Situating tool

As we discussed that situating tools is the application that helps to situate learners' in an environment to experience the context and happenings. Its the application that provides avenue for learners to experience and feels the real situation that is not possible in theory/text. Application such as simulations (flight, farming, surgery, environment, driving, History City, Sim City, play station), virtual reality and CD-ROM can be used as the situating tools to teach  the any concept. 

Let me cite few examples of situating tool and how we can use it in a lesson. If we are going to teach the concept of open and closed circuit, we can go to phet interaction website and choose the circuit simulation. This helps learners to situate in the environment and gives the real feelings of the open and closed circuit by manipulating the variables in this simulation. 

We can use google map to teach the concept of the location of any place, time, distance and area instead of reading from the text. It provides the 3D and 2D view of the any place that we want. Which really builds interest and curiosity to explore more. In the way it also makes class environment lively. There is other simulation like pH scale, so forth that you will find in phet interaction website. So, we can use those applications when a certain real-life experience is impossible to attain. 

Personally, i found out that simulation allows me to feel the real experience of the environment. By using it, i can comprehend the concept easily because i have a choice to manipulate the variables. Also, when we manipulate the variables, it helps to boost the creativity and visualization skills as we need to focus on the simulation. 

Co-constructive tool

Co-constructive tool is define as the applications that supports the construction of knowledge through a shared understanding. This tool is also known as collaborative tool because it creates avenue for learners to interact, co-edit, make a comment, and share their works with other. Tool such as google docs, blogs, electronic whiteboard, and discussion forum in vle are the examples of collaborative tool. This tool allows the learners to work collaboratively as i mentioned before. 

Personally, tool like google docs was helpful for students.Its because unlike other tools allows only one users to control the whole things but google docs can be accessed by the all the members. In google docs we all can co-edit the work, make comments, invite the friends, and allows to share in internet and friends. It helps the students to work together and collaboratively inside the google docs. 

This kind of tools can be accessible anytime, anywhere and need not require to meet face to face interaction. It creates virtual interaction among the friends, can exchange the vast ideas, can edit and comment at the same time, and also helps in co-constructing of new knowledge. One way of co-constructive is the use of the face-book where students may post notices to share document. Students may also comment the others document from their home.

It is very essential to integrate those tools while teaching and learning because it promotes collaborative learning. As i mentioned that this kind of tools invite learners to work together. In which they involved series of cognitive process like explanation, problem finding and solving. Here learning ultimately becomes active and intentional as students involved in co-editing, refining, and constructing their work. 

Constructive tool

The constructive tools are the application that help the learners to manipulate information, visualize one's own understanding and construct one's own knowledge. Some of the examples are concept map, word, spread sheet, power-point which the information can be organize, record, and manipulate. With the helps of these tools, the learners can present their ideas attractive in the forms of graph, picture, slide presentation, memos, reports and letters. Thus, this is the only tool that gives avenue for learners to create their own ideas.

I believe most of the teachers use and integrate constructive tools to teach and communicate. Using of constructive tools help both the teacher and learner to convey and comprehend the ideas easily. Thus, it is essential to integrate in teaching and learning. Where students have a liberty to manipulate the information, visualizing their own  ideas and building the idea in their own. So, it enables learner to become more innovative thinker.

I found it very interesting and engaging where students explore through different tools to construct their own knowledge. It keeps students engage through the lesson, unlike the teaching in normal class. We can integrate those tools in our lesson by manipulating the information and planing a lesson in a power-point or word. Therefore. this tools not only engage the learners but it also make learning environment lively.

I mostly used power-point presentation as a tool to deliver the information. Since, i can create an effective presentation by using the features such as animations, word-art, audios, slide background, font colors and images which makes the presentation interesting and effective. Lastly, this tool not only foster the teaching and learning but it also enhance the knowledge of those tools. Example of  simulated advertisement of village to attract tourist is given above and also made video tutorial as given below.

Communicative tool

Communicative tools are systems that allow easy communication between teachers and students or between the students outside the physical barrier classroom. It includes the e-mail, electronic bulletin boards, chat, teleconference and electronic whiteboard.  With the use of those multimedia, the learning becomes active, interactive, collaborative and satisfying.

Now, let us look at two different types of communicative tools; synchronous communicative tools and asynchronous communicative tools. Synchronous communicative tools such as chat or video conference enables real-time communication. Whereas asynchronous communicative tools such as e-mail and electronic whiteboard do not require the people to log on in the internet at the same time.

Until now i have been mostly using the synchronous communicative tools such as we-chat, WhatsApp, and video conferencing. I found it using those tools bring positive impact on me particularly the keeping the task up to date. On other side, it gives multiple threads of discussion that makes difficult to follow. Moreover, i lose focus in discussion because of many side discussions in either we-chat or VLE.

lastly, I will share recent task on blogging which is under the asynchronous communicative tool. A blog is an online journal or informational website displaying the information. Or it is a platform where writers share their views on an individual subject. Personally, it encourages the use of internet and power of controlling our own learning.

ICT as informative tool

We can use ICT in the classroom as informative tool. It is an application that provides large amounts of information in various formats such as text, graphic, sound and video. According to Chen and Hsu (1999) define informative tool as a passive repository of information. It is considered to be most significance ICT tools in e-learning environment since it provides a vast information. Personally, i believe that internet as a virtual textbook, reference library and virtual tutor.

Although i used those tools during my teaching practice, i never knew those kinds of tool was informative tool. Before i began my class, i provide them the text to connect with the very topic. And after the activity i used to give them the text to add the information and rectify their task. It is interesting that they try to understand the text and put in their own understanding. Even i got a comment that they understand better through video.

Even when i was back in college, i used to straight away browse the google to find the information. It was impressive to get vast information than in the textbook. Sometimes, i used to share the information in we-chat, whats-app, messenger and email. If i was still confused, then only the way was to watch the tutorial video.  Recently, i had done the task on "Should women in Bhutan play kuru" in power-point show. 

I greatly found myself how to integrate ideas in the classroom. It helps me in developing the searching skills from the google and enhance the critical thinking. Moreover i learnt to evaluate resources. Lastly, i found myself learning was quite well with the informative tools.