EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY 1- CHAPTER 1-17

LESSON 1

A REVIEW OF EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY 1

            The Education Technology 1 (ET-1) course has truly paved the way for the learner to become aware, appreciative and equipped to use educational technology 1 tools ranging from traditional to modern educational media.
            Truly, the foundation for a truly satisfying exposure to educational technology has been firmly laid down by the ET- 1 course, starting with the through treatment of the history of educational technology, quality education, and the roles of ET in the 21th millennium.
            In ET-1, the learner was also oriented towards averting the dangers of dehumanization which technology brings into societies, such as through ideological propaganda, pornography, financial fraud, and other exploitative use of technology. Sad to say, these dangers continue to affect peoples and cultures while widening the gap between rich and poor countries.
            On the application of educational technology to instruction. Educational technology 1 showed the four phases of application of educational technology in teaching- and- learning, namely: (a) setting of learning objectives (b) designing specific learning experiences (c) evaluating the effectiveness of the learning experiences vis-à-vis the learning objectives, and (d) revision as needed of the whole teaching-learning process, or elements of it, for further improving future instructional activities.
            Adding to the technology sophistication of the learner, educational technology 1 fitting refined the distinction between educational technology and other concepts, such as instructional technology (which is the use of technology and instruction, different from school management), educational media (or equipment and materials, apart from the teacher himself), audio

visual aids (or learning media to stir the senses for more effective learning).
            In sum, educational technology 1 served:
•         To orient the learner to the pervasiveness of educational technology in society.
•         To lend familiarization on how educational technology can be utilized as media for the avenues teaching-learning process in this school.
•         To uplift the learner to human learning through the use of learning technology.
•         To impart skills in planning, designing, using and evaluating the technology-enriched teaching-learning process.
•         To acquaint learners on the basic aspects of community education, functions of the school media center, and finally.
•         To introduce the learner to what is recognized as the third revolution in education, the computer.


LESSON 2
AN OVERVIEW: EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY 2

          Educational technology 2 is concerned with “Integrating Technology into Teaching and Learning.” Specifically this is focused on introducing, reinforcing, supplementing and extending the knowledge and skills to learners so that they can become exemplary users of educational technology. Mainly directed to student teachers, also professional teachers who may wish to update their knowledge of educational technology, it is our goal that this course can help our target learners to weave technology in teaching with software (computer programmed learning materials) becoming a natural extension of their learning tools.

          Necessarily, Educational Technology 2 will involve a

deeper understanding of the computer a well as hands-on application of computer skills. But this is not to say that the goal of the course is to promote computer skills. Rather, the course is primarily directed at enhancing teaching-and-learning through technology integration.

          In essence, the course aims to infuse technology in the student-teachers training, helping them to adapt and meet rapid and continuing technological changes particularly in the thriving global information and communication technology (ICT) environment.
More specifically, the course objectives are:
• To provide education in the use of technology in instruction by providing knowledge and skills on technology integration-in-instruction to learners
•    To impart learning experiences in instructional technology-supported instructional planning
• To acquaint students on information technology or IT- related learning theories with the computer as a tutor
• To learn to use and evaluate computer-based educational resources
• To engage learners on practical technology integration issues including managing IT classrooms, use of the internet for learning, cooperative learning through the use of information technology,  etc.
• To inculcate higher level thinking and creativity among students while providing them knowledge of IT-related learning theories
While the course is primarily intended for the use of student-teachers, it can also be of great use to professional teachers, school administrators, teacher educators, and in fact anyone who is interested on how information technology can be used to improve not only instruction but the school management and curriculum.

          It may be said, too, that the study of this course on integrating Information Technology in instruction should not be considered as a formidable task, but rather as a refreshing and exciting study given the idea that all learning should be fun.

LESSON 3

Friday, June 21, 2013

EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY IN THE ASIA PACIFIC REGION

            To provide confidence to educators that they are taking the right steps in adopting technology in education, it is good to know that during the last few years, progressive countries in the Asia Pacific region have formulated state policies and strategies to infuse technology in schools. The reason for this move is not difficult to understand since there is now a pervasive awareness that a nation’s socio-economic success in the 21^st century is linked to how well it can compete in a global information and communication technology (ICT) region. This imperative among nations has therefore given tremendous responsibilities on educators to create an educational technology environment in schools.

            And since it is understood that state policies will continue to change, it is helpful to examine prevailing ICT policies and strategies of five progressive states/city, namely New Zealand, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong.

            New Zealand 2001 ICT Goals and Strategy

            (Web link for more a detailed document)

            http://www.tki.org.nz/ict/

Goal

            Government with the education and technology sectors, community groups, and industry envisions to support to the development of the capability of schools to use information and communication technologies in teaching-and-learning and in administration.

Strategy

            It foresees schools to be:

         Improving learning outcomes for students using ICT to support the curriculum.

         Using ICT to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of educational administration.

         Developing partnerships with communities to enhance access to learning through ICT.

Focus areas

         Infrastructure for increasing school’s access to ICTs to enhance education

         Professional development so that school managers and teachers can increase their capacity to use ICT

Initiatives

         An On-line Resource Center with a centrally managed website for the delivery of multimedia resources to schools

         A computer recycling scheme

         A planning and implementation guide for schools

         ICT professional development schools/clusters

Australia IT Initiatives

(http://www.deet.gov.au/schools/Adelaide/text.htm)

            In the Adelaide Declaration on National Goals for schools, information technology is one of the eight national goals/learning areas students should achieve. Students should be confident, creative and productive users of new technologies on society.

            The plans for achieving the national goal for IT are left to individuals states and territories with the Educational Network Australia (EdNA) as the coordinating and advisory body. Across the states and territories, the common features to planning, funding and implementation strategies are:

         Fast local and wide area networks linking schools across the state and territory

         Substantial number of computers in schools, ensuring adequate access

         Continuing teacher training in the use of technology for instruction

         Technical support to each school

         Sufficient hardware and software

         Digital library resources

         Technology demonstrations as models for schools

Malaysia Smart School-level Technology Project

(http:/www.ppk.kpm.my/smartschool/)

            Technology plays many roles in a Smart School from facilitating teaching-and-learning activities to assisting with school management. Fully equipping a school includes:

         Classrooms with multimedia, presentation facilities, e-mail, and groupware for collaborative work

         Library media center with database for multimedia courseware and network access to the internet

         Computer laboratory for teaching, readily accessible multimedia and audiovisual equipment

         Multimedia development center with tools for creating multimedia materials. Computer studies as a subject

         Studio/theatrette with control room for centralized audiovisual equipment, teleconferencing studio, audio room, video and laser disc video room

         Teachers’ room with on-line access to courseware catalogues and databases, information and resource management systems and professional networking tools, such as e-mail and groupware

         Server room equipped to handle applications, management databases and web servers

         Administration offices capable of managing databases of students and facilities, tracking student and teacher performance and resources, distributing notices and other information electronically

Singapore Masterplan for IT in Education

(http://www.moe.edu.sg/iteducation/masterplan/welcome.htm)

The masterplan has four key dimensions:

            Curriculum and assessment

         A balance between acquisitions of factual knowledge and mastery of concepts and skills

         Students in more active and independent learning

         Assessment to measure abilities in applying information, thinking and communicating

Learning resources

         Development of a wide range of educational software for instruction

         Use of relevant Internet resources for teaching-and-learning

         Convenient and timely procurement of software materials

Teacher development

                     Training on purposeful use of IT for teaching

                     Equipping each trainee teacher with core skills in teaching with IT

                     Tie-ups with institutions of higher learning and industry partners

Physical and technological infrastructure

                     Pupil computer ratio of 2:1

                     Access to IT in all learning areas in the school

                     School-wide network, and school linkages through wide area network(WAN), eventually connected to Singapore ONE (a broadband access service for high-speedy delivery of multimedia services on island-wide basis

Hong Kong Education Program Highlights

(http://www.info.gov.hk/emb/prog_high/schoolprog.html)

            Government aims to raise the quality of school education by promoting the use of IT in teaching and learning. The IT initiatives are:

                     On average, 40 computers for each primary school and 82 computers for each secondary school

                     About 85,000 IT training places for teachers at four levels

                     Technical support for all schools

                     An Information Education Resource Center for all schools and teachers

                     An IT coordinator for each of 250 schools which should have sound IT plans

                     Computer rooms for use by students after normal school hours

                     An IT Pilot Scheme to provide schools with additional resources

                     Review of school curriculum to incorporate IT elements

                     Development of appropriate software in collaboration with government,    the private sector, tertiary institutions and schools

                     Exploring the feasibility of setting up an education-specific intranet

LESSON 4

BASIC CONCEPTS ON INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGY IN INSTRUCTION

                There is a lingering issue on how educational technology is integrated in the teaching learning process. This is due to the fact that the mere use of the computer does not mean technology has already been in integrated in instruction. For example, computer games may not relate at all to education, much less to classroom instruction.

                 
                 There is a need, therefore, to provide learning on how educational technology can be applied and integrated into the teaching-learning process. For this purpose, the definition given by Pisapia (1994) is helpful:

                    Integrating technology with teaching means the use of learning technologies to introduce, reinforce, supplement and extend skills…. The difference between the classroom of exemplary users of technology and technology uses is the way their classes are conducted. In the exemplary classrooms, student use of computers is woven integrally into the patterns of teaching; software is a natural extension of student tools.

                 
                 Following this definition, there is NO INTEGRATIVE PROCESS if for example the teacher makes students play computer games to give them a rest period during classes. Neither is there integration, if the teacher merely teaches students computer skills. In the first place, the teachers of general or special are not computer technicians or computer trainers.

                 
                  If one is looking for external manifestations of technology integration into instruction, here are some:

         There’s a change n the way classes are traditionally conducted.

         The quality of instruction is improved to a higher level such a way that could not have been achieved without educational technology.

         There is planning by the teacher on the process of determining how and when technology fits into the teaching-learning process.

         The teacher sets instructional strategies to address specific instructional issues/problems.

         In sum, technology occupies a position (is a simple or complex way) in the instructional process.       

LESSON5

State-of-the-art-ET

application process

Looking through progressive state policies that support technology-in-education, and other new developments in pedagogical practice, our educators today have become more aware and active in adopting state-of-the-art educational technology practices they can possibly adopt.

The following trends should also be recognized by educators:

         Through school and training center computer courses, present-day students have become computer literate. They send e-mail, prepare computer encoded class reports, even make PowerPoint presentation sometimes to the surprise of media tradition-bound teachers.

·      Following the call for developing critical thinking among students, teachers have deemphasized rote learning and have spent more time in methods to allow students to comprehend/internalize lessons.

·      Shifting focus from low-level traditional learning outcomes, student assessment/examinations have included measurement of higher level learning outcomes such as creative and critical thinking skills.

·      Recent teaching –learning models (such as constructivism and social constructivism) have paved the way for instructional approaches in which students rely less on teachers as information-givers, and instead more on their efforts to acquire information, build their own knowledge, and solve problems.

Virtue is in moderation and so, there is truly a need for teachers to balance their time to the preparation and application of instructional tools. Through wise technical advice, schools can also acquire the most appropriate computer hardware and software. At the same time, training should ensure that the use of ET is fitted to learning objectives. In addition, teachers should acquire computer skills for so that they can serve as models in integrating educational technology in the teaching-learning process.

       

FIGURE 1 – SYSTEMATIC INSTRUCTIONAL PLANNING PROCESS

Following modern trends in technology-related education, schools should now foster a student-centered learning environment, wherein students are given leeway to use computer information sources in their assignments, reports and presentation in written, visual, or dramatic forms.

All these suggestion show that teachers and schools can no longer avoid the integration of educational technology in instruction. Especially in the coming years, when portable and mobile computing will make computing activities easier to perform, the approaches to classroom pedagogy musts change. And with continuing changes in high-speed communication, mass storage of data, including the revolutionary changes among school libraries, educators should be open for more drastic educational.

LESSON 6

Saturday, June 22, 2013

 IT Enters A New Learning Environment

          It is most helpful to see useful models of school learning that is ideal to achieving instructional goals through preferred application of educational technology. These are the models of Meaningful Learning, Discovery learning, Generative Learning and Constructivism.

In these conceptual models, we shall see how effective teachers best interact with students in innovative learning activities, while integrating technology to the teaching learning process.

Figure 2 – Conceptual Models of Learning

Meaningful Learning

              If the traditional learning environment gives stress focus to rote learning and simple memorization, meaningful learning gives focus to new experience departs from that is related to what the learners already knows. New experience departs from the learning of a sequence of words but attention to meaning. It assumes that:

●   Students already have some knowledge that is relevant to new learning.

●  Students are wiling to perform class work to find connections between what they already know and what they can learn.

              In the learning process, the learner is encouraged to recognize relevant personal experiences. A reward structure is set so that the learner will have both interest and confidence, and this incentive system sets a positive environment to learning. Facts that are subsequently assimilated are subjected to the learner’s understanding and application. In the classroom, hands-on activities are introduced so as to simulate learning in everyday living.

Discovery Learning

              Discovery learning is differentiated from reception learning in which ideas are presented directly to student in a well-organized way, such as through a detailed set of instructions to complete an experiment task. To make a contrast, in discovery learning student from tasks to uncover what is to be learned.

New ideas and new decision are generated in the learning process, regardless of the need to move on and depart from organized setoff activities previously set. In discovery learning, it is important that the student become personally engaged and not subjected by the teacher to procedures he/she is not allowed to depart from.

              In applying technology, the computer can present a tutorial process by which the learner is presented key concept and the rules of learning in a direct manner for receptive learning. But the computer has other uses rather than delivering tutorials. In a computer simulation process, for example, the learner himself is made to identify key concept by interacting with a responsive virtual environment.

Generative Learning

In generative learning, we have active learners who attend to learning events and generate meaning from this experience and draw inferences thereby creating a personal model or explanation to the new experience in the context of existing knowledge.

Generative learning is viewed as different from the simple process of storing information. Motivation and responsibility are seen to be crucial to this domain of learning. The area of language comprehension offers examples of this type of generative learning activities, such as in writing paragraph summaries, developing answers and questions, drawing pictures, creating paragraph titles, organizing ideas/concepts, and others. In sum, generative learning gives emphasis to what can be done with pieces of information, not only on access to them.

                                       Constructivism

In constructivism, the learner builds a personal understanding through appropriate learning activities and a good learning environment. The most accepted principles constructivism are:

●    Learning consists in what a person can actively assemble for himself and not what he can receive passively.

●   The role of learning is to help the individual live/adapt to his personal world.

These two principles in turn lead to three practical implications:

●  The learner is directly responsible for learning. He creates personal understanding and transforms information into knowledge. The teacher plays an indirect role by modeling effective learning, assisting, facilitating and encouraging learners.

●  The context of meaningful learning consists in the learner “connecting” his school activity with real life.

●  The purpose of education is the acquisition of practical and personal knowledge, not abstract or universal truths.

           To review, there are common themes to these four learning domains. They are given below:

Learners

●      are active, purposeful learners.

●      set personal goals and strategies to achieve these goals.

●      make their learning experience meaningful and relevant to their lives.

●   seek to build an understanding of their personal worlds so they can work/live productively.

●    build on what they already know in order to interpret and respond to new experiences.

l changes in the years ahead.

LESSON 7
 IT FOR HIGHER THINKING SKILLS AND CREATIVITY

           In the traditional information absorption model of teaching, the teacher organizes and presents information to students-learners. He may use a variety of teaching resources to support lesson such as chalkboard, videotape, newspaper or magazine and photos. The presentation is followed by discussion and the giving of assignment. Among the assignments may be a research on a given topic. This teaching approach has proven successful for achieving learning outcomes following the lower end of Bloom’s Taxonomy: knowledge, comprehension, and application are concerned.

           But a new challenge has arisen for today’s learners and this is not simply to achieve learning objectives but to encourage the development of students who can do more than receive, recall, recite and apply the knowledge they have acquired. Today, students are expected to be not only cognitive, but also flexible, analytically and creative. In this lesson, there are methods proposed by the use of computer-based as an integral support to higher thinking skills and creativity.

Higher Level Learning Outcomes
           To define higher level thinking skills and creativity, we may adopt a framework that is a helpful synthesis of many models and definitions on the subject matter. The framework is not exhaustive but a helpful guide for the teacher’s effort to understand the learner’s higher learning skills.

Complex Thinking Skills	Sub-Skills
Focusing	Defining the problem, goal/objective-setting, brainstorming
Information Gathering	Selection, recording of data of information
Remembering	Associating, relating new data with old
Analyzing	Identifying idea constructs, patterns
Generating	Deducing, inducting, elaborating
Organizing	Classifying, relating
Imagining	Visualizing, predicting
Designing	Planning, formulating
Integration	Summarizing, abstracting
Evaluating	Setting criteria, testing idea, verifying outcomes, revising

Figure 4 - Thinking Skills Framework

The Upgraded Project Method
           In this modern day, the teachers are now guided on their goal to help students achieve higher level thinking skills and creativity beyond the ordinary.
          We know the fact that the ordinary classroom is awfully lack in instructional toolkits; as a result the teacher might have a difficulty to bring the students to the higher domains of learning and achieving, so the project method is suggested.

Project Method
           Teachers assign the students to work on projects with depth, complexity duration and relevance to the real word.
           Project is utilized because students need to make the most of the decisions about what to put inside their project, how to organize their information and ideas and how to communicate their result effectively.

Upgraded Project Method
           In here, there is a tighter link between the uses of projects for simply coming up with products to have the students undergo the process of higher thinking skills under the framework of the Constructivist Paradigm.
           In this new project method, the students are advised to use computer application and high technology in doing their projects.

Constructivist Paradigm
           It emphasize on how the students construct knowledge. The students, not the teacher are the one who make decisions about what to put into the project, how to organize information, how to package the outcomes for presentation and the like.

           In doing projects, there are two things that are involved: the process and the product.

Process- refers to the steps, effort and experiences in project completion.

Product- is the result or the end point of the process.

            As a future teacher, we must take into consideration the process in every project because in the process, the students were able to think and apply their creativity as results they have develop their higher order thinking skills.

Four Types of I-T Based Projects

   ● Resource-based project
   ● Simple creations
   ● Guided hypermedia
   ● Web design project

Lesson 8

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Higher Thinking Skills Through IT-Based Projects

In this lesson, we shall discuss four types of IT-based projects which can effectively be used in order to engage students in activities of a higher plane of thinking. To be noted is the fact that these projects differ on the specific process and skills employed, also in the ultimate activity or platform used to communicate completed products to others.

It is to be understood that these projects do not address all of the thinking skills shown previously in the Thinking Skills Framework. But these projects represent constructivist projects, containing the key elements of a constructivist approach to instruction, namely:

(a)  the teacher creating the learning environment

(b)  the teacher giving students the tools and facilities, and

(c)   the teacher facilitating learning.

The students themselves who demonstrate higher thinking skills and creativity through such activities searching for information, organizing and synthesizing ideas, creating presentations, and the like.

Now let us see four IT-based projects conducive to develop higher thinking skills and creativity among learners.

            I.  Resources-based Projects

In these projects, the teacher steps out of the traditional role of being an content expert and information provider, and instead lets the students find their own facts and information. Only when necessary for the active learning process does the teacher step in to supply data or information. The general flow of events in resource-based projects are:

1.       The teacher determines the topic for the examination of the class.

2.      The teacher presents the problem to the class.

3.      The students find information on the problem/questions.

4.      Students organize their information in response to the problem/questions.

Relating to finding information, the central principle is to make the students go beyond the textbook and curriculum materials. Students are also encouraged to go to the library, particularly to the modern extension of the modern library, the internet.

The inquiry-based or discovery approach is given importance in resource-based projects. This requires that the students, individually or cooperatively with members of his group, relate gathered information to the ‘real world.’

The process is given more importance than the project product. It doesn’t matter for example if each group comes up with a different answer to the problem. What matters are the varied sources of information, the line of thinking and the ability to agree in defense of their answers.

The table below can provide the difference between the traditional and resources-based learning approach to instruction.

FIGURE 5 – TRADITIONAL & RESOURCE-BASED LEARNING MODELS

Traditional	Resource-based learning model
Teacher is expert and information provider	Teacher is a guide and facilitator
Textbook is key source of information	Sources are varied (print, video, internet, etc.)
Food on facts information is packaged, in neat parcels	Focus on learning inquiry/ quest/discovery
The product is the be-all and end-all of learning	Emphasis on process
Assessment is quantitative	Assessment is quantitative and qualitative

II.  SIMPLE CREATIONS

Students can also be assigned to create their software materials to supplement the need for relevant and effective materials. Of course, there are available software materials such Creative Writer (by Microsoft) on writing, KidWork Deluxe (by Davidson) on drawing and painting, and MediaWeave (by Humanities software) on multimedia.

In developing software, creativity as an outcome should not be equated with ingenuity or high intelligence. Creating is more consonant with planning, making, assembling, designing, or building. Creativity is said to combine three kind of skills/abilities:

Analyzing – distinguishing similarities and differences, seeing the project as a problem to be solved.

Synthesizing – making spontaneous connections among ideas, their generating interesting or new ideas.

Promoting – selling of new ideas to allow the public to test the ideas themselves.

To develop creativity, the following five key tasks may be recommended:

1.       Define the task. Clarify the goal of the completed project to the student.

2.      Brainstorm. The students themselves will be allowed to generate their own ideas on the project. Rather than shoot down ideas, the teacher encourages idea exchange.

3.      Judge the ideas. The students themselves make an appraisal for or against any idea. Only when students are completely off track should the teacher intervene.

4.     Act. The students do their work with the teacher a facilitator.

5.      Adopt flexibility. The students should be allowed to shift gears and not follow an action path rigidly.

III.  GUIDED HYPERMEDIA PROJECTS

The production of self-made multimedia projects can be approached in two different ways:

          1. As an instructive tool, such as in the production by students of a power-point presentation of a selected topic.

            2. As a constructivist tool, such as when students do a multimedia presentation (with text, graphs, photos, audio narration, interviews, video clips, etc., to simulate a television news show.

IV.  WEB-BASED PROJECTS

Students can be made to create and post webpages on a given topic. But creating webpages, even single page webpages, may be too sophisticated and time consuming for the average student.

It should be said, however, that posting of webpages in the Internet allows the students (now the webpage creator) a wider audience. They can also linked with other related sites in the Internet. But as of now, this creativity project may be to ambitious as a tool in the teaching-learning process.

Lesson 9:

 Computer as Information and communication technology

          In educational technology course 1 the role of computer in education was well discussed. It was pointed out that the advent of the computer is recognized as the third revolution in education. The first was the invention of the printing press; the second, the introduction of libraries and the third the invention of the computer, especially so with the advent of the microcomputer in 1975. Thus emerged computer technology in education

          Through the technology, educators saw the amplification of learning literacy. Much like reading, the modern student can now interact with computer messages; even respond to question or to computer commands. Again like writing, the learner can form messages using computer language or programs.

          Soon computer assisted instruction (CAI) was introduced using the principle of individualized learning through a positive climate that includes realism and appeal with drill exercise that uses color, music and animation. The novelty of CAI has not waned to this offered by computer-equipped private schools. But the evolving pace of innovation in today’s Information Age is so dynamic that within the first decade of the 21^st century, computer technology in education has matured to transform into an educative information and communication technology (ICT) in education.

THE PC Communication media                                                                                              Audiovisual media     (Internet)                                                                                                                    (Multimedia)    Email (text and video)                                                                                        Text, sound, graphics    Chat rooms                                                                                                               chart, photos    Blog sites                                                                                                                Power-point presentation    News services (print, video clip)                                                                        CD, VCD, DVD player    Music/movie/television room                                                                            CDVCD, DVD player                                                                                                                                      Educational software                                                                                                                                             (Internet)                                                                                                                                      Educational websites                                                                                                                                      Software’s , courseware’s                                                                                                                                      School registration/ records                                                                                                                                     Accounting

                                

FIGURE 6 – USES OF THE COMPUTER AS ICT IN EDUCATION

THE PERSONAL COMPUTER (PC) AS ICT

                Until the nineties, it was still possible to distinguish between instructional media and the educational communication media.

                Instructional media consist of audio-visual aids that served to enhance and enrich the teaching-learning process. Examples are the blackboard, photo, film, and video

                On the other hand, educational communication media comprise the media communication to audiences including learners using the print, film radio, and television or satellite means of communication.  For example, distance learning were implemented using correspondence, radio, television or the computer satellite system

                Close to the turn of the 21^st century, however, such as distinction merged owing to the advent of the microprocessor also known as the personal computer (PC). This is due to the fact that the PC user at home, office and school has before him a tool for both audio-visual creations and media communication.

                To illustrate, let’s examine the programs (capabilities) normally installed in an ordinary modern PC:

v  Microsoft Office- program for composing text, graphics, photos into letters, articles, reports etc.

v  Power-point- for preparing lecture presentations

v  Excel- for spreadsheet and similar graphic sheets

v  Internet – access to the internet

v  Yahoo or Google- websites; email, chat rooms, Blog sites, news service (print/video) educational software etc.

v  Adobe reader- Graph/photo composition and editing

v  MSN- mail/chat messaging

v  Cyber link power- DVD player

v  Windows media player- Editing film/video

v  Game house- video games

LESSON 10
THE COMPUTER AS A TUTOR

         The computer is one of the wonders of human ingenuity, even in its original design in the 1950's to carry out complicated mathematical and logical operations. With the invention of the microcomputer (now also commonly referred to PCs or personal computers), the PC has bcome the tool for programmed instruction.
          Educators saw much use of the PC. It has become affordable to small business, industries and homes. They saw its potential for individualization in learning, especially as individualized learning is a problem since teachers usually with a class of forty or more learners. They therefore devised strategies to use the computer to break the barriers to individualized instruction.
Computer-assisted instruction (CAI)
          The computer can be a tutor in effect relieving the teacher of many activities in his personal role as classroom tutor. It should be made clear, however, that the computer cannot totally replace the teacher since the teacher shall continue to play the major roles of information deliverer and learning environment controller. Even with the available computer and CAI software, the teacher must:

   • Insure that students have the needed knowledge and skills for any computer activity.
   • Decide the appropriate learning objectives.
   • Plan the sequential and structured activities to achieve objectives.
   • Evaluate the students’ achievement by ways of tests the specific expected outcomes.

On the other hand, the students in CAI play their own roles as learners as they:
   • Receive information.
   • Understand instructions for the computer activity.
   • Retain/keep in mind the information and rules for the computer activity.
   • Apply the knowledge and rules during the process of computer learning.

During the computer activity proper in CAI the computer, too, plays its roles as it:

   • Act as a assort of tutor (the role traditional played by the teacher.
   • Provides a learning environment.
   • Delivers learning instruction.
   • Reinforces learning through drill-and-practice.
   • Provides feedback.

          Today, educators accept the fact that the computer has indeed succeeded in providing an individualized learning environment so difficult for a teacher handling whole classes. This is so, since the computer is able to allow individual students to learn at their own pace, motivate learning through a challenging virtual learning environment, assist students through information needed during the learning process, evaluate students responses through immediate feedback during the learning process, and also give the total score to evaluate the student’s total performance


LESSON 11


In the previous lesson, we saw how the computer can act as a tutor particularly along a behaviorist and cognitive approach to learning. But we also saw certain computer software programs have been developed to foster higher thinking skills and creativity.
In this lesson, we shall again look at the computer, but this time from another perspective the computer as the teacher’s handy tool. I can in fact support theconstructivist and social constructivist paradigms of constructivist learning.
                Constructivist was introduced by Piaget (1991) and Bruner (1990). They gave stress to knowledge discovery of new meaning/concepts/principles in the learning process. Various strategies have been suggested to foster knowledge discovery, among these, is making students engaged in gathering unorganized information from which they can induce ideas and principles. Students are also asked to apply discovered knowledge to new situations, a process for making their knowledge to real life situations.
                While knowledge is constructed by the individual learner in constructivism, knowledge can also be socially constructed. Social constructivism. This is an effort to show that the construction of knowledge is governed by social, historical and cultural contexts, in effect; this is to say that the learner who interprets knowledge has a predetermined point of view according to the social perspective of the community or society he lives in.
                The psychologist Vygotsky stressed that learning is affected by social influences. He therefore suggested the interaction process in learning. The more capable adult (teacher or parent) or classmate can aid or complement what the learner sees in a given class project. In addition Dewey sees language as a medium for social coordination and adaptation. For Dewey human learning is really human language that occurs when students socially share, build and agree upon meaning and knowledge.

Learning framework	Constructivism	Social Constructivism
Assumption	Knowledge is constructed by the individual.	Knowledge is constructed within a social context.
Definition of Learning	Students build their own Learning.	Students build knowledge influenced by the social context.
Learning Strategies	Gather unorganized information to create new concept/principle.	Exchange and share form ideas, stimulates thinking.
General Orientation	Personal discovery of knowledge.	Students discuss and discover meanings.
Example	8*5-8+8+8+8+8	Two alternative job offers Option 1-8 hrs./day for 6 days/ week. Option 2- 9 hrs./day for 5 days/ week.

The Computer’s Capabilities
             
      Given its present-day speed, flexibility and sophistication, the computer can provide access to information, foster creative social knowledge- building, and enhance the communication of the achieved project package. Without the computer, today’s learners nay still be assuming the tedious tasks of low-level information gathering, building and new knowledge packaging. But this is not so, since the modern computer can help teacher- and – students to focus on more high level cognitive tasks.

                Based on the two learning theories, the teacher can employ the computer as an:
•         An information Tool
•         A communication Tool
•         A constructive Tool
•         As co- constructive Tool
•         A situating Tool
Informative Tool. The computer can provide vast amounts of information in various forms, such as text, graphics, sound, and video. Even multimedia encyclopedias are today available on the Internet.
The Internet itself provides an enormous database from which user can access global information resources that includes the latest news, weather forecasts, airline schedule, sports development, entertainment news and features, as well as educational information directly useful to learners. The Internet on education can be sourced for kinds of educational resources on the Internet.
Along the constructivist point of view, it is not enough for learners to download relevant information using the computer as an information tool. Students can used gathered information for composition or presentation projects as may be assigned by the teacher. Given the  fact that the Internet can serve as a channel for global communication, the computer can very well be the key tool for  video telecon ferencing sessions.

Constructive tool. the computer itself can be used for manipulating  information,visualizing one's understanding, and building new knowledge. the Microsoft word computer program itself is a desktop publishing software that allows users to organize and present their dies in attractive formats.

Co-constructive tools. Students can use constructive tools to wwork. cooperatively and construct a shared understanding of new knowledge. one way of co-construction is the use of the electronic whitebaord where students may post notices to a shared document/ whitebaord. students may also co-edit the same document from thier homes.The computer-supported intentional learning environments (CSILE) is an example of an integrated environment developed by the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. within CSILE, students can enter their ideas in notes and respond to each others ideas. Manifest in the the student-generated database are higher level thinking processes-explaining, problem so living/finding, expertise and development, literacy improvement.

Situating tool
          By means of virtual reality (RS) extension system, the computer can create 3-D images on display to give the user the feeling that are situated in a virtual environment. A flight simulation program is an example of a situating tool which places the user in a simulated flying environment. Mulch-User Domains or Dungeons (MUDs), MUD object-oriented (MOOs), and Multi-User Shared hallucinations (MUSHs) are example os situating systems. MUDs and MOOs are mainly text\based virtual reality environments on the internet. When users log on to a MOO environment, they may interact with the virtual reality(such as by writing on a notice board) through simple text-based commands. A school-to-school or clasroom-tocalsrrom environment is possible whereby the user can choose to walk around the campus talk with other users who are logged to the same site.to caution users, the computer as a situating tool is news and still undergoing further research and development.

LESSON 12

Saturday, June 22, 2013

 Information Technology in Support of Student-Centered Learning Classroom

The idea of student-centered learning is not a recent idea. In fact, as early as the 20^th century, educational educators such as John Dewey argued for highly active and individualized pedagogical methods which place the student at the center of the learning process.

            In this lesson, we shall see how the teacher can expand his options to make himself more effective and relevant in the 21^st millennium information age. In addition, suggestions shall be made on how a student-centered classroom (SCL) can be supported by information technology (IT).

The Traditional Classroom

            It may be observed that classroom are usually arranged with neat columns and rows of student chairs, while the teacher stands in front of the classroom or sits behind his desks. This situations is necessitated by the need to maintain classroom discipline, also they allow the teachers to control classroom activities through lecture presentation and teacher-led discussion.

Noticeably, however, after spending so many minutes in lesson presentation and class management, students can get restless and fidgety. Often enough, the teacher has to also mange misbehavior in class as students start to talk among themselves or simply stare away in lack attention. To prevent this situation, teachers often make students take time to work individually on worksheets can help the situation.

Another option is now presented and this is adopting the idea of developing students to be independent learners with the end of making them critical and creative thinkers.

The SCL classroom

          John Dewey described the traditional learning process in which the teacher pours information to students learners, much like pouring water from a jug into cups. This is based on the long accepted belief that the teacher must perform his role of teaching so that learning can occur. This learning approach is generally known as direct instruction, and it has worked well for obtaining many kind of learning outcomes.

              The problem with the direct instruction approach to learning, however, is the fact that the world’s societies have began to change. Of course, this change may not be strongly felt in many countries in which the economy longer depends primarily on factory workers who do repetitive work without thinking on the job. The traditional classroom and direct instruction approach to learning conform to this kind of economies.

           In contrast, industrialized societies we find knowledge based economies in which workers depends on information that can be accessed through information and communication technologies (ICTs). Desiring to gain effectiveness, efficiency and economy in administration and instructions, schools in these developed economies have also adopted the support of ICTs. Their students have now become active not passive learners, who can interact with other learners, demonstrating independence and self-awareness in the learning process.

Generally the new school classroom environment is characterized by student individually or in group:

·         Performing computer word processing for text or graph presentation

·         Preparing power-point presentation

·         Searching for information on the internet

·         Brainstorming on ideas, problems and project plans

·     As needed, the teacher facilitating instruction, also giving individual instruction to serve individual needs.

            Observably, there is departure from traditional worksheet, read-and-answer, and drill-and-practice activities. Students also no longer need to mark the test of peers since the computer has programs for test evaluation and computerized scoring of results.

Given this trend in teaching-and-learning, it must be pointed out, however, that traditional classroom activities-especially in less developed countries-will continue to have a strong place in the classroom. In spite of this setback experienced in some countries, the option has now been opened for the modern teacher to shift gears to students centered learning.

LESSON 13

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Cooperative Learning with the Computer

 Singapore has set the global pace for student-centered learning with a 2:1 (2 pupils with one computer) ratio in its masterplan for IT in Education. This shows that even in other progressive countries, the 1:1: pupil-computer ratio is still an ideal to be achieved. Reality therefore dictates that schools face the fact that each classroom, especially in public or government schools, may not be equipped with the appropriate number of computers.

          The creativity of the teacher will have to respond to the situation, and so cooperative learning will likely be the answer to the implementation of IT supported learning in our schools. But the situation may not be that bad since there are motivational and social benefits to cooperative learning and these can compensate for lack of hardware that educators face.

 Defining cooperative learning

            Cooperative or collaborative learning is learning by small groups of students who work together in a common learning task. It is often also called group learning but to be truly cooperative learning, 5 elements are needed:

1. A common goal

2. Interdependence

3. Interaction

4. Individual accountability

5. Social skills

          Therefore not every group work is cooperative learning since students working on their work sheets physically sat around a table may be working together without these features of cooperative learning.

From several studies made on cooperative learning, it is manifested that cooperative learning in its true sense is advantageous since it:

(a) Encourage active learning, while motivating students

(b) Increases academic performance

(c) Promotes literacy and language skills

(d) Improves teacher effectiveness

          In addition, there are studies show that cooperative learning enhances personal and social development among students of all ages, while enhancing self-esteem and improving social relations between racially and culturally different students. 

Cooperative learning and the computer

    Researchers have made studies on the learning interaction between the student and the computer. The studies have great value since it has been a long standing fear that the computer may foster student learning in isolation that hinders the development of the student’s social skills.

            Now this mythical fear has been contradicted by the studies which show that when students work with computers in groups, they cluster and interact with each other for advice and mutual help. And given the option to work individually or in a group, the students generally wish to work together in computer-based and non-computer-based activities. Reflecting on this phenomenon, psychologists think the computer fosters this positive social behavior due to the fact that it has a display monitor – just like a television set – that is looked upon as something communal.

            Therefore researchers agree that the computer is a fairly natural learning vehicle for cooperative (at times called promotive) learning.

Components of cooperative learning

            Educators are still wary about the computer’s role in cooperative learning. Thus they pose the position that the use of computers do not automatically result in cooperative learning. There therefore assign the teacher several tasks in order to ensure collaborative learning. These are:

· Assigning students to mixed-ability teams

· Establishing positive interdependence

· Teaching cooperative social skills

· Insuring individual accountability, and

· Helping groups process information

          These are in addition to assigning a common work goal in which each member of the group will realize that their group will not succeed unless everyone contributes to the groups’ success. It is also important for the teacher limits learning group clusters (six is the ideal number in a group) so there can be closer involvement in thinking and learning.

LESSON 14
THE SOFTWARE AS AN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE

          Whenever people think about computers, they are most likely thinking about the computer machine such as the television-like monitor screen, the keyboard to type on , the printer which produces copies of text –and-graphics material, and the computer housing called “the box” which contains the electronic parts and circuits (the central processing unit) that receives/stores data and directs computer operations. The computer machine or hardware is naturally an attention- getter.
                It’s more difficult to realize, however, that the computer hardware can hardly be useful without the program or system that tells what the computer machine should do. This is also called the software.
                There are two kinds of software:
1.       The system software. This is the operating system that is found or bundled inside all computer machines.
2.       The application software. This contains the system that commands the particular task or solves a particular problem.
In turn the applications software maybe:
(a)    a custom software that is made for specific tasks often by large corporations, or
(b)   a commercial software packaged for personal computers that help with a variety of tasks such as writing papers, calculating numbers, drawing graphs, playing games, and so much more.
Microsoft Windows
                Also referred to as a program, Microsoft Windows or Windows for short is an operating environment between the user and the computer operating system. Also called a shell, it is a layer that creates the way the computer should work. Windows uses a colorful graphics interface (called GUI-pronounced “gooee”) that can be seen on the computer screen or monitor whenever the computer is turned on.
                The user can work with on-screen pictures (icons) and suggestions (menus) to arrive at the desired software. Windows 95 (now improved with Windows 2003 and 2007) is a software designed for Microsoft Windows. Actually, Windows is in itself a self-contained operating system which provides
•         User convenience - just click a file name to retrieve data or click from program to program as easy as changing channels in your TV screen.
•         A new look - fancy borders, smooth and streamlined text fonts.
•         Information center - Windows put all communications activities (e-mail, downloads etc. in a single screen icon); adapts/configures the computer for the Internet.
•         Plug and play - configures the computer with added components, such as for sound and video.
Instructional Software
Instructional software can be visited on the Internet or can be bought from software shops or dealers. The teacher through his school should decide on the best computer-based instructional (CBI) materials for the school resource collection. But beware since CBIs need much improvement, while web-based educational resources are either extremely good or what is complete garbage. In evaluating computer-based educational materials, the following can serve as guidelines:
•         Be extremely cautious in using CBIs and ‘free’ Internet materials.
•         Don’t be caught up by attractive graphics, sound, animation, pictures, video clips and music forgetting their instructional worth.
•         Teachers must evaluate these resources using sound pedagogical principles.
•         Among design and content elements to evaluate are: the text legibility, effective use of color schemes, attractive layout and design, and easy navigation from section-to-section (such as from game to tutorial to drill-and-practice section).
•         Clarity in the explanations and illustrations of concepts and principles.
•         Accuracy, coherence, logic of information.
•         Absence of biased materials (e.g. gender bias or racial bias

LESSON 15
UNDERSTANDING HYPERMEDIA

          From the Educational Technology I course, the student has already become aware of multimedia or an audiovisual package that includes more than one instructional media (means of knowing) such as text, graphics, audio animation and video clip.

          Hypermedia is nothing but multimedia, but this time packaged as educational computer software where information is presented and student activities are in a virtual learning environment. Most Educational IT application is hypermedia and these include:
     
●         Tutorial Software Packages
●         Knowledge Webpage’s
●         Simulation Instructional Games
●         Learning Project Management and Others
     
          The presentation of information-learning activities in hypermedia is said to be sequenced in a non-linear manner, meaning that the learner may follow his path of activities thus providing an environment of learner autonomy and thinking skills. This fact makes it therefore important to understand hypermedia in the educational context in order to ensure their successful integration in the teaching-learning process.
       
   
Characteristics of Hypermedia Applications
       
          There are two important features that are outstanding among other features that characterize the hypermedia software:
                       
1.      Learner control.
This means the learner makes his own decisions on the path, flow or events of instruction. The learner has control on such aspects, as sequence, pace, content, media, feedback, etc. that he/she may encounter in the hypermedia learning program.
                         
2.     Learner wide range of navigation routes.  
For the most part, the learner controls the sequence and pace of his path depending on his ability and motivation. He has the option to repeat and change speed, if desired. Of course, at the start, the learner may choose the learning activities he prefers. Meanwhile, the teacher has the prerogative to determine suitable learning objectives.
                         
          The learner also has a wide range of navigation routes such as by working on concepts he is already familiar with. They may even follow a linear or logical path, even if the previous activity is half-completed. He may explore other sections opting to return or complete the previous activity.

LESSON 16
THE INTERNET AND EDUCATION

          The internet, also simply called the NET, is the largest and far-flung networks system –of-all-system. Surprisingly, the internet is not really a network but a loosely organized collection of about 25,000 networks accessed by computers in the planet. It is astonishing to know that no one owns the internet. It has no central headquarters, no centrally offered services, and no comprehensive online index to tell users what information is available in the system.
          How is everything coordinated through the Internet? This is done through a standardized protocol (or set of rules for exchanging data) called Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP). To gain access to the Internet, the computer must be equipped with what is called a Server which has special software (program) that uses the Internet protocol. Originally developed and still subsidized by the United States government, the Internet connect not only commercial, industrial, scientific establishments but all other sectors including education and its libraries, campuses, and computer centers.
          The great attraction of the Internet is that once the sign-up fees are paid, there are no extra charges. Electronic mail, for example, is free regardless of the amount of use. In contrast, individuals using the Internet on their own personal computers must pay ongoing monthly fees to whoever is their service provider.

Getting around the Net

          The vast sea of information now in the Internet, including news and trivia, is an overwhelming challenge to those who wish to navigate it. Every day, the Net user- population and the available information continue to grow, and new ways are continuously being developed to tour the Internet.

          The most attractive way to move around the Internet is called browsing. Using a program called a browser, the user can use a mouse to point and click on screen icons to surf the Internet, particularly the World Wide Web (the Web), an Internet’s subset of text, images, and sounds are linked together to allow users to access data or information needed.

          The future of the Internet seems limitless. Already its including new demand for services to business, industries, science, government, and even homes. Many experts predict that he Internet is destined to become the centerpiece of all online communications on the planet and in some future time in the solar system using interplanetary satellite communication stations.

A view of educational uses of the Internet

          Today, even elementary school graders in progressive countries like the United States are corresponding via e-mail with pen pals in all 50 states. They ask probing questions like, “What is your state’s most serious problems,” or How much does pizza cost in your state? This educational activity prodded y their schools are paying dividends from increasing the pupil’s interest in Geography to a greater understanding of how people live in large cities and other places in the United States or the world.
          Educational software materials have also developed both in sophistication and appeal. There is now a wider choice from rote arithmetic or grammar lessons to discovery and innovation projects. But the real responsibility today is connecting with the world outside homes, classrooms, and Internet cafes. And today schools are gearing up to take advantage of Internet access, where they can plug into the Library of Congress, make virtual visits to famous museums in the world, write to celebrities, and even send questions to heads of states.


LESSON 17
PRACTICUM


          Much Like field studies in teacher education, educational technology 2 offers students the experiential process of adapting to technology integration with in a student-centered paradigm. This is the practicum phase of the course at the end of the more theoretical lessons or inserted between lessons.

         The practicum phase consist of hands-on computer tutorial which the students teacher or professional teacher-trainee will need to make him or her capable.
         The essential requirements for the ET 2 practicum phase will be:

• A computer laboratory/ special computer classroom with adequate sets of computers for hands-on.       • Participation of computer laboratory tutors/ assistants- as the teachers technical assistants- to assist     the learners in the use of computers and its various programs.
• Assigned numbers of hours in confirmity with the course requirements. Tutorials are preferably done during week-ends in order to provide continous hours of computer hands-ons trainings.


The practicum phase consists in:

1. Basic microsoft word (6 hrs)

The tutorial familiarities each individual learner to the basic of microsoft word. They will learn to use menus and toolbars and the software. They will be taught to type, edit and format text, sentences and paragraphs.

Tutorial coverage:

• Microsoft word menus and toolbars
• Creating, formatting and editing documents
• Assigning page layouts
• Inserting tabs and tablets
• Printing

Upon successful completion the learner shall be able to:

• Create. Open and save document files
• Insert graphic tables and charts in documents
• Manage files and folder
• Apply format on the text,sentences and paragraphs
• Inter link documents
• Create standard documents using templates


2. Microsoft PowerPoint (6hrs)

The tutorial is a familiarization on the basics of microsoft powerpoint. It will train the learners to prepare, PowerPoint presentations to enhance the teaching of subjects.

Coverage:

• PowerPoint fundamentals
• Enhancement of PowerPoint presentations with the use of graphics, chats and audio.
• Using templates and masters.
• Presenting and printing a slide show.

At the end of the tutorial, the learner will be able to:

• Create and open PowerPoint presentation
• Insert objects, charts and video in the powerpoint presentation.
• Use templates to enhance presentations.

3. Internet as tool of inquiry (4hrs)

The tutorial will facilitate the findings of sources of information appropriate to a learning tasks.

Course coverage:

• Accessing the internet
• Use of internet tools
• Search techniques

At the end of the tutorial. The learner will be able to:

• Search and retrieve information from the web.
• Acquire skills in locating appropriate information.
• Acquire abilities to use internet tools.
• Gain knowledge of search techniques.
• Learn the ability to execute the search.

In sum, educational technology 2 promises to bring the student teacher and the professional teacher trainee to the challenge of a new age- integrating technology in the teaching-learning process. The brisk face of technology advancement and innovation continues, but ET 2 is a preparation to bring our teachers to more ahead with their uses of technology in the classroom.

Overall,the Filipino teachers shall be empowered to meet the technology challenges of the 21st century digital age.

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