Using Microsoft tools in Project Based Learning

Engaging students in PBL activities make both, teaching and learning interesting,free of tension,more students's active engagement,use of digital tools to create artifacts and present findings/products digitally.The most important fact I notice is that students find their learning more interesting as they use a various types of computer applications like Microsoft office package, AutoCollage,Kodu,Movie Maker,OneDrive, and Google and Bing search engines.Even though there are more advanced tools are used by students in other parts of the country,majority of the Sri Lankan students use an average set of Microsoft tools.But they are being used creatively.

Create a collage quickly and easily

AutoCollage uses face and object recognition to swiftly create a collage of several images. You choose the collage that delights you and best displays the relevant content. With three easy clicks, you open, select, and save your image files, then AutoCollage does the rest by presenting your images in a perfect collage.

System requirements:

Processor: 233 Mhz or faster. 1 Ghz or faster recommended.
Memory: 128 Mb. 512 MB recommended.
Display: 800 x 600 resolution. 1024 x 768 resolution with 32 bit color recommended.
Operating System: Windows XP (SP3) or later. Windows Vista recommended.
Hard Disk Space: 5 MB recommended.

Auto CollageFree Download

Teach your students programming by letting them have fun creating and playing their own games. Kodu is a visual programming language made specifically for creating games. It is designed to be accessible for children and enjoyable for anyone. The programming environment runs on the Xbox 360, allowing rapid design iteration using only a game controller for input.

System requirements:

Operating Systems: Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP
A graphics card that supports DirectX 9.0 and Shader Model 2.0 or higher
.Net Framework 3.5 or higher
XNA Framework 3.1 Redistributable

(http://www.pil-network.com/resources/tools)

Comments

Teaching Computer Programming

Learning to program or coding is difficult.....some would say. But have you thought about Computational Thinking ? If you need to solve a problem you have to break it into small chunks or pieces first. (A problem into pieces? Again a problem? Oh no....Define patterns-same thing common/similar and different points ,abstraction- taking out all the details ) Let's see what computational thinking looks like and how to use it in classroom as a teacher. Computational Thinking - Lesson in Action Related Articles https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/blog/computational-thinking-10-years-later/

PBL 30 years ago and citizens of 21st century

This is something I am trying to analyse. Beyond 25 years, I had noticed how my mother taught to her students. She was teaching in primary classes. So, I heard always the phrases “subject integration”, “learning by doing “with regard to her professional talks with her colleagues; and I was not a teacher. I review that, John Dewey’s idea of “learning by doing” advanced and applied in education as a teaching learning methodology called Project –based learning (PBL), was well implemented in her classroom. Her class often went out of the school; surely with permission and with an assistant teacher. (As a child of her, I remember I was worrying about her walking and getting tired, with a class of kids).She had walked along village roads with her students creating a playful and enjoyable atmosphere. She had visited some places with streams or small lakes, tea plantations, paddy fields and official places like surveying institute. Students had come back with a lot of knowledge and experien...

Understanding

Advanced and Boolean Searches -This is a continuation from the previous stage.A very good understanding is essential for creating ,modifying and refining searches to suit the searching requirements. (Eg:Bing) Blog writing -The learner can type,write or talk on a specific topic or a daily journal.Reporting is done through basic understanding.The blogs can be used for discussion and collaboration,which develop higher level thinking of the learner. (Windows Live Writer) Twittering -Twittering helps understanding and collaboration,although facilitates simple forms of messages based on " what are you doing?" Categorizing -Digital classification-organizing and classifying files.Using folders and other tools. (Windows Operating Systems-file management,Auto Collage) Tagging,commenting.Annotating -Learner develops understanding by tagging commenting and annotating on the pages. (Microsoft Word-Ink tool,Review tab options-New Comment) Mic...

E-Teacher

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