The Computer as the Teacher's Tool

Computer can support the constructivism and social constructivist paradigms of learning

Constructivism was introduced by Jean Piaget.They gave stress that to knowledge discovery of new meaning ( concept or principles) in the learning process.This can be foster by making students engaged in gathering unorganized information from which they can induce ideas and principles.

Students are asked to apply discovered knowledge to new situations, a process for making their knowledge applicable to real life situation.

Another psychologist, N. Vygotsky  stressed that learning is affected by social influences.He suggest the interaction process in learning.In addition to this, Dewey sees language as a medium for social coordination and adaptation.Human learning is really human languaging that occurs when students socially share, build, and agree upon meanings and knowledge.

Compare and Contrast

What to do

But this two can be achieve together with the use of the computer, by having the computer as a tool for teachers.The teacher can employ this as an information tool, communication tool,constructive tool, co-constructive tool and a situating tool to meet the learning objectives.

Let us be open to different things, to come up with a better one.

-Happyday

The Computer as a Tutor

           Computer before they said was only use for mathematical solving and logical operation.Years and years past, the big computer that can accommodate a room because of it's size is now in everyone's home and hands.It is now called your personal computer (PC), Laptop, Notebook, Notepad. It can be seen at our very own home, offices, business, industries and now in school.

           Educators has seen as a good avenue for individualized instruction and learning.Wherein they can install programs in each PC that the student is assign to and  they can do the lesson / activity base on the instruction of the teacher.Their attendance and performance can be measured too.

          Yet let us not forget that computers aren't there to replace teachers.They are invented to assist and not to over rule. The programs, instructions, objectives and learning outcome is being made by the teacher and being feed to the computer so to be used by the students.This make the computer a partner of the teacher in the learning instruction, a new learning environment for drill, practice and feed backing.The students is there to receive the knowledge and skills being shared to them, so they can apply, retain and be inform.

        Also, our students aren't machines as well, they also need personal interaction from their teachers in the real world and not just in the cyber world.

                                                                                                                -Happyday

Computers as Information and Communication Technology

                During Spanish time, they use quill  for writing or one of the communication media being use.Classes been conducted in the house and the audiovisual media being use the are things around the house or the community.Time flies and new equipment and materials emerges.We have the chalk, the printing press, cartolina, manila paper, colored pen and alike.Later white board, over head projector, big screen, microphone,camera, stereo,  CD, DVD, etc. sets in.For the latest, we have digital camera, LCD projector, and of course the computer with different programs and features.

   
              Instruction Media is composed of  audiovisual media  pens, photo, film, video) and educational communication media ( radio,television, computer).These are both needed and being applied in the delivery of  learnings.Haven't you notice that now a days, audiovisual media and educational communication media is already one?Yes it is.Where?In the computer.We can encode what we can to convey, we can see videos, we can communicate, etc.They can have the different programs in their hands for their learning needs and everyday needs.We can see that learning equipment has been amplified in time.


               If it is a store, it is a one stop store that has it all for you.
            
               Before, information and communication technology is like an oil and an egg yolk.We keep trying to stir it so to blend it both in the delivery of learning.Then computer emerges which mix it both, a mayonnaise is made.

                              Happyday

Higher Thinking Skills though IT Based Project

               In the previous chapter, we have been talking about cognitive development, higher thinking skills and so forth. It suggest that we can come up of a learner to be flexible, analytical and creative.How these can be done? Through different activities which has a learning outcome that can meet these needs.

              One of these  is resource based project. The teacher determines the topic and presents the problem , on the other hand the learners are expected to find information, solve the problem, and organize it all.This make the teacher a facilitator and the leaner as the one who discovers.The 4 concepts being discuss in the previous blog is of great help in the conduction of the class and the learning outcomes.

                    We should let our student think and not just be spoon feed.

                                  Unlock their abilities and gifts kept hidden.

-Happyday

IT for Higher Thinking Skills and Creativity

                  Before , most of the teaching approach is more on achieving learning outcomes following the lower end of Bloom's Taxonomy : knowledge, comprehension and application.It is the memorization, simple understanding and application of concept.I didn't say it is wrong, these 3 is still of a great use but we need  to make our learner as someone who just don't memorize but also who knows how to be flexible, analytical and creative.


                We can achieve this and apply this now in our method / strategies of teaching.Like in IT, they can come up activities or methods proposed for the use of computer based technologies as integral support to higher thinking skill and creativity.To enhance and sharpen the learner's ability.


                     Let us have a learner who not just live in what is solely written in the book he reads, but a learner who knows the book's content and be ready to apply it, can analyze and can come up new things out of it for betterment of the world.

                                     - Happyday

             

IT Enters a New Learning Environment

              Innovation is define as something new creation or improvement of products, technologies, or ideas.New learning activities is being used by teachers to see how effective do students interact in integrating these activities with technology in the teaching-learning process.What do we need to achieve our instructional goals?We need conceptual models of learning, means it is a concept wherein our school learning activity is anchored.

                

           There are 4 conceptual models of learning which of a great help.First is Meaningful Learning, wherein it gives focus to new experiences that is related to what the learner already already knows.Learners are encourage to recognize relevant personal experiences and also hands on activities to simulate learning.Another concept is, Discovery Learning.Students are ask to perform tasks to uncover what is to be learned.The learner is given a problem and he is made to identify or to discover key concepts.Next is, Generative Learning is about giving emphasis to what can be done with pieces of information and not just by getting access to it.In here we have active learners thereby creating personal model or explanation to the new experiences in the context of existing knowledge.The last one is, Constructivism  where the role of learning is to help the individual adapt to his personal world.Learning consists on what can a person actively assembly and not what he can receive passively.

          These 4 concept wanted to come up with similar outcome for the learners.They wanted their learner to be active and purposeful.Learners who can set strategies, achieve goals, seek understanding, interpret, respond and to make their learning experience relevant to their lives.There are all of a great help in integrating educational technology in the teaching -learning process.

                 The different concept is of great help yet we should never forget that each of our learners is different.Their background, need and capabilities is different.Although we have good purpose in having informational technology in our classroom activities, let us all be reminded that not all learners can afford the different gadgets needed and not all school can provide such. In selecting a concept or theory for the teaching-learning process, we should remember the out most benefit  of everybody.

                    

                      Learning Objective :Learner focus and not just teacher focus.

              

                                                                              -Happyday

State of the Art Educational Technology Application Practices.

                  

      Technology is fast changing that you can't notice that what you have today is already obsolete for tomorrow.Just like how fashion changes the next season or your fave music of today can be a backtrack the next week.That is why teachers, conducting IT subjects or not, needs to be computer literate and be competent as well in the field of computer and his subject matter.They should be able to be always aware of the new trends that may come up or else their students will have an obsolete knowledge or much worse is when they will be taught by their students instead.

       How can this be achieve ?How can they improve their computer skills from time to time? Collaboration activity is needed.First will be the support of the administrators in acquiring the needed facilities ( hardware, software, etc).Next to this will be having the teachers engage in computer courses/seminars yearly., they should be motivated to apply it.Still, educators needs to balance things, from IT instruction and not, time management and expenses and morals for not all learning is computer base.

       Learning new is good,but not to the extend of fully forgetting the old ones.In everything , moderation is needed to balance everything.Just like the lyrics of the Spice Girls song
" too much of something is bad enough".

   Happyday