The Four IT-based
projects conducive to develop higher thinking skills and creativity among
learners.
I.
RESOURCE-BASED PROJECTS
These type of project makes teacher
step out of the traditional way of teaching, of being a content expert and
information giver, instead, let students seek their own facts and information.
The teacher may step in to supply information or data only if it is necessary.
The general flow of events in this resource-based projects are :
1.
The topic for the examination is
determined by the teacher. (e. g. the introduction of linguistics ).
2.
The problem is to be presented to
the class by the teacher.
3.
The students here find information
or data on the given problem/question.
4.
Here, students now organize their
gathered information in response to the problem.
The very principle
of this project is to make students go
beyond textbook and curriculum resources. Students here are encouraged to
go to Library, in particular to the modern library, the internet.
Moreover,
the inquiry-based or the discovery approach is also given attention in this
projects. It is when students, individual work or group work are encourage to
relate gathered information to the “real world”.
Finally,
the process is given much importance than the product itself. It is the variant
of sources of information, the thinking and abilities in line with the defense
which really matters.
The
table below shows the difference between the traditional and resource-based
learning approach to instruction.
|
Traditional learning Model
Of information
|
Resource-based learning model
|
|
Teacher is expert and the one who
provides information to students
|
Teacher is only a guide and a facilitator
to the students.
|
|
Textbooks are key source of
information
|
There are varieties of sources (
print, video, net and other more.)
|
|
Focus on facts information is
packaged in neat parcels
|
Focus on learning inquiry/ quest/
discovery
|
|
The product is the be-all and
end-all of learning
|
Process is given more emphasis
|
|
Assessment is quantitative
|
Assessment is quantitative and
qualitative
|
II.
SIMPLE CREATION
In
these project, students are assigned to create their own software materials as
to supplementing the need for relevant and more effective materials. Creative
Writer (by MS) on writing, KidWork Deluxe (by Davidson) on drawing and painting
are just some of the available software materials that can be used.
In
developing this so-called “software”, creativity as of the outcome or result
shouldn’t have ingenuity or high intelligence. Creating is taught to be more
consonant with planning, assembling, designing or building. It is said that
creativity combines three kind of abilities or skills :
v Analyzing
– it is by distinguishing similarities and differences while seeing the project
as a problem to be solved.
v Synthesizing
– making of spontaneous connection among ideas which makes an interesting or
new ideas.
v Promoting
– selling of new ideas for the public to test the ideas by themselves.
In
developing creativity, there are five key task that is being recommended :
1.
Define the task. The goal of the
completed project is stated and clarified to student.
2.
Brainstorm. Students here are encourage to generate their
own ideas on the project through active exchange of ideas and informations.
3.
Judge the ideas. Students are let
to judge, give appraisal or any against. Teacher would only intervene if the
students are of completely off tracked.
4.
Act. The students are ones to do
the work and teachers are only to facilitate them.
5.
Adopt flexibility. Students are
allowed to change gears and not follow an action which is rigid.
III.
GUIDED -HYPERMEDIA PROJECTS
There
are two different ways of approaches in
the production of self-made multimedia project:
Ø As
an instructive tool, such as in the production by students of a power-point
presentation of the selected topic.
Ø As
a communication tool, such as when students do a multimedia presentation (with
text, graphs, audio, video, interviews and other more to stimulate the
intellectual capacity of the student.)
HyperStudio
(by Roger Wagner Productions) is a kind of multimedia software. Handling the
production of a similar computer software material is said to be too sophisticated
or that technical for those average students. But, it is allowed for the
students to produce poster design, computer tools and the required development
of appropriate creative skills, as well.
IV.
WEB-BASED PROJECT
It
is encouraged that the students are made to create and post webpags on a given
topic. But creating this so-called webpage may be too sophisticated and time
consuming in the part of the average students.
However,
it is said that posting of webpages in the internet allows the students, which
is now consider as webpage creator a wide and active audience. Students can
also be linked with some other related sites in the internet in connection with
the project. But as of today, this creativity project may be too ambiguous as a
tool in the teaching-learning process.
