NOTE: Free essay sample provided on this page should be used for references or sample purposes only. The sample essay is available to anyone, so any direct quoting without mentioning the source will be considered plagiarism by schools, colleges and universities that use plagiarism detection software. To get a completely brand-new, plagiarism-free essay, please use our essay writing service.
One click instant price quote
... development in schools. We, as teachers, worked together in a team teaching situation to plan and teach this unit meeting several times to look at the CSF and the courses to be taught. Our possible curriculum plan for the delivery of this unit was as follows: WEEK CLASS TIME AT HOME 1 Explain and discuss the unit - outcomes and the meaning of leisure Collect personal data 2 Build personal spreadsheet Collect information on teenage leisure activities 3 Graph personal data - drafts of column and pie charts Analyze graphs and collect information on teenage leisure activities 4 Compare personal data with the group and graph, choosing appropriate graph format Analyze graphs and collect information on teenage leisure activities 5 Plan report - introduce base questions and introduce the use of clip art and paint / draw programs Write text for report 6 Acquire and use other data - clip art, video capture, scanning, Internet Write text for desktop publishing (DTP) piece called My Favorite Leisure Activity 7 Format My Favorite Leisure Activity and the report Check drafts of DTP pieces 8 Evaluate the final product Select and submit final folio of work As we taught the unit we talked about what worked well and what needed to be refined. We collected articles on leisure activities and filed them for student reference and handouts. Computer Labs This unit has been taught using Macintosh Classic and LCII computers with Claris Works, and IBM compatible PCs using Microsoft Office with some classes using both.
Group Work Students worked together in pairs or small groups - collecting and / or sharing information, skills and approaches. As there are many different tasks that can be incorporated into this unit, it lends itself well to this group work approach. Students worked together to design / plan output, check drafts and produce work. Teaching Approaches It is most important that teachers are comfortable with the level of technology they are using. It is important also to be honest with students - if you don't know, say so - and then find out. Use the students in your class as experts.
The style of teaching should be closer to coaching than instructing. Hardware and Software The worst thing that can happen to a teacher is hardware failure. You must be familiar with the hardware and software you are using. Students can help and so can other teachers but not all the time. Build your basic IT troubleshooting knowledge by listening and watching.
The basic requirement for students to satisfactorily complete this task was to produce a report which included two graphs and one graphic image, text that had been formatted with headings and footers showing the student's name. In completing this activity, students: gained an understanding of how to select and acquire data, particularly in relation to making decisions and choices about categories and classification of data became more confident and competent computer users supported each other voluntarily learnt to order their work and to make backup copies gained an understanding of how other people spend their time and respect for this overcame peer group differences through this understanding assessed functionality of different ways of graphing interpreted and analyzed information. While the quality of the reports varied greatly, all students gained a good understanding of how to create the component parts and combine each part into the final report. The technology impacted on the success of the activity with the students learning outcomes for this activity being varied.
The impact of technology included: The use of spreadsheets to summarize data, calculate sum and averages and to graph results made students feel their survey was more professional. They took pride in their final output. The students could easily adjust mistakes, redrafting their work several times. This meant that the final product was more accurate. The technology demonstrated the potential power of the computer to compile information in different formats. The use of graphs allowed differences to be highlighted more easily.
IT allowed more time to concentrate on the data. Previously much time was spent on producing data (graphs) by hand. Enhanced self esteem. For example, students with poor fine motor skills could use the technology instead of doing the graph by hand.
Student work was assessed through drafts to the final product. Satisfactory completion meant that the individual components of the report had been seen. The final product, a formatted report, was assessed in terms of how well information was communicated using the tools available. Students were asked to keep their drafts and submit them with the final report. At the end of each unit, the teachers discussed what worked well in their classes with new ideas added and some aspects reworked. Documentation for the unit was updated.
This included handouts, lesson planning notes, and signage providing assistance in the use of hardware, particularly printers. Students were also asked to provide feedback on what they thought worked best and what problems they encountered which delayed task completion. The most common difficulties were with hardware and / or software and related mostly to compatibility and management of files. These are important issues that relate to computer use generally and the lessons learnt by students were very valuable for their future use of computers.
If you would like to undertake a similar activity the following points might be of assistance: start with one or two skills / aspects of information technology you want to introduce into a unit, for example DTP and layout, spreadsheets and graphing or scanning talk to students about what you want them to achieve and why you want them to use information technology tools to do it prepare handouts which list basic steps of what students should do - that way they don't ask as often explain problems as they occur, by hands on example if possible a lot of learning can be incidental and unplanned. Take advantage of any accidents that happen. The process and format is more important than the product in this case. use students as experts find a more experienced teacher who you can ask for help and advice on what can work - a mentor do it now, don't wait until you can touch-type or some similar excuse the printing of graphics can take considerable time - stagger printer use as required most importantly, remain calm! 1996 Gateways - Information Technology in the Learning Process
Free research essays on topics related to: hardware and software, clip art, final product, leisure activities, final report
Research essay sample on Hardware And Software Leisure Activities
