IT for Higher Thinking Skills and Creativity

Involving learners in viable ITbased projects

Learners Before

Receive
Recall
Recite

HOWEVER. . .
Today, they should be
Flexible
Analytical
Creative

Computer Thinking Skills

FOCUSING

Defining the
problem, goal/
objective setting,
brainstorming

Information
Gathering

Selection,
recording of data
or information

Remembering Analyzing
Associating,
relating new
idea with the
old

Identifying idea
constructs,
patterns

Generating Organizing
Deducing,
inducting,
elaborating

Classifying,
relating

Imagining

Designing

Visualizing,
predicting

Planning,
formulating

Integrating Evaluating
Summarizing,
abstracting

Setting criteria,
testing idea,
verifying
outcomes, revising

The Upgraded
Project Method

students work on
projects with depth,
complexity,
duration, and
relevance to the
real world.

PROJECTS

LINK

Higher
level
thinkin
g skills

Constructivist
Paradigm
decides what to put in
the project
how to organize the
information
package the outcomes
for presentation

The PROCESS
Refers to the
thinking/affective/
psycho-motor process
that occurs on the
part of the learner.
This comprises the
journey that
actualizes learning.

THE PROCESS
IS MORE
IMPORTANT
THAN
THE PRODUCT

The PRODUCT
The result of the allimportant process
consisting in possibly a
summary, a poster, an
essay, a term paper, a
dramatic presentation (in
the traditional project
methods) and or an ITbased product.

 Resource-based projects
Simple creations
Guided Hypermedia
projects
Web-based projects

Key Elements of Constructivist

Approach
The teacher creates the
learning environment
The teacher gives the
students the tools and
facilities
The teacher facilitates the
learning-process

I. Resource-Based Projects

The teacher lets the students find their

own facts and information

The teacher determines the topic for the

examination of the class (e.g. the definition of
man)
The teacher presents the problem to the
class
The students find information on the
problem/question
Students organize their information in
response to the problem/issue

What is a Webquest?

This is an inquiryoriented activity in

which most or all of
the information used
by learners are
drawn from the web

A Real WebQuest....

is wrapped around a doable and interesting

task
requires higher level thinking, not simply
summarizing.
makes good use of the web.
isn't a research report or a step-by-step
science or math procedure.
isn't just a series of web-based experiences.

II. Simple Creations

Students are assigned to create software
materials that will supplement the need for
relevant and effective materials

Creative Writer on writing (by Microsoft)

KidWork on painting and drawing (by Davidson
Mediaweave on multimedia (by Humanities
software)

Creativity Abilities
Analyzing distinguishing
similarities and differences
Synthesizing making spontaneous
connections among ideas
Promoting selling of new ideas

Steps in Developing Creativity

Define task
Brainstorm
Judge the
ideas
Act
Adopt flexibility

III. Guided Hypermedia Projects

Production of selfmade multimedia
projects

As an instructive tool (e.g. ppt

presentation on a selected topic)
As a communication tool (e.g. a
multimedia presentation simulating a
television news)

HyperStudio (by Roger Wagner Productions)

-This is an example of a multimedia software.

IV. Web-based Projects

A project method
where the students
are tasked to create
and post web pages
regarding a certain
topic