(a) Do you think the classroom environment is appropriate for the learning activities? Explain why?
In the full computer lab, students can suit learning at their own pace. On top of that, IT has aided the lesson on congruent triangles, which can be difficult to teach using traditional methods. Hence students will not feel bored. This measure is on par with student-centred learning using ICT.
The positive aspect about the lesson in the half computer lab is that the teacher promotes peer teaching and sharing, by pairing them up.
In the one computer classroom, it was a good move to break the class into groups as the class size is big.The pyramid game stimulates thinking among the players. The teacher gives the students freedom by allowing a group member to describe to the other members, using whatever knowledge they already studied.
(b) The students seem to be focused and on task. What strategies do you think the teacher has used to achieve this outcome?
In the full computer lab, the class was engageas instruction were clear. The effective methods of grabbing attention (i.e.blue and red cups, dimming of lights) with minimal movement and noise also helped. The students were easily put on task because IT was used to explain maths and IT is something that the sudents were comfortable with.
In the half computer lab, the students are able to focus as pairs were clearly assign roles. One to navigate on the computer and the other to jot notes.
The strategy of seperating the students into groups and having station-based activities in a learning centrer allows constant communication and sharing of ideas among group members, which is another characteristic in a student-centred environment.
In the single computer class, the class was engaged as almost everyone had a go in the game. Instructions from the teacher at the start were clear too.
(c) What potential classroom management issues can possibly occur? What proposed solutiondo u have?
The teacher will not be able to handle the class effectively if there were too many red cups at one point of time. And as a result, while waiting for the teacher to attend to their problem, they will go off-track and start talking. So the teacher, in such cases should dim the lights and get their attention, and if needed halt the lesson until all cups are blue. Another matter is, if the class is bigger, students at the back could just copy from their friends rather than ask the teacher. Grouping or pairing them would be better then.
Regarding the lesson in the lab,are the students just copying what they see on the screen to their worksheets? Is there any feedback or assesment to see if they had understood the lesson? Perhaps an interactive online forum incorporated on top of the CD ROMS, would help.
During the pyramid game, I can see that some group members are not physically involved, as only 4 representative are needed. The teacher should then break them up into groups of 4. Furthermore was time sufficient to give instructions, complete the game, and summarize the key pointers afterwords? Such lessons should not be in slots after morning assembly and after recess.
Hi,
I thought that the instructions for part 2 state that we are supposed to answer the three questions in relation to the case study we have reviewed in part 1. Are we supposed to compare the four short videos instead?
I have tried to link my views to part 1, which is “How student-centred was the lesson”
For instance;
“The positive aspect about the lesson in the half computer lab is that the teacher promotes peer teaching and sharing, by pairing them up.”
Whereas, in the one computer classroom, it was a good move to break the class into groups as the class size is big.
Here, I highlighted the pairing/grouping in relation to student centred learning.
“The pyramid game stimulates thinking among the players. The teacher gives the students freedom by allowing a group member to describe to the other members, using whatever knowledge they already studied.”
“The strategy of seperating the students into groups and having station-based activities in a learning centrer allows constant communication and sharing of ideas among group members.”
Here I highlighted the communication and peer sharing in relation to student centred learning.
“In the full computer lab, if the class is bigger, students at the back could just copy from their friends rather than ask the teacher. Grouping or pairing them would be better then.”
Here I brought up a possible problem that could arise which would dampen the student centred learning environment.
Thus the fundamental elements of a student centred environment are being linked.
Hi Aiman,
In part c, you mentioned that if needed, the teacher should halt the lesson until all cups are blue. Do you mean that while the teacher is attending to some of the students (to change their cups from red to blue), the rest of the students are not allowed to continue with their work. Then if that is the case, I think the rest of the students will be talking as well since they cannot continue with their work anyway. Will that cause more noise instead?
Suchun
This is where the teacher should make use of those, who have reached certain stages without any problems, to assist the teacher in guiding the rest who may be a little slow to catch up. This will 1) keep those who have finished their task occupied 2) promotes peer teaching/learning and 3) less time spend to change the red cups to blue, hence making it quicker for the teacher to proceed to another stage of the leson.