Computer as Situating tool

Situating tools are applications that help to situate learners’ in an environment to experience the context and happenings. Some of examples may include simulations (flight, farming, surgery, environment, driving, history City, SimCity, play station) and virtual reality. Simulations are programs that teach strategies and rules which are made to apply to real life situations.

It can create 3-D images on display to give the user the feeling that are situated in a virtual environment. It helps students becomes more effective when it is associated by the computer as teacher's tool because it will make the classroom atmosphere more conducive to learn due to its capabilities of being a tutors.

Computer as situating tools presents simulations of real learning situations. Makes learner to take decisions and shows the effect of the decisions. It not only provide opportunities to interact with the real life situations without danger, expense or difficulty but also solves simulated real life programs and manipulates the elements of the model as the computer provides feedback.

Computer as Co-constructive Tool

Co-constructive tool are tools where students use to work collaboratively and construct a shared understanding of new knowledge. Some ways of co-constructive are the use of the electronic whiteboard, google docs (docs.google.com), blogs & wikis, discussion forum on portals (pce.edu.bt) and google classroom. This tools allow students to work together with their members in creating some project where they can interact, discuss and edit their work together. when they do the project collaboratively, it fosters teamwork, sense of belonging and responsibility.

We used goggle doc as the co-constructive tool where we worked in our groups to create a lesson plan. We discussed and interacted through the available chat forum and did necessary editing. This group discussion is more convenient for group discussion as we need not have to call and wait for our members for the discussion. Members can jump into the discussion anytime anywhere. 

we also used google classroom where we created classroom and joined classes created by our classmates. Its various features help teacher to teach and assign the students with assignments and assess their work accordingly.

Therefore, Co-constructive tool helps students to communicate and co-edit their work enhancing high level cognitive processes through problem solving and explanation on that particular topic. It involves active and intentional learning enhancing collaborative learning environment.

Computer as Constructive tool

Constructive tool is an application that help learner to manipulate information; visualize one’s understanding and construct one’s new knowledge. The Microsoft word computer program itself is desktop publishing software that enables users to manage and present their ideas in attractive and creative formats. For example, concept map program (allows users to brainstorm and to visualize their understanding of relationships among a collection of concepts), desktop publishing program (allows users to organize and present their ideas in an attractive format), word, spreadsheet and PowerPoint (to organize, record, manipulate and present their ideas in an attractive in the form of memos, reports, letters, presentations, record routine information) and many more.

During the particular session we did several tasks that gave me the clear concept of how to use constructive tool in teaching and learning. We used spreadsheet where we jotted down all the names of our classmate and their weights. Then with the help of the formulae we could easily categorize the weight of students in different group (group A 30- 35kg, group B 35- 40….). So it helps us find the information within no time. The next task we did was using PowerPoint where we imagine as a local travel agent to attract visitors to our locality. I have learnt to present a topic in an attractive format through a slide with many pictures and wordings. Being introduced to the ways of creating blogs and why should it be created we learnt the process of making our own blog. It was new to most of us and I was quite excited about it. 

 

When the students create such document of a concept with some pictures, texts and audios, it stimulates their interests to learn the particular concepts and their understanding deepens. Moreover, it develops on their skills and capabilities to critically and intelligently seek, analysis, manage and present information.  It not only creates new knowledge and products but also develop in learners habits of self-learning to nurture the attitude and capability for lifelong learning.

 

Computer as communicative tool

Communicative tools are applications that enable easy communication between teachers and students, among students beyond physical barrier either by space, time or both of the classroom which includes e-mail, electronic bulletin boards, online chats for messaging the information, teleconference and electronic whiteboard. 

Communicative tool is categories into two: synchronous and asynchronous communication tool,  which was new for me and now i am aware of the differences between them. Synchronous communicative tools such as chat or video conference enable real-time communication while using the tools of communicative asynchronous (e.g. e-mail ad electronic whiteboard) is system in which exchange of messages between people are not ‘live’ but somehow delayed.
Communicative tool is most appropriate for activities requiring more time to think before responding. Utilization of electronic mail is increasing day by day. E-mail and wechat are the most commonly used on the internet. It is easy to use as it is a primarily text-based system and simple communication tool for teachers and students.They enable learners and teachers to connect, communicate and access information in an unprecedented way. 

It allows both the teacher and learners to pass comment and converse face to face to improve teaching and learning. Use of communicative tools helps save time, have the enormous space and ability to converse to an infinite number of people but there is a possible for students to get addicted to chats which will lead them to undergo go multiples risks. So, teacher needs to take charge of the student's discipline on use of various internet tools.

Digital Citizenship

The first article talks about the digital citizenship and citizenship. It discussed the nine elements of digital citizenship (digital access, digital commerce, digital communication, digital literacy, digital etiquette, digital law, digital rights and responsibilities, digital health and wellness, and digital security) where it serves as a foundation for educating a digital society of the appropriate uses for technology and help the user understand the basics of his/her technology needs. Not only that by becoming more aware of the issues related to technology, users become better citizen by modeling appropriate usage and helping prevent its misuse.

The second article is a guide for parents on digital citizenship where it says that this guide helps prepare us for the conversation we need to have with kids when they first start using digital devices, as they grow and their online activities changes when things go wrong. This guides mentioned five key tips to guiding kids to safe and responsible digital lives which includes don’t be scared, talk to the kids, be a part of kids media lives be the person your kids come to when they have problem online, and set rules and communicate values.  It also talks about the following key elements of digital citizenship: Respecting People’s Feelings: covers topics such as “drama”, cyberbullying, healthy romantic relationships, and how to be a positive influence online,  Respecting Privacy: conveys the importance of protecting your child’s privacy online and how to help your child be safe and secure while social networking online, Respecting Property: provides information on serious matters, like illegal downloading, plagiarism, and how to access legitimate content.

The take away from these articles, the importance of knowing digital citizenship is a very important topic, and implementing some kind of curriculum gives students the opportunity to become digitally informed citizens. It also provides conversation starters on a variety of different topics to help parents talk about these issues with their kids in a constructive and meaningful way, and offers tips for creating household Internet rules.

Computers play different supporting roles as a tool which classifies into five categories:

·         Informative tool

·         Communicative tool

·         Constructive tool

·         Co-constructive tool      

·         Situating tool

Computer as Informative Tool

In this technological era, computer technologies and other aspects of digital culture have changed the way people live, work, play, and learn, impacting the construction and distribution of knowledge and power around the world. It is also used effectively in a range of different ways to improve teaching and learning: by individual pupils, by groups and by the teacher to focus discussion. It helps to develop pupils’ thinking in a range of different ways including reasoning, understanding and creativity. When integrated with lesson it provides information for the students to manipulate and from which knowledge can be constructed. Moreover, ICT as an informative tool guide learners and provide them with  huge and vast amount of information in various formats which includes text, sound, videos, graphics, multimedia encyclopedias or resources available in internet.

Informative tools have the facility to cater needs for all kinds of learners which includes visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners. Every individual are unique in their own ways and possess different learning styles andcomprehension styles where some learn more through visual (pictures, graphics, etc), audio (sound, music,etc and kinesthetic (movements, practical, experiments, etc).

So, I personally felt that every educator does need to absorb adequate knowledge and skills of ICT and 21^st century skills because it plays a vital role in our daily life in the passage of time. Although it got both positive and negative impact on teaching and learning but it is always fun, easy to comprehend and foster external and internal collaboration. Therefore, computer as a formative tool facilitates, accelerate, enrich, deepen skills and at the same time motivates and engaged students, making teaching and learning more conducive for all.