Lesson 9: Computers as Information and Communication Technology

Nuñez, Patricia Ann P.              BSEd-English4A             TTh 10:00am-12:00pm

Lesson 9: Computers as Information and Communication Technology

This lesson discusses about computers as information and communication technology. Through computer technology, educators saw the implications of learning along computer literacy. This lesson also includes the CAI, computer-assisted instruction. CAI was introduced using the principle of individualized learning through a positive climate that includes realism and appeal with drill exercises that uses color, music and animation. It also emphasizes the personal computer as ICT. Close to the turn of the 21st century, however, such a distinction merged owing to the advent of microprocessor, also known as the personal computer (PC). This Personal Computer (PC) functions as an instructional and educational communication media that helps to enrich and enhance the teaching-learning process. The PC was characterized as to the audiovisual media and 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 of 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. Normally, there are 10 programs installed in an ordinary modern PC and these are Microsoft Office, Power-point, Excel, Internet Explorer, Yahoo or Google, Adobe Reader, MSN, Windows media player, Cyberlink Power and GameHouse.

As to the experience, this personal computer is not new to me because during my elementary years I was already exposed to this for I was enrolled to a computer class by my parents and our class is every Saturday and Sunday. By that I was able to use the computer as source of information using the Encarta if there is no internet connection, a way of having fun through the games it offered like, Who Wants to be a Billionaire, Hangaroo, Solitaire, and the like. We also taught us using the MS Word in which we will draw something there or put an image or text, use the Paint and put our output in a diskette. During my high school, we also have a Computer subject so what I have learned was a great help for me especially in enhancing my skills using a computer. In God’s grace, in my college years I already owned a computer so I really find it as very useful in studying because it helps me in many ways with the programs being installed in my computer.

As to the reflection, the use of ICT has become an integral part of our society. Mainly, the computer, the Internet and social media had become a huge part in different aspects of the society; economy, industry, and education. In teaching, ICT is very useful in the sense that information and communication are important elements in teaching. As future educators, we should share and give information to our students during instruction. And to be able to deliver this information, effective communication is important. Through the use of ICT, teachers and students can share and communicate information outside the classroom environment. It can be a tool for information gathering, storing, and communication. The vast capabilities of the computer and ICT are useful and essential in the world today, for it can shrink the global world and we can easily connect with different people from far distance.

As an application, the Internet has been an instrument known, not only here in the Philippines, but in the entire world.  Being computer literate has something to do with learning it because one cannot use computer without having acquire skills in reading, writing, listening and speaking. Therefore, one can improve his skills in reading, writing, listening and speaking just by using computer. As future educators, computers are very essential for us to be more competent in the teaching and learning process. It is truly emphasized that computer is used for information as well as communication. The 21st century is digitally evolving for the progression of learning. So, we agree that computer is an effective assistant in developing the knowledgeable information and the effective communication of a learner.

Lesson 8: Higher Thinking Skills through IT-Based Project

Nuñez, Patricia Ann P.              BSEd-English4A             TTh 10:00am-12:00pm

Lesson 8: Higher Thinking Skills through IT-Based Project

This lesson discusses about the four types of IT-based projects that are effectively used in order to engage students in activities of a higher plane of thinking. These projects differ in the specific process and skills employed. The four IT-based projects are: first is the resource-based project, in which in this project, the teacher steps out of the traditional role of being a content expert and information provider, and instead lets the students find their own facts and information. Second is the simple creation, in which the students can also be assigned to create their software materials to supplement the need for relevant and effective materials. In developing software, creativity as an outcome is said to combine three kinds of skills or abilities which are analyzing, synthesizing and promoting. Third is the guided hypermedia project, which the production of self-made multimedia projects can be approached as an instructive tool and as a communication tool. Lastly is the web-based project, which the students are to create and post webpages on a given topic.

As to the experience, way back when I was in my elementary years our teachers then already exposed us to the different usage of computers. They want us to have a project doing it in the computer and print it afterwards which was a clear evidence that the teacher steps out to the traditional role of being a content expert and let us do the task by finding own facts and information. Like story making, poem making, gadget making and so on. During my high school years also we were exposed to different activities also in which we are to interview a professionals and put it in a CD tape afterwards, movie making, dubbing, music video making and post it in the Youtube and Facebook, etc. During my college years also, I have accomplished different tasks given by our instructors in which we are to create a movie, music video, sayings, pictures, CERA making, etc. that are related to our lesson and  post it in the Edmodo, Blogspot, Facebook, Twitter and Youtube.

As to the reflection, higher order thinking skill is one of the most important things that the student should develop and the teacher is one of the instruments that would help them to achieve those things. Thus, it is the students themselves who demonstrate higher thinking skills and creativity through such activities searching for information, organizing and synthesizing ideas, creating presentation, and the like. These IT-based projects are very conducive to develop higher thinking skills and creativity among learners.

As an application, through IT-based projects, higher order thinking skills are developed and students are given projects which let them learn in their own pace and pattern, with the teacher acting as a facilitator. We should engage our students in activities such as, searching for information, organizing, paraphrasing, synthesizing ideas, and creating their own presentations that will demonstrate higher thinking skills and creativity. Learning then had become more enjoyable for students and in return they also develop skills for lifelong learning.

Lesson 7: Evaluation of Technology Learning

Nuñez, Patricia Ann P.              BSEd-English4A             TTh 10:00am-12:00pm

Lesson 7: Evaluation of Technology Learning

This lesson discusses about the evaluative tools that are essential for the teaching- learning process. Involvement of digital instructional materials and digital learners into digital world are also part of this lesson. This gave an emphasis about the effective assessment for the learners. The content is about the evaluative tools for 21st century. It focuses on how future educators developed the effective and efficient way of teaching using appropriate and updated evaluation tools. The teachers must adopt a new mindset of instructing and evaluating the learners. The lesson also reviews the six basic digital skills that are connected to the achievement of the highly competent way of evaluating. Aside from discussing the evaluation process for the 21st century, this lesson also defines the mass amateurization. Mass amateurization is the change of evaluation approach, from the amateur creator of outputs to professional creator of outcomes and products. It gives an impression to the teachers and learners that high technologies are very essential in the learning and evaluating process.

As to the experience, in Educational Technology 1 our instructor incorporated different activities and strategies in assessing and evaluating us. In terms of how far we learn and what are the things that need to be improved are the goals of our instructor in doing this. We engaged ourselves in rubrics making, comics making, movie making, poster making, picture editing, submitting online projects and assignments, weird invention making, divergent arrow making, etc. that will assess and evaluate us. Through these, our instructor have used variety of evaluation tools and not just relied on a pencil and paper based type of evaluating a learner’s performance instead used new ways and found it as very effective especially in engaging to the digital learners.

As to the reflection, the standard student evaluation of learning must change. This is justified by the fact that not only the new generation changed into digital learners, but the traditional world has metamorphosed into a digital world. Teachers must adopt a new mindset both for instruction and evaluation. Evaluation must be geared to assessment of essential knowledge and skills so that learners can function effectively, productively and creatively in a new world. The 21st century evolves from being nothing to something. It is truly amazing that today we are developing the effective and efficient way of evaluating through the use of evaluative tools.

As an application, we future educators should put in our mind that as time goes by, everything will change and we have to adapt ourselves from these changes because this could help us to develop and achieve a new mindset of instructing and evaluating.  We should be flexible, analytical and creative in our own way of teaching. In our modern world of teaching, digital technologies is very important tool especially in educational technology subject. We use technology not only for fun but also for academic purposes. Nowadays, many efficient teachers use the modern technologies in computing grades, power point presentation with the help of educational media. The learning from verbal-textual text to digital world is become complex in the old generation compare to the new generation who equip in the use of modern technology. Above them all, the most important thing in evaluation of technology learning is the proper way of usage of educational media and to learn to use and evaluate the outcomes.

Lesson 6: Developing Basic Digital Skills

Nuñez, Patricia Ann P.              BSEd-English4A             TTh 10:00am-12:00pm

Lesson 6: Developing Basic Digital Skills

This lesson discusses about how teachers can adjust in their teaching process as to suit and engage with the new digital learners, in which they should be guided as to what to be developed as the learner are into it. There were also six essential skills to equip students which they call them fluency skills. First is the solution fluency, which refers to capacity and creativity in problem solving. Second is the information fluency, which involves 3 submits skills which are the ability to access, retrieve and reflect information. Third is the collaboration fluency, which refers to teamwork with virtual or real partners in online environment. Fourth is the media fluency, which refers to channel of mass communication. Fifth is the creativity fluency, which is artistic proficiency adds meaning by way of design, art and storytelling to package a message. Lastly is the digital ethics, which was guided by principles of leadership, global responsibility, environmental awareness, global citizenship and personal accountability. Another point is the higher thinking skills. Bloom’s Taxonomy serves as a general framework of skills that requires information processing, idea creation and real-world problem-solving skills. The following taxonomy may be proposed: remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating and creating. We also discussed the structured problem solving-process known as 4D’s that also exemplifies the instructional shift in digital learning: define the problem, design the solution, do the work and debrief on the outcome.

As to the experience, when I was in my high school years at Loyola High School we are already exposed in terms of these six fluency skills. We are task to do an Investigatory Project in our Chemistry subject that suit to solution fluency. Another is a research paper in our English subject, that suit to information fluency. Movie making, picture editing, video making, poster making, radio broadcasting, posting of informative pictures, etc. in our Filipino, Computer and Values subjects that suit to collaboration, media and creativity fluency. In my college years, different instructors also exposed us in terms of the Bloom’s Taxonomy general framework in which it enhance our different skills and caters all our learning styles and until now it is also evident. 

As to the reflection, definitely the six fluency skills are vital to digital learners of today's era. There is a need for the learners as well as the teachers to acquire and equip these skills in order to adjust and face the overwhelming challenges brought by modern technology specifically in learning processes. On the contrary, teachers must adjust their teaching to effectively match the new digital world of information and communication technology (ICT). They should be flexible and creative in searching new ways to efficiently utilize and develop the basic digital skills which students truly need. Moreover, the new era opens the way for complex and higher cognitive skills. We as digital learners should not only acquire those digital skills but also we should aim to go beyond with those skills to be more effective and influence to others especially our future students.

           As an application, we future educators must know how to develop these skills to achieve the efficient and effective teaching-learning process. We should be able to impart this to our students, teach them how to gather useful information using the Internet, and use this information properly in finding solutions on the problems they encounter at the classroom setting, school, and in the outside world. Also, for the future generations, we need to adjust our teaching strategies to effectively match the new digital world of information and communication technology. We have the fluency skills that conveyed ease and facility in acquiring and using them in which all of them are very influential in an effective teaching-learning process.

Lesson 5: Preferences of the Technology Generation

Nuñez, Patricia Ann P.              BSEd-English4A             TTh 10:00am-12:00pm

Lesson 5: Preferences of the Technology Generation

This lesson discusses about the differences in perceptions between old and young which create a generation gap. In the field of education, teachers should be aware of the greater needs to acquire not only computer literacy but competence and so with the students, changes in pedagogical theory and practice and new levels of learning require for the learners of new generation. During that time, teachers are obliged on content-based courses that are measurable by standard test. While in the new generation, they prefer to use visuals like television, videos, images, computers and many others that are essential for teaching-learning process. They use hypermedia for effective learning. It also talks about the single and multi-track activity patterns, texts versus visuals, linear versus hyper media, independent versus social learners, learning to do versus learning to pass the test, delayed rewards and instant gratification and rote memory versus fun learning. 

             As to the experience, the DEpEd and CHED have approved the Outcomes-Based Education (OBE) as to the new curriculum of the educational system in the Philippines. By that, we are already exposed with adopting the preferences of the learners of the new generation when we are still in third year college in our English 77 class, the Preparation and Evaluation of Instructional Materials. These includes incorporating different strategies, using of technologies in imparting knowledge, uses of video clips, visual aids, realia and other form of instructional materials that will help students to learn far better and also cater all their learning styles and multiple intelligences. Also we, students make it to the point that we already exert effort upon doing the different task given to us. Through it, we observed that updated technologies could really help us to accomplish the tasks for we are experiencing it also.

As a reflection, following modern trends in technology-related education, schools as well as educators should now foster a student-centered learning environment, wherein students are given scope to use computer information sources in their assignments, reports and presentations in written, visual, or dramatic forms. Owning to the development, teacher must therefore acquire or improve on their skills, as well as their computers skills.

As an application, we future educator should use the things we have learned in this lesson for an effective outcome in the teaching-learning process. We should let students also see new levels of learning that require the appropriate use of technology which lead them to understand the lesson well. Recent teaching-learning models have paved the way for instructional approaches in which students rely less on teachers’ information-givers instead they rely more on their efforts to acquire information, build their own knowledge, and solve problems. We have to be aware and active in adopting educational technology practices. Since, following the modern trends technology-related education is very essential to acquire knowledge in achieving an appropriate way of teaching-learning process.