In the traditional
information absorption model of teaching, the teacher organizes and presents
information to student-learners. The teachers uses teaching resources like
chalkboard/ whiteboard, videotape, visual aids, charts, and the like during the
presentation and discussion of the lesson. After the discussion, the teacher
gives the students seat works and home works. This teaching approach has proven
successful for achieving learning outcomes following the lower end
of Bloom’s Taxonomy which is the cognitive (knowledge), affective
(attitude), and psycho-motor (skills).
Today, students are
expected not only to be cognitive, but also flexible, analytical and creative.
In this lesson, there are methods proposed by the use of computer-based as an integral
support to higher thinking skills and creativity.
Higher Level Learning Outcomes
To define higher level
thinking skills and creativity, we may adopt a framework that is a helpful
synthesis of many models and definitions on the subject matter. The framework
is not exhaustive but a helpful guide for the teacher’s effort to understand
the learner’s higher learning skills.
Complex
Thinking Skills
|
Sub-Skills
|
Focusing
|
Defining the problem,
goal/objective-setting, brainstorming
|
Information
Gathering
|
Selection, recording
of data of information
|
Remembering
|
Associating, relating
new data with old
|
Analyzing
|
Identifying idea
constructs, patterns
|
Generating
|
Deducing, inducting,
elaborating
|
Organizing
|
Classifying, relating
|
Imagining
|
Visualizing,
predicting
|
Designing
|
Planning, formulating
|
Integration
|
Summarizing,
abstracting
|
Evaluating
|
Setting criteria,
testing idea, verifying outcomes, revising
|
In the traditional
way of teaching, it is only focused in the cognitive, affective, and
psychomotor abilities of the students. The modern way of teaching, with the use
of IT is more complex.
The Upgraded Project Method
In this modern day, the teachers are now guided on their goal to
help students achieve higher level thinking skills and creativity beyond the
ordinary.
We
know the fact that an ordinary classroom lacks in instructional tools; as a
result, the teachers are having difficulties in bringing the students to a
higher domain of learning and achieving creativity, so the project method is
suggested.
Project Method
Teachers assign the students to work on projects
with depth, complexity duration and relevance to the real word.
Project
is utilized because students need to make the most of the decisions about what
to put inside their project, how to organize their information and ideas and
how to communicate their result effectively.
Upgraded Project Method
In here, there is a tighter link between the
uses of projects for simply coming up with products to have the students
undergo the process of higher thinking skills under the framework of the
Constructivist Paradigm.
In
this new project method, the students are advised to use computer application
and high technology in doing their projects.
Constructivist Paradigm
It emphasizes on how the students construct
knowledge. The students, not the teacher are the ones who make decisions about
what to put into their project, how to organize information, how to package the
outcomes for presentation and the like.
In
doing projects, there are two things that are involved: the process and the
product.
Process- refers to the steps, effort and experiences in
project completion.
Product- is the result or the end point of the process.
As
a future teacher, we must take into consideration the process in every project
because in the process, the students are able to think and apply their
creativity and as a result, they have developed their higher order
thinking skills.
My
Insights
IT tools has a great on our
society. Today, it is used in any field. Technology is continually evolving and
developed by experts and is now integrated in the teaching-learning process. IT
gadgets have good benefits to both teachers and students as a communication and
information tool which can be used in classroom instruction.
With the use of these technologies, classes are changed
in the way it is traditionally conducted. Teachers can employ their class
discussion through a power point presentation and have an activity by means of
interactive games. He or she can also play movies or videos which are related
to the lesson. IT improves the quality of instruction to a higher level and
provides the opening of opportunities to respond to instructional issues. Teachers
also enhance their imagination in planning and preparing which strategies and
technology will be suited to his or her students.
Also, it has a
good part on the learning of students. Students become computer literate by way
of new technology. The students’ creativity and thinking widened and broadened
with the application of educational technology. Students learn to make
decisions of their own with the guide of teachers as facilitator of class. IT
develops critical thinking of students and minimizes rote learning inside the
classroom. It allows students to rely less on teachers as information-givers.
Instead, they acquire information o their own, build their own knowledge and
solve problems. It helps them to explore what they need to know which can be
applied to real-life situation.
