Name Of Teacher : Ms. P.Sugandika Maduwanthi
Code : C-Delta/W/04
School : Ch/Helambawatawana M.V
Introduction
Ch/ Helambawatawana Maha Vidyalaya located in Arachikattuwa divisional secretariat of Chilaw in Puttalam District of north western province. This is one of the main schools located in Chilaw, It has classes from grade 1 to 13. There are more than 1000 students and nearly 50 teaching staff in the school. I have been working as an ICT teacher from year 2009 in my school. I was able to complete Post Graduate diploma in Education programme in the academic year 2017/2018 at the faculty of Education of the Open University of Sri Lanka.
Planning
Being a student teacher of the Post Graduate diploma in Education programme in the academic year 2017/2018, The Open University of Sri Lanka had selected me for C-DELTA program and through this innovative research project I was able to develop ICT Skills of teachers as well as students in my school. After selecting teachers for the project the research team organized a three-day capacity building workshop for the teacher participants and I was able to participate in this training programme and it was very interesting and successful. There are two types of learners called teachers and students. Teachers have to study all the seven modules and students have to study only three modules. Before enrolling for the course modules everyone must take a pretest. After enrolling for the course they have to follow the modules and provide answers for module assignments. At the end of the course everyone should do the post test. All the course modules are very important and they guide learners on how to do digital education. By completing course modules, test and assignments successfully digital learners can gain digital certificates and digital badges.
Three day training workshop was conducted by the research team on 20th, 21st and 22nd July 2018 at SDC (Staff Development Center) of the OUSL. Following photo graphs (Image-01) shows the participation and doing activities in the three day intervention workshops at SDC, OUSL.
Figure 5.1.1- Participating and engaging in activities
This program helped me to develop my digital learning skills and digital leadership skills. At the intervention workshop I was able to work in groups and we did very interesting and challengeable activities. The concepts of Digital foot print and digital Identity were novel concepts for me and I have never heard about these concepts before participating in this workshop. I was able to create individual and group concept maps by getting an insight from the intervention workshop.
Figure 5.1.2- Individual concept map Figure 5.1.3 – Group concept map
Creating concept maps was a very interesting activity and completing pre- test was a big challenge for me due to some English language difficulties. However, I was able to solve this issue with the support from my peers and resource persons. I used Google translator to find the meanings of difficult words and some terminologies of the C-Delta platform. After participating in the three-day training workshop, I was able to implement this project in my school with the support of principal, students and my colleagues of the staff.
Activities to promote the use of C-DELTA programme
There are several activities done by me to promote C-DELTA program in the school. By doing the activities I was able to motivate both students and teachers.
Activities to motivate students
Step1: Ask students to find about their favorite person by using the Google web site. And asked them to make a short description about the person.
Step1: Ask to find about their digital foot print like step1
Step2: Guide them to do a presentation about the findings
Step3: Introduce the concept of digital footprint.
Step4: Ask students to create a report on role of ICT in medicine.
Step5: Guide them to do a presentation about the findings.
Step6: Discuss the resources they have used.
Step7: Introduce the concepts of using digital resources.
Step8: Discuss about social Media like Facebook with the students
Step9: Ask the advantages and disadvantages of networks
Step10: Collect the ideas from them.
Activities to motivate teachers
Step1: Ask teachers to find about president of USA by using the Google web site.
Step2: Ask them make a short description about the person.
Step3: Ask to find about their digital foot print like step1
Step4: Guide them to do a presentation about the findings
Step5: Introduce the concept of digital footprint and uses of it
Step6: Ask teachers to create a report under role of ICT in Education.
Step7: Guide them to do a presentation about the findings.
Step8: Discuss the resources they have used.
Step9: Introduce the concepts of using digital resources.
Step10: Discuss about the social Media like Facebook with the staff
Step11: Ask the advantages and disadvantages of networks
Step12: Collect the ideas of them.
Step13: Introduce the various types of networks
Step14: Conduct the discussion further about networks
Step15: Discuss about social Media like Facebook with the staff
Step16: Ask the advantages and disadvantages of networks
Step17: Collect the ideas from them.
Step18: Introduce various types of networks
Figure 5.1.4- Students engaging in activities
Figure 5.1.5 – Teachers engaging in activities
Discussion
C-DELTA program was successfully done by two teachers and three students. It is very important for them to never leave the digital footprint when they play different roles in the internet. When they study modules, they can gain a vast knowledge about the digital world. After studying the first module, learners can describe some of the issues around digital identities; understand how your digital identity can impact on your life in the physical world, demonstrate awareness of the costs, responsibilities and ethics of expressing an identity; articulate the benefits of a positive digital identity; creating a new digital identity or shaping your existing identities to better represent. When they study the second module they can learn about digital resources and how to use them effectively. By studying this module the learners can use ICT tools to search for and find information and resources online that fulfill their needs; critically evaluate found content for credibility, relevance, accuracy and currency; understand how the production and ownership of resources impact on purpose and intention; Manage and organize the resources you find online; describe some of the issues around copyright, intellectual property, open licensing, privacy and data ownership; understood the concept of digital storytelling by producing some of our own digital resources and sharing own digital resources; identify and find open educational resources.
Module three covers the networking of ICT. By completing this module the learners can demonstrate knowledge of different kinds of online networks; understand issues of power and influence in online networks; identify the different forms of engagement that different networks are optimized for; examine your current network usage against your desired functionality and explore the use of alternative networks; demonstrate awareness of how networks can help you in your personal work or for learning; understand how people might use networks for different aspects of their personal, work or learning lives; select the most appropriate network for the needs; practice using a social network that you have selected; engage with networks in appropriate ways; understand how different social networking activities can impact on your digital identity; articulate the benefits of different kinds of networks for different needs and challenges of using different kinds of online network; understand issues around safety and well-being when using online networks.
There are lots of advantages learners can gain through module four. They can build knowledge and expand the understanding of digital identities, online profiles and digital spaces and Personal Learning Networks. And also examine the importance of being in control of the information provided to anyone with an internet connection. When they study module five; the learners can understand the relationship between technology, education and it’s changes; can ask about technology in the past, at present and future but sometimes it’s difficult to frame those questions; learners explore how an organization can use horizon scanning to prepare themselves for emerging innovations and take steps to understand the context for the envisaged change.
When I introduce the program, I had to face lots of challenges with the institute because my school is situated in a rural area. Both teachers and students are poor with the international language. They have a fear for English. First, I tried to reduce their fear of English with lots of motivation activities. For the success efforts I had to get the support of Google translator software to translate the modules to our mother tongue. Then our members can easily read and understand the modules without any barrier. At the very beginning I completed it with 5 members. And also, in near future I’m trying to add several members to my group.
Self-Reflection
I’m lucky to have this opportunity as a member of C-DELTA program which is conducted by the Open University of Sri Lanka. By completing this project at my school, I was able to motivate the teachers and the students to do digital learning effectively. When they have free time, they come and ask many questions regarding the online modules. Some got certificates and batches. Others try to get certificates and batches. Therefore, they are doing same assignment and tests again and again. It was a great opportunity to join this project.
Conclusion
This report contains the details of C-DELTA research project which is conducted by Open University Sri Lanka. I have done C-DELTA program successfully with two teachers and three students. It was very helpful for them to never leave the digital footprint when they play different roles in the internet. When they study the modules, they can gain a vast knowledge about the digital world. All course modules are very important, and they are guiding learners on how to do digital education. By completing course modules, test and assignments successfully digital learners can gain digital certificates and digital badges.
Digital Education Leaders in Action 