Lesson 18

Roles and Functions of an Educational Media Center

      An EMC is a facility designed for the housing and utilization of all educational media within the school. It is a basic requirement for a school to render quality service. It is not independent of the school. Rather, like any part of the human body, it is a unit in the school that cooperates with other units or departments that help the school fulfill its mission.

      An EMC renders various kinds of services. Its services boil down to improving the teaching-learning process by making it more interactive, collaborative, interesting and authentic.

What must an EMC have to be a functional EMC?

The evaluation questions for a functional EMC

1.     The  institutional media services

·         Is the administration committed to a media program?

·         Is the program of media services administered by a media specialist through media center?

·         Is the center operating at the same level as other major institutional services of the school?

·         Are there clearly defined policies, procedures, and plans for short, medium and long term coverage?

·         Is the center provided with appropriate facilities?

·         Is the center capable of giving media and/or educational media technology advises/assistance to the faculty.

2.     Media and instruction

·         Are the faculties encouraged to use media as an integral part of instruction?

·         Are classrooms equipped and/or adapted for the best possible use of educational media?

·         Is the media center accessible to all classrooms and lecture/conference rooms?

·         Is there educational media technology information dissemination?

·         Is there proper cooperation between faculty and the professional media staff in the planning, developing, and using media for instructions?

·         In particular, are faculty members assisted by the media center staff in analyzing teaching needs and in designing, selecting and using educational media to meet these needs?

·         Is there a capability for production of graphics, audio, visual and other media materials for instruction?

3.     Classroom facilities

·         Are classroom designed for and provided with essential facilities for effective use of educational media?

·         Specifically, are classrooms equipped for full light control, electrical outlets, appropriate ventilation and media operations space?

·         Are classrooms equipped with a bulletin board?

4.    Media program

·         Are there clear-cut administration policies on the media program?

·         Is there an adequate source/system of funding?

·         Is there appropriate hiring of media center supervisions, creating and technical personnel, consultants and clerical staff?

Lesson 17

Assessment in a Constructivist, Technology-Supported Learning

From the conversation we gather that some students:

·         Memorize very much for the test.

·         Study only for passing score and a passing grade.

The questions we raise are: “is it really bad to memorize for the test?” and is it not good to study for a score and for a grade? The answer to both questions is a NO .

Authentic assessment is most appropriate for the constructive classroom. Authentic assessment measures collective abilities, written and oral expression skills, analytical skills, manipulative skills, (like computer skills ) integration, creativity, and ability to work collaboratively.

In authentic assessment, students perform real world tasks, thus the word “authentic” assessment includes performance or product assessment.

·         You and your students may develop a rubric. It can be a collaborative effort for both of you- teacher and students- in line with the practice of self-assessment, which is highly encourage. In fact with scoring rubric, standards are clearly set at the beginning for you and your students.

·         Assessment in a technology-supported environment necessarily includes display of skillful and creative use of technologies, old and recent, because that is what is naturally expected of us in the real world, a technology-dominated world.

·         In the 21 century, we need to be computer literate and fluent or we get lost or become helpless.

·         These presentations need performance-based assessment or product assessment. It is a direct assessment.

·         We do not test their computer and creative skills, their analytical and integrative skills by way of a multiple-choice.

·         A technology-supported classroom maximizes the use of old and new technology; students are expected to demonstrate learning with the use of both old and new technology.

·         Students may use transparencies OHP to demonstrate the learned skill of topic presentation.

How do we assess of our students have learned the constructivist’s way of thinking, behaving and living?

-          By using the rubric for understanding and improving meaningful environments.

Lesson 16

Using the Project-based Learning Multimedia as a Teaching-Learning Strategy

Compare you list of steps to the following steps suggested by Michael Simkins, who are experts in project-based multimedia learning.

1.)               Go over the K to 12 content and performance standards and competencies to determine objectives and content that the multimedia project will address effectively.

2.)               Estimate how much time you need to spend compared to how much time is available.

3.)               Make clear and explicit parameters and procedures that must be observed in decision making. Take note that involving students in decision making where they can be involved has educational advantages. 

4.)               Set collaborative working arrangements to enable students to share their knowledge and skills and to build on one another’s strengths.

5.)               Determine what resources you will need and what are available.

·         What library materials are available?

·         What information can your students collect or what resources can they gather by going for field trips in the community?

·         Are there people in the community who can serve as resources in the area your students are studying?

·         Is internet available?

·         Consider newspapers, television and radio as sources of information.

·         Depending on what your students’ project involves.

6.)               Plan on how you will measure what students learn.

     Another important thing is to determine the resources available from library materials, community resources both material and human, internet, and news media since this project calls for multimedia. To trim down time devoted to a multi-media project, Simkins et al (2002) suggest the following:

·         Use technology students already know.

Use time outside of class wherever possible.

·         Assign skills practice as homework.

·         Let students compose text and select and prepare graphics and sounds as they plan.

BEFORE THE PROJECT STARTS

1.)               Create project description and milestone.

2.)               Work with real- worlds connections.

3.)               Prepare resources.

4.)               Prepare software and peripherals such as microphones.

5.)               Organize computer files- finding files eats most of your time if you are not organized.

6.)               Prepare the classroom.

INTRODUCING THE PROJECT (ONE OR TWO DAYS)

Help the students develop a big picture to understand the work ahead.

1.)               Review project documents. You can ask students to work with the project documents you have produced.

2.)               Perform pre-assessments.

3.)               Perform relevant activities.

4.)               Group students.

·         By topic interest

·         By student talent and expertise

·         By student choice

·         Randomly

5.)               Organize materials

LEARNING THE TECHNOLOGY (ONE TO THREE DAYS )

     Give a chance for the students to work with whatever software and technology they will be using.

PRELIMINARY RESEARCH AND PLANNING (THREE DAYS TO THREE WEEKS, DEPENDING ON PROJECTS SIZE)

     At this stage, students should immerse themselves in the content or subject matter they need to understand to create their presentations.

CONCEPT DESIGN AND STORY BOARDING (THREE TO FIVE DAYS)

     After collecting initial information, hold a brainstorming session where the whole class or a subgroup defines a tentative approach to the subjects.

Here are few design tips to keep in mind throughout story boarding and production:

·         Use scanned, handmade artwork to make a project look personal and to manage scarce technology resources.

·         Keep navigation.

·         Organize information similarly throughout so users can find what they are looking for.

·         Care for collaboration.

·         Organize manageable steps.

·         Check and assess often.

ASSESSING, TESTING, AND FINALIZING PRESENTATIONS (ONE TO THREE WEEKS)

There are two kinds of testing to think about: Functional testing and user testing.