Summary: Lesson 8; Higher Thinking Skills through IT-Based Project

Content

The Four Types of IT-Based Projects Resource-based Projects In these projects, the teacher steps out of
the traditional role of being a 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. Simple Creations Students can also be assigned to create
their software 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 Media Weave (by
Humanities software) on multimedia). Guided Hypermedia Projects It is a self-made multimedia
projects that you can use for your instruction or discussion. It can be approached in two different
ways. First, As an Instructive tool, such as in the production by the students of a power point
presentation. You can apply this in your discussion. It is easy for the teacher to catch up the attention of
the students because they love moving letters or pictures and also sounds and the teacher can discussed
well the topic because of its beautiful visual aid which is suitable for the topic. And Second, as a
communication tool when students do a multimedia presentation to stimulate a television news show. It
is easy for the teacher to discuss about news or literature if they have tools like television or you can use
your own video clips in order to present the topic they wanted. Web-based Projects Students can be
made to create and post webpages on a given topic. But creating webpages, even single page webpages
may too sophiscated and time consuming for the average student.
Experience
By the use of IT based project we developed higher order thinking skills to our students that
lets the students to organize their mind, giving problems and let them formulate ideas that could
resolved it. The use of IT based project which lets the students facilitate their own thinking and making
them more competence. The best example to site for this is during Educational Technology 1 when we
are task to use the Cyberlink Power Director to make our own short film.
Reflection
We should know that the use of IT based project isnt just the way to achieve higher thinking
skills. As a teacher we should know how to use the available resources that usable outside or inside in
the classroom to acquire knowledge special to some areas where technology is not yet introduce very
well. We should all know that technology is not a replacement to us teacher but it as tool. Developing
higher order thinking skills still lies to us teacher and how we handle our students.

Application
The use of technology today in the classroom is kind of common in some reasons that it could
make their lesson easier and faster. We should always bare on our mind that the use of technology is
not for the sake of the convenience that it gives us teacher but also to promote conducive teaching and
learning process to our students A

HIGHER THINKING SKILLS THROUGH IT-BASED
PROJECTS
IT-BASED PROJECTS
- represent constructivist projects, containing the key elements of a constructivist
approach to instruction, namely:
the teacher creating the learning environment
the teacher giving students the tools and facilities
the teacher facilitating learning
" ...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."




I. RESOURCE-BASED PROJECTS
- The teacher steps out of the traditional role of being a content expert and information
provider, and instead lets the students find their own facts and 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.

Central Principle:
a. To make the students go beyond the textbook and curriculum materials.
b. Students are encouraged to go to the library, particularly to the modern extension of
the modern library, the INTERNET.

-The Inquiry-based/ discovery approach is given importance. This requires that the
students, individually or cooperatively with members of his group, relate gathered information to
the real world.

Difference between the traditional and resource-based learning approach to instruction:
A. TRADITIONAL 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
B. RESOURCE-BASED LEARNING MODEL
teacher is a guide and facilitator
sources are varied (print, video, Internet, etc.)
focus on learning inquiry/quest/discovery
emphasis on process
assessment is quantitative and qualitative


II. SIMPLE CREATIONS
-Students are assigned to create their software materials to supplement the need for
relevant and effective materials.
-In developing software, creativity as an outcome should not be equated with
ingenuity or high intelligence. Creating is more consonant with planning, making, assembling,
designing, or building.

Three kind of skills/abilities in Creativity:
1. ANALYZING- distinguishing similarities and difference/ seeing the project as a
problem to be solved
2. SYNTHESIZING- making spontaneous connections among ideas, thus generating
interesting ornew ideas
3. PROMOTING- selling of new ideas to allow the public to test the ideas themselves
FIVE KEY TASKS TO DEVELOP CREATIVITY:
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. J udge the ideas. The students themselves make an appraisal for or against any
idea. Only when students are completely off track should the teacher intervene.
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 an
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 power-point
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 a
television news show.


IV. WEB-BASED PROJECTS
- Students can be made to create and post web pages on a given topic. But creating
web pages, even single page web pages, may be too sophisticated and time consuming for the
average student.
- Posting web pages in the Internet allows he students (web page creator) a wider
audience. They can also be linked with other related sites in the Internet. But as of now, this
creativity project may be to ambitious as a tool in the teaching-learning process.

Source: Educational Technology 2