| Doc | Role of the educator | Application | File name |
| 1 | Mediator / Interpreter | MSWORD | Term Outline.doc |
| 2 | Assessor | MSEXCEL | Mark Sheet.xlsx |
| 3 | Learning area specialist | MSPPT | IntroToHardware.pptx |
| 4 | Assessor | MSWORD | Worksheet.docx |
| 5 | Administrator | AdobePDF | CSEC08IT.pdf |
| 6 | Administrator | MSWORD | StatisticalData.docx |
27 Sept 2011
Summary to Assignment 1
23 Sept 2011
Coping with copying
While the World Wide Web and the use of ICT makes teaching and learning fun, there is a dark side - it also makes copying, plagiarism and academic dishonesty easier to commit and sometimes hide.
We as educators are charged with teaching our learners how to be responsible in an online world, we must not forget that we too must be responsible in our actions.
The fair use policy, coupled with Creative Commons licensing gives us educators the opportunity to reproduce the work of others for the benefit of knowledge. In our haste to prepare and portray our content, we should never lose sight of giving due recognition to the work of others. All work is copyright of their producer(s) and wherever and whenever possible we should always be grateful to those who have willingly shared their knowledge so that we too may be illuminated.
We as educators are charged with teaching our learners how to be responsible in an online world, we must not forget that we too must be responsible in our actions.
The fair use policy, coupled with Creative Commons licensing gives us educators the opportunity to reproduce the work of others for the benefit of knowledge. In our haste to prepare and portray our content, we should never lose sight of giving due recognition to the work of others. All work is copyright of their producer(s) and wherever and whenever possible we should always be grateful to those who have willingly shared their knowledge so that we too may be illuminated.
18 Sept 2011
Evaluating web-hosted information
It is amazing the wealth of information that the World Wide Web hosts. Equally amazing is the wealth of misinformation which exists as well.
As a user of such a vast resource, one must be able to sift out the good from the bad. Easier said than done when the average search result churns out on average a few thousand hits. There are many criteria that can help you assess the credibility of information found out there if you bother to look, and instinct alone is not good enough in the electronic world.
Sometimes sites dress up their information with subtle bias, and the plethora of web hosts offering free and cheap web hosting means anyone can take up residence on the world wide web and feign authority on a subject.
One must never be quick to judge. Here are two links I found useful:
As a user of such a vast resource, one must be able to sift out the good from the bad. Easier said than done when the average search result churns out on average a few thousand hits. There are many criteria that can help you assess the credibility of information found out there if you bother to look, and instinct alone is not good enough in the electronic world.
Sometimes sites dress up their information with subtle bias, and the plethora of web hosts offering free and cheap web hosting means anyone can take up residence on the world wide web and feign authority on a subject.
One must never be quick to judge. Here are two links I found useful:
Comparing web search tools
Who says you are too old to learn? - Rubbish! I just learnt something new today :)
While we have heard the names of popular search engines, they all work in different ways to find and index the contents of the web.
While we have heard the names of popular search engines, they all work in different ways to find and index the contents of the web.
- Subject searching - think Yahoo
- Want to ask a question? - Try a natural language search - Ask
- Want to find all the places a word crops up - think keywords - GOOGLE is for you
Though search engines will help you find what you are looking for, it is still up to you to evaluate the authenticity of the result(s) they return. I like this quote and personally think this sums up my view on searching:
"You have to drill through mud and water to get oil, you have to sift through sand and silt to get gold, you have to chop and hack through stone to get diamonds... So why do so many people feel that the treasure of ideas should come to them with little or no effort" - Sydney J. Harris
17 Sept 2011
Integrating spreadsheets with learning
A well planned lesson lends itself to easy integration of ICT especially when the content is relevant to the learners and you make it fun :)
Setting clear objectives, and measurable & meaningful outcomes makes for easy evaluation on the success or failure of a lesson. Sometimes, if not managed properly, it is easy to deviate from the lesson and let technology overrule the lesson goals.
Mathematics by its very nature lends itself to an easy integration of ICT via spreadsheets. Geography as well when one considers the row and column layout of the spreadsheet.
Setting clear objectives, and measurable & meaningful outcomes makes for easy evaluation on the success or failure of a lesson. Sometimes, if not managed properly, it is easy to deviate from the lesson and let technology overrule the lesson goals.
Mathematics by its very nature lends itself to an easy integration of ICT via spreadsheets. Geography as well when one considers the row and column layout of the spreadsheet.
13 Sept 2011
The VLOOKUP
The VLOOKUP function is one of Excel's little gems. Imagine having a list of students whom you have to assign a letter grade to. One way is to use an IF function or maybe a COUNTIF. Let me introduce you to a third and easier way.
In a part of your worksheet, insert a criteria table in which you indicate the cut off marks and letter grade to be assigned at each grade interval.
In your grade column of the marks table, simply add the function as follows:
=VLOOKUP(cell_with_mark,criteria_table_location,column_no_with_grade_letter)
- Remember to exclude the heading labels when giving your criteria table location
- It is also a good idea to make the cell references for the criteria table location absolute so that they are locked and do not change when you copy the formula
Here's a demonstration of it at work.
12 Sept 2011
Spreadsheets as a learning tool
Spreadsheets are not only great productivity tools for educators but can also be integrated into the classroom as a learning tool.
As an instructional integration strategy, spreadsheets may be used to:
As an instructional integration strategy, spreadsheets may be used to:
- Enhance learning via visual demonstration thus making abstract concepts concrete
- Help students aggregate data for later manipulation
- Aid learners in creating graphical representations of data
- Support mathematical problem solving
It is false to believe that learners have to be actively trained in all aspects of spreadsheet use. Instead, the teacher can introduce the student to the application on a need to know basis to support the learner's needs. This just in time method is not only limited to spreadsheets but can be applied to any area.
10 Sept 2011
Spreadsheets for administrative purposes
If the spreadsheet can be useful to accountants and number crunchers then it is useful to an educator. How many times have we recorded marks in mark books only to have to change a mark for one reason or another, recalculate average, percentage, re-sort placings... - We have all been there before. Welcome to Excel! OK, it's got these weird boxes.. hmm what to do?
Let me give you some ideas. Use it as your digital record of marks book. Once you get the hang of rows, columns and some basic formulae, you will wonder how you ever survived without it. Add a graph or chart using the wizard and you will be surprised how easily you will begin to appreciate how effective your lessons have been after you evaluate them. You can even use it for taking roll. And if you've got to juggle weightings on multiple criteria let Excel handle all the laborious calculations.
Excel has some powerful functions built in that makes the assessor role of an educator easier.
Oops. Did I mention preparing your annual budgets for the classroom or managing your personal finances.
If you're a Mac user say hi to Numbers :)
Let me give you some ideas. Use it as your digital record of marks book. Once you get the hang of rows, columns and some basic formulae, you will wonder how you ever survived without it. Add a graph or chart using the wizard and you will be surprised how easily you will begin to appreciate how effective your lessons have been after you evaluate them. You can even use it for taking roll. And if you've got to juggle weightings on multiple criteria let Excel handle all the laborious calculations.
Excel has some powerful functions built in that makes the assessor role of an educator easier.
Oops. Did I mention preparing your annual budgets for the classroom or managing your personal finances.
If you're a Mac user say hi to Numbers :)
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