Ministry of Education - Guyana In collaboration with the OAS and ProFuturo FOUNDATION 2020. CARICOM. ICT Route: Advanced Level MODULE 2 – DESIGNING NETWORKED INFORMATION EXPERIENCES Training Manual for Teachers of Riverine and Hinterland Regions
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION ELIMINATING LITERACY, MODERNIZING EDUCATION, STRENGTHENING TOLERANCE Message form the Minister of Education
Dear Teachers
Across the world, the COVID 19 pandemic (Corona Virus) continues to cause undesirable disruption to the global education systems. Guyana, as you know, was not spared. As such, we implore you to keep engaging our nation’s learners and we applaud those of you who have tried and continue to try. We heard your concerns when you told us you were uncertain about how to teach using different means, that you lacked confidence, and that you felt you were not equipped. This is our first response in partnership with the OAS and ProFuturo Foundation. This training will give you the much- needed knowledge and expose you to the tools you need to deliver education differently by being innovative and by using easily available technology. We are aware that the cost of data is of great concern to you and we have remedied that by partnering with GTT and Digicel to zero rate the ProFuturo platform domain. This means that when anyone accesses the training platform, data will not be consumed. If teachers have neither devices nor connectivity, we will arrange a suitable location and if teachers, as those in the hinterland and riverine areas, cannot access either, even with our help, we have arranged for part of the program to be done through these printed modules because we know that it is only a matter of time before you are able to access connectivity and devices. We will never leave you behind. I encourage you to take this training offer with vigour so that you can be better prepared to do what you love: influence by teaching the next generations. CONTENTS Unit 1. Introduction 4.5 Earthquest: first steps 1.1 Presentation 4.6 Earthquest: content 1.2 Starting point 4.7 Earthquest: result 1.3 Objectives 4.8 Earthquest: educational possibilities 1.4 Contents outline 4.9 Earthquest: Application in the classroom Unit 2. Networked experiences 4.10 Earthquest advantages 2.1 Presentation 4.11 Earthquest: Type of activities 2.2 Educational possibilities 4.12 Earthquest: skills 2.3 Types of activities 4.13 Other activities Unit 3. Designing experiences 4.15 Celestia 3.1 Presentation 4.16 Orbiter 3.2 Previous steps 4.16 World Wind 3.3 Fundamental premises Unit 5. Conclusion Unit 4. Geo-interactive activities 5.1 Presentation 4.1 Presentation 5.2 Practical activity 4.2 What are they? 5.3 Summary 4.3 Classification 5.4 Final word 4.4 EarthQuest
KEY TERMS Please familiarize with the following terms and meaning. 1. GNU license 6. Virtual journey A license that indicates that users can use, study, share Consists of visiting the web page of an interesting and modify software that functions with this license. location, rather than visiting that place in person. 2. Google Earth 7. Web Mapping A computer program that allows you to view images Web mapping refers to the process of designing, of the planet Earth and scaled images of a specific applying, generating and viewing geospatial data location. through the World Wide Web. 3. Multimedia album 8. Web search An activity in which students must visit a series of A type of educational activity that consists of visiting links with multimedia content that the teacher various web links and evaluating the information they provides. Using this content, they must create a display. multimedia album with text, sound, images and charts. 4. Open Source Refers to software that is freely distributed and used. 5. Significant learning A way of learning in which the student associates new information which current knowledge, restructuring it and incorporating it into their cognitive structure.
NETWORKED ACTIVITIES Before choosing a type of activity, the teacher must consider if they want their students to construct or reconstruct the meaning of the information presented to them, or is it more important that they analyse, compare, order or abstractly consider the information.
ANALYTICS ACTIVITIES Three types of activities can be found: Those that tend towards the construction of knowledge, like treasure hunts. Those aimed at search and validation, such as web investigations. And those that favour problem solving. These include Webquest activities and, within this category, Miniquest and Earthquest activities.
These are open exploration activities, like the virtual journeys or thematic links. They also include media selection activities, such as the creation of multimedia albums.
TEACHING METHODOLOGIES When traditionally modelled teachings methodologies are used, the student is a passive element in the process and the teacher is the “transmitter of information”. The shift towards methodologies based on the creation of significant learning, collaboration and cooperation cause the teacher to change their role to be “guides” in their students’ learning process. The students, for their part, become the protagonists of their own learning, and begin working actively.
EARTHQUEST Google Earth functions.
GEOQUEST They present a format similar to that of Webquests, about a geographic topic.
PERFORM SEARCHES For specific places with the search bar.
CREATE CONTENT With the following tool bar buttons:
FAMILIARISE YOURSELF To do this, open the program and use the navigation tools to search for different places.
Click to follow link https://www.google.co.uk/earth/outreach/learn/
https://www.google.com/intl/en_uk/earth/
OBSERVE DISCOVER SHARE Observe the Earth in three dimensions and rotate it. Discover the names of the Store places of interest Choose a point on the Earth and observe it from various heights. countries, cities, oceans, and share them on the lakes, geographic features, Observe in great detail the streets, buildings, houses, etc. from the Internet. city you choose. volcanoes, etc. Save images and share Observe ocean ridges, compression zones and subduction of the View the meridians, parallels Earth. and tropics. them via email.
WHAT CAN I USE IT FOR IN THE CLASSROOM? Locate and view monuments, taking advantage of Google Earth’s 3D view. Re-construct historic journeys. Set the scene for literary adventures. Consider geopolitical problems by viewing the borders of countries. Present historical scenarios and travel routes. View sports facilities. What other applications can you think of?
EARTHQUEST Earthquest activities are not as structured as Webquests, but they offer the student an itinerary and related questions. You can also use Google Earth as a medium for working on topics from different disciplines in order to develop various skills. In the “Material” section there are links to some Earthquests on these topics.
INTEGRATE ICTS As an additional teaching and learning tool. OPEN ACTIVITIES At the end of the activity, the students must prepare a presentation or project and CLOSED ACTIVITIES present the most relevant aspects from With the provided information, the student must what they learned from the activity. answer a series of specific questions, as posed by the teacher.
IN THE STUDENTS In the teachers
They enable the use of technological tools by contributing They allow teachers to train in the use of ICT tools and, therefore, to developing their digital skills. contribute to improving their digital skills. They facilitate the analysis and management of information They facilitate the possibility of creating new learning scenarios by on the Internet. applying more effective methodologies. They facilitate the organisation, structuring and They contribute to continuous education by using new ICT tools. presentation of information when students must do an They represent a step further towards their involvement in the centre’s assignment based on their experience with the Earthquest. pedagogical innovation. When done in a group, cooperative and collaborative They make possible the exchange of information and resources with the learning methodologies can be applied. educational community by enabling access to pre-made activities and They promote critical and reflective thinking. by sharing own activities through communication channels.
What does it involve? What can you do? Explore the universe in three It is a program that allows you
to view and explore space in 3D. dimensions. Simulate a voyage through the solar It is software that is free of charge, freely distributed under system. the GNU license, and can be Visit more than 100,000 stars in the used on the following operating Milky Way and outside our galaxy. systems: Windows, Linux and Observe galaxies, artificial satellites Mac OS X. and rockets launched from Earth. View planets, moons, asteroids, The content is updated fairly frequently, thanks to comets and spaceships.
the collaboration by the program’s users What does it offer in the classroom? Download Celestia to your It allows you to work with your students computer to start practising with on topics related to astronomy, and even this tool. allows you to pilot a spaceship to explore the universe at the speed you choose. You can access and download for free How does it work? different voyages in The Celestia When opening Celestia, an image Motherlode (website in English). In the of the Earth will appear, which is “Material” section of the course you can the same as you would see if you access links to more activities. were in Space. Try the different options for discovering In the upper section there is a tool the program and see which ones bar which you can use to easily are useful for applying in your control all the actions for which classroom. the program allows.
CELESTIA DOWNLOAD You can download Celestia from its web page. You must choose your computer’s operating system and save the download file. Once it has downloaded, just double click on the file and it will install automatically. We also recommend you consult the “Material” section of the Celestia web page where you will find the projects, guides, and voyages we offer. Celestia web page https://www.celestiamotherlode.net/catalog/educational.php
How does it work? What can you do? You can add files with various functions to Pilot a spaceship to explore the solar the program’s basic configuration. These system. files are available for download for free on Visit 100,000 stars, the sun and 8
the Internet. planets from the solar system. You can add real and Go on manned and unmanned fictitious spaceships. There are also files missions from the perspective of the pilot. available for airports, simulation menu The coordinates of the stars are extensions, planets, space stations, multi- calculated for their position according to purpose screens and other star systems. the date, making the program more Another available option is the scenario realistic and turning it into a planetarium. editor for creating simulations by adding spaceships that are available in the What do you think a flight simulator can database. offer your classroom?
What does it offer in the classroom? You can use Orbiter in the classroom to What does it involve? demonstrate topics related It is an open source free software space to astronomy and space flights and their flight simulator that was developed to be history, by making use of the pilot a used with the Windows operating system. spaceship option. There are many resources for this Since it is a video game, using this simulator that are available on the web program in the classroom can be very and that were created by different users of motivating to the students. You can plan the program. how to run the activity by forming groups One of this software’s aspects that is in advance. worthy of mention is how realistic its One option is to ask them to do a final images are. project about the information they’ve obtained on their “flight” and to present it in the classroom using some type of presentation tool.
ORBITER DOWNLOAD You can download Orbiter from its web page. Two download options are available:. Through an MSI installer. Via a ZIP file. In the course’s “Material” section, you can find various links to web pages with different content related to Orbiter. Orbiter web page : https://orbit.medphys.ucl.ac.uk/index.html What does it involve? What can you do? To begin working with the World Wind is a program developed by NASA, program, it is useful to that allows you to see satellite images of the access the World Wind Server Earth. Status website, which offers It is a free, open source software developed to be many resources.
used with the Windows operating system. The content is in English. The program can be expanded with various applications that increase its functionality, such as measuring distances or obtaining positioning data from a GP.
What does it offer in the How does it work? classroom? View the surface of the planet and interact with When explaining different it, rotating it and expanding different areas. topics in the classroom, Virtually visit anywhere in the world. the satellite images the Superimpose place names and borders onto the program provides can be images. highly useful. Access meteorological information, solar light in With the use of geographic real time, atmospheric phenomena, scientific information systems, study animations, political maps, etc. students can formulate View the geographic features and orography of hypotheses and solve the Earth, the Moon, Jupiter, Mars and Venus. problems, by relating View a celestial map of the stars. information of various types Access the catalogue of places of interest, such to a geographic area. as the Grand Canyon, the Alps or the Sahara desert.
WORLD WIND DOWNLOAD You can download World Wind on your computer from its website. Before downloading, you must accept the license agreement from NASA Open Source. For it to run properly, you must have Microsoft .NET and DirectX installed on your computer. During the installation process, you are offered the option to install them if you haven't already. Following this, you can continue with the download by means of a ZIP file. World Wind web page : https://worldwind.arc.nasa.gov/