MY SAY ON ICT WORD

Reflection on ICT

On 13^th October 2016, we have started the ICT presentation on various important topics. We were assigned to present on sixteen different topics which we were supposed to do individually. It took us almost a month to complete the series of presentations, as it encompassed both theory and practical. All the topics are relevant, educative and insightful. However, I am going to reflect upon five presentations which I feel more applicable, user-friendly and knowledge based. As Margaret J. Wheatley rightly pointed out, without reflection, we go blindly on our way, creating more unintended consequences, and failing to achieve anything useful. In this very contemporary and digital world wiki, blog, games, teacher sites and hot potatoes are in the verge of becoming useful and applicable icon for all walks of the people.

Consequently, presenter has navigated me through the presentation on wiki which is very important in this contemporary world. The presenter has confidently stated that a wiki is essentially a set of shared WebPages in which users can add, edit, and remove content. He has also specified that wiki is very easy to use and wide ranges of information are always distributed. Nonetheless, the presenter has also taken me through the detail processes of creating a wiki account, followed by explaining its features. By going through the lines of his presentation I could find the knowledge presented by him was relevant, applicable and educational to our classroom teaching and learning of 21^st century.

 Prior to his presentation, I have never realized the porous, dynamic and fluid boundaries the wiki does possessed. I have never gone through the length and depth meaning of wiki nor do I have the ideas of wiki being avenue for an infinite writers, editors and readers. When I reflect the past schooling days, I hardly remember the scene where my teachers taught me using these lovely tools. They have just oriented us using chalk, black board and text books as the resources for learning. However, wiki plays a vital role in assembling the students into a common forum and it helps the teacher to assess, give online feedbacks and assignments.

Therefore, I will commit to use wiki resources when I enter into the world of teaching. I will thoroughly teach and well verse the students with the essence of wiki. Nonetheless, I will create the wiki account for my students, particularly for them to upload their writings, home task, assignment and other articles. On the other hand, I will also create the forum for the teachers to discuss about the development of the school and the students.

Apart from this, another presenter also presented us on ‘games’ which I felt it is very important for us to know and apply it in the world of teaching and learning. As David Brent (2008) has rightly pointed out that teaching is not just the mere means of telling but it is triggering and disturbing the learners. So, as a teacher I felt incorporating the games in teaching can really trigger the students and conceive the constructive learning.

Presenter has ploughed us through the brief background of ‘games’. Till date, I never realized there would be educational games. Rather, I thought games are for pleasure, recreation and for entertainment. However, this entrenched notion gets diluted when the presenter presented on educational games.  He has mentioned various educational games such as card games, board games, video games. Nonetheless, he also mentioned some of the importance of ‘games’, notably interaction, problem solving, building creativity and for academic achievement.

Moreover, the presenter has screened us the video clips on educational games and I have found that children get engaged in games, so does massive learning happened tremendously. He also recommended us to use some of the sites and I have found these sites are very useful and informative. In my schooling days, I did not get an opportunity to attend the lesson which my teachers incorporated the games in their teaching. But henceforth, I will not be so conservative, rather I will break this normative structure and apply it in the classroom teaching and learning. I will not let my teaching to go in vain rather I will incorporate all these educational games and make my teaching a worthwhile.

Consequently, I have heard that ‘blog’ is also one of the popular websites which the people from all walks of life inextricably love to use it. Coincidently, on 15^th September 2016, Karma Tshokey did the presentation on ‘blog’. She stated that the blog is software which allows us to maintain an online diary. It has very important features such as post, entries and it is informal.

Nevertheless, she also demonstrated us on how to create the blog account, how to post our articles, how to edit and read other’s writings. I found it is more of collaborative way of doing the things and achieving the things individually. On the other hand, I also got several merits of ‘blog’, specifically to post news, notes, articles, assignments etc. On the top of that, I knew blog can invite all level of people. They will go through your piece of writing and edit your work, answer to your inquiries and give the feedbacks.

Therefore, I have critically analyzed that blog is one way through which you and I can use it vigilantly and bring the flying colors in our writing.  Nonetheless, blog is widely used by the teachers of abroad nation to serve the educational purposes. Teachers normally create a blog account for the class to reflect on students reading; investigate topics online, record group progress and write assignments. So, I will create a blog for both the teachers and students so the teachers can discuss their subject relate doubt in online.

Subsequently, the 4^th presenter did the presentation on ‘hot potato’. It is not the common potato which you and I fry and enjoy for every meal. But it is the software which helps to create the quiz. It is the program for creating interactive educational exercise for the World Wide Web. Presenter had also clarified that there are six types of tools under ‘hot potato’. Moreover, presenter also took us through downloading and installing part followed by creating the sample quiz.

I deeply felt that these tools are very important for teachers as it helps to conduct a quiz which will activate the student’s disposition and instill positive energies in learning. Therefore, I will use this tool as a teaching strategy when I enter into the world of teaching and learning. I will use this tool to revise the lesson in the form of quiz. Nonetheless, I can still recollect those bygone days where teachers never used to conduct quiz using correct for mate. However, now I am confident enough to conduct any type of quiz activity using these tools. I will initiate the quiz competition in the school using this knowledge. And I will also recommend my colleagues to use these tools.

In the next day 6^th presenter came up with the very eye catching presentation on ‘teacher’s site’. It was indeed an encouraging and plus point for me to get assessed on to this site. I thought teachers have no other sites than those everyday textbooks. But after going through his presentation, I have realized that there are many sites for teachers. From his presentation I came to know the teacher’s site is the site related to teachers which helps them to avail the resources needed for teaching.

Further, he also mentioned some of the reasons for having teacher’s sites, notably to share files with fellow educators, select interesting videos to integrate in our teaching, share videos and receive feedbacks from other educators etc.

 It serves the major chunk of purposes. I can assure that teachers can transform the lives of students to a better citizen if the teachers can explore this site and create emerging possibilities for their teaching. Teachers should not confine the students just within the four corners of the classroom; rather take them beyond the horizon of the classroom.

I hereby, would like to say that these mentioned tools are a real icon of the world for having served the multiple functions. It has advanced the life of the people as it helps to hybridize the knowledge, ideas, ideologies and plans. Moreover, students of the foreign nations are very intelligent and active as compare to our students. The very reason could be due to the teachers are well informed and equipped with these very facilities. So, I personally feel that ICT is not just the packets of ideas but it is the node in webs of significance which has the ability to produce the people of all levels.