Activity 7 - Collaborative Learning

What I have learnt about collaborative/cooperative learning when teaching with ICT:

Cooperative learning when teaching with ICT will enhance students understanding as they work together via the ICT tools to complete a common task. As a result, students and teacher are able to share and create information through: emails, blogs, skype, videos, powerpoint presentation, word documents, spreadsheet, music clips, voice recordings, etc.

In addition general technology, communication and problem solving skills are increased as a product of classrooms with cooperative learning groups.

Activity 6 - Vygotsky's understanding of Cognitive Development

What I have learnt about verbalising and dialogue during this activity?

Language and social interaction is important for thinking to develop. Different activities tend to elicit from us a verbal response that cause us to express our understanding of information. Although, language is an ability which we should posess if we are not exposed to it from within our environment, it is more than likely we will not be able to use it in the socially accepted ways that are known within our culture. In addition, its development takes some practice over time with the right help of others. As a result, there must be some sort of dialogue with inner, to oneself, by oneself; or outer from oneself, to another. Finally, as educators our role is to provide the right environment with the appropriate instructional activities and life experiences to encourage or motivate verbalization and dialogue among our students.

Activity 5. Developmental Psychology

What have I learnt about caring for learners during this activity?

During this activity on developmental psychology, I´ve learnt that we all have a responsibility in helping the child to develop. An a part of our role rely upon collaboration and cooperation in catering or meeting the needs of the child. In addition, the child´s development is not just the physical development, it is also cognitive and psychosocial. It is therefore, evident that there are different aspects of each type of development that affect the other types of development. For example, if the brain is not develop physically to it´s full capacity this affect the way the child grows physically, the way the child grows physically may affect the way how the child interacts socially, the way the child interacts socially will affect the way the child communicates emotionally and psychologially.

What can we do to help the child when the child is faced with life difficulties due to the varying aspects of development not being catered for properly?

We can definitely try our best to work together to provide the appropriate things, which could be in form of material things: food, clothing, shelter, or emotional things, love, care, motivation. Although these things may not be actual, academical needs, they affect how the child will function within the teaching learning process. Often times we look at a child is unable to read, unable to complete mathematical tasks, unable to express themselves/feelings, unable to behave in an appropriate societal expected way, but when we look at these challenges, instead of us giving the solutions, why don´t we be proactive and apply the solutions to make things change for the better.

This activity touched a part of me that has always been an area of concern. As a result, I felt very passionate as I read other persons views/opinions and shared mine.

I believe my colleagues have shared a wealth of solutions in how we can inform parents in helping their children with difficulties.

Successful interaction, with the right interventions, the peoples´ interest will indeed achieve our goal of informing parents.