Informative tool

Information and Communication Technology consists of various tools and systems that can be exploited by capable and creative teachers to improve teaching and learning situations.

1) Informative tools - Internet, Network Virtual Drive, Intranet systems, Homepage

2) Situating tools - CD-ROM

3) Constructive tools - MS Word, PowerPoint, FrontPage, Adobe Photoshop, Lego Mindstorm

4) Communicative tools - e-mail, SMS

5) Collaborative tools - discussion boards, forums.

Informative tools

   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) where information is stored and retrieved whenever and wherever we need. Examples include tools and information resources of the existing multimedia encyclopedia of the Internet. In this digital era, none should lack behind in exploring the informative tools.

  

    The informative tools; text, graphics, sound, or video makes teaching and learning easier and convenient as it eliminates the time constraint. Students can re-read, re-listen, re-watch the information after the class hours until they fully understand the content. It also removes a huge burden of the teacher having to explain the concepts numeral times shouting their throat out. Adding the informative tools in our daily lessons can generate immense interest and student participation, for example we I am teaching about the process of photosynthesis to class 3 children. Instead of writing down the process and definition on the board and asking the students to memorize it, I can show them the actual process in a video clip where the students can see what is happening and make sense of the lesson.

   

    In order to prove the benefits of informative tools we were assigned an activity. we had to look up for information about women playing khuru in Bhutan and prepare a presentation on the information that we retrieved. this activity made me realize that learning is possible even without a teacher giving lectures and directions. I read a lot of relevant articles on the topic and i could find a variety of perceptions people had about women playing khuru. Based on my finding i was also able to arrange the information in a logical order in the form of a PowerPoint presentation. the pictures below show the list of information i could refer to, to prepare my PowerPoint presentation. 

  

     I think informative tools are like treasure boxes, where you dig into information over information and you are enriched with knowledge and creativity to use those treasure in the best way. These tools does not limit our search to learn more, it only encourages us to apply the learned knowledge for our individual and collaborative growth. The informative tools can be used by the students during the lesson as part of activity, after the lesson as supplementary or as a project to generate their own idea. Informative tools are a stepping stone to achieve a good academic results for the students.