ICT as in informative tool.

ICT Informative tools are applications that provide large amounts of information in various formats such as text, graphics, sound, or video. Informative tools can be regarded as a passive repository of information (Chen & Hsu, 1999). Examples include tools and information resources of the existing multimedia encyclopedia of the Internet. The Internet is a huge electronic database, and researchers consider the Internet as the most significant ICT tools in e-learning environments. Students rely on the internet to help them do their homeworks and assignments. In short, students consider the Internet as a virtual textbook, reference library, virtual tutor, learn to study shortcuts and virtual study group.
Internet is by far the most popular source of information and the preferred choice for information ahead of television, newspapers and radio.

Internet can give us many information that we want to seek, however in order to find the correct and relevant source we have to be careful of the source we are using to find the information. Through ICT as an informative tool, I understood that there are many sources that we can use in order to find the information. While using ICT tool in the class to find information, we have to make sure that we provide information on how to use them to the students. If not, the students can get wrong information about their findings.

Using ICT as an informative tool has its own advantages such as;

• integrate relevant idea
• analyze the information
• information search skills
• enhance critical thinking
• evaluate resource in the net.

Under this topic we were asked to do an interesting work. We were asked to make a 10 slide powerpoint slide on 'Was Hitler a Gay?'.

It is an interesting topic as we know that Hitler was a great orator in the history as well the person who was behind World War II. Though Hitler passed centuries ago, the topic came into discussion among scholars and philosopher. They had their own reasons as to Hitler being a gay or not, mainly due to Hitlers live being very private. I argued Hitler not being a gay which I will reflect in the next post.

ICT integration

ICT integration

ICT integration in the class can be a tough job if the teacher is not well versed in the usage of the technology. Integration of ICT in the class requires a well planned lesson in which the students make full use of the technology in the class. The growth of technology have made it easier to use it in the class as most of the students are already familiar with the usage of technology. However, what the teacher needs to know is that just by knowing the use of technology does not mean that the students are using it in an effective way to learn and grow their knowledge. most of the students use them as a social media or to play online games, which does not help much in their learning.

ICT integration in the class can be a very motivational for students to learn. It can help the teacher as well as the students to have a effect teaching and learning session if they make the full use of it. However, allowing the students to play games in the computer as a reward for completing a task is not a good way to teach. There can be many way in which the learning is also fulfilled and the fun is maintained all the time.

Digital native Vs Digital immigrant

Digital natives are those who were born in the time when the technology was there and they could make the use of technology.

Digital immigrants are the ones who were bore before technology was introduced and they could not make the use of technology.

After we watched a short video in digital native and digital immigrant, I found that I am a digital immigrant as there was not technologies when I was young. The first ever technology that arrived at our home, which was a television, was back in 2004 when I was studying in class 2. I still remember how much I was excited to have a television at our home. My siblings and I would sit infront of it and watch for hours after school.

As we grew we came in contact with new technologies and found that they can be helpful in may ways. Now technology have integrated in our life as so much that they have become a part of our daily life.

However, in the 21st century we need to be careful while integrating and using technologies. Also we learned the 7C's of the 21st century under this topic.

Teaching in the 21st century requires the 7C's which are;

1. Critical thinking and doing
2. Creativity
3. Collaboration
4. Cross-cultural understanding
5. Communication
6. Computing
7. Career and learning self-reliance

People are becoming smarter day by day and it is in the hands of the teacher to groom the students. For the teacher to bring the best out of students, they have to know the 21st century lifelong skills and be able to teach their students about it.