Google classroom as a constructive tool

 

Google Classroom as a Constructive tool

When suddenly faced with an unprepared pandemic, students are introduced to an app called 'Google classroom. This app is used by students all around the country who have access to the technology to carry on with education. I have also tried using this app in ICT classroom to make myself cognizant of it as I will be using it soon when I get into the field. I used the link "https://classroom.google.com" to access to it. 

The above mentioned link displays a page to create the Google classroom. In the right corner, there is a plus sign. Click on the plus button. A dialogue box will appear to insert the information (Class, Section and subject). Fill that accordingly.

To make the students aware of what they are going to learn in the class, I made use of the 'Announcement Dialog box'. So in my first announcement, I wrote a welcome note as well as information making them briefly aware of the activities.

 I tried framing activity questions for the students. To do this, I clicked on the classroom option. Here, we are given an option to create. So I clicked on the create option. We are again given an option with drop-down lists (Assignment, quiz assignment, question, material, re-use post, and Topic). 

I chose the Quiz assignment and framed 10 questions (5 Multiple questions, 4 short answer type questions and 1 is essay type question). When done with framing questions I assigned them this activity as homework. To create Assignment, quiz assignment, question, material, re-use post, and Topic, we have to click on the create option mentioned above. Form the drop-down lists, we can choose the most appropriate option and fill in the Title and Instructions that follows. Then click on the blank Quiz to start writing the questions. 

 I can use Google classroom to teach as many subjects as necessary. I think this will especially benefit both teachers and students when we cannot attend real-time classes due to some circumstances. This will help students who missed their class to get the information. This can be also used as a reference for later days.

https://classroom.google.com/c/MzE1Njc3MjUzODM3

 

AWW app as a constructive tool

 

 AWW app is an online web whiteboard app that is touch-friendly and makes drawing, collaboration and sharing easy. A Web Whiteboard (AWW) is a web-based shared whiteboard application. This app allows more than 1 people to work on the same concept with opinion from many people. To use this app, following are the necessary steps to be followed.

To get access to the AWW app, open any search engine and type the link "www.awwapp.com". This given link will take you to a page to log into the app.

After you are directed to the page, click on the "Go to AWW" option. 

This will take you to the page where you can provide information and then log in to get access to the app.

When you log in, you will be directed to the homepage of the aww app. The homepage will be displayed with various features and options. Each feature has their unique use and importance. Their uses and importance will be displayed below. 

You can use the above mentioned features while collaboratively working on a particular concept. You can even make use of different colors, pens and eraser. You can also click on the plus button (+) files and images as required.  

 To save your board, to duplicate it, to delete it, to rename it, to open a saved board, to create from templates, to convert to template, to create new board and to delete all pages, click on the drop down arrow at the side of the AWW board option.

You can even export your board as an image or in the form of PDF. To do that, click on the Export board button. 

 

While working on the AWW app you can also invite other people and friends to learn collaboratively. To do that, click on the invite button on the top.  Then copy the link from the displayed dialog box and send it via email. You can even use other platforms to invite them, for example, through Facebook, Twitter and scan QR code. 

While working, you can also send messages to your friend. This will help you to work better through communication. To do that click on the message option at the bottom right corner of the page. 

There are varieties of templates that you can sue while working in the AWW app. This will help you make the work more interesting and comprehendible.

You can also find other options at the right corner. The options given there are preview/Minimap, zoom in and out, Full screen, pan, fit all content to screen and Enable mouse pointer. 

How can we use AWW app with the students?

This AWW app enables a collaborative learning, where students can join together from different computer but work on one concept. When a teacher wants to do group activity or group assessment, the teacher can make use of this AWW app. The teacher can easily see the progress of the group from this. 

Following is the Image I worked on collaboratively with my two other friends. We worked on this work together on the same time by inviting. The topic we chose is Weather for class I, subject is English. 

https://awwapp.com/b/ur9dk5tlubei6/#

Flowdia app as a constructive tool (concept mapping)

Description 

In the material I have developed, it actually illustrates how language learning can be more meaningful with the use ICT as an integral part of the lesson. I have come up with a typical topic that is ‘School’ from the theme 1: Our Home and Community from the class three teacher’s manual. After carefully analyzing the topic, I had an idea of teaching the topic through the use of a concept map to meet the learning preferences of the children. The concept map will help children provide with visual cues and certain text features and ideas about school. 

In the creation of the concept map, I have used an app so called as ‘Flowdia’ which I have downloaded from the play store. This app actually provides all the features of flow charts, importing images, text, shapes and provides alternatives to share on different social media platforms and store in the device itself for future use such as Google drive and file manager. Thus, it was easy to make as well as much more sophisticated method unlike using chart papers and markers which is considered to be traditional and time consuming. I will be using the concept map in the beginning of the lesson to brainstorm and deduce the lesson. I can start the lesson by asking question about school to check what they already have an idea about the school. Then, I will provide with the concept map with the help of a project and discuss further. 

To make the lesson more vivid and coherent, I can emphasis on their own school. And the concept map I have created is about ‘Taba Lower Secondary school’ in the reminiscence to my teaching practice. After having enough idea from the concept map, we would be playing the vocabulary game using the concept map. Then the children will be asked to used the words them have generated from the game to form sentences and then into paragraphs. In a way, the concept map provides different alternatives for me to teach as well as learning become more meaningful and purposeful. 

Upon completion of the task, I personally feel that it would be compromise if I fail to integrate ICT as a fundamental tool in the process of learning. In fact, it would be a bonus for me as well as the learners and takes to the deeper understanding of the content of the topic. And the link for the concept map is given below the description.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YZu5iUFNV3q0DhNlb9hgjAHbwA0rE99K/view?usp=sharing

Power point as a constructive tool

 

Topic: Weather

Description

In the present scenario, use of ICT as a tool in teaching and learning pedagogy has been a vital force in empowering the knowledge and dispositions of the learners. Hence, we as a future teacher and a prodigy of this profession should be well off in the field of ICT so that one can positively co-construct and scaffold children’s learning. The activity I have designed for class II students is about developing motor skills and anticipating the learners on the topic ‘weather’ through the use of power point as an ICT integrated manner..

This can be done through some other ways around too! Such as singing a nursery rhyme on weather or making a concept map. But I would say that it would be more effective if I were to create simulations on weather, showcasing with animations and short descriptions about the each scenario as I have shown in my power point. This would not only provoke child’s learning but also engage children in meaningful discussions after going through the sounds and visual representations they feel from the power point.

In developing the simulation, firstly I used Microsoft power point as a parent tool. in the power point, I have created a simulation of weather portraying different scenario such as sunny day, rainy day, thundering and lightning. in each weather, i have created a scenario by narrating the whole essence of each weather to make it more vivid and realistic. I will be using the simulation in the lesson development part in which it will help children to go more deeper into the the content of the topic.

Finally, adhering to the activity, I would let them to answer the questions highlighting on the whole idea of weather I have presented earlier. Since the children have observed and felt the whole essence of power point, I would prefer them to write the answers that comprise of at least five sentences. Moreover, every morsel of words in the instruction I have provided is according to the level of class II children.

Power point as a constructive tool

Description

Hello readers! This activity is created in the partial fulfillment of the assignment three with the use of power point as an integral part of the lesson mainly focusing on the activity. In the era of digital world, it would be a compromise for the learners if the teacher does not necessarily use ICT as a fundamental tool for better exposure as well as enhancing the cognition of the younger generations especially for the lower grade students. My activity is purely based for grade one students and I have meticulously planned my activity according to the level of grade one children. Also for avoiding misconceptions and future reference, I have used ‘Understanding Mathematics; Student Activity Book for Class 1’ in creating this complete task.

As mentioned earlier, I have used power point in designing thus activity which is simple to create yet an effective tool to be used as a prodigy of this profession. The topic for the activity is ‘2-D shapes’ and the basic concept of ‘2-D Shape’ is taught in grade one. In the first slide, I have shown the pictures of various ‘2-D Shapes’ with simple animation so that learners get more attraction and attention. This actually provides visual cues for the learners to gain better ideas and concepts on the topic. Meanwhile, I can prompt questions (brainstorm) about what shapes they can observe and the characteristics of the shapes. This particular slide is to be used in the lesson introduction part and I can also use solid shapes and let the children feel and touch the object that is ‘hands on learning’ so that the learners generate more ideas given the chance to explore.

Similarly, it would be ludicrous if I used bombastic words and lengthy sentences in giving instructions for the activity. Hence, I have used simple language according to the level of grade one children and the activity is divided into four strands with one sentence instruction for each activity. It would be tedious process and rather time consuming if I let them copy everything from the slide; so to reduce the workload for the students I will provide an activity sheet for the learners. The ultimate aim of the activity is not just to complete it in one period or given time bound but to check whether the learners have really understood the concepts about ‘2-D shape. The power point of the content based material is available in the link given below.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1E0jH-CJ7DPqtpINHr6bqL_ZbDSDXYHlf/view?usp=sharing

                                                                                         Introduction

Well, hi there! My name is Rinchen Dorji and I hail from Eastern part of Bhutan particularly Mongar ‘Sengor’ and I am twenty five years old. I was born in middle class family. I started my primary education in my village and I moved to Thimphu for my education when I reached grade seven. I studied in Changzamtog Middle Secondary school for my lower grades and I completed my high school from Yangchenphug Higher Secondary school Thimphu. Now I stand here at Paro College of Education pursuing Bachelors Degree of Education in Primary level.

From a tender age, I grew up with a nomadic life from a weather beaten condition in my village. In fact, I was born in a cow shed far away from the civilizations in the heart of the woods. My early childhood began with my mother rearing cattle and learning how to live the life of nomads. However, I was fortuitous to get enrolled in my village school when I was seven and I was even luckier to get an opportunity to study in urban area for my education ever since my elder brother got into one of the government service in the capital.

Unlike the other kids in Thimphu, life was contrasting for me as I did not have time to engage in leisure games and programs during my vacation as I have to go back to my village to help my parents particularly back to where I came from. I have never missed any of my vacations until now even as after reaching in the university, I always intend to help my parents back at home. I would say that my one foot lies in the past and the other in the modern days because I am used to the lifestyle as a nomads flinching from milking, churning and harsh labor works as well as I am used to the lifestyle in the urban settlement during my school days.

As I grew up, I learned to take the responsibility in the family as helping hands to my parents. I learned the value of hard earned cash and to utilize it economically. Seemingly, I am more concerned about my health and always engage myself in physical activities such as social services and physical games. I am passionate about playing basketball and football as my leisure games. I would miss the outdoor basketball court once I graduate from this college.

Finally, in becoming the prodigy of this profession as a future teacher, it would be a remiss if I do not thank my parents for giving an opportunity for education. Also I thank my teachers particularly my Dzongkha Lopen Yonten Pemo and Mr. Nima (head master) who taught me in my primary school and I best believe that they are the main source of wisdom and inspirations and instilling values in my life as a timid boy. Now, as a university student, I live by my motto as ‘confident is the stain that I cannot wipe off.’

Thank You