Instructional Materials PDF

**[Instructional materials]** are defined as print and non-print items that are rested to impact information to students in the educational process (Effiong & Igiri, 2015). **[Instructional materials]** are a great help in stimulating and facilitating the learning of the learners. According to Wrig...

**[Instructional materials]** are defined as print and non-print items that are rested to impact information to students in the educational process (Effiong & Igiri, 2015). **[Instructional materials]** are a great help in stimulating and facilitating the learning of the learners. According to Wright (1976:1) as cited in Cakir (2006) many media and many styles of visual presentation are useful to the language learner. All audiovisual materials have positive contributions to language learning as long as they are used at the right time, in the right place. In the teaching and learning process, learners use their eyes as well as their ears; but their eyes are basic in learning. 1\. ***[Diorama]*** It will make the classroom to be creative and innovative. It is a fun way to build an exciting scene in a small space. Dioramas are small scenes created of layers of materials, all depicting a similar concept or theme. They usually display a historical time period, a nature scene, or a fictional situation. In developing diorama, you will: (1) choose a concept or theme, (2) research the subject, (3) make a rough sketch of your ideal diorama, (4) make a list of the items you\'ll need and gather your supplies, and (5) select a container or box. 2\. ***[Nature Table]*** This is a table that contains objects and/or scenes related to the current season, or upcoming festival or a symbol of an ecosystem. Children love to follow the natural changes that the world offers each month and classroom decorations reflect these. 3\. ***[Writing Board]*** A writing board can display information written with chalk (chalkboard or blackboard) or special pens (whiteboard). Although there are usually more effective methods of transmitting information, the writing board is still the most commonly used visual aid. 4\. ***[Flip chart]*** It is a large tablet or pad of paper, usually on a tripod or stand. 5\. ***[Zigzag board]*** It is a multi-board series of three or four rectangular boards. They are joined together along the sides by hinges so that they can be easily folded up and carried. Each board can be of a different type, for example, a whiteboard. a chalkboard, a flannel board and so on. The size of the boards for the zigzag multi-board depends on what you want to use them for. 6\. ***[Wall display]*** Displaying items on a classroom wall is a well-known, tried and tested educational method. A wall display is a collection of many different types of items and materials put up on a wall to make an interesting and informative display. In a classroom, the display can consist of the students\' own work. In development work it can be used to convey information to the community. 7\. ***[Rope and Pole display board]*** This board consists of two parallel, horizontal poles tied loosely together with rope. Visual aids such as posters can be pinned to the rope. This kind of display board is invaluable where there are few solid walls for displaying information. It has no solid backing and can be made quickly for teaching. training and when working with communities. Guidelines when designing conventional instructional materials: 1\. ***[Unity]*** - Use only one idea for each visual aid and include a headline. 2\. ***[Simplicity]*** - Make ideas and relationships simple and easy to recall. Avoid cluttering a visual with too many words, numbers, or graphics. The audience should be able to grasp the concept in 10 to 15 seconds. 3\. ***[Legibility]*** - Make letters big and readable for all in the audience. 4\. ***[Consistency]*** - Use the same type style and art style. 5\. ***[Clarity]*** - Avoid type that is too small to read; avoid all caps. The current systems employ technologies by integrating ICT tools and applications in education and in instruction. ICT stands for Information and Communications Technology. This refers to various tools and devices or gadgets used in communicating, disseminating, creating, storing and managing information. It is important that learners understand how to use these tools in helping them learn. A great part of learning is working on information and using it to create something that can be useful and edifying for humanity. Since the intention of education is to make learners become useful and productive citizens, the use of ICT tools can provide a lot of possibilities on how learners can do something with what they know. Teachers can therefore employ ICT tools in their ways of engaging learners by communicating, disseminating, and managing information. This direction of integrating ICT tools will reveal the usefulness of employing ICT Tools in a wider range of the teaching and learning process. It is not necessarily the presence of advanced technology or the use of ICT tools that can ensure the success in engaging learners, but it still remains that the effective use of ICT tools depends on how the teacher will use them. There is a variety of ICT tools from which to choose. When employed appropriately, the potentials of their uses can have bearing on the lesson and the learners\' engagement in the process of learning. In instruction the ICT tools can be used in the presentation of the lesson, demonstrating a point or presenting a concept. There are tools that can be used in providing practice or provide the chance to apply. Familiarize yourself with a QR Code. It is a code that was created by a Japanese corporation Denso-Wave in 1994. Effectively and efficiently connecting the physical world with the electronic world, QR stands for \'Quick Response.\" It allows the readers to decode the information at a high rate of speed. This is popular in Japan and it is also used by companies as they attach their QR code in their products. It usually gives a URL linking you to a website or immediately provides the salient information about the product. You can easily read QR codes through a QR code scanner. Here\'s all you need to do: 1. Have a mobile phone with a camera; 2. Using the mobile phone, download from Playstore of App Store the QR Code Reader/Scanner application. Choose an appropriate QR code reader for your operating system whether IOS or Android. Once installed in your gadget, you can use it to read the codes. 3. Focus your camera on the QR code. Click it and the message will be revealed to you. More interesting than reading QR codes is creating your own QR codes. Using Laptop and the Infographics There is an apparent deluge of information around and access to these is made easier through the internet. You are faced with one major question on how to best. interpret it all and put it into one cohesive information that is quick and clear to read. In the teaching and learning context, you may be faced with a challenging topic given a short amount of time. How can you capture and deliver that information simply and effectively while making it engaging and informative as well? Infographics are an immediate answer to this situation. The infographic is another interesting tool to use in instruction. ***[infographic]*** is a visual representation or an image such as a diagram, chart or picture representing information or data. It is eye- catching and makes use of a clear layout, attractive colors and hues, and caricatures that provide a cohesive presentation of the information. If it is used to market products in the increasing visual world, then infographics can also be employed in marketing information and ideas in the teaching and learning process. One tool that can be used in creating infographics is Canva Chtt://www.catree com). It has several infographics template for education. You can try out the free design elements and produce one just like a professional infographic designer. You can start exploring this site and familiarize yourself with its features. As a gentle reminder, please take time to read the instructions and navigate around the features to get optimal use of it. There are many ways for which infographics can be used. Using infographics: 1\) ***[To present survey datà]*** Presenting statistical data such as from surveys can be overwhelming, Infographics can be highly useful. Data are much easier to decode. They can be made easier and quicker to understand if they are presented in an infographic. An example is given below. 2\) ***[To simplify]*** a complex concept Simplifying a complex idea is the core purpose of using an infographic. This is a very effective educational tool as a way of summarizing key points or providing an overview of a lesson. 3\) ***[To explain how something functions Using infographics]***, you can show the intricacy of how something complex works. It can reveal the mechanics behind how an object works. Designers can create infographics by showing the mechanics behind intricate objects, processes, concepts. Below is an example of an infographic created by Jing Zhang (2018 that shows how the phone works while incorporating a surreal element this appeals to the imagination of the reader. Each component of the phone is accurately revealed. 4\) ***[To compare Presenting]*** information by highlighting similarities and differences through a visual parallel in an infographic can turn out more effective than sometimes expressing it in words. It is easier to draw comparisons with the same information neatly organized. Assess the given the infographic of a superhero - Batman - from the time it was conceived in 1939 to 2013. 5\) ***[To explain how something functions Using infographics]***, you can show the intricacy of how something complex works. It can reveal the mechanies behind how an object works. Designers can create infographics by showing the mechanies behind intricate objects, processes, concepts. Below is an example of an infographic created by Jing Zhang (2018 that shows how the phone works while incorporating a surreal element this appeals to the imagination of the reader. Each component of the phone is accurately revealed. 6\) ***[To present interesting facts]*** When information or facts are presented all in words, the use of infographics can bring life. If done well, the infographics can transform the information into visual image that can attract and engage readers. If there is a written text, the information may not stand out compared tol when it is presented in this format. Information written in snippets becomes understandable and more appealing to the eye. **Technology as a Collaborative Tool** One way to engage students is to give them a challenge and a chance to work together. An example is when you give them an issue to discuss which they can continue talking about even if they are outside of the class. Students may continue the discussion and share information or come up with an agreement by texting, emailing, chatting, or using the online document. Once they have agreed, they can move to the next step of presenting their agreements or resolutions to the whole class. Normally in a regular classroom, teachers may have discouraged students from conversing with classmates during individual work, but sometimes there are positive things that can come out of it as students talk about the task assigned to them or as they work themselves of a complicated task. There are a lot of available tools and applications that can be used to work collaboratively with others. Some of these are skype, wikis, blog, google form, web conferencing, Realtimeboard, among others. You need to explore each application to be familiar with the features. 1\. ***[Skype]*** is a software application allowing you to do a video conferencing for free. All you need is to create an account and can be used for a video meeting. 2\. ***[Wiki]*** is a software that allows you to create a page or a selection of pages designed to allow you to post or write, edit, or upload a link quickly. This is good when students need to work together to complete a task even if they are not physically together. A task such as writing a paper together, planning a presentation or surveying ideas from team members can be managed by a wikispace that efficiently allows one to document the contribution of each member in the team. Work can be extended virtually and asynchronously. 3\. ***[Blogging]*** In blogging, it is journaling your ideas to which others can react allowing a thread of discussion to take place and which can be used online. It is the abbreviation of weblog. It would help if you provide direction when using a weblog. a\. Use weblog with a clear instructional objective. It is an opportunity to explore the skill of communicating ideas. Like in a writing class, you can guide students on how to design the whole blog or upload materials and support students in developing critical communication. b\. Guidance on what and how to post will be needed. Teach the students that the blogging is for educational purposes and is different from a personal blog. Proper or formal language variety should be used. A writing prompt would help to guide your students\' C. With easy access to information, a major obligation is to teach the students to use multiple source and to cite them appropriately. d\. Writing about your ideas is a personal act but it is important that you are taught to make blogs personal without revealing too much of personal information such as contact information and too personal pictures. When writing blogs, you write your reflections but safeguarding yourself is also an important consideration. e\. It may help if you can look for very good examples of blogs. There are online and print publications that review blogs and you can use the information to guide you toward getting good models. 4\. ***[Google Group or Google Form]*** is an application that can be used in a collaborative documentation of ideas contributed by members of the team. Having a google account will come very handy and you can easily have access to a variety of applications. What are digital literacies? ***[Digital literacies]*** are the individual\'s capabilities to be able to effectively and responsibly function and perform in a digital society. The term \'digital literacy\' was coined by Paul Gilster in 1997 and it came from the discussion of the concepts on (a) visual literacy when images and non-verbal symbols try to capture the knowledge; (b) technological literacy requiring one to be able to use technology in addressing a need; (c) computer literacy, which in the 1980s started to become a household item manipulated to achieve one\'s target; and (d) information literacy which refers to the finding, evaluating, using and sharing of information. In the teaching and learning context, digital literacy is an important competence. In school, it has become a buzzword which refers to the ability to access, process, understand, utilize, create media content using information technologies and the internet (Hsieh, 2012). Study the varied digital literacies discussed below. The Digital Literacies ***[Media Literacy]*** - is one\'s ability to critically read information or content and utilize multimedia in creatively producing communications. ***[Information Literacy]*** - is locating information from the web and interpreting while evaluating its validity in order that it can be shared. ***[ICT Literacy]*** - is knowing how to select and use digital devices, applications or services to accomplish tasks requiring the use of the internet. ***[Communications and Collaboration]*** - are one\'s capabilities in being able to participate in the digital networks in the teaching and learning context. ***[Identity Management]*** - is being able to understand how to ensure safety and security in managing online identity and foster a positive digital reputation. ***[Learning Skills]*** - are ways of knowing how to study and learn in a technology-enriched environment; this is knowing how to utilize technology in addressing the need to learn efficiently. ***[Digital Scholarship]*** - is being able to link and participate in professional and research practices. One important component of digital literacy is having an in-depth understanding of concepts requiring essential core skills. These core skills are known as the Cs of the 21\" Century Skills The four C\'s of the 21st Century Skills refer to **critical thinking**, **creativity**. **communication, and collaboration**. To perform well in this century, you need to develop and enhance these skills namely creativity, critical thinking, communication and collaboration. All of these 21st century skills are essentials for students to do well in school and succeed in the workplace. 1\. ***[Critical thinking]*** is learning how to solve problems. It teaches students not to accept immediately claims without seeking the truth. It is the ability to differentiate facts from opinions and not only just learn a set of facts or figures but also discover these for the sake of knowing what ought to be. 2\. ***[Creativity]*** requires students to think out of the box and to take pride in what is uniquely theirs. It means that they will be able to look at a problem from multiple can perspectives-including propose multiple possibilities and alternatives to address a problem and they need to take calculated risks. Creativity encourages students to think beyond the expectations of conventions. However, creativity may not ensure success all the time but it may lead to another direction that can actually be a better way of figuring out how to solve the problem those that others may not see. 3\. ***[Communication]*** makes students express their ideas in the clearest and organized manner. Through varied modes - face-to-face, technologically mediated or a blended medium, they need to know how to efficiently and clearly convey ideas. 4\. ***[Collaboration]*** happens when students know how to work well with others to accomplish a given task or solve a problem at hand. This is a 21st essential. When students are made to work with others in a pair or in a team, they are given the chance to practice how to relate with others. They may be working with classmates they do not really prefer to work with but with guidance, you can teach them to tap on the capabilities of each member of the team and collaboratively achieve the goal. Eventually when they leave school, they will definitely see the need to know how to collaborate with others in order for them to accomplish a job, and you have prepared them for it. In other words, collaboration teaches students that groups can create something bigger and better than you can on your own. In addition to the 4C\'s, there are **Citizenship and Character**. **Citizenship** is known as [netizenship i]n the virtual world. This is making the person consider how one behaves accordingly by observing the norms and rules that are in accordance with what are sociably and virtually acceptable. As a result, one is projecting a reputable digital identity which is his or her character. Digital Literacy Skills vs. Digital Literacy ***[Digital Literacy Skills]*** (focus on knowing how to use specific technologies) are required in the wired world. These skills vary from texts to images to multimedia. Future teachers who will be handling students considered as tech savvy should equip themselves with competencies and fluencies needed to handle the fast-emerging tools and applications that should be able to handle even artificial intelligences. Lynch (2017), identified eight digital literacy skills needed to become digitally literate. These are: 1\. ***[Coding]***. - Coding is a universal language. Basic understanding of HTML, CSS and the like will create a shared understanding of what can be done with the web pages. 2\. ***[Collaboration]***. - The use of Google Docs among others allows student to begin experimenting with effective online collaboration. 3***[. Cloud software]***. - This is essential part of document management. The cloud is used to store everything from photos to research projects, to term papers and even music. 4\. ***[Word Processing Software]***. - Google, Microsoft Online Drop Box are available for storage and management solutions. 5\. ***[Screencasting]***. - A screencast is a video recording using the computer screen, and usually includes an audio. On the other hand, when you take a picture on the screen of your computer, it is called a [Print screen]. Both can be used in explaining topics as well as providing a visual support to clarify what you are thinking. While the print screen is a picture, the screen casting is a video screen capture which is a great way to share ideas and is easy to use for novice video creator. 6\. ***[Personal Archiving]***. - Students should be taught the concepts of meta-data, tagging, keywords and categories to make them aware how are they represented online. 7\. ***[Information evaluation]***. - Critical thinking to weed out fake news is a crucial. The use of tools and skills needed to process information are very much needed. 8\. ***[Use of social media]***. - Social media serves different purposes depending on the user, the technology and the need. For example, students should realize that Twitter can be useful for staying current on the latest news in the field. ***[Digital literacy]*** has been defined in many ways that is understandable by both digital natives and digital immigrants. (ability to use technology responsibly ) Teachers and students should not only be proficient in how to use (digital skills) but they need to see the information and media technology to find, evaluate, create and communicate information requiring both cognitive and technical skills.