technical skills. Students can independently search for video clips to improve their understandings of a topic and become more familiar with the different ICTs that are available for them to use in their learning.
How is this ICT enabling the development of creativity?
Video clips give students the opportunity to be creative in their assignments and presentations as they can use them to clarify certain points and to make the presentation more interesting for the audience. In saying this, the teacher would need to model the creative use of video clips in presentations and inform students where to get these video clips beforehand in order for students to use this ICT effectively and creatively.
Video clips also allow teachers to be creative in their teaching. Teachers can use video clips to support written information in a creative and fun way for the students. This engages students more in the subject and helps them gain a better understanding of the topic.
Posted: Reflective Questions
13
March
2009
Which learning style/s does this ICT support?
Online games are an extremely effective tool in the classroom because they cater for all three learning styles; visual, auditory and kinaesthetic.
How could this ICT be implemented as a good cognitive tool within the learning environment?
There are many different ways that online games can be implemented as effective tools within the learning environment. They allow students to physically explore and experiment with the concepts in the topic being studied in a fun and interactive way. They can also be used to consolidate the student’s learning and be used in a way that promotes a constructivist approach to learning. That is, online games allow students to actively build their own knowledge from their prior knowledge and interact with peers whilst doing this.
How is this ICT enabling the development of creativity?
Online games give students the opportunity to use their imagination during the learning process. Students may be required to take certain roles whilst playing the game which also helps them become more creative.
Resources:
Games at the Library by NJLA: New Jersey Library Association (flickr).
Posted: Reflective Questions
12
March
2009
Which learning style/s does this ICT support?
Obviously graphics and images support visual learners. They allow students to understand and comprehend what is being said in a text to a greater level as they have a visual representation of the information.
How could this ICT be implemented as a good cognitive tool within the learning environment?
Not only can graphics and images enhance a student’s understanding on a given topic, but they can also be used to make the text they are reading more interesting and fun. Graphics and images can be used to capture the attention of students and keep them focused on the information being presented.
Students can also explore and experiment different ways of using graphics and images in their own work in order to make it more engaging and interesting to themselves and their audience.
How is this ICT enabling the development of creativity?
Graphics and images give students plenty of different opportunities to be creative with their work. For students who are less computer savvy than others, there are some simple, creative uses of graphics and images. This can include experimenting with different colours, positions and shapes of graphics and images on a page, or even creating a collage. For the more advanced students, they can explore and experiment with different image editing softwares such as ‘paint’ and ‘Adobe Photoshop.’
Reference:
Your Drawing Tool: Paint done in Paint by tyger_lyllie (flickr).
Posted: Reflective Questions
11
March
2009
Which learning style/s does this ICT support?
Inspiration is a graphic organiser which allows you to visually represent your thoughts and ideas onto a concept map. Inspiration supports visual learners, that is students who learn visually and benefit from the use of visual aids. By using Inspiration and representing and organising their thoughts and ideas visually, students will be better able to understand the content being taught.
How could this ICT be implemented as a good cognitive tool within the learning environment?
Inspiration can be used as an effective cognitive tool in a variety of ways. It is an alternative way for teachers to transmit information to their students, a way that is especially effective for visual learners. As mentioned previously, it allows the teacher to organise information and ideas visually onto a concept map which can then be shared with the class. this gives variety to the lessons and also makes learning more fun for the students. If the class has an interactive whiteboard, Inspiration could also be used for collaborative learning. Individual use of Inspiration allows students to represent information in a creative and more meaningful way hence a greater cognitive understanding of a topic.
How is this ICT enabling the development of creativity?
Inspiration allows not only students, but also teachers to be creative in their work. Within Inspiration, there are many different images and shapes that students can use to organise information in a fun, creative and also meaningful way. These images can be used to represent written information or add to its meaning. By using Inspiration, teachers can become more creative in their thinking. As Inspiration can be used as an alternative way of transmitting information to the students, the teacher can use it to model creativity. That is, the teacher can model the different ways that students can be more creative in their work.
Reference:
Inspiration by mrjorgen (flickr).
Posted: Reflective Questions
