Lesson 8:

Higher Thinking Skills Through IT -Based

Project

Alonsagay, Virna S.Antaran, Jocelyn S.

Jorge, Joanna O.BSEd III- C

 "Thinking skills" has become a generic phrase used to encompass many processes involved in learning and problem solving. Different researchers and curriculum specialists have emphasized different processes. Teaching of thinking refers to the direct instruction of thinking skills and strategies. Teachers should be aware of definitions and distinctions among various thinking skills, introduce skills directly as lessons and incorporate thinking strategies into content areas.

 "Thinking skills" has become a generic phrase used to encompass many processes involved in learning and problem solving. Different researchers and curriculum specialists have emphasized different processes. Teaching of thinking refers to the direct instruction of thinking skills and strategies. Teachers should be aware of definitions and distinctions among various thinking skills, introduce skills directly as lessons and incorporate thinking strategies into content areas.

In this lesson, we shall discuss 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 toolc)  The teacher facilitating learning.

The four IT-based projects conducive to develop higher thinking skills and creativity among learners are:

Research-based Projects Simple Creations Guided Hypermedia Projects Web-based Projects

The four IT-based projects conducive to develop higher thinking skills and creativity

among learners are:

Research-based Projects

 Simple Creations Guided Hypermedia Projects

Web-based Projects

Research-based Projects

     The teacher steps out of the traditional role of being an expert and information provider while the students find facts and other information on their own. Unless if it is necessary, the teacher may step in and help supply the needed information of her students. The flow of events may start when; the teacher determines the topic of the class, the teacher presents the problem, she finds answers to the problem presented and students organize their information based on the problems presented.        

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

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 factsInformation is packagedIn 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.

     Simple Creations

In developing an effective material, creativity as an outcome should not be equated with ingenuity. Creating is more consonant than planning, making assembling, designing or building. It is said to be a combination of skills such as analyzing, synthesizing and promoting. In order to develop creativity five key tasks are recommended this include; defining the task, brainstorming, judging ideas, acting and adopting flexibility.

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.

Guided Hypermedia Projects

          It has two approached these are instructive tool using a power point presentation to present a topic, while the second approach is through communication tool using a multimedia presentation.

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.

•   Web-based Projects          In this aspect, students

made a post on the webpage in a given topic. The only problem with this by the average students is that its too sophisticated and time consuming for them especially if they don’t have any materials needed to make the activity. On the other hand, posting their works on web can be a tool to noticed their skills because it constitutes a wide range of audience.

Students can be made to create and post web pages on a given topic. But creating new pages, even single page web pages, maybe tool sophisticated and time consuming fort 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 to ambitious as a tool in the teaching-learning process.