Co-constructive tools

ICT as co-constructive tool

The co-constructive tool is a applications that support the construction of knowledge through a shared understating (collaboratively consolidate the ideas. Learners use co- constructive tools to work cooperatively and construct a shared understanding of new knowledge. It gives lots of opportunities for learners to make learning choices. Examples; Google docs, electronic white board, blogs and a discussion forum. The co-constructive tool enables students to develop the skills and confident to become highly effective independent learners, taking ownership of their own learning.

I really liked the idea of integrating co-constructive tool in educational purpose because it links students in different geographic locations exceeding the boundary of class to work on same topic.   And the way learners are engaged in very productive work, as they get the ownership of editing, commenting and make any type of changes on others work and the learners even get to learn different and creative ideas from their friends as well.

When we were working on Google docs for our assignment I felt like it’s a wonderful way for us to collaborate on assignments. Instead of us turning in a rough draft of a paper and waiting several days to get the draft back.  Co-constructive tools are very convenient tool where we can get immediate feedback on our works which makes learning more immediate. These tools provide impulsive information sharing, constructing knowledge and stimulate personal growth.  

The co-constructive tools shared a lot of advantages for both educator and learners as it helps in developing creative partnership within the friends and teacher. It helps learner to become highly effective independent learners as they take ownership of their learning. Integrating co-constructive tools in teaching and learning would be very helpful since it’s very engaging and very exciting to teach and learn differently apart from classroom teaching and learning experiences.

Reflection on ICT as constructive tool

ICT as constructive tools

Constructivism seeks to connect theory to practice and views students as “thinker, creator and constructor” of his own knowledge. Constructive tools are a general purpose tool that can be used to manipulate information, construct their own knowledge or visualize students understanding. Constructive  tools such as Microsoft Word or Power Point has a strong impact in the educational environment. This tool is based on the idea of constructivist believe that human learning is constructed, that learners build new knowledge upon the foundation of previous knowledge and this prior knowledge influences what new or modified knowledge and individual will construct from new learning experience.  Adding constructive activities to the lesson will be great way to make more active learning experiences, promote student agency, and develop advanced skills such as critical thinking, analysis, evaluation and creation.

This tool is a way ahead of facilitating effective teaching and learning. Integration of constructive tool is also one of the teaching pedagogy. Teacher can use these tools to deliver the contents in the form of PowerPoint and any other tools making it more creative and attractive. It provides opportunity to students, to use technology in conventional ways to build knowledge and experiences. For example, activation of former learning activities such as KWL chart erects a structure upon which information can be built are also effective but when this activities are done on computers, there is more opportunity for individual construction and reflection and capacity for inserting tables and graphics may add to promote visual retention for the learner. Additionally, ability to store these individual constructions on computer enhances the probability that they will be reused and reviewed.

PowerPoint is a widely used constructive tool where we can use graphics, add animation and any other multimedia features and it is very advantageous in the context of increasing creativity among students. When we are given the activity to create the simulation advertisement of our locality, despite having knowledge of my locality it gave an opportunities to explore more about the locality and to create simulation. By getting lots of knowledge on this content it helped me to come up with the unique simulation. I got the skill-based training for authoring the tools and fundamental concepts of incorporating multimedia design process. In addition, this tool provides impulsive information sharing, constructing knowledge and stimulated personal growth.   

I found out that constructive tool is very engaging where students get expose to different sources and information to construct their own knowledge. Unlike teaching in traditional classes we can always keep our students engaged through the integration of constructive tool in our lesson to have interactive session, or to have students centered sessions. It always helps learner to learn in absence of teacher and allows learners to participate actively in learning.