Lesson 8: Higher Thinking Skills through IT-Based Projects

There are four types of IT-based projects which can effectively be used in order to engage students in activities of a higher plane of thinking. To be noted id the fact that these projects differ in the specific process and skills employed, also in the ultimate activity or platform used to communicate completed products to others.

            It is to be understood that these projects do not address all of the thinking skills shown previously in the Thinking Skills Framework. But these projects represent constructivist project.

            Key Elements of a constructivist approach:

a)      The teacher creating the learning environment.

b)      The teacher giving students the tool

c)      The teacher facilitating learning.

Now let us see four IT-based projects conducive to develop higher thinking skills and creativity among learners.

I.   RESOURCE-BASED PROJECTS

The teacher steps out of the traditional role of being an context expert and information provider, and instead lets the students find their own facts and information.

The general flows of events in resource-based projects are:

The teacher determines the topic for the examination of class.

The teacher presents the problem to the class.

The students find information on the problem/questions.

Students organize their information in response to the problem/questions.

TRADITIONAL AND RESOURCE-BASED LEARNING

Traditional learning model

Resource-based learning model

Teacher is expert and information provides

Teacher is a guide and facilitator

Textbook is key source of information

Sources are varied(print, video. Internet, etc.)

Focus on facts

Information is packaged

In neat parcels

Focus on learning inquiry, quest, or discovery

The product is the be-all and end-all of learning

Emphasis on process

Assessment is quantitative

Assessment is quantitative and qualitative.

II.   SIMPLE CREATIONS

In developing software, creativity as an outcome should not be equated with ingenuity or high intelligence. Creating is more consonant with planning, making, assembling, designing or building.

Three kinds of skills/abilities:

·        Analyzing- distinguishing similarities and differences/ seeing the project as a problem to be solved.

·        Synthesizing- making spontaneous connections among ideas, does generating interesting or new ideas.

·        Promoting- selling of a new ideas to allow the public to test the ideas themselves.

The five key task to develop creativity:

Define the task- clarify the goal of the completed project to the student.

Brainstorm- the students themselves will be allowed to generate their own ideas on the project. Rather than shoot down ideas, the teacher encourages ideas exchange.

Judge the ideas- the students themselves make an appraisal for or against any idea. Only when students are completely off check should the teacher intervene.

Act- the students do their work with the teacher a facilitator.

Adopt flexibility- the students should be allowed to shift gears and not follow an action path rigidly.

III.  GUIDED HYPERMEDIA PROJECTS

The production of self-made multimedia projects can be approached into different ways:

Instructive tools- such as in the production by students of a power point presentation of a selective topic.

Constructive tools- such as when students do a multi-media presentation (with text, graphs, photos, audio narration, interviews, video clips, etc. to simulate a television news show.

IV. WEB-BASED PROJECTS

Students can be made to create and post web pages on a given topic. But creating new pages, even single page web page, may be too sophisticated and time consuming for the average student.

            It should be said, however, that posting of web pages in the Internet allows the students (now the web page creator) a wider audience. They can also be linked with other related sites in the Internet. But as of now, this creativity project maybe too ambitious as a tool in the teaching-learning process.

            Knowing how to create your own page on the internet is a thing that is very useful aside from the fact that you will need it in school, it can also be a way for someone to express her thoughts and show what you got; you just have to be responsible on what you post on the net. You need to think a hundred of times before you click.

            Most students learn their lessons with the teacher doing most of the explaining and understanding of the subject matter at hand.  This kind of teaching method does not help develop the student’s thinking skills or his ability to analyze and reflect.  Today, the educator realizes that students need to go outside the classroom and avail of the facilities of information technology and be on their own in their quest for information and to acquire knowledge.  .

We can make our students use their creativity and HOTS or Higher Order Thinking Skills with the use of Computers in doing projects. It is important to remember that there is an appropriate tool or programs in the Computer for a certain skills need to develop for a Higher Thinking Skills.

            As future teachers we are the ones who will guide and teach our future students on how to make IT-Based projects correctly, responsively and wisely. As early as now we must be aware about the dos and don’ts in accessing the internet for our student’s safety; because students now were very fond and reliable on the internet.