Manfaat Teknologi Informasi dalam Dunia Pendidikan

Sebagai Pembelajaran Interaktif

Sebagai Pembelajaran Interaktif

Selain memungkinkan terjadinya komunikasi tanpa batas ruang dan waktu, teknologi interaktif juga bisa dimanfaatkan untuk mencakup pembelajaran interaktif. Pembelajaran cara ini merupakan pembelajaran yang kaya media, kaya informasi, dan kaya komunikasi. Dengan menggunakan teknologi interaktif, manusia bisa belajar dari materi yang disampaikan dengan format multimedia. Dalam pembelajaran interaktif berbasis teknologi, belajar menjadi lebih menarik karena diperkaya dengan suara, gambar, gambar bergerak, dan tingkat interaktivitas dengan media tersebut (misalnya: klik, mouseover). Tetapi, yang lebih utama adalah menggunakan teknologi untuk memungkinkan interaksi dengan instruktur, sesama pelajar, dan sumber belajar lain di luar batas ruang (di perusahaan lain, negara lain, benua lain, dan di industri yang lain) agar pembelajaran dan pengalaman belajar menjadi lebih berarti dengan hasil yang lebih baik. Survei di bidang pembelajaran bahasa Inggris membuktikan bahwa pembelajaran di kelas dengan kualitas guru yang baik, yang diperkaya dengan pembelajaran berbasis teknologi interaktif dapat mengurangi waktu belajar secara signifikan. Dengan demikian pembelajaran berbasis teknologi interaktif dengan kualitas guru yang sama menjadi 40 persen sampai 60 persen lebih cepat daripada belajar di kelas tanpa bantuan media apapun.

Manfaat EdukasiNet bagi Guru dan Siswa

Manfaat EdukasiNet bagi Guru dan Siswa
Manfaat yang penulis rasakan dengan keberadaan edukasinet yang dapat diakses kapan dan dimana saja, memiliki manfaat yang sangat besar baik bagi guru itu sendiri maupun bagi siswa diantaranya adalah:
1. Membantu guru dalam menjelaskan konsep-konsep yang bersifat abstrak. Dengan kata lain dapat membantu dalam mengatasi keterbatasan media pembelajaran,
2. Proses belajar mengajar bisa lebih menarik dan interaktif karena adanya animasi dan simulasi yang menjadi stimulus bagi siswa dalam berinteraksi,
3. Bagi siswa dapat digunakan sebagai bahan pengayaan untuk belajar secara mandiri, sehingga semakin banyak siswa gemar dan menekuni lebih jauh,
4. Memungkinkan guru membuat white board interaktif dengan mengakses bahan pengajaran dan ditayangkan melalui proyektor.

Dengan demikian keberadaan dan kehadiran edukasinet dapat digunakan sebagai media alternatif yang lebih efektif dan efisien sehingga dapat menciptakan suasana belajar mengajar yang lebih variatif dan menyenangkan

Ragam Pemanfaatan TIK dalam Dunia Pendidikan

Ragam Pemanfaatan TIK dalam Dunia Pendidikan

Teknologi informasi merupakan suatu proses perkembangan teknik, metode dan media komunikasi untuk bertukar informasi antar manusia. Pada awalnya manusia bertukar informasi melalui bahasa. Melalui bahasa orang lain dapat memahami informasi apa yang kita sampaikan. Dengan bahasa orang dapat menerima informasi namun jangkauan informasi yang disampaikan tersebut sangatlah terbatas baik secara ruang ataupun waktu. Kita menyampikan sesuatu melalui bahasa pada suatu saat mungkin hanya dapat menjangkau pada beberapa puluh orang saja. Selain dari bahasa, media yang digunakan dalam berkomunikasi adalah gambar. Melalui gambar pesan yang disampaikan dapat menjangkau sasaran yang lebih luas serta mempunyai dimensi waktu yang lebih lama. Informasi yang disampaian dapat bertahan lebih lama dibandingkan dengan media bahasa.
Selanjutnya manusia menciptakan huruf dan angka yang membentuk sebuah kalimat untuk menyampaikan pesan-pesan informatif. Melalui teknologi ini informasi dapat lebih cepat, terdokumentasikan dan mempunyai jangkauan sebar yang lebih luas dibandingkan dengan media gambar. Perkembangan dunia komunikasi telah sampai pada titik dimana manusia melakukan rekayasa dengan mensinergikan ilmu pengetahuan yang diimplementasikan dan dikembangkan secara terus menerus (teknologi). Rekayasa pemanfaatan teknologi dalam proses komunikasi tersebut telah melahirkan sebutan teknologi informasi.
Sebenarnya teknologi informasi ini menunjuk pada sabuah tatanan kuat implementasi ilmu pengetahuan yang diperoleh dan dikembangkann oleh manusia. Tatanan ini telah mencapai pada suatu titik dimana terdapat pengakuan bahwa hasil pengembangan ilmu pengetahuan sudah diakui oleh masyarakat dalam membantu mempermudah kehidupan masyarakat. Pada saat ini teknologi informasi telah merambah pada semua dimensi kehidupan masyarakat. Hal ini diperkuat dengan adanya proses integrasi antara ragam kehidupan masyarakat dengan teknologi serta antara teknologi yang telah teraplikasi dengan teknologi lainnya. Disamping itu juga telah terjadi pengayaan sebuah teknologi. Dulu handphone hanyalah sebuah alat untuk menelopon semata. Namun sekarang telah terjadi integrasi dengan komputer serta pengayaan fungsi tidak hanya sebagai alat untuk menelepon. Teknologi informasi telah menjangkau pada semuata tatanan kehidupan masyarakat termasuk dalam dunia pendidikan. Sebenarnya teknologi adalah sebuah tool yang apabila diketahui cara memanfaatkannya dapat memberikan kemudahan dan keefektifan dalam berkomunikasi dan berinteraksi. Sehingga teknologi informasi bagi dunia pendidikan akan dapat memberi nilai lebih jika mengetahui bagaimana cara memanfaatkannya.

Karakteristik Media dalam Multimedia Pembelajaran

Karakteristik Media dalam Multimedia Pembelajaran
Sebagai salah satu komponen sistem pembelajaran, pemilihan dan penggunaan multimedia pembelajaran harus memperhatikan karakteristik komponen lain, seperti: tujuan, materi, strategi dan juga evaluasi pembelajaran.
Karakteristik multimedia pembelajaran adalah:
1. Memiliki lebih dari satu media yang konvergen, misalnya menggabungkan unsur audio dan visual.
2. Bersifat interaktif, dalam pengertian memiliki kemampuan untuk mengakomodasi respon pengguna.
3. Bersifat mandiri, dalam pengertian memberi kemudahan dan kelengkapan isi sedemikian rupa sehingga pengguna bisa menggunakan tanpa bimbingan oran lain.
Selain memenuhi ketiga karakteristik tersebut, multimedia pembelajaran sebaiknya memenuhi fungsi sebagai berikut:
1. Mampu memperkuat respon pengguna secepatnya dan sesering mungkin.
2. Mampu memberikan kesempatan kepada siswa untuk mengontrol laju kecepatan belajarnya sendiri.
3. Memperhatikan bahwa siswa mengikuti suatu urutan yang koheren dan terkendalikan.
4. Mampu memberikan kesempatan adanya partisipasi dari pengguna dalam bentuk respon, baik berupa jawaban, pemilihan, keputusan, percobaan dan lain-lain.

Manfaat Multimedia dalam Pembelajaran

Manfaat Multimedia dalam Pembelajaran
Secara umum manfaat yang dapat diperoleh adalah proses pembelajaran lebih menarik, lebih interaktif, jumlah waktu mengajar dapat dikurangi, kualitas belajar siswa dapat ditingkatkan dan prises belajar mengajar dapat dilakukan di mana dan kapan saja, serta sikap belajar siswa dapat ditingkatkan.
Manfaat di atas akan diperoleh mengingat terdapat keunggulan dari sebuah multimedia pembelajaran, yaitu:
1. Memperbesar benda yang sangat kecil dan tidak tampak oleh mata, seperti kuman, bakteri, elektron dll.
2. Memperkecil benda yang sangat besar yang tidak mungkin dihadirkan ke sekolah, seperti gajah, rumah, gunung, dll.
3. Menyajikan benda atau peristiwa yang kompleks, rumit dan berlangsung cepat atau lambat, seperti sistem tubuh manusia, bekerjanya suatu mesin, beredarnya planet Mars, berkembangnya bunga dll.
4. Menyajikan benda atau peristiwa yang jauh, seperti bulan, bintang, salju, dll.
5. Menyajikan benda atau peristiwa yang berbahaya, seperti letusan gunung berapi, harimau, racun, dll.
6. Meningkatkan daya tarik dan perhatian siswa.

How to be a good English Teacher

It is absolutely true that some people, from the time they are in first grade, know they want to be teachers. For others, the idea to become a teacher can be a sudden insight, or a feeling that ferments for years in some remote corner of their consciousness. Regardless of where the idea comes from, for many, the images associated with becoming a teacher are compelling. However, as is often the case in life, the differences between images and reality can be stark, unsettling, and disappointing. Current uncertainties in the American, as well as world economies only serve to exacerbate the differences. This reality is the reason for this page.

We all know that as the "Baby Boomers" retire and leave teaching in large numbers over the next ten years, probably more than a million new teachers will be needed to replace them, let alone hundreds of thousands needed to keep pace with the anticipated growth of student populations, the current world-wide recession notwithstanding. Perhaps you will be one of these new teachers Perhaps not.

The current world-wide recession as of February 2010 has had some impact on public school systems hiring new teachers. In some areas there are hiring freezes, increased class sizes and cuts in courses offered, all of which affect hiring. This situation likely won't last more than a few years, and teachers will be hired, but probably at a much slower pace, affected possibly by the decisions of older teachers to stay longer in teaching than they originally planned. My advice is to hang in there, and be patient.

Please read on.

For lack of a better way to say it, this page is about some basic teacher-things. For sure, not every person who wants to be a teacher should be a teacher. There is a vast gulf between the ideal of teaching and the reality of the classroom. Teaching probably won't make you rich, and, to be sure, no one should make any career decision without gathering as much information as possible. Tips on becoming a teacher is a start.

Make no mistake; teaching is like no other profession. As a teacher, you will wear many hats. You will, to name but of a few of the roles teachers assume in carrying out their duties, be a communicator, a disciplinarian, a conveyor of information, an evaluator, a classroom manager, a counselor, a member of many teams and groups, a decision-maker, a role-model, and a surrogate parent. Each of these roles requires practice and skills that are often not taught in teacher preparation programs. Not all who want to be teachers should invest the time and resources in teacher training or teacher preparation programs if they do not have the appropriate temperament, skills, and personality. Teaching has a very high attrition rate. Depending on whose statistics you trust, around forty percent of new teachers leave teaching within the first five years. It is obviously not what they thought it would be. One thing for sure, it's about more than loving kids.

Make no mistake; as a teacher, your day doesn't necessarily end when the school bell rings. If you're conscientious, you will be involved in after school meetings, committees, assisting students, grading homework, assignments, projects, and calling parents. All these demand some sacrifice of your personal time. If you're committed to excellence as a teacher, it's a sacrifice you can live with. If not, you will be uncomfortable at best.

Teacher training and teacher preparation programs exist in every state, as well as in various forms of on-line courses and degree programs, and the requirements vary. You will have many options from which to choose. Choose wisely. My own advice is to select a program that offers a rich and solid foundation of courses, regardless of whether you intend to teach at the elementary, middle school, or high school level. I believe that no teacher education program, including the one in which I teach, can actually teach you how to teach. Rather, what we do is get you ready to learn how to teach, and that takes place on the job. My advice is to choose a program that offers a rich balance of subject matter content courses and pedagogy, including clinical experience in all its forms. You are learning both skills and understandings in any teacher education program. Practice those skills as perfectly as possible, and strive each day to deepen your understandings of the concepts, theories and generalizations that you encounter. By doing so, you will build a solid foundation for learning how to teach once you become employed, and, you will be a better teacher.

From my own teaching experience and from discussions and teaching many hundreds of teachers and thousands of teacher education students, there emerge common threads of understanding and skill that good teachers weave into an effective personal style of teaching. Assess your own knowledge and values in terms of your thoughts about the following:

Good teachers:

are good at explaining things. Do you like to explain how something works, or how something happened? Being comfortable with explaining content to students is an essential skill for teachers, regardless of the subject or grade level.

keep their cool. There will be times when you will be tempted to scream or yell at your students, other teachers, parents, administrators, and so on. Good teachers are able to successfully resist this urge.

have a sense of humor. Research has consistently shown that good teachers have a sense of humor, and that they are able to use humor as part of their teaching methods. Humor, used properly, can be a powerful addition to any lesson.

like people, especially students in the age range in which they intend to teach. Most teachers choose an area of specialization such as elementary education, special education, secondary education, or higher education because they have a temperament for students in those age ranges. If you are not comfortable working with young children, don't major in elementary education!

are inherently fair-minded. They are able to assess students on the basis of performance, not on the students' personal qualities.

have "common sense." It may sound a bit corny, but good teachers are practical. They can size up a situation quickly and make an appropriate decision. Whether managing a classroom, leading students on a field trip, seamlessly shifting from one instructional procedure to another, assigning detentions, supervising an intern, or dealing with policy and curriculum issues in the school, there is no substitute for common sense.

have a command of the content they teach. For elementary school teachers, that means having knowledge of a broad range of content in sufficient depth to convey the information in meaningful ways to the students. For secondary school teachers, it usually means having an in-depth command of one or two specific content areas such as mathematics or biology.

set high expectations for their students and hold the students to those expectations. If you are thinking about becoming a teacher, you should set high expectations for yourself, and demand excellence not only of yourself, but your students as well.

are detail oriented. If you are a disorganized person in your private life, you will find that teaching will probably be uncomfortable for you. At the very least, teachers must be organized in their professional and teaching duties. If you're not organized and are not detail oriented, teaching may not be the best choice of a profession for you.

are good managers of time. Time is one of the most precious resources a teacher has. Good teachers have learned to use this resource wisely.

can lead or follow, as the situation demands. Sometimes, teachers must be members of committees, groups, councils, and task forces. Having the temperament to function in these capacities is extremely important. At other times, teachers assume leadership roles. Be sure you are comfortable being a leader or a follower, because sooner or later, you will be called on to function in those roles.

don't take things for granted. This applies to everything, from selecting a college or school of education to filing papers for certification. Good follow-through habits should be cultivated throughout life, but they are never more important than during your teacher education program. Read the catalog, know the rules, be aware of prerequisites and meet deadlines. In one sense, you don't learn to teach by getting a degree and becoming certified. You learn to teach in much the same way you learned to drive -- by driving. You learn to teach by teaching, by making mistakes, learning from them and improving. The purpose of a teacher education program is to get you as ready as possible to learn how to teach by subjecting you to a variety of methods and experiences that have a basis in tradition and research.

All of these qualities define some of the characteristics of good teachers. If it is not your goal to become a good teacher at the very least, perhaps thinking about the above will help you see other career alternatives. A good idea, when first making such a decision, is to talk to teachers. Find out what they do, and what led them into teaching. Do a personal inventory of your own values, personality, preferences and goals. But, whatever you do, don't go into teaching simply because you love kids!