Revised ICT Philosophy
It is often said that knowledge is a social construct which is built from our experiences and our social interactions. This is indeed true for this course (EDSC 6004), the integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) into Science Education. On entering this course, I was eager and excited to be enlightened on what was to be offered. I thought that our lecturer would teach us various ways of integrating ICT in our classrooms. This was achieved; however it was not the way I envisioned. Coming from a culture in which I was taught using a didactic approach or what we would now refer to as a traditional teaching method, I expected Mrs. Wood- Jackson (the lecturer) to follow this trend. Indeed this was only a fallacy in which my creativity and skills of designing five lessons using ICT was tested. My guiding philosophy has dwindled a bit but it has not changed, however my pedagogies and knowledge of students learning have. Autonomy was frightening; it was never so real as I initially stood midway between computer literacy and being illiterate. I took charge of my learning in this course and from assignment 1, never gave up even though “I felt at sea” with just enough energy to surface and gasp for a few tiny bit of air. Reading and re-reading articles and exploring the Internet became more than a daily hobby but rather a pain at times.
As I reflect on this course, I wish to advance some of the memorable learning experiences that have caused my philosophy to dwindle. To me, computer systems were just tools to help feeble minded persons accomplish their goals. This is indeed not the case since I have learnt that “cognitive tools” as is advanced by Jonassen (2003) involves higher order thinking skills which we should try to develop in our students. Instead of using considerable time in manually plotting graphs in inquiry based lessons, it is more beneficial for students to focus on the interpretation of the data and generate meaning from the empirical data. Students are allowed to develop factual, procedural, conceptual and meta-cognitive knowledge within the creative and critical domain. Jonassen (2007) expresses these sentiments excellently as he advocates that “learners function as designers, using the technology as tools for analyzing the world, accessing information, interpreting and organizing their personal knowledge and representing what they know to others”.
As I reflect on my first lesson plan on Word processing, I must admit that typing a document I believed was the simplest chore in the world. However, all the intricacies involved in the word processing is excellent, however an epiphany that I recall most clearly was the team “triangulation”. This involves the judging of the quality of scores and selecting “reliable and unreliable information”. Here students are indeed involved in comparing and contrasting data which require critical evaluation and higher order thinking skills. This was an immediate growth point for me that I had taken for granted.
My second lesson on spreadsheet involved the use of Microsoft excels to construct graphs. Spreadsheets, I soon learnt was an example of a cognitive technology that amplifies and reorganizes mental function. It supports problem solving activities, numeric thinking and are excellent visualization tools. In my teaching, even at the sixth form level, I often focused on the construction of graphs while their interpretations, even though they were important were sidelined. Working with spreadsheets, I soon realized helped to focus on the meaningful aspects of Chemistry.
Database proved to be a formidable task as I hammered away at it slowly, bit by bit until I was successful. Database as I understand are computerized record-keeping systems designed for the storage and retrieval of information because of its compactness, speed of entering information in the system, faster and easier access to information in the system and easier updating of the system. It is not as simplistic as I envisioned for I was faced with the task of executing queries. I soon learnt that it can be used to support comparison – contrast reasoning, which students engaged in while building databases, and in organizing information by identifying dimensions of the content. What is particularly interesting in database construction is that students must first decide on the appropriate content relationships. This is followed by searching for information in a systematic fashion to build their database. Database lessons I envisage is an important part of Chemistry and I see a clear connection since chemical analysis, data collection and the arrangement of this data plays a pivotal role in this discipline.
Among the many challenges of this ICT course, was the creation of a web quest to teach a scientific concept. This was the greatest challenge since I attempted it in isolation. I wanted no help from anyone and I was determined to succeed. After spending five long days on Dreamweaver, I finally gave into Microsoft front page which was also a huge challenge. Success finally knocked at my door and I actually used this lesson in my class. Impressed they (the students) were indeed by this type of learning which they embraced and successfully completed. This to me is a true example of autonomy and student centeredness.
One month ago, I gave my Upper six some projects assignments and they were asked to use multimedia to showcase their presentations. I worked long hours with them and the projects were presented to an audience of about 150 students and seven Science teachers. This was and will always be one of the most memorable occasions, as I showcased the capabilities of our students using ICT. I was very proud and overwhelmed at the presentation which took Chemistry into a new realm of Education. The Science Department was equally impressed and our Head of Department was very vocal as he expressed his support and encouragement for our genuine creativity and talent. Another group of students asked,” When are we getting a chance to do this?” The only solution I could afford was to achieve dialogue with their teacher.
ICT is a field that is changing so rapidly with new inventions and on an almost daily basis. It is moving so fast that it seems downright impossible to keep up with its speed of development. Three major concepts that I have never heard about in my life are copyright laws with respect to the internet; fair use guidelines and an acceptable use policy. At St. Mary’s College, I always believed that students simply observed the general rules of the school when using the computer facilities. I was right and my acceptable use policy was given the green light to be used at this institution. I feel so empowered and fortunate to have contributed to the ICT Department in this way, given the fact that I am a member of the Chemistry Department.
I have learnt so much from this course and feel so empowered to take what I have learnt back to my classroom and by extension to my department to improve Science teaching in my school. I see myself as indeed a leader in this department, in which I can make a difference and change. A few months ago I was an almost empty vessel and ICT was an almost abstract concept. One semester has lapsed and I have gathered a myriad of knowledge and skills. Special thanks to you Mrs. Aisha Wood- Jackson for your pleasant disposition and for sharing your expertise.
