Use of Virtual Learning Centre (VLE)

Virtual Learning Center is a platform for both the students and the teachers to teach and learn online. It is some kind of a learning space which could be done anywhere or at any time. When we were first introduced to the virtual learning center of Paro College of Education, it was a really new experience for all of us. In schools we were not that exposed to online learning thing and now that we have full access to internet and whatever we do are all online. It was a completely new experience for us and also a much better one.

This learning center has made our work much easier and cheaper. Since, the notes and most assignments has to be uploaded we do not have to make an effort to print it or buy it.  It also save
most of our time. Whatever important announcements or information we had it was easily accessible to all of us. VLE had a lot of other options as well where we could have online discussion and even submit assignments online. When we were first introduced to this online virtual learning we had difficulty in using it.

The website for virtual learning center is http://vle.pce.edu.bt/ this is the website for Paro College of Education. In order to login to this website each of us were provided with a student code and we had to create our own unique password. After logging in there are a lot of links for instance home, pce library, time table, online exam results and all. There is even an online library and e-books as well.  Which even makes library, online where we could renew the date and even book it.

There are even links for the courses that we take and it even has an online discussion forum for each course. We could have online discussion about the modules where each and every one of the students can participate and even ask doubts related to the topic that we are learning.  There could be a really effective peer learning as we can even make comments and clear peer’s doubts as well. Virtual learning has been the most effective learning for the students of university and it would even be more effective if this kind of online learning could take place in the school settings too.

Creating blog

Every time we get an access to internet or let’s say while logging in to facebook, we do come across a lot of pages. Some fake and some really useful.  Having said that a lot of you might have encountered some of the most popular pages where people maintain a kind of daily journal or even narrates stories or so. This kind of journal is known as blogs.  Blogs can be maintained either on a daily basis or the other way around.  People all around the world uses this kind of internet tool to be easily accessible and to convey their messages.

I used to and still follow few blogs of some of my friends and also of famous writers, but never really gave a thought of creating one. I was aware of blogs and I envy those who take out sometime to scribble something in their blog.  I find some blogs so inspiring that I even try and adapt or even analyze the things they have written. They are so much captivating that I make sure to recommend or even share it among my friends. It could be even kept as a source of information where people can refer it for some academic purposes.

Being introduced to the ways of creating blogs and why should it be created we learnt the process of making our own blog. It was new to most of us and we were quite excited about that. To create any kind of blogs we first need to have a google account by going through the website www.gmail.com  which is a must. After that we had to go the blog address which is www.blogger.com  then create a title (Teacher as an ICT facilitator) and then an address to that title. For example, teachersasanictfacilitator.blogspot.com.

We were then asked to change the theme and make the blog attractive. There were a lot of links one of them was ‘tags or labels’ which was for us to view the key point and also for the audience. We even have the full control of who all can read or view our blogs and regarding the comments as well.  We now have to maintain the blog and write reflections regarding the ICT module. This is one of the blogs and I hope it would be helpful to those reading my blog. Happy reading!

Introducing ICT in the lesson

Activity using ICT tool

For the past few weeks we had been introduced to ICT as a module. After taking all these classes we had been introduced to different ways and means of using ICT in the classroom setting. Anyone asking this module especially the teachers is way more beneficial than the normal classes that we take. Although we had been introduced to this module most of us would not be aware of its benefits. This module has been talking about all the types of ICT tools we as a teacher can use to make our teaching more understandable and also accessible not only to the classroom but also to the other parts of the world.

Having introduced to all the type of tools we were asked to prepare an activity using one of the tools. We had to choose an activity from one of subjects from grades three till six. I decided to choose a science subject of grade five and the topic was "Connection in series." What i liked about this topic is that there was a simulation for this topic. The website for this simulation was 
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I personally found this tool a lot more relevant than the things we had been doing in the past. First it not only stimulates their cognitive thinking but it also integrates ICT in the learning.

The children would get to experience learning in a whole different way. They get to learn not only about the type of series but also get to do a lot of interesting activities. Learning is diverse and they also learn a lot of technical terms using that simulation. There are a variety of options for the students, if they want to learn about the flow f current, or want to do experiment using different objects its all easily accessible. There would be a lot of earning taking place through single topic.

Unlike the experiments we had been doing when we were in our fifth grade there wasn't much freedom in doing so. Everything was limited, the equipment and the experience and everything we did was solely reliable to the teacher. But now these ICT tools have been a kind of blessing in disguise for both the teacher and the students. It would not only save the time but also would make a very safe environment for the learning. I believe that the students would learn better using simulation as one of the tools in teaching "Connection in series" topic. Not only this, there are a variety of simulation we as a teacher can use to make learning more relevant and meaningful.

Reasons for using ICT in the classroom

The first month of the ICT class I had a little knowledge on how technology can be used in the education. Most of us were not that aware about the ICT usage and how it would make everyday teaching a lot more effective. Since first year itself we had been learning about ICT and now that I reflect on it we were unaware that it would have helped us in so many ways. Keeping in mind all the benefits of the ICT usage I am glad that could make use of it during my teaching practice.

During the six months of teaching practice I tried to make my class as digitally active as I could. For most of the lessons I planned included some sort of technology, be it power point presentation, video lesson or audio lessons. Since the children are mostly exposed to technology nowadays, most of the students find the usage of ICT in the class really effective. The students were more attentive when i showed them the video lessons and i noticed that they could recall the lessons well. Due to which i was more motivated to teach children using the ICT.

Furthermore, I was more aware of both positive and negative uses of ICT in the class. It happened to me that in one of the class I was supposed to take the students in the IT lab. I gave clear instruction on what they were supposed to do and which cite they were supposed to browse. But the moment I took them in the lab they were acting restless and also found out that they were not at all interested in learning the lesson. The exposure made them browse information which were not at all related to the lesson. After that class I had a feeling that I should not have taken them to the IT lab.


Based on what i have experienced during my teaching practice i would say that usage of technology is good to most of the extend. But I should also be careful as to what kind of information the students are exposed to. Acting as a facilitator but remaining dormant might not only harm my lessons but it might mostly harm the students learning. I learnt that exposure is really good while teaching but what I should be more careful is the kind of information students are exposed to. Introducing ICT in classroom  made the lesson more effective and as a future teacher I should make a really effective use of ICT in the class.