Reflection paper on ICT as a situating tool

The presentation on ICT as a situating tool enabled me to appreciate how technology can situate the learners in real life situations which would otherwise be cumbersome or dangerous to be involved in. This kind of learning tool gives the students the chance to navigate in such environments as the simulation of surgery, flying, farming, or even cities in games such as SimCity or Historicity. It was also new to me, yet it seemed very interesting and helpful to develop the knowledge of students based on experience.

Among the key things that I learnt was the concept of learning being more effective when students are contextualized or rather situated in learning context. Examples Farming They can read about farming or they can use a simulation or a graphing calculator and watch the variables change in real time. This assists them to picture the idea and conceptualize it better.

The activities posted in the presentation were useful to me. An example is that graphing calculator was used to learn about equations and that made it more interactive and easier to learn. Likewise, the idea of teaching about the pH levels using Phet simulation or finding solutions to real-life issues such as time-zone difference using Google maps were fascinating methods of incorporating technology in the teaching process.

Situating tools are particularly useful when the real experiences cannot be utilized because of cost, safety, and distance. Such as, not all students will have the opportunities to visit a rainforest or fly an airplane, however, through simulations those experiences can be encountered in the classroom. This helps learning to be more interesting and familiar.

One of the things that I learned in this presentation is that technology can be used to simplify abstract or complex concepts to the students. It enhances creativity, critical thinking and improves comprehension by use of visual and tactile experiences. As a future teacher, I plan to explore simulations and virtual tools in my lessons to make learning more effective.

Overall, this session made me realize that ICT is not just about computers or smart boards but about creating learning environments that are meaningful, contextual, and interactive.