Disappearing of Forest

 

Blog 4

Topic: Disappearing of Forest

Subject: Social Studies

Class: Four

When ICT is integrating in the classroom teaching learning, it is believed that the skills of the future are the use of powerful technologies. The traditional textbook can no longer fulfill the need in the rapid changing and the information-explosion world. Moreover, traditional teacher-centered approach makes classroom no longer an effective system to prepare students for the realities which they face in the near future. Technology works as a best supporting tool making complex processes or creative experience either possible or easier to accomplish and technology can offer new ways to provide meaningful, real-life context for learning. So, it is important for the educators to integrate technology in the classroom teaching learning.  

In this forth blog, I did on the topic disappearing of forest from class four social studies textbook where this topic was given by the tutor and I will be teaching on why and how people destroy forest and ways to protect forest. I found that teaching about forest is very important for the younger children because we depend on forests for our survival, from the air we breathe to the wood we use. Forest provides us with shelter, livelihoods, water, food, and fuel security. All these activities directly or indirectly involve forests. Forest is not only important for the human, but also important for the animals as well. Forests provide habitats to diverse animal species. They are home to 80% of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity, and they also form the source of livelihood for many different human settlements. Besides providing habitats for animals and livelihoods for animals, forest also offer watershed protection, prevent soil erosion and mitigate climate change. So it’s important for children to know the overall importance of forests in our life. Moreover, it’s important for the children to know why and how people destroy the forest.

Creation of teaching learning materials

For this blog, I have created a Camtasia video as a Constructive tools on teaching disappearing of forest for class four students. Before I made the Camtasia video, firstly, I have downloaded different related pictures on the topic such as shifting cultivation, fuel, logging, forest fires, and overgrazing images that causes the disappearing of forest from the Google and I separate all the pictures according to the sub-topics by creating different folders and inserted in the folders. In next, I have collected all the information and I kept all the information ready for preparing presentation. After that, I opened the Microsoft PowerPoint and started creating the PowerPoint. While creating PowerPoint, I used all the features and tools available in PowerPoint.

I have seventeen slides in my PowerPoint including Thank You slide. In my PowerPoint, I have explained and emphasized on three important sub-topics such as how people destroy forest, why people destroy forest and finally on ways to protect forest. Then, I have inserted the related pictures according to the topics to provide the accurate information to the students. In the first slide, I inserted the pictures related to the topic and then I inserted the text box to write text.

Then I changed the colour of the text from the font color to create the presentation more attractive. After that I inserted the related pictures and followed by inserting the text box. I have even looked at the colour combination of the pictures and the text. Then I inserted different colours of text in different slides. For the other slides, I did the same step/ procedures as mentioned above. In my last PowerPoint slide, I have given few questions related to the topics as homework and they will send their work in the Whatsapp and Wechat to check the understanding of their learning.  

After that I applied the animation on it. While applying the animation, I have selected each pictures and text one by one which takes a lot of time. I opened the ‘animation pane’ to make the duration and time. I used different animation to captures the attention of the learners and to understand it in a better way. Then I did voiceover in PowerPoint slide using AddsIn tool bar which is directly connected with the Camtasia app. While I recording, I have made many mistakes where I have to do it repeatedly more than 3-4 times. After that, I have recorded my voiceover step by step in order not to make more mistakes. I have converted my PowerPoint into three short videos and saved it in my desktop. After me completing all the recording, then I have imported my files in Camtasia to make a video. Though the video should be of 10 minutes, for me, it took a day to complete my video making because I have to cut the unwanted one, then trim it and I have even inserted transition in the Camtasia video in order to make my video attractive. Finally, I have done my Camtasia video and produce it.

Instructions for the use of content- based materials

I will use my Camtasia Video during my lesson development because lesson development is the crucial stage where teacher need to input all the information to make them more familiar with the topic. In this stage, students must acquire the information of the main topics that we discussed in the session. But in my lesson introduction, I will ask few students to share what they have learned in the previous class and will let them to make a connections with the today’s lesson. Before I move on with the main topics, in their respective group, I will let them to discuss how and why people destroy forest and suggest few ways to protect forest. Then will discuss on their discussion. Then I will move on the lesson development where I will show my Camtasia Video to get more information of the lesson. So will let them to watch, listen carefully and take some important notes on it. Throughout my lesson, I will show my video and I have provided few questions in the video to take it as a home work due to the limited time. Before we end our session, will do some question answer session as a class work in order to check their understanding of the lesson and that will be the follow up of the lesson that we discussed. So, using this technology will allow students to collaborate with peers and experts to work together and it can contribute to successful results in the classroom as to support children’s socialization.

I have also provided few questions for your learning activity. They must do the learning activity as a home work after watching the video. Learning activity must be carry out in an individual. There are four sets of questions in it. After they have completed their task, I will ask them to send it through either Whatsapp or Wechat group to check your understanding of the today’s lesson. Finally, we will wrap up our session.