ICT as a Situating tool

What is Situating tool?

Situating tools are systems/applications which situate users in an environment where they may experience the context and happening. it place learners in a situation where they can engage with the learning context, environment, and happenings. it creates three - dimensional images and provides the user the sensation of being situated in virtual environment. some of the examples of situating tools are Simulation, Virtual Reality, CD - ROM, Google Maps, and Google Earth. 

When a specific real life experience is unattainable or difficult to obtain, we can use this situating tool in teaching and learning as it place the user in the environment, understand and modify factors, communicate with other users, and encourage creativity and visualization abilities. More importantly, this application is authentic and very engaging giving the user the impression that they are studying in  a real - world setting.  

Now let us look at two examples of situating tools with its benefits and procedures to use them. The first example is Simulation.

Let us learn how to use simulation to teach the students through Phet Simulation. 

This situating tool is extremely effective since it assists students in understanding scientific concepts, making sense of real-life events, and engaging in scientific inquiry. I feel that this Phet simulation can significantly improve students' learning because, even as adults, it motivates us to learn new things through this simulation. So don't you think the kids will have more fun than the adult? 

I didn't realize until then that increasing the volume of a solution had no effect on the pH value. I discovered this after using the Phet simulation, and I also discovered that dilution and concentration had an effect on the pH value.

 

The second example is Google map.

Google Maps is a web mapping platform and consumer application offered by Google. It  is currently one of the most extensively utilized services and is an incredibly versatile tool which is quick and easy to handle. It offers satellite imagery, aerial photography, street maps, 360° interactive panoramic views of streets, real-time traffic conditions, and route planning for traveling by foot, car, bike, air, and public transportation.

Screenshot photo of PCE from Google map 

Google Maps has made our lives so much easier that it's hard to picture existence without it. It has become one of our favourite technologies because of its ability to provide so many different services in one place. It’s convenient, easy-to-use, and much more cost-effective than buying an expensive GPS device. The following are some of the advantages of Google Maps:

1.      Find Address For Free: This site calculates street addresses, city location, phone numbers, zip codes, and even satellite imagery.

2.      Get Directions Instantly: The advantage of Google Maps is that users are able to make a voice-guided navigation system by adding markers for parking, restaurants, hospitals, or any other point of interest to the map. Users can then easily get directions from one location to another by clicking “Get Directions”. 

3.      See Where Your Friends Are: With the Google Latitude application, users are able to see their friends on a map in real-time.

4.      Explore Historical Data: Google offers great historical imagery that can be used for research purposes or simply for entertainment.

5.      Explore Places of Interests: Google has compiled an extensive list of places that are photographed in 360-degree street-level images. Users can click on the map to see different areas or respond with a street view of their own business, home or favourite location.

6.      View Street Views: This option allows users to explore different cities around the world by simply clicking an image that’s placed on the Google Map.

ICT integration for Inclusive classroom

 ICT integration for Inclusive classroom 

Inclusive learning, in my opinion, is essentially a right for all learners. It's about providing everyone a fair chance, since while everyone has the right to learn and can learn, many people do not have equal access to educational opportunities. As a result, ICT tools assist those learners who are unable to gain access to learning through a variety of these tools. From the perspective of teaching and learning, being inclusive means approaching, accepting, and valuing people as individuals first. Accessible ICTs have the ability to help students with disabilities to acquire an education and become self-sufficient in their communities' social and economic lives. Furthermore, they provide equitable learning opportunities by facilitating communication between teachers and students. Equity creates opportunity for underprivileged and under-served students to overcome disadvantages and find success. It gives everyone the chance to learn in the way that best supports their learning style.  

 ICT, in principle might be beneficial to all students, however it is not entirely accessible to a large proportion of children with certain difficulties. Additionally, it is incompatible with all available Assistive Technologies. As a result, the majority of problems encountered remain unaddressed. The use of such educational products (which are not fully accessible) in the classrooms prevents students with special needs from using the same materials as their schoolmates. It also restricts their educational prospects, resulting in their 'exclusion.' On the other hand, after learning about Inclusive learning, I realized that ICTs have the ability to benefit all types of students, including those with special needs, in their pursuit of lifelong learning. The use of ICT enhances independence, integration, and equal opportunities of such people, allowing them to participate fully in society as valued, respected, and productive members.

Assistive Technology such as the Jaws, Narrator, Magnifier, Braille, and Google Voice enhances learning of a person with disabilities. It ensures that students with disabilities have the same chances as students without impairments.

Jaws

 Job Access With Speech is the world's most popular screen reader, developed for computer users whose vision loss prevents them from seeing screen content or navigating with a mouse.

Narrator

Narrator is the name of the screen reader functionality built-in to Windows, primarily used by people with vision impairments. 

Magnifier 

Magnifier is a type of Assistive tool that magnifies the contents of screen, increases colour contrast, and performs other visual modifications to the screen making it easier to see for people with low vision. it enables you to zoom in on parts of your display. A push button switch on the left side of the mouse can be used to turn on and off the magnifier. Mouse motions can quickly change the size of the magnifying window and magnification level.

     

Braille 

Braille keyboard are specialty keyboards that contain single keys that represent each of the dots in a braille cell. To type a letter in braille the user would press a combination of the keys needed to create that braille character.

Google Voice

    Then in Google voice, we can type and edit              easily by speaking in Google slides speaker.

 

I was particularly fascinated with digital technologies after learning about these tools, and I recognized that assistive tools are really important for individuals with disabilities since they make life easier for them by removing barriers and boosting their physical and mental capacities. Furthermore, assistive technology promotes inclusion by allowing students with disabilities to be involved in settings that are least restrictive for them (allowing them the greatest choice), resulting in increased confidence and self-esteem, and assisting teachers in meeting these students' goals.

Using ICT as Communicative tool

What is Communication tool?

Communication tool is any program that allows easy communication between the teacher and the students, as well as among students, beyond the classroom's physical barriers of place, time, or both, is referred to as a communication tool. Some of the examples of Communicative tool are e-mail, video conferencing, social media, SMS, telephones, etc.

There are two types of Communicative tool;

1.     1. Synchronous tool

These tools enable real-time communication and collaboration in a 'same time- different place' mode. People can connect at the same time using these techniques. Audio Conferencing, Web conferencing, Chat/ instant messaging, telephone are some examples of Synchronous tool.

2.     2. Asynchronous tool

It enables real-time communication and collaboration over a period of time through a 'different time- different place' mode. These tools allows people to connect together at each person's own convenience and own schedule. Telegram, Blogs, e-mail, VLE  discussion forum, WeChat, Messenger are some examples of it.

As a college student, I consider Virtual Learning Environment and Telegram to be two of the most important tools for teaching and learning because most teachers and students use these tools to clear their doubts, exchange ideas, share files and important documents, and, most importantly, it proves that we are now living in a digital world where everything is easily accessible from multiple sources. It also demonstrates that learning can take place outside of a traditional classroom context.

So, in order for everyone to believe that VLE and telegram are the most vital communicating tools, I'll list some of their benefits along with their definitions.

Virtual Learning environment

A virtual learning environment (VLE) is a web-based platform for delivering technology-enhanced    teaching and learning. It provides not only an elegantly constructed space for teaching and learning, but also a welcoming environment for teachers, and students.

Some of the advantages of VLE are:

 1. Deliver content consistently:  The same material is accessible to all learners and the course content can be updated easily when required.

Sa  2. Save cost and time: Course content can be created once, and then disseminated to the intended   audience, without the need to print. The same content can also be maintained from a single location.   Learners can also log on to the VLE from anywhere using any supported device.

33  3. Promote flexible learning: With course content accessible from anywhere, learners can complete   courses on their own time. They can also revisit and review unclear topics or retake entire courses if   they so desire.

Telegram

Telegram is a messaging service that allows users to video call, share files, video chat, and perform other functions such as sharing films and photographs. It is a free program that we may download from the Google Play Store and install on our phones and laptops. We don't need passwords or student IDs to log in to Telegram once we've created an account and as a result, its adaptability and simplicity make learning much more enjoyable.

One of the most remarkable ICT applications that we routinely utilize during online classes is Telegram is telegram and i consider this tool as one of the important tool for teaching and learning because:

1. Reading materials can be freely uploaded by teachers.

2. Students have access to the resources at all times.

3. If the usage of other devices, such as the VLE, fluctuates, we can quickly switch to telegram to continue our conversation.

4. Conduct appropriate question-and-answer sessions to encourage volunteerism.

6. Encourage a big number of people to save time and money by working together.

 

 

PowerPoint Presentation

 

PowerPoint Presentation

I have always considered PowerPoint presentations to be one of the most crucial teaching and learning tools since I started college. I have observed all the tutors utilize PowerPoint presentations to teach their lesson, and even when students are asked to present something, they almost always use PowerPoint presentations. As a result, I believe PowerPoint presentations to be one of the most important teaching learning tools, and I encourage everyone to use it.

So, in order for everyone to believe that PowerPoint presentation is the most convenient and significant teaching and learning tool, let me define PowerPoint presentation with its inventor’s name, and show you how to make PowerPoint presentation as well as its benefits.

What is PowerPoint presentation?

PowerPoint is a presentation program that enables users to create dynamic slide presentations. These presentations can incorporate animations, videos, images, and much more. It was developed by Robert Gaskins and Dennis Austin for the American computer software company forethought, Inc

How to make PowerPoint presentation? (Step-by-step)

1.      1. Start with a blank document?

The first thing you will need to do is to open PowerPoint. Then in the left pane, you will have to click on New Slide dropdown and choose one slide layout from your PowerPoint template.

 

2.      

2.  Add text to slide

Adding text to the slide is an easy thing. All you have to do is click inside the placeholder, and then type or paste the text.

 

3.      3. Insert more slides into your presentation

To add more slides, simply go to the Home Tab and click on New Slide. This adds a new slide to your presentation following the one you were on before. You may also use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + M to insert a new blank slide in PowerPoint.  Then you may also use the New Slide dropdown menu to examine all the slide layouts in your PowerPoint template instead of hitting the New Slide command.

4.      4. Change the overall design

If you want to change the style and feel of your slides after texting all the required information, you can use the Design tab to do so.

A.    A. Selecting a PowerPoint theme

To select different theme, go to the Design tab in the Ribbon, and click on to dropdown arrow in the theme section.

 

B.    B.  How to change your font in PowerPoint presentation

Ø  i. Click View> Slide Master.

Ø   ii. On the slide Master tab, click the Font drop-down menu. Select the font you want to use for all the slides in the presentation. Click Close Master View. The text throughout your presentation is automatically updated to the new font.

 

5.      Adding Animations and transitions

A.    Adding Animation

Animations are movements that you can apply to individual objects on your slide. To add PowerPoint animation to an element of your slide, you will have to:

Ø  Select the element.

Ø  Go to the Animation tab in the ribbon.

Ø  Click on the dropdown arrow to view your options and select the animation you want.

 

B.    5.  How to add Transition to your PowerPoint presentation

 In PowerPoint, transitions are the movements (effects) as you move between two slides in PowerPoint.   To add transition to a PowerPoint slide:

Ø  i. Select the Slide.

Ø  ii. Go to the Transitions tab in the Ribbon.

Ø  iii. In the Transition to This Slide area, click on dropdown arrow to view your options.

Ø  iv. Select the transition you want.

 

6. 
   6. Save your PowerPoint Presentation

T    To save your PowerPoint Presentation, you will have to:

           i. Navigate to the File tab.

          ii. Select Save as on the left.

          iii.  Chose where you want to save your presentation.

       iv. Name your presentation.

           v. Click Save.

Five Rules for better PowerPoint Presentation

You should constantly remember these five guidelines to have great PowerPoint presentation:

1.     1.  Keep Things Simple

Ø  A good slide should include simple content, short sentences, and only a few slides. You should not overdo it by cramming too many texts onto the slides.

Ø  To communicate your ideas to the audience, you should utilize limited text and graphics because unnecessary details and clashing colours will only serve to distract them from the main point you are trying to make.

2.      2. Design is Everything

Ø   Your slide should be simple to follow and appealing to the eye. From the fonts to the theme colors, every aspect of your design should be flawless.

Ø   There are basic design principles to keep in mind, such as using dark text on the light background, blending colors carefully, and inserting graphics, charts, and other visual elements properly into your slides.

3.      3. Let your Slide tell a Story

Ø   One of the most crucial communication techniques is storytelling. The human mind responds more effectively to stories, and you should leverage this to make your presentation more impactful. Rather than making your presentation a structureless series of information (which can get boring quickly), turn those facts into a story and see how engaged people are.

4.     4.  Engage your Audience

Ø  Don’t simply read from the slides. To make your PowerPoint presentation more appealing, you must put forth the effort. The more your audience participates in your session, the more effectively you can communicate your message to them. This is why you should try to incorporate as many interactions into your presentation as feasible.

5.      5. Close with a Call to action.

A call to action is highly suggested at the end of your presentation. This might be a thought-provoking question for your audience, a request for their participation in a project, or anything else to keep the conversation going after your presentation. Closing like that gives your presentation life outside what you have shared.

Benefits of using PowerPoint

1.      1. It can be used virtually everywhere

Ø  You can put your presentation on a USB flash drive or in any cloud storage app and you will have your presentation at hand anytime.

2.      2. It is a collaborative solution

Ø  During the pandemic situation, work from home became a normal thing to do and tools that provide solutions for working together with your team even if you are in different locations are in high demand. PowerPoint presentation adapted to this situation, and with its online Cloud storage, you can now work on presentations at the same time, or work on the same presentation without sending it to each other.

3.      3. You can choose to create your own design or use existing ones

Ø  PowerPoint presentation offers you full control over your slides appearances. You have the freedom to customize your presentation with your own design.

4.      4. Time saving

Ø  Time management is very important in today’s society, and PowerPoint presentation helps us save time as we don’t have to write all the ideas we want to present on paper; instead, we can type them in a computer in a short amount of time.