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What are the main similarities and differences between such ‘traditional’ approaches and the kind of models of teaching and learning associated with ‘web-based instruction’ in the article provided [see Activity sheet for reflection #1] - post your reflection by clicking on 'reply' to this 'thread'.
Similarities
1. Motivating the learner Both instructions are able to arouse the students' interest and attention in the topic. This can be done through stimulating questions by the teacher to make the students think. The teacher will progress with the students by scaffolding the topic. For the web based, it can be used as external stimuli to motivate learners with the use of graphics, color, animation and sound. However, excessive use should be avoided because the learners' retention power will be reduced and they become distracted.
2. Identifying what is to be learned. The instructions are focused in order for the objective of the lesson to be reached. Both make known to the students early what they will be responsible for at the end of the instruction. This is essential because it helps the students to stay focus on the topic since there are plenty of information that can prove to be redundant.
3. Reminding learners of past knowledge Both instructions allowed the students to make used of their past experiences or knowledge in their long term memory to make link between their new information. They then formed new schemes in their long term memory with the availability of new information.
4. Required active involvement Both instructions will encourage the students to participate and process the given information actively. The students will develop into the lesson when they engaged into the discussion. This can also be achieved in the web based instruction where the teacher can put up questions and links for the students to scaffold the lesson.
5. Providing guidance and feedback Both will require feed backs from the students to see their progress in their understanding. The students still required guidance and feedback so that the objectives will be achieved. This will make the students more intelligent because they will be able to differentiate the useful and wanted information from the others.
6. Testing Both instructions will require assessment or testing so as to ensure that the students have integrated the desired knowledge.
7. Providing enrichment and remediation Both instructions will provide enrichment and remediation after analyzing the students' levels of comprehension. This is to ensure that the students have obtained the relevant knowledge and information.
Differences
1. Convenience The web based instruction can be accessible at the students own schedule and places. They don¡¦t have to be in school in order to acquire knowledge. There is a flexible schedule. Vast information are available to them unlike the traditional instruction where the teacher still play the important role of transmitting the knowledge to the students.
2. Discussion/Role play Traditional instruction allow the students to engaged into lively discussion where they can share their views among their peers. It increase the sharing of information and construction of knowledge. However, active learning is seldom needed when the students' access the web.
3. Information are easily accessible The web can be links to all the necessary information that the teacher wants the students to obtain. However the teacher has to make sure that the students will get only the relevant information through the search engines. Information required in the traditional instruction will not be easily accessible because the students have to spend more time on research for materials.
Lastly, I believed that both instructions will be able to reach their objectives if the teacher can stay focused. But we can't denied the fact that technological changes have swept through the society at a fast pace and that required the educational system to be changed. We do not want to have a big gap between the process of teaching and learning and obtaining knowledge as it will produce an awkward situation and negative effects where the students are trapped in an institutions of the past when they are living in the future.
How difficult did you find it to translate your topic into search terms which produced quality and manageable information. Describe some of the steps you went through, and any difficulties encountered (and how you overcame these).
I have a bad experience while retrieving information from the internet for my first time. It was frustrating and time consuming because I was left with abundant and redundant information which I don't find them useful at all. For example while searching for information on improper fraction using the Lycos web catalog, I was displayed with 17,529 web sites. I spent few hours trying to get relevant information. The results were abundant and I found it ridiculous to go through them. However, I left the site feeling disappointed because without getting any information.
But as I explore the internet more often, I realized that I have to plan my search in order to reach my objectives. This will help to reduce my time surfing for information on relevant sites. The results from the search engines are also manageable. I learnt that I could obtain useful information if I have plan my journey well through the search engine which I was at first ignorant of this useful tips at the shortest period.
So now when I want to retrieve information, I will key in the key words and using http://looksitesmart.mamma.com site as an example. I will then get the information that I have wanted at a manageable quantity. For example, when I keyed the phrase improper fraction and press the search button, only 28 sites were being displayed compared to my previous experience. Some of the sites prove to be relevant because I could obtained questions papers too. I find the sites useful and this will encouraged me to get my students to try the sites. My surfing time is also reduced. Some of the other search engines only required you to key in a choice of phrase in the Boolean so as to get only reliable information.
Therefore I believed that using search engines is necessary to reduce your surfing hours because time is precious. It helps your search to be more productive. But realizing the fact that I'm still an amateur when surfing, I will still continue to receive abundant sites. But that will not deter me from using the internet because I believe that I will be able to learn the correct way of getting useful sites only.
If you are able to effectively evaluate what is good and/or effective on the internet, then you should be better prepared to design and develop your own webpages and online educational resources. Choose one of the websites (or URLs) selected on your TOPIC SEARCH last week, and write a short evaluation of this. In terms of its apparent purpose and type, how effective was this URL and what were its main positives and negatives? Which evaluative criteria were most relevant to the website selected? [use either the evaluation sheet provided or any other you come across as a model of this]
I will like to introduce the different weathers such as tornado and hurricane to my student. So the web site that I have chosen is the http://discovery.com
1. Type and purpose of Web Page „Y This web site is an educational and informational site for the students, teacher and parents. It has the different links for them „Y It is a simple web site that can also link you to Discovery Channel, TLS, Animal Planet, Travel Channel, Discovery Health and Store. „Y It has many interesting sites such as clip art, forum, glossary, puzzle, games and quizzes of the related topic for the students. „Y It also have links to Discovery Kids.com, Discovery kids Latin America and Discoveryschool.com that are not maintained by this site. „Y It is an interactive web site that knows what the audience needs.
2. Authority „Y This site is operated by Discovery.com which is a leading global real world media and entertainment company. If you have any questions or concerns about this site, you can email (privacy policy@discovery.com) or mail to Legal Affairs, Discovery Comm Ins, 7200 Wisconsin Ave, Bethesda, MD 20814. „Y Therefore the information and materials provided are reliable and credible because professionals set it up. It is also frequently updated.
3. Audience „Y The site is for students, educators and parents. „Y The site for students is interesting because the topic available is categorized into their level such as k2, grade 8-9 and others. So the topic, puzzle and quizzes available varies from easy to difficult depending on the level of the students so the students can better the topic. Its visual and animation is creative. „Y For teachers the site provides lesson plan, questions to ask the students, projects and others. „Y Parents can also benefit from this site cause the can easily obtain information when required.
4. Effectiveness of design „Y The design is simple, as the color it used is green where it is related to the mood of finding new information. There is no provocative color for the background. „Y Green reflects simplicity and finding new pasture. „Y The font used is also easy to the eyes. „Y There are no unnecessary pictures or advertisement that can slow the down loading. „Y It is a very clear cut web site that you can find the link without any hassle that means it is a user friendly.
5. A short general annotation for this web site „Y I will recommend this web site to all educators. It has link (FOR TEACHER) that provides us with a lot of information, materials such as a well plan lesson plan and video clips that can be used. „Y It has a variety of links such as clip art that we can used to make our materials look more interesting. „Y There is a forum site where we can exchange information so we don¡¦do not have to stop or limit ourselves while learning new things. „Y Our students can also try the link (FOR STUDENTS) to try the puzzles and quizzes make available to them. The language used is easily understood. The jargon words are explained by the glossary (audio) provided. „Y It is a very entertaining site that is useful and beneficial to its user and no major flaws.
The process of designing a webpage (for whatever purpose) should involve a number of stages of development as well as various 'elements' planned as a layout or map. The resulting 'interface' helps to not only organize and publish your website, but to encourage interaction and interest. You have been asked to design a 'resources' page , and organize this in terms of a theme related to your chosen topic. What were the stages you went through and what were some of the elements you chose in order to come up with an effective web 'interface' plan or layout.
I will have to know and understand my audiences (my students) in order for my objectives to be met before building my resources. Careful planning is needed in order to build interactive and informational resources, which is a product that has to be sold to my 'customers'. Therefore my resources page has to meet and anticipate the demand and desire of my 'customers' who are my students. Therefore my first task is to select a theme for my resources. The theme is "Our Home". I want my students to learn and appreciate the history, cultures and places of interests that are found in Singapore which are the main subtopics. That is my primary objectives. Subsequently, I have to develop my resources page. Before that, I have to hunt for the relevant web sites that are relevant to my theme and the subtopics. The links should help me in achieving my primary objectives and therefore only the most relevant ones are being link to my resources page. Lastly, I will start to design my resources page. Keeping to the guideline of objectives, I will design interactive page that will meet the interest of my target audiences. I will place the most important categories (subtopics) prominently and get only the really important things on the first page. I should not assume that the surfer would read everything or even get to the next page. Therefore the main page should be 'bold' for the audiences to be interested in your theme. I have to consistently check on the layout, navigation button, and font, images (Gif and Jpeg) and backgrounds used so that the pages are interesting and interactive that will be the source of motivation and interests to my targeted audiences. Shrinking the margins and using small font is not desirable in my pages. I will also avoid using large image file because I want to cut down the time of down loading the web. Elaborate images are unnecessary because looking at my intended audiences. The pages should be user friendly where there are navigation buttons to link them to the desired pages. Therefore my resources page must be able to convince my targeted audiences of its competency. The core competencies presented in a synergistic manner will be the pillars to 'market' the web and thus the objectives will be delivered and achieved.
Part A. Webquest Webquests represent a more learner-centred, inquiry-based approach to learning focused on 'an activity' rather than mere information or skill alone as the unit of learning. In light of your own experience in developing a Webquest, what do you think are the main advantages (and any significant disadvantages) of the Webquest model in comparison to traditional transmission and teacher-centred approaches to learning?
Webquest offered more advantages to the education, as it is more learner-centered. It moved away from the more traditional learning where the teacher provided the information for the students to learn. The students are the main receiver for the information and there is absent of two-way communication. The students possessed less skilled because they did not have to think critically. Therefore learning through webquest is more effective because it required commitment and involvement from the students. They have to do research and readings with the guidance of the teacher to learn (discovery learning). It also develops inquiry mind and curiosity among the students. They are more skilled because they able to interpret, comprehend, analysis and apply the information they have received. Therefore shifting the learning from the traditional approach to learner-centered develop more creative and critical thinking among the students. It also develops more teamwork and improves their communication and presentation skills.
However, the webquest required extra planning because the teacher has to choose relevant and appropriate web sites for the students. Since the Internet offered vast information, the teacher has to be picky so that the students will not waste their time searching for the web sites. Therefore the teacher has to be cleared on their objectives (SIOs and GIOs) so as to achieve them by the end of the lesson. With the easy assess to the vast information in today world, the teacher is not look upon as 'information churned'. Therefore the teacher has to reflect on each of their lesson so as to improve and make learning an enjoyable one. They have to read so as to be more prepared in delivering the lesson.
Part B. Seminar Presentation Focus Briefly recount the 'story' of how you developed your Web Resource in terms of addressing the following prompts (no. 2 and 3 where appropriate) : 1. How did you go about coming up with a specific theme (in relation to a chosen subject) that was suitable for organizing a web search and resource development? 2. In the developing of your resource and the website, were there any design or other problems you had to overcome (e.g. getting certain effects like WordArt on your web page, or to convert a Front Page webpage into a form recognized by the Geocities format)? 3. Any bits of advice or particular design/technical tricks you would recommend or pass on to other people?
My banner for my web page is 'Welcome back to Home' where I the want students to know and learn more about Singapore history, cultures and tourist attractions that are available. Therefore I have categorized the web sites into the various sub headings such as Animals Kingdom, Museums, Parks and History and Cultures. I have encountered a particular problem while using FrontPage to develop the web page. I could not view few of my animation (gifs) after uploading them in the Geocities server. I have them tried for few times which in the end leaving me feeling very frustrated. In the end I decided not to use the animation. I also found out that I have to use fewer graphics so that the downloading time will be cut down. Lastly, my advised to future developer is that they will plan before starting the web page. They have to have clear objectives and able to organize the information orderly so as not to confused the surfers. The web pages have to be user friendly so as not leaving the surfers feeling bored and frustrating when surfing. Also it is good for us to know who is using the FrontPage to have the basic knowledge in HTML. It helps when we get into complication when using the software.
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