Reflection on Integrating ICT for online teaching

                                                                   Reflection

Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) can enhance the quality of education in several ways: by increasing learner motivation and engagement and by enhancing teacher resources. ICTs are also transformational tools. It allow for a higher quality lessons through collaboration with teachers in planning and preparing resources. ICT technologies encourage independent and active learning, and students’ responsibility for their own learning which truly constructs the teaching- learning process. The Online teaching enhances learning opportunities for school children to become quite popular as of late. Since mobile phones have already found their way into their hands, we-chats, goggle classrooms are being used to supplement classroom learning.

 Among many lessons, I would like to reflect on the Mathematics lesson which I have delivered to class V on 20th September 2020. The topic was multiplying decimal; sub topic was multiplying by 0.1, 0.01, or 0.001 with the objective, "calculate the products involving 0.1, 0.01 and 0.001 correctly.” I taught the lesson through video tutorial. The video clearly demonstrated multiplying by moving the digits in the product towards right using place value chart. This short video tutorial was posted to class V we-chat group and Google classroom. For the first time, I taught my lesson in class V using ICT, that was a short tutorial video using Camtasia studio 6.0 after closing the school from 18th March, 2020 throughout the country because of Covid- 19. I noticed my children were getting excited as soon as I sent my tutorial video in our class forum. Though I have conducted the lesson many times in the forum with materials and short video clips, but this time it was a tutorial video which made my children very exciting.

As I started instructing them to watch the video, I started receiving so many positive comments like Sir, next time also we want the video like today. So by going through their comments   I noticed them enjoying the lesson. The positive side of teaching ICT is, the students could catch up very easily. It also minimized my work load since I sent the same video to two sections at a time and that saved my time too. I did not have to explain much because they could understand much better by watching the video. As a follow up activity, I gave them some writing activity. Each child could do the activity without the teacher’s guidance.

This kind of teaching is only applicable for places where there is strong network. Students who do not own the gadgets and poor network fail to participate in the learning activities. Some students and parents couldn’t download videos on time; At times the authentic of the students work is questionable. Another biggest challenge has been limited engagement in the online classes. Even the student who is usually talkative and engaged in the face to face classes, do not engage as much in the online class. These are some of the challenges that we face as a teacher.

Overall, teaching of online classes apparently going very smoothly. Almost 90% of the students could make it to online teaching. Though the learning scenario is different from the way they used to have, they are able to give prompt responses. Therefore with the development of the technologies, there are various ways we can integrate ICT in our teaching so that our learners are equipped with different skills and knowledge for 21st century. Henceforth, I would deliver the lesson with Video tutorial and short video clips

                                        VIDEO TUTORIAL ON MULTIPLYING DECIMAL

                                       

                                  STUDENT WORK AFTER WATCHING VEDIO TUTORIAL