ICT teacher handbook/What is the nature of ICT

Chapter Objectives

This chapter is to introduce students to the various possibilities of ICT in creating and communicating. The students must get familiar with interacting with ICT as well as be able to comfortably use different applications. Understanding that technology can be shaped by society and how ICT can help them, their school or community is an important focus of this unit.

Interacting with ICT

1. Understanding the nature of ICT - how technology has developed in society, how ICT has developed and how it has changed the way society is organized today
2. Understanding about the ICT environment - various devices and applications
3. Understanding the safe use of ICT
4. Understanding the ethical and legal aspects of ICT

Communicating with ICT

1. Understanding how to use technology for self learning
2. Understanding how to use technology for connecting with each other for learning

Creating with ICT

1. Understanding that you can do various things with ICT (like writing, painting, mapping, singing)
2. Getting familiar with different applications for creating with ICT

Additional Resources

1. History of Charles Babbage, who is considered the Father of Computing
2. What is an operating system
3. How has the desk changed
4. World Wide Web
5. Internet of things

Transaction notes for activities

Each activity has the following components.

1. Time estimate
2. Prior preparation
3. Methodology
4. Discussion questions
5. Subject integration
6. Assessment

Level 1 - 2 weeks

How is a computer different from a fridge

1. This activity requires a 3-period block: 1 period for demonstration and 2 periods for the hands-on work.
2. It will be useful to go through the additional links given for this discussion; the classroom must have a projection enabled for this session. The labs should have sufficient computers for students to practise switching on and off.
3. In small groups ask students to come up why a computer is different from a fridge and this can be compiled digitally.
4. Introduce to the children that computer understands data and applications communicate data; distinguish between an operating system and application software
5. In small groups let the students talk about any application they are familiar with and list out the steps involved (this can be a flow chart). This can be used to introduce the idea of computing - the ability to describe a process to get to an outcome.
6. Student created mind maps can be digitized and added to their cumulative portfolio.
7. In small groups encourage students to switch on the computer, get familiar with the various applications.
8. Show them some common applications

What all can a computer do

This activity requires a 3-period block: 1 period for demonstration and 2 periods for the hands-on work. Demonstration 1

1. It may be an interesting idea to start the class with this video : How has the desk changed.
   

The video shows as a timeline how different applications came into the computer. Ask students to watch and make their comments. Encourage them to talk about any applications that they see on the video that are familiar to them. Following this show them the various files on their computer.
Demonstration 2 Resources needed

• The suggested files for showing in the class are listed in the textbook and will be available in the offline textbook also. In addition you can open the following educational applications:
  1. PhET Simulation
  2. Marble
  3. Games
• In addition to this, show the following web pages, drawing the attention of the students to the fact that you are not accessing information not on the computer, but stored on some other computer, somewhere else. Suggested pages are given below:
• Evolution to working on the computer
• Telugu wikipedia
• A timeline of the computer

Demonstration steps

1. Demonstrate the folder structure and show how you have organized the resources for the class.
2. When opening each file ask students to focus on the following:
   1. What is the file name and file extension
   2. How the application was opened (from a menu or right click)
   3. What all did they see on the application
   4. What input had to be given (for example, opening a browser and typing an URL)
   5. What controls are available (increase in size, volume, etc)
3. On student computers, create a folder with an image, video, text document, animation, text document, concept map, geogebra file (from the offline textbook)
4. Students must open the folder on the computers and each of the files. Show the students the Applications Menu on the computer and ask them to explore multiple applications. From this class onwards, they will be creating their own resources on the computer.
5. When you have accessed pages from the internet, through a discussion, introduce the idea that the internet is a connection of many computers. This connectivity is an important aspect of ICT - which allows us to access information, communicate etc. Based on the level of student awareness, the teacher can introduce emails, mobile communication, chats, etc.
6. Students must practice Tux Typing, Tux Paint. They should also know how to open their creations in Tux Paint (See page Learn Tux Paint). In a text editor, students must make a list of 8-10 things they know about ICT.

Level 2 - 1 week

When did it all begin and the human story

1. These are two activities in Nature of ICT level 2 to introduce students to the idea that technology developed in society.
2. Each activity requires a 3-period block: 1 period for demonstration and 2 periods for the hands-on work.
3. Before starting the activity, ask students to discuss about technologies they are aware of and collect information about the technology.
4. The focus of these two activities is to guide the students to understand that technology is not neutral, it impacts society in good an not-so-good ways and society shapes technology. Students must also get an understanding that technology has a life cycle.

Level 3 - 4 weeks

The machine is using us

1. This activity requires a 3-period block: 1 period for demonstration and 2 periods for the hands-on work.
2. This activity requires internet connectivity in the lab.
3. Show the video "The machine is using us" and discuss in class.
4. During the demonstration activity, show the students how to use a browser and how to access the internet pages using a browser. Explain that search engine is a website and this will help look up pages on the internet. Show the following different kinds of websites.
   1. Search engine
      • Google, DuckDuck Go.
   2. Information (Newspapers, TV Channels, Web Dunia, Maps, Weather, Search engines)
      • www.eenadu.com, www.deccanchronicle.com
      • Search for two more newspaper websites
   3. Resource repositories
      • NROER
      • vidyaonline.net
      • KOER
      • Identify two more resource websites
   4. Video downloads / photograph sharing (youtube, teacher tube, geogebratube)
      • www.youtube.com
      • www.geogebratube.org
      • Find out one more
   5. Public services websites (IRCTC)
      • www.irctc.co.in
      • https://www.tssouthernpower.com/
   6. Banking and e-commerce websites (Internet banking, booking my movie tickets, vendor)
      • www.onlinesbi.co.in
      • www.flipkart.com
      • www.dell.com
      • Identify two more such commercial websites
   7. Social networking websites
   8. Collaborative websites (Discussion forums, Hardware software forums, Wikipedia)
      • www.ubuntuforums.org
   9. Institutional websites
      • www.iisc.ernet.in
      • www.dsert.kar.nic.in
      • www.mit.edu

The global digital library

1. This activity requires one 3-period block: 1 period for demonstration and 2 periods for the hands-on work.
2. This activity requires internet connectivity in the lab.
3. Refer to the teacher handbook for how you can build a personal digital library.
4. Demonstrate how to access the internet and download information.
5. Introduce students to copyright and how to access open licensed content

I have a new address

1. This activity requires a two 3-period blocks: 1 period for demonstration and 2 periods for the hands-on work.
2. This activity requires internet connectivity in the lab.
3. In the first block, demonstrate how to create an email account and students must create their email addresses in the first class. You must also create a email group for the class.
4. In the second block, demonstrate how to send and receive emails, individually and to groups. Talk to students about internet safety.