Lesson 13: Cooperative Learning with the Computer

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

Lesson 13: Cooperative Learning with the Computer

            This lesson discusses about the computer being used in the teaching process which promotes collaborative and cooperative learning process. It implies that the ideal ratio in the integration of information technology in the field of education is one to one, so that each student must have his own computer so he can fully utilize his time and effort to achieve success in his school work.  However, this is hard to establish in school because of the expenses involve in providing computers, software and hardware for every student. So what happens is that student’s share the use of computers and assignment are usually given as a group or team projects. This fosters cooperative learning among the students comprising each group and develops teamwork among the members. It also enhances their social skills and sense of responsibility. Each student tries his best, does his work assigned and helps one another reached their common goal.

As to the experience, I find computer as an effective tool to be used in the teaching-learning process. When I was in my elementary years, the ratio of the computer is 3:1 because our school has only 20 computers, at that time it’s a good ratio because not all school can provide computers for their students. When I was in high school, our ratio is really 1:1 because our school can provide it. So, the first year and second year can use the computer but it cannot access with the internet because their discussion are more on basic and how to use different apps found in the computer; but the third year and fourth have access to internet because they are more on application and hands-on individual and group works like movie making, picture editing, music video making, etc. By these experiences, I really find computer as an effective tool especially in building collaboration within the group for it will help learners to boost their confidence, share their different brilliant ideas, show interest, and develop skills such as creativity, problem-solving and responsibility that will be a great help in attaining a successful output.

As to the reflection, cooperative learning enhances social development by making the learners to be more creative in expressing their own ideas and relate to others. By that, the learners become competitive and create social constructivism wherein they share and learn more ideas. This would also help student in decision making and problem-solving for they are task to produce the best output. As to the teachers, their task is to check and look for strategies to ensure that each learner has done his or her work and interact with them as possible.

As an application, we future educators should bear in mind that creativity will respond in a specific situation of learning a certain topic, and that learners come up with an idea of cooperative and collaborative learning wherein students are group to perform common learning task: the common goal, interdependence, interaction, individual accountability and social skills. Hence, cooperative learning is a good idea to address the problem while enhancing the students’ personal and social development.

Lesson 12: Information Technology in Support of Student-Centered Learning

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

Lesson 12: Information Technology in Support of Student-Centered Learning

           This lesson discusses about how teachers can expand their options to make themselves more effective and relevant in the 21st millennium information age. In addition, suggestions shall be made on how a student-centered classroom (SCL) can be supported by information technology (IT). There are responds to a certain questions on the different student-centered learning approaches that help the teacher to design and adapt various activities. This lesson also includes the differentiation between the traditional classroom and the student-centered classroom (SCL). The traditional classroom includes the usual setting arrangement with proper rows, the need to maintain silence when the teacher discusses, teacher-centered and the activities are mostly in pen and paper. As to the student-centered classroom, this includes students who become active and not passive learners, students interact with other learners, demonstrate independence and self-awareness in the teaching and learning process. There was also an emphasized of the new school classroom environment such as performing computer word processing for text or graph presentations; preparing power-point presentation; searching for information on the Internet; brainstorming on ideas, planning projects, facilitating instruction and giving individualized instruction to serve individual needs.

As to the experience, when I was in my elementary years most of my teachers are into traditional method on teaching like using chalk, using charts for us to identify parts of different creatures especially on Science subjects, using flash cards in Mathematics, pictures of our heroes in the Philippines and so on. But when I went to high school as well as in college it switched like our teachers today are into learning by doing in which they are integrating technologies for an effective teaching and learning process. Another is that we are into discovering new methods and ideas by our own and do task just by ourselves, which is good in training students to be a better or even best in their chosen careers.

As to the reflection, in today’s modern world of highly urbanized societies and economic progressive countries the main focus of education has shifted from the teacher to the student.  To compete globally, students must learn to be independent, creative, self-reliant and resourceful to be able to mold themselves and be successful in their chosen careers, professional and personal lives.  From a teacher-centered process, learning has evolved into a student-centered activity.  From the traditional method of teacher to student transfer of information, it has changed to teacher guiding and facilitating students to gather information and knowledge by themselves, through the use of the computer and its varied technological aspects. In the modern era in which technology advancement was introduced in education, the student-centered learning classroom was discovered. The students are now the focus of the learning process. They are the one who construct and discover new knowledge while the teacher is the facilitator that helps the learning process organized and continuous.

As to the application, this new educational pattern can only be observed in well-off countries where the educational system has a very large budget and can afford to install all modern information technological devices in their schools.  In the so called third world countries which unfortunately includes our own country - Philippines, the traditional method of teacher focused learning prevails.  In fact the bare necessities of a classroom, desks and chairs are often lacking. In addition, information technology can help the teacher facilitate the SCL because it helps provide some interactive strategies and activities that allow the students to learn independently. As a future educator we should introduce SCL in our classroom in which it is more appropriate for it fits to students to easily cope up the subject and lesson and promotes interaction.

Lesson 11: The Computer as the Teacher’s Tool

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

Lesson 11: The Computer as the Teacher’s Tool

          This lesson discusses about constructivism which was introduced by Jean Piaget (1981) and Bruner (1990). They gave stress to knowledge discovery of new meaning, concepts, and principles in the learning process. Students are also asked to apply discovered knowledge to new situations in order to make their knowledge applicable to real life situations. On the other hand while knowledge is constructed by the individual learners in constructivism, knowledge can also be socially constructed. Social constructivism is an effort to show that the construction of knowledge is governed by social, historical and cultural contexts. Vygotsky also stressed that learning is affected by social influences and suggested the interactive process in learning. This lesson also includes computer’s abilities like informative tool which the computer provides vast amounts of information; communication tool which the computer has been used in communication as evident by social networking sites; constructive tool which the computer itself can be used for manipulating information, visualizing one’s understanding and building new knowledge; co-constructive tool which students work cooperatively and construct understanding of existing knowledge; and situating tool which the computer can create 3-D images on display to give the user the feeling that are situated in a vital environment.

            As to the experience, it was clear evidence that nowadays educators find computer as a tool that will help them in teaching. For us students, computer is also tool in which we can learn effectively when we use it. Through computer also we are able to make and submit our CERA, we can edit videos, edit pictures, make a research, and do other things that are related to our lesson. This is indeed a tool wherein we can learn far better because it provides vast information, easier communication and facilitates constructivism among the minds of learners.

            As to the reflection, computer played as a vital role in teaching and learning process in terms of giving us advantages and convenience. The trend nowadays is information technology which makes use of the computer. This learning tool has been already used in schools to provide and facilitate students’ learning. It is obvious that even the youngest generation knew about it and how it is being used. Student’s make their assignments, create projects, and do researches with the use of computer. It really seems that our present civilization is dependent on computers. It is in anyway advantageous if used wisely and purposely. A tool for education is the computer. Teachers might need an advance equipment to help them facilitate and provide information for the student. It can also promote some strategies were teachers can use it to think the appropriate technique for the learners.

               

        As an application, in the learning process, most teachers do not rely solely on themselves in imparting knowledge and information to their students.  Especially now in our modern times, teaching has opened new methods of acquiring education.  There is now emphasis of the concepts of constructivism and social constructivism.  The need for students to discover by themselves new ideas, concepts, and understanding of the vast world we live in is the prime concern of the teacher and to meet this need, the teacher makes use of the computer.  It is a way of easy and reliable access to information and building up of communication and teamwork among students. This technology is a big help to the teacher in fostering independent learning activities of the students.

Lesson 10: The Computer as a Tutor

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

Lesson 10: The Computer as a Tutor

This lesson discusses about the computer as a tutor in all fields of study. The crusade of the computer inventions become tool of programmed instructions. Thus using computers for the instruction provide variety of interaction for the individualized learning process as represented by Computer-Assisted Instruction (CAI). This lesson also entails how efficient the computer in becoming a good teacher and lecturer for it modifies and teaches the learner in most efficient ways, and can be a classroom tutor yet will not replace the teachers work but only aid its many tasks to be easier.Computer can also be a tutor in such a way that it helps the teacher to aid the problems of the learners in terms of difficulties of the lesson. This lesson emphasizes also that teacher could use the CAI to their lessons such as giving the students a drill and activity to practice their basic skill and knowledge. Simulation program could also help the teacher to use it as a strategy as well as the instructional games, problem solving software, multimedia, encyclopedia and electronic books.

As to the experience, computer really helps me a lot in my studies especially when I need to browse in the computer to understand certain topics, use it to access with the different apps, etc. Through computer we can download also different apps that will surely help us to learn far better the different lesson in the classroom like Meriam Webster, Word Search, Encarta and the like. We also have games which everyone thinks that it’s just an ordinary game yet there are hidden reasons upon creating those games like Flappy Bird and Angry Bird for Physics; 4-Pics-1-Word and Bookworm for English; Mancraft, Farmville and Farmlife for T.L.E, and many more.

            As to the reflection, the computer was taking big parts not only on the education but all the running investors in industries worldwide. It push new system on individualize learning when the classrooms are overcrowded. Computer helps the teacher to provide learning out of his responsibilities. It could be a tutor when the teacher wants to impose discovery or constructivist approach. It also provides or develops higher thinking skills in which it helps the student to generate their decision making. By that, teachers must have the control of the class than the advent of the technology for it only has been made to help the teacher in providing efficient information necessary for the learners but never allow the computer to replace them as the main character in the class.

As to the application, we future educators should bear in mind that although we now have the technology and computer we should know how to insure that students have the needed knowledge and skills for any computer activity. We should decide the appropriate learning objectives, plan the sequential and structural activities to achieve the set objectives, and then evaluate the students’ achievements to test the expected outcomes. However, educators must also provide the proper technological facilities and include the needed skills to be given to students so they can fully utilize the use of the computer to help them learn their lessons by themselves. It is not bad to rely on the computers but we cannot deny the facts that the teachers are not the only source of the information.