My Personal Course Summary
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has
always been an area of interest for me.
I have always been fascinated by technology and I enjoy working with any
ICT tool which is available. This course (EDTK2030 Information and Communication
Technology) addresses the development of ICT and its potential in the education
system. This course has helped me to reflect upon who I am, what I do as a
teacher as well as my ethical and professional responsibilities as a future
teacher. It has intrigued me immensely but above all it has been an eye opener for
me. I am amazed at how much I have come to regard technology as a meaningful
and substantive aid in serving the learning needs of the children.
ICT comprises of many dynamic and powerful tools which can be used in planning effective interactive lessons that would cater to the learning styles of the students. Due to this course I now have a better understanding of ICT as a tool in education. Unit one made a significant impact on me. I learnt that while it is worthwhile to explore the many affordances that ICT and assistive technologies offers the education system, yet it is also vital to understand that many constraints may also exist. It is through the convergence of several technologies namely media, telecommunications and computer technologies that ICT came about. As an educator of young minds I must keep abreast with the technology. Through this course I was made fully aware of the numerous innovative ways to motivate, sensitize and excite students to learn.
Research shows that effective instruction needs to take an integrated approach. Through such an approach students are taught how to access, evaluate, synthesize, and evaluate information which is crucial to the teaching and learning process. Integrating technology in the classroom will provide me with opportunities for applying these skills across the curriculum. Through the course material I learnt that the constructivist approach to teaching advocates the integrated approach.
Constructivists advocate that knowledge is constructed through experience and our experiences change us by altering our mental structures and our perception of reality. I have come to the realization that becoming skilled in today’s classrooms would require that I in cooperate ICT- mediated tools. While most of the educational software and ICT tools aim at improving students learning, they also propose innovative teaching approaches such as the constructivist theory of Vygotsky, Bruner’s Discovery Learning Theory and Kolbs Experiential Learning. These approaches all support ICT-mediated learning as they are all student centred.
Another fascinating thing that I learnt is that Blooms Taxonomy can be incorporated into ICT-mediated learning to develop students’ higher order thinking skills. That was great! ICT-mediated style of learning is very dynamic as it motivates, stimulates and forces students to think divergently as they take onus for their own learning.
Assistive technology in education is also an area that captivated me and which ICT plays a quite a significant role. I couldn’t begin to think that ICT could really support students with learning and sensory disabilities. These students can now be integrated into the mainstream of learning. No one is left out!
In studying the material for this course, apart from complete the unit readings, assignments, graded discussions, I also had an opportunity to participate and interact in forum activities with my colleagues. These were most time quite exciting as it often times enhanced my knowledge and forced me to use my skills, particularly when I was developing and creating my web-based portfolio website using the available application.
I have received the knowledge; skills and expertise to become a competent teacher in the 21st century classroom. I benefitted from this course cognitively in the sense that I better understood the concepts, they were exemplified and I was better able to retain the information. Socially, through enhanced communication regarding the subject with my course coordinator, tutors, colleagues and Black Board Collaborate sessions and motivationally because I was being motivated to learn through the enhanced relevance of knowledge.
To excel I had to do the weekly readings, participate in the forum discussions and meet all assignment and graded discussion deadlines. As I strived to strike a balance between my personal life, work and my other course deadlines, there were times when I became so overwhelmed. I would read the motivating words which my course coordinator and e-tutors posted in the forum for me which encourage me to continue the race. These words of inspiration worked wonders for me. Thank you. This course has offered me a sense of ownership knowing that I created my own artefacts and website. Furthermore, it thrills me to know that it has been published and can be viewed and used internationally.
Therefore, I have ventured to use ICT in my classroom. I am of the belief that in this 21st century, students must be equipped with these technological skills to enhance their learning outcomes and to expand their horizons.
“ ... What we’re now beginning to understand is that children today are FUNDAMENTALLY different than we are in the way they think, in the way they access, absorb, interpret process and use information, and in the way that they view, interact, and communicate in the modern world because of their experiences with digital technologies, If this is the case, it holds profound implications for all of us personally and professionally.”
- (Taken from an article by Ian Jukes and Anita Dosaj.)
ICT comprises of many dynamic and powerful tools which can be used in planning effective interactive lessons that would cater to the learning styles of the students. Due to this course I now have a better understanding of ICT as a tool in education. Unit one made a significant impact on me. I learnt that while it is worthwhile to explore the many affordances that ICT and assistive technologies offers the education system, yet it is also vital to understand that many constraints may also exist. It is through the convergence of several technologies namely media, telecommunications and computer technologies that ICT came about. As an educator of young minds I must keep abreast with the technology. Through this course I was made fully aware of the numerous innovative ways to motivate, sensitize and excite students to learn.
Research shows that effective instruction needs to take an integrated approach. Through such an approach students are taught how to access, evaluate, synthesize, and evaluate information which is crucial to the teaching and learning process. Integrating technology in the classroom will provide me with opportunities for applying these skills across the curriculum. Through the course material I learnt that the constructivist approach to teaching advocates the integrated approach.
Constructivists advocate that knowledge is constructed through experience and our experiences change us by altering our mental structures and our perception of reality. I have come to the realization that becoming skilled in today’s classrooms would require that I in cooperate ICT- mediated tools. While most of the educational software and ICT tools aim at improving students learning, they also propose innovative teaching approaches such as the constructivist theory of Vygotsky, Bruner’s Discovery Learning Theory and Kolbs Experiential Learning. These approaches all support ICT-mediated learning as they are all student centred.
Another fascinating thing that I learnt is that Blooms Taxonomy can be incorporated into ICT-mediated learning to develop students’ higher order thinking skills. That was great! ICT-mediated style of learning is very dynamic as it motivates, stimulates and forces students to think divergently as they take onus for their own learning.
Assistive technology in education is also an area that captivated me and which ICT plays a quite a significant role. I couldn’t begin to think that ICT could really support students with learning and sensory disabilities. These students can now be integrated into the mainstream of learning. No one is left out!
In studying the material for this course, apart from complete the unit readings, assignments, graded discussions, I also had an opportunity to participate and interact in forum activities with my colleagues. These were most time quite exciting as it often times enhanced my knowledge and forced me to use my skills, particularly when I was developing and creating my web-based portfolio website using the available application.
I have received the knowledge; skills and expertise to become a competent teacher in the 21st century classroom. I benefitted from this course cognitively in the sense that I better understood the concepts, they were exemplified and I was better able to retain the information. Socially, through enhanced communication regarding the subject with my course coordinator, tutors, colleagues and Black Board Collaborate sessions and motivationally because I was being motivated to learn through the enhanced relevance of knowledge.
To excel I had to do the weekly readings, participate in the forum discussions and meet all assignment and graded discussion deadlines. As I strived to strike a balance between my personal life, work and my other course deadlines, there were times when I became so overwhelmed. I would read the motivating words which my course coordinator and e-tutors posted in the forum for me which encourage me to continue the race. These words of inspiration worked wonders for me. Thank you. This course has offered me a sense of ownership knowing that I created my own artefacts and website. Furthermore, it thrills me to know that it has been published and can be viewed and used internationally.
Therefore, I have ventured to use ICT in my classroom. I am of the belief that in this 21st century, students must be equipped with these technological skills to enhance their learning outcomes and to expand their horizons.
“ ... What we’re now beginning to understand is that children today are FUNDAMENTALLY different than we are in the way they think, in the way they access, absorb, interpret process and use information, and in the way that they view, interact, and communicate in the modern world because of their experiences with digital technologies, If this is the case, it holds profound implications for all of us personally and professionally.”
- (Taken from an article by Ian Jukes and Anita Dosaj.)