Being creativity in designing Teaching learning materials

I usually focus on making the classroom lively; preparing and displaying teaching learning materials appropriately. We cannot prepare and display the materials for the sake of doing. It should fill the children’s emotion towards the positive learning.I started to share and prepare changes in the classroom setting, preparing teaching learning materials and displaying appropriately.

 When teacher make lessons creative, students enjoy learning and they also look for creativeness.

 Using songs and rhymes is a great way to help our child develop their language and communication skills. It’s never to o early or too late to start singing and rhyming with children. Not only fun but it is also a great way to get each other.  Teaching through songs and rhymes has hugely positive impact on child’s language and literacy development

Teaching shapes in Dzongkha

I taught shapes for class PP in Dzongkha. I used power points and shape cards to introduce the shapes. I introduced shapes one by one without naming and by asking questions. For example, showing a shape and asking question (what shape is this?). The shapes cards are displayed on the wall.

Developing Teaching Learning materials using ICT

As Michael Gove stated back in 2011, ICT in schools should not be used to recreate the way we used to do things; instead it should open a new world of fun, interactivity and motivation. We need to embrace ICT and use it to its full advantage to improve teaching methods and encourage students to succeed.

Although we need to embrace ICT in the classroom, we must remember that it should never be used with the aim of replacing existing methods of teaching. The modern classroom is transforming, and ICT provides the perfect platform for teachers to adapt and improve their teaching practices. Similarly, in remote school preparing appropriate teaching learning materials using ICT is crucial. Though children do not enjoy the facilities of computer in the school, teachers at least make a point where ICT is integrated through developing appropriate teaching learning materials.

This materials were prepared to teach parts of a bird in EVS subject in grade III. 

Games support in Interactive Learning

 Games support in interactive learning

By “game” I am referring to learning through play, active engagement and fun. Students learn through the process of playing the game. Through play, students may be able to understand a new concept or idea, take on a different perspective, or experiment with different options or variables. It provides a context for engaging practice and students can learn a     variety of important skills. It also helps develop a variety of connections with the content and can form positive memories of learning. Keeping in mind the importance of learning through games, time to time I focus my teaching through play and games.

As I have already introduced the letters of Dzongkha and simple words to be read, the PP children were provided with two sets of Domino       cards in groups. Children were asked to look at the pictures provided and read the words of domino cards and then arrange or match accordingly. The group completing first without making mistake was declared as winner.

The main motive of this activity is to check how far the children could identify the letters and read and understand the simple words. Both the groups could successfully arrange without much mistakes. It was made mandatory that every children to be engaged in the activity. Thus, it was evaluated that all the children were engaged actively and almost could read it and understand and able to make connections.

Environment-based learning

Learning through games

A picture is worth a thousand words."
-- Unknown

Though the origin of this popular adage is unclear, one thing is clear: using photos can be enormously effective in helping them learn far more than a thousand words. Using an appropriate teaching learning materials becomes one of the communication tools in the classroom where children learn through fun and at the same time it arouse active learning atmosphere.

I prepared domino games for class III, Dzongkha. The main motive of this game is to enhance reading ability of the children through fun.

Role Play

Role play is really a worthwhile learning experience for both the students and the teacher. Not only can students have more opportunities to "act" and "interact" with their peers trying to use the English language, but also students' English speaking, listening, and understanding will improve. Role play lightens up the atmospheres and brings liveliness in the classes. Students learn to use the language in a more realistic, more practical way. Thus they can become more aware of the usefulness and practicality of English. Role play is indeed a useful teaching technique which should be experimented and applied by teachers more often in the classrooms.

This role play was about the Prince and Princes and played by class III students. The students’ role play was recorded using simple camera. By recording and making them to watch really makes them excitement and feel proud. On other hand role play is considered as one of the active learning strategy where by children are curious to learn more. Therefore, not only in language classroom, we can use this strategy in any subject.

Using laptop in Teaching Learning

In the remote school, where there is no projector, one alternative way of teaching is through using laptop. Having very less number of children in the classroom can use laptop to teach subject contents as well as show other learning materials in the form of video clips, rhyme etc.

In this 21^st century, to accelerate transformative pedagogy of teaching we cannot wait someone to put everything in one go. Therefore, being creative to improvise own teaching learning materials is crucial. Sometimes using laptop in the classroom can really motivate or arouse learners’ interest as children are not in touch with such facilities. Not only for teaching, it can be used for brain break activity too.

To teach water cycle for class II, Thakor, I prepared power point and taught the process of water cycle. I assured that I could teach them well and fulfilled the objectives of my lesson. 

ICT as Communication Tools

As the needs of society and the skills required to driven in today’s world have shifted over time, the call to use technology to support young learners in becoming creators, mathematical and computational thinkers, inventors and problem solvers is starting to transform in the classroom.

In today’s world technology affords students access to experiences. ICT in 21^st century is a communication tools, therefore, using any advanced materials in a constructive ways proves to be crucial for better learning. It is not necessarily to use computers and other devices in teaching learning. And these devices are not accessible in remote schools. Therefore, one way of effective teaching is through using improvised materials and using of good sets of materials supplied by the Ministry of Education.

I consider that using of appropriate materials is likely to be advantageous for the acquisition of 21^st century skills which includes ways of thinking, ways of working and skills for living in the world. It all depends on ones creativeness in using the teaching learning materials. I assure that using snap cubes is also one of the communication tools provided and used meaningfully. 

ICT Reflection

Reflection

Today, several technologies are present throughout the world. Therefore, the integration of ICT in the classroom teaching is found to be genuine. As a teacher, it is time to change our methods of teaching using the technologies so that the quality of learning enhances in the Bhutanese children.

It is essential to make good use of ICT facilities in the classroom because the technologies are the next generation. The use of ICT has had many impacts on student's learning. According to researchers, they improve the motivation and the pleasure of learning from some things they know well. Several studies shows that ICT promotes in increased student achievement. With the help of access to sources of information, learners are also able to update their learning potential and creativity.

If a teacher wants to communicate with students, it is essential to have a means of communication and thus, integration of ICT in the classroom teaching is one where teacher can really explore to meet the needs of the today's learners. Further, because of the demands of the society, inclusion of this module will definitely helps teacher to explore the technology in enhancing the quality of education.

To my knowledge I felt that usage of devises like computer, internet, camera, projector, television are some of the technology that can use in teaching. However, with the class discussion and information input from the tutor, further infused that meaningful usage of the technology can create important educational opportunities that did not exist without it. Therefore, while using the technology it is vital to keep in mind the characteristics of level of ICT integration.

Web evaluation is again vital for us as we cannot settle or rely on one views or notion because we come across lots of faults statement. Thus, to get what we really required we have to access to different websites of different people's views. The activity on writing report with regard to Hitler has somehow helped me to understand better on how to evaluate the statement whether it is true or not.

Of course creating a blog is new to me, it is not that much difficult. It has many advantages like; we can share or exchange ideas and good practices of the classroom teaching and school programs, and create portfolios to document students learning. Therefore, I felt myself lucky to be part of this module as now I know how to create a blog and post the documents. But that is not the end of learning and still I can learn more.

It is true that ICT is a constructive tool as mentioned by the tutor. Given the priority and having the adequate facilities will really enhance the effectiveness of the learning as learners can be critical thinker and also helps in creating independent learning. One way of making teaching learning more meaningful is through simple simulations. Sometimes I feel I was late to go through such experiences. Still than there is room to create a platform where I can make the classroom teaching engaging and meaning making. Of course, learning to design the simulations was quite difficult, but I am always optimistic that I can make out and do my best to create conducive classroom.

On other side, the schools are not equipped with the required facilities especially in the remote schools. We use laptop to teach when required which is not applicable for large number of students. Still than I will continue to adopt different methods of teaching through ICT integration and also make friends to follow.

Using google ID and making access to www.docs.google.com is another idea where we can share our documents or any information among friends. Further not only we can view the documents or articles but even we can ask for comments and editing and thus, creating collaborative learning environment to construct our own knowledge. On other side there is always challenges especially in the remote schools in terms of internet access facilities.