Midterm Task / activities

Task 1 - Application Software and Productivity Tools for Educators

1. Give at least 1 example of software (picture / icon of software) used by teachers

nowadays. (explain)

Due to the pandemic, students and teachers are not allowed to have a face to face classes, so the
teachers often use Google Meet to have classes with the students. The disadvantages are that not
all students have the access to gadgets and internet connection.

Task 2 - Effective use of PowerPoint and presentation

1. Make a presentation (30 secs) using PowerPoint.

Topic – New Normal
(Attached in the folder. File name is NEW NORMAL)

Task 3 - TECHNOLOGY AS A TOOL

1. What are the do's and don'ts of choosing and using the tools?

1. Do provide a list of objectives. During their formal education, most teachers receive

instruction that includes the use of the “anticipatory set” from the Madeline Hunter Method,
which provides a checklist of items that should be included in a lesson plan. This simple
statement, or explanation to begin a class, focuses the students’ attention and provides a
framework for the information to follow. When working with teachers, this same approach
provides a good start.
2. Do check schedules. One of the most common mistakes made when offering training for
teachers involves scheduling a workshop in conflict with teachers’ schedules or other planned
events. Check with the building principal, district administrators and the athletic director. Peruse
the school and district calendars for items that may involve your intended audience. Also,
consider the time of day, day of the week and time of the year.
3. Do set aside hands-on time. Teachers maintain that students learn better when they’re given
the opportunity to practice. Whether the material offered is as simple as Internet searching or as
complicated as learning the new school administrative database software, hands-on time proves
invaluable in the learning process.
Time to practice also results in better retention of the material. “The teacher proficiency level
with a new task is established in the training session and increases with practical application of
learned methods,” says Barbara Eubanks, district computer technician and training coordinator,
Unified School District 446 in Independence, Kan.

4. Do provide relevant materials. Center the training around tasks the teachers will work on after
formal training stops. If possible, ask teachers to bring to the training project material that they
can take back to the classroom and use right away. This provides immediate satisfaction and
improves the chances that the teachers will make use of the training objectives.
“Both the presenter and participant must feel confident that the technology will be utilized after
the sessions,” contends Jan Dahlgaard, language arts teacher at Russell Middle School, Millard
Public Schools, in Omaha, Neb. “Recently, our district transitioned to an online grading system
between semesters. Training [at that time] was relevant because we used real students’ grades
and attendance records to make learning the program practical.”

5. Do provide incentives. Incentives provide positive feedback to those who complete training.

Incentives include a certificate of mastery, a congratulatory mention at a school board meeting or
a stipend for successful completion.
6. Don’t get off task. All teachers have encountered the student who attempts to distract the
lesson plan or who will not stay on task. A more advanced attendee at teacher training may
inadvertently alter the presentation by leading the trainer in a direction that’s not intended for
that session.
Many times, especially when dealing with technology users with varying levels of expertise, one
teacher may ask a question that’s not appropriate for the skill level of others in attendance.
Simply state that this is not an objective for the training session and is better suited for a more
advanced workshop. Offer to stay for follow-up questions and suggest that an advanced version
of the training may follow later.

7. Don’t be afraid to say, “I don’t know.” Teachers are familiar with these teachable moments. If
a topic or question arises for which you don’t have an answer, a quick “planned” segue
demonstrating the help menu may cover up a potentially embarrassing situation.
“I like to use those ‘I don’t know’ moments to address what I refer to as clicking phobia,” says
Kathy Adkisson, instructional technology resource teacher at Charles County Public Schools in
La Plata, Md. “When I’m asked a question I can’t answer, I often ask teachers to join me as I
click around and read menus that pop up or drop down. In doing so, I show them what even
experienced computer users do when they don’t know how to perform a task: They click!”

8. Don’t attempt overly challenging training. If a subject area is beyond the skill level of the
audience, the attendees may feel frustrated. “When presenting a training workshop, I find that
teachers like it when I ask a few questions to assess their levels of expertise,” notes Tresa Fahler,
district technology training staff member and teacher at Eisenhower Elementary School in
Independence, Kan. “I can then make adjustments to the presentation.” If feasible, break the
audience into smaller, more teachable groups based on skill level. Then offer separate workshops
to each group.
9. Don’t overload the workshop. Teachers often challenge administrators to keep the student-to-
teacher ratio low. This concept also applies to training. Even the best of trainers can’t be
everywhere at once.
“One important and easy way to make sure training is not overloaded is to choose the
environment carefully,” suggests Lora Bennett, information technology manager at Charles
County Public Schools. “Our instructional technology team prefers to limit the number in a
computer training workshop. We worked together and built a lab dedicated to training that had
spots for only 14 people at computers. This force instructors to keep classes to the desired sizes
and eliminated the compulsion to squeeze just one more person into the training.”

10. Don’t forget to have fun. IT professionals present useful information to people who care
about education. They then enthusiastically take that information into the classrooms. Plan well,
present with a sense of humor and know that teachers are proven learners who need a little
special attention.

Task 4 - Human and Non-Human Resources

1. There are 10 factors affecting the use of resources, choose 3 (with picture) any of the
factors. (explain)

Occupation:
Traditionally the family's life-style, which include time
schedule, the entertainment schedule etc. has been
influenced by the husband's or the head of the family's
occupation. The time schedule of the doctors and
businessman's family differs from that of an ordinary
middle income salaried family. The other factors such as the
size of income, the status of the family, and their social
circle, are also to a large extent determined by the
occupation of the father. Traveling allowance, housing
facilities etc. are all determined by the occupation, which
again affects the status and the living styles of the family.
Socio-Economic Status:
Social status indicates. a perceived relationship of a
person to the social group. Social status accounts for
differences in family values, attitudes, decision
making and in expenditures pattern. In the modem
urban areas, status is something which is achieved and not ascribed through birth. There is a
social stratification in the society, as all people do not enjoy the same life style. An individual
has many different positions in a society, each of which may have distinct status implications.
Therefore, the individual's status is a composite of these different and sometimes contrasting
aspects, rather than the result of anyone. These aspects and their interrelationships are constantly
changing. The complexity of status determination demands great care in the selection if indices
to status. Status groups are classified as upper-upper class, low-upper class, upper-middle class,
lower-middle class, upper-lower class, and lower-lower class. Many families consciously or
unconsciously, choose upward mobility as their goals. Upward mobility occurs only in terms of
their education and occupation. To maintain a higher status, a family has to live up to it and this
directly governs their expenditure pattern, values, goals and standards of status.

Size and Composition of the Family:

The family size, age and sex make up
the family composition that affects their
resource usage. If a large family attends to
maintain the same level of consumption as
that of a small family, it is clear that it will
require more commodities and services.
Food, clothing, personal care, medical care
and entertainment expenditures vary quiet
directly with the size of the family while
expenditures for equipment, housing and
home furnishings are less variable as the size
of the family changes.
The availability of the resources like time and
energy for use increases as the size of the family increases. Similar to the size of the family, in
the use of time, energy and other resources the composition of family assumes importance, If a
large family is made up of adolescence and adults, more human resources are available' and extra
demand on money resource may be expected. In a family where there is a grown up daughter,
she may contribute to the availability of human resources by sharing the activities of her mother
whereas a grown up boy may not be able to do so. Thus, the composition of the family in terms
of sex affects the availability and use of their resources.