LESSON 8

HIGHER THINKING SKILLS THROUGH IT-BASED PROJECTS

Educational Technology 2 BEed III B.

Janice Samosino

Reynaldo Ramiso

Vina Pundog

Philippine Electronics And Communication Institute of TechnologyButuan city

A college freshman once thought of taking a rest in a library after classes by casually taking reference books off the shelf and browsing over their contents. Being a liberal arts student, he lifted a book St. Thomas Aquinas, the famous proponent of Schoolastic Philosophy. The written words of the Doctor of Philosophy didn’t come easy in the understanding of the student, but he nonetheless mulled over each word phrase, reflecting over ideas lisurely. After a few minutes, the student felt awakened to the fact that he was engaged in a very pleasant activity, such that he exclaimed to himself,” Wow, I’m thinking.

The story didn’t end there because since that day, reflective study became the student’s pleasurable and most profitable activity. Unwittingly, he made an opening for exercising higher thinking skills. As reward, the student carried himself through college with the highest honors and achievements.

In this lesson, we shall discuss four types of IT-Based projects which can effectively be used in order o engaged students in activities of a higher plane thinking. To be noted is the fact that these projects differ in the specific process and skills employed, also in the ultimate activity ir platform used to communicate completed products to others.

It is to be understood that these projects do not address all of the thinking skills shown previously in the thinking skills framework. But these projects represent constructivist approach to instruction, namely:

a. The teacher creating the learning environment

b. The teacher giving students the tools and facilities, and

c. The teacher facilitating learning

On the other hand, it is the students themselves who demonstrate higher thinking skills and creativity through such activities searching for information, organizing and synthesizing ideas, creating presentations, and the like.

Now let us see four IT-based projects conducive to develop higher thinking skills and creativity among learners.

In these projects, the teacher steps out of the traditional role of being an content expert and information provider, and instead lets the students find their own facts and information. Only when necessary for the active learning process does the teacher step in to supply data or information. The general flow of events in resource- based projects are:

1. The teacher determines the topic for the examination of the class (e.g. The definition of ``man’’)

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 also encouraged to go to the library, particularly to the modern library, the internet.

Furthermore, the inquiry-based discovery approach is given importance in resourced-based projects. This requires that the students, indiviually or cooperatively with members of his group, relate gathered information to the `real world.’

Finally, the process is given more importance than the project product. It doesn’t matter for example, if each group comes up with a different answer to the problem (e.g. The definition of a man) what matters are varied sources of information, the line of thinking and the ability to argue in defense of their answer.

The table below can provide the difference between the traditional and resource-based learning approach to instruction.

Traditional Learning model Resource-baesd learning model

Teacher is expert and information provider

Textbook is key source of information

Focus on facts information is packaged in neat parcels

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

Assessment is quantitative

Teacher is a guide and facilitator

Sources are varied (print, video, internet, etc.,)Focus on learning inquiry/quest/discovery

Mphasis on process

Assessment is quantitative and qualitative

WEBQUEST AS A RESOURCE

San Diego State University developed the webQuest as an Internet approach to support resource-based projects. A Webquest.

is an inquiry-oriented activity in which most or all of the information used by learners are drawn from the web. WebQuest is designed to use learners’ time well, to focus on information rather than looking for it. It also supports the learners’ thinking at the levels of analysis, synthesis and evaluation.

Its website is: http://edweb.sdsu.edu/wedquest/webquest.html

II. SIMPLE CREATIONStudents can also be assigned to create their software materials to supplement the need for relevant and effective materials. Of course, there are available software materials such as Creative Writer (by Microsoft) on writing, KidWork Deluxe (by Davidson) on drawing and painting, and MediaWeave(by humanities software) on multimedia.

In developing software, creativity as an outcome should not be equated with ingenuity or high intelligence. Creating is more consonant with planning, making, assmbling, designing, or building. Creativity is said to combined three kind of skills/ abilities:

Analyzing– distinguishing similarities and differences/seeing the project as aproblem to be solved

Synthesizing– making spontaneous connections among ideas, thus generating interesting or new ideas

Promoting– selling new ideas to allow the public to test the ideas themselves

To develop creativity, the following five key task may be recommended:

1. Define the task. Clarify the goal of the completed project to the student.

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

3. Judge the ideas. The students themselves make an appraisal for or against any idea. Only when students are completely off track should the teacher intervance.

4. Act. The students do their work with the teacher a facilitator

5. Adopt flexibility. The students should be allowed to shift gears and not follow n action path rigidly.

III. GUIDED HYPERMEDIA PROJECTS

The production of self-made multimedia projects can be approached in two different ways:

1. As an instructive tool, such as in the production by students of a powerpoint presentation of a selected topic

2. As a communication tool, such as when students do a multimedia presentation (with text, graphs, photos, audio narration, interviews, video clips, etc. To simulate television news show.

HyperStudio (by Roger Wagner Productions) software is an example of a multimedia software. Assigning the production of a similar computer oftware material may be too sophisticated/ technical for the average student. But students can be assigned to produce poster designs, computer tools and the required development of appropriate creative skills, as well.

IV. WEB BASED PROJECT

Students can be made to create and post webpages on a given topic. But creating webpages, even single page webpages, may be too sophisticated and time consuming for the average student.

it should be said, however, that posting of webpages in the internet allows the students ( now the creator) a wider audience. They can also be linked with other related sites in the internet.

creativity projects as tools in the teaching learning process can be achieved with the assistance of advisers adept in the technical use of internet resuorces.

THE MORE YOU EXPLORE, THE MORE YOU CAN GAIN NEW KNOWLEDGE

Thankyou and God bless