Lesson 18

ROLES AND FUCTIONS OF AN EDUCATIONAL MEDIA CENTER

     An EMC renders various kinds of services. It services boil down to improving the teaching – learning process by making it more  interactive, collaborative, interesting and authentic.

     What must an EMC have to be a functional EMC?                               The evaluation questions for  a functional EMC (Lucido & Borabo, 1997) give the following elements.

1. The institutional media services

o   Is the administration committed  to a media program?

o   Is the program of media services administered by a media specialist through media center?

o   Is the center operating  at the same level  as other major institutional services of the school?

o   Are they clearly defined policies, procedures, and plans for short, medium and long term coverage?

o   Is the center provided with appropriate facilities, finances (a regular budget) and staff (both technical  and clerical)?

o   Is the center capable of giving media and / or educational media technology advises/assistance to the faculty?

2. Media and instruction

o   Are the faculty encouraged to use media as an integral part of instruction?

o   Are classrooms equipped and/or adapted for the best possible use of educational media?

o   Is the media ce nter accessible to all classrooms and lecture/ conference room?

o   Is there educational media technology information dissemination?

o   Is there proper cooperation between faculty and using media for instructions?

o   In particular, are  faculty members assisted by the media center staff in analyzing teaching needs and in designing, selecting and using educational media to meet these needs?

o   Is there an adequate storage, filing and retrieval/borrowing system for instructional hardware and software/materials?

o   Is the center capable of technical operations relating to technical assistance, equipment repair and cleaning continuous upgrading of facilities?

o   Is there a capability for production of graphics, audio visual and other media materials for instruction?

·         Classroom facilities

o   Are classroom designed for and provided with essential facilities foe effective use of educational media?

o   Specifically, are classrooms equipped for full light control, electrical outlets, appropriate ventilation and media operations space?

o   Are classrooms equipped with a bulletin board, chalkboard projection screen, maps, rails, etc. for instruction using media?

·         Media program

o   Are there clear-cut administration policies on the media program?

o   Is there an adequate source/system of funding?

o   Is there appropriate hiring of media center supervisions, creating and technical personnel ,consultant and clerical staff?

Lesson 17

ASSESSMENT IN A CONSTRUCTIVIST, TECHNOLOGY – SUPPORTED LEARNING

`The question we raise are: “Is it really bad to memorize for the test?” and “ Is it not good to study for  score and for a grade? The answer to both questions is a NO. it is not bad to memorize for the test. Examines even take in Memory Plus food supplement to increase their power to memorize. Neither is it bad to study for scores and grade, however, we should go beyond memorizing for tests and we should not study only for a passing score and a passing grade.

In a constructivist classroom, learning transcend memorization of facts. It is putting these isolated facts together, from concepts and making meaning out of them. It is connecting the integration of these facts and concepts to daily life. It is seeing the relevance of these facts and concepts to what we value and treasure in life. If that is what learning is from the eyes of the constructivists, then definitely, the pure memorization (sometimes without understanding done for a mere recall test does not jibe with such belief.

What then is the assessment practice that will be congruent with the constructivist’s thinking? It is a higher level form of assessment that will require the display of the basic skills of writing and speaking, computing and the more complex skills of applying concepts learned, analyzing, critiquing and evaluating, integrating and creating and the social skills of working with call for alternative forms of assessments. The traditional paper – and – pencil test will prove to be inadequate to measure basic skills and social skills.

Authentic assessment is most appropriate for the constructivist classroom. ( You will learn more about authentic assessment in your two subjects on assessment.) authentic assessments measures collective abilities, written and oral expression skills, analytical skills, manipulative skills, (like computer skills) integration, creativity, and ability to work collaboratively.

In authentic assessment, students perform real – world tasks, thus the word “authentic”. It is an assessment of a process or a product. That is why authentic assessment includes performance or product assessment. The performance is a reliable measure of skills learned and the product is a proof of the acquisition of skills. These performance and product are assessed. Again the mere paper – and – pencil test cannot evaluate these. So what do we need? We need to observe and evaluate and, to do it more objectively, with the aid of the scoring rubric. ( You will be taught how to make a scoring in rubric in your assessment courses.) for now it may be sufficient to see a sample of a scoring rubric to get an idea of what it is about and to see its place in assessment.

Lesson 16

Using the project based learning Multi-media as a teaching- learning strategy

Project based learning enables classrooms to emphasize this under valued part of the "Invisible curriculum" what author Daniel Goleman has called "Emotional Intelligence". 

Using project - based learning multimedia as a strategy in teaching is effective in increasing students motivation by engaging them in their own learning, in improving student problem-solving and higher order thinking skills. Teaching with the project-based method enables students to work cooperatively with peer and mentors in a student-centered environment where learners are encouraged to explore various topics of interest. It also provides opportunities for interdisciplinary learning by engaging students in applying the content of different subject areas.  

Goals and Objectives are always the starting points of planing. When we plan a multi-media learning project as a teaching strategy, we begin by clarifying our goals and objective. Another important thing is to determine the resources available- from library materials, community resources both material and human, internet, new media- since this project calls for Multi-Media. To trim down time devoted to a multi-media project, Simkins et al (2002) suggested the following:

• use technology students already know 
• use time outside of class whenever possible
• assign skills practice as homework
• use special classes (like art or music) as extra time
• let students compose texts and select and prepare graphics and sounds as they plan

 Before the project starts:

1. Create project description and milestones 

2. Work with real world connections

3. Prepare resources

4. Prepare software and peripherals such as microphones

5. Organize computer files

6. Prepare the classroom

Introducing the project ( one or two days )

1. Review project documents

2. Perform pre-assessment

3. Perform relevant activities

4. Group students- here are some grouping strategies:

• by topic interest
• by student talent and expertise
• by student choice
• randomly

Learning the technology (one to three days) - Give a chance for the students to work with whatever software and technology they will be using.

Preliminary research and planing (three days to three weeks, depending on project size) -  At this stage, students should immerse themselves in the content of subject matter they need to understand to create their presentation. 

Concept design and Story boarding (three to five days)- A story board is a paper- and- pencil sketch of the entire presentation, screen by screen or in the case of videos, shot by shot, requiring a story board provides a natural check-in point for you and gives your students an opportunity to plan ahead.

Here are a few design tips to keep in mind throughout storyboarding and production:

• Use scanned , handmade artwork to make a project look personal and to manage scarce technology resources
• Keep navigation 
• Organize information similarly throughout so users can find what they are looking for
• Care for collaboration 
• Organize manageable steps
• Check and asses often 

Assessing, testing and finalizing presentations (one to three weeks)- There are two kinds of testing to think about

Functional Testing- Trying all the buttons, taking all possible paths thru the presentation, checking for errors, missing images and the like

User- Testing- Showing the presentation to members of the target audience and finding out if they can successfully navigate it and understand it.

* Assessment means critical evaluation of your presentation. 

Concluding activities (one to three days)- Allow time for students to present and show off their hard work.Often there is an obvious, authentic concluding activity related to your real- world connection.Remember to take time to review the ups and downs of the project with students and anyone else who participated.

Lesson 15

Project based multimedia Learning

Project based multimedia learning can build the students creativity. It is were the students independently done their research and organized what the teacher has given them to be accomplish.The students will be engage in hands-on activity that helps them engage more knowledge. Each students have their own task to do so they have to participate, and teachers will just observe and give comments to what their doing if is it right towards their goal. Project based multimedia learning is a teaching method where it can help the students acquire new knowledge and skills in the course of designing, planing, and producing multimedia project. 

Lesson 14

Maximizing the use of the overhead projector and the chalk board

“Indeed, in no…country have I ever seen a good school without a black board or a successful teacher who did not use it frequently” –Horace Mann, noted American Educator.

Chalkboard techniques:

 a. Sharpen your chalk to get good line quality.

b. Stand with your elbow high, move along as you write.

c. Use dots as “Aiming points” this keeps writing level.

d. Make all writing or printing between 2 and 4 inches high for legibility.

e. When using colored chalk, use soft chalk so that it can be erased easily.

The Overhead Projector (OHP) Techniques

Among the outstanding attributes of overhead projection are the many techniques that can be used to present information and control the sequence of a presentation. Keep in mind these features of overhead projection.

You can show pictures and diagrams using a pointer to direct attention to a detail.

You can use felt pen or waxed based pencil to add details. It can easily be removed by a soft cloth.

You can control the rate of presenting information by covering with an opaque material and exposing the data as you discuss. This is known as the progressive disclosure technique.

Lesson 13

Teaching with visual symbols.

“Visual symbols will be made meaningful if we can use them as summaries of our own direct experiences or our own rich indirect experiences... A little can stand a lot”

Like a picture a graph and all other visual symbols, are worth a thousand words,  The proper use of visual symbols will contribute to optimum learning. 

Visual symbols come in many forms – drawings, cartoons, strip drawing (comic strip) diagram, map, chart and graph. For these visual symbols to be at your finger tips, you ought to be skilled at making them.

The collection, preparation and use of these various visual symbols depends to a great extent on your own resourcefulness and creativity. They may be used in different ways and in different phases of the lesson depending on your purpose. If you use them skillfully, your classroom may turn into a beehive of busy students.

a. drawings

            a drawing may not be the real thing but better to have a concrete visual aid than nothing. To avoid confusion, it is good that our drawing correctly represents the real thing.

 b. cartoons

            A fist rate cartoon tells its story metaphorically. The perfect cartoon needs no caption. The less the artist depends on words, the more effective the symbolism. The symbolism conveys the message.

 C. Strip drawings

            These are commonly called comics or comic strips.

D. Diagrams

           “ any line drawing that shows arrangement and relations as of parts to the whole, relative values, origins and development, chronological fluctuations, distribution, etc.”

 Types of Diagrams

 1. Affinity diagram – used to cluster complex apparently unrelated data into natural and meaningful groups.

 2. Tree diagram – used to chart out, I increasing detail, the various tasks that must be accomplished to complete a project or achieve a specific  objective.

 3. Fishbone Diagram – It is also called cause and effect diagram.

It is a structured form of brainstorming that graphically shows the relationship of possible causes and sub causes directly related to an identified effect / problem. It is most commonly used to analyze work – related problems.

E. Charts

            Is a diagrammatic representation of relationships among individuals within an organization. We can have different types of chart:

1. time chart – is a tabular time chart that presents data in ordinal sequence.

2. tree or stream chart – Depicts development, growth and change by beginning with a single course ( the trunk ) which spreads out to many branches or by beginning with the many tributaries which then converge into a single channel.

3. flow chart – Is a visual way of charting or showing a process from beginning to end. It is a means of analyzing a process. By outlining every step in a process, you can begin to find inefficiencies or problems.  

4. organizational chart – shows how one part of the organizational relates to other parts of the organization.

5. comparison and contrast chart – Used to show similarities and differences between two or three things.

6. pareto  chart – Is a type of bar chart, prioritized in descending order of magnitude or importance from left to right. It shows at a glance which factors are occurring most.

7. gaant chart – Is an activity time chart

F. Graphs

    - There are several types of graphs. They are

    -          Circle or pie graph

          o       Recommended for showing parts of whole.

    -          Bar graph

       o       Used in comparing the magnitude of similar items at different ties or seeing relative sizes of the parts of a whole.

    -          Pictorial graph

          o       Makes use of picture symbola

    -          Line graph

 Graphic Organizer – an informal organizer

G. Maps

     Is a “ representation of the surface of the earth or some part of it.”

 Kinds of Map

1. Physical map – Combines in a single projection data like altitude, temperature, rainfall, precipitation, vegetation and soil.

2. relief map – Has three dimensional representations and show contours of the physical data of the earth or part of the earth.

3. Commercial or economic map – Also called product or industrial map since they show land areas in relation to the economy.

4. Political map – gives detailed information about country, provinces, cities and towns, roads and highways. Oceans, rivers and lakes are the main features of most political maps.

Map language :

 1. Scale

-  Shows how much of the actual earth’s surface is represented by a given measurement on a map.

-  On some maps, scale is shown graphically while some is expressed in words and figures.

2. Symbols 

– Usually a map has a legend that explains what each symbol means. (ex: railroads, mountains, lakes and plains)

3. Color

 – The different colors of the map are part of the map language.

4. Geographic grids 

– The entire system of these grid lines are called grid lines. These grid lines are called meridians and parallel.

- A meridian is a north to south pole line

- Parallels are lines drawn around a globe with all points along each line with an equal distance from the pole.

- Longitude is the distance in degrees of any place east or west of the prime meridian.

- Latitude is the distance in degrees of any place north or south of the equator.

Lesson 12

The power of film, video and TV in the classroom

“ Next to the home and school, I believe television to have a more profound influence on the human race than any other medium of communication.” – Edgar Dale

The film, video and TV are powerful instructional tools. When they re used appropriately and moderately, they can make the teaching-learning process more concrete, lively, colorful and interactive. It contributes to a more lasting learning because of its visual, audio and motion effects. These effects make learning fun. However, misuse and abuse of their use in the classroom and even at home has far reaching damaging effects in the development of children’s imaginative and thinking powers and sensitivity to human life. The most significantly cited weakness of the tv is the effect of tv violence on peoples’ aggressive behavior.

With the coming of the VCR, viewing need or not to be passive anymore. We can have interactive viewing with VCR.

The film, the video and the TV sre indeed very powerful. Dale ( 1969 ) says, they can:

Ø    Transmit a wide range of audio – visual materials, including still pictures, film, objects, specimens and drama.

Ø    Bring model of excellence to the viewer

Ø    Bring the world of reality to the home and to the classroom through a “live” broadcast or as mediated through film or videotape.

Ø    Make us see and hear for ourselves world events as they happen.

Ø    Be the most believable news source

Ø    Make some programs understandable and appealing to a wide variety of age educational levels.

Ø    Become a great equalizer of educational opportunity because programs can be presented over national and regional networks.

Ø    Provide us with sounds and sights not easily available even to the viewer of a real event through long shots, close ups, zoom shots, magnification and split screen made possible by the TV camera.

Ø    Can give opportunity to teachers to view themselves while they teach for purposes of self – improvement.

Ø    Can be both instructive and enjoyable.

While the film, video and tv can do so much, they have their own limitations too :

Ø    Television and films are one – way communication device consequently, they encourage passivity.

Ø    The small screen size puts television at a disadvantage when compared with the possible size of projected motion pictures.

Ø    Excessive tv viewing works against the development of the child’s ability to visualize and to be creative and imaginative, skills that are needed in problem solving.

Ø    There is much violence in tv. This is the irrefutable conclusion, “viewing violence increases violence”.

 Basic Procedures in the use of TV as a Supplementary Enrichment.

 * For enrichment of the lesson with the use of TV, we have to do the following:

         Ø    Prepare the classroom

           o       Darken the room but not completely so the students can take down notes.

o       The students should not be seated too near nor too far from the TV.

 * Pre-viewing Activities

             o       Set goals and expectations.

o       Link the TV lesson with the past lesson and/or with your students’ experiences for integration and relevance.

o       Set the rules while viewing.

o       Put the film in context.

o       Point the key points they need to focus on.

 * Viewing

       Ø    Don’t interrupt viewing by inserting cautions and announcements                 you forgot to give during the pre-viewing stage. It disrupts and                   dampens interest.

Ø    Just make sure sights and sounds are clear.

 * Post-viewing

        Ø    To make them feel at ease begin by asking the following questions:

1.     What do you like best in the film?

2.     What part of the film makes you wonder? Doubt?

3.     Does the film remind you of something or someone?

4.     What questions are you asking about the film?                      

 * Go to the questions you raised at the pre-viewing stage.

 * Tackle questions raised by students at the initial stage of the post-            viewing discussion.

* Ask what the students learned.. Find how they can apply what they               learned.

 * Summarize what has learned.