Lesson 4: Bridging the Generation Gap

Content

          This lesson presents the view that beliefs, history, research, and policy are essential to changing the educational system with technology. The content should help teachers reflect on what is happening as the center of learning power moves outside the classroom. The suggestions for use of technology are designed to help educators ease into the use of technology rather than leap off the cliff of innovation, developing confidence and competence in their teaching. Teachers of young children are the technology gatekeepers in childcare programs. They are vital to the appropriate use of technology, yet little is documented concerning training and understanding of teachers’ role in classrooms.

Experience

            In whatever aspects in life there is always a gap: in economics, fashion and education. The education system from the past is different from today. With the presence of technology make it a lot more different. 21^st century learners are highly active and updated when it comes to using technology. I honestly am still on the process of studying the new applications and the trending software.

Reflection

            One way to understand the potential generation gap between educators and learners is to view the difference between “digital natives” and “digital immigrants.” Members of the Net Generation are digital natives, that is, they are born into a culture that speaks the digital language of computers. Digital immigrants, by contrast, are those to whom computer-ese is foreign.  To bridge the potential generation gap, educators need to develop new learning tools, and in essence see teaching and learning in new ways. Indeed, according to Prensky, 2001, “todayʼs students are no longer the people our educational system was designed to teach”. As a result, many faculties are starting to consider using games to enhance their courses. As a future teacher we must be able to compromise or somewhat exceed ourselves to what our learners can actually do.

Application

          By this, we could find new ways in teaching our lesson to our students with the use of appropriate teaching strategies with technologies that would aid us in teaching such that we show them simulations, videos and involve them in the process. Technologies that can support such immersive learning environments are converging and maturing in the mass market and the feasibility of using them in higher education is increasing. Games and simulations are one way to teach this Net Generation in their own language. Games can present content in ways that were previously unavailable, thus facilitating new understandings of traditional and new learning materials, creating innovative avenues for research and assessment, and energizing discussions about the future of higher education.

         

 

Lesson 3: Understanding Technology Learners

Content

   This lesson involves on how to understand the digital learners and what are their benefits in engaging this kind of learners in technology based instructional Medias. Scientists said that, there are positive benefits derived from the use of information technology or digital resources and these counterbalance possible negative effects of technology on children. In addition, daily exposure to high technology-personal computers, video game gadgets, cellphones, surfing the internet -stimulates the brain by strengthening and creating neural circuits. Furthermore, this current technological revolution is creating an intellectual revolution, faster and better than ever before.

Experience

            I have younger siblings and sometimes I could say they know better than me since my parent bought them android phones earlier than I had. They are more updated and know more applications and such. I was once like them too but I have observed that as I got myself busier with different stuff a lot of things were already evolving in the tech world.

Reflection

                As we grow old, new technologies were invented which makes even older since the 21st century people knows more about it than us. But technology must be used as an aid which gives us the responsibility to guide our students and the younger generations to use technology for their benefit and not to destroy them.

Application

        As a future teacher, it is a great help for us to understand the 21^st century students. We do not just widen their knowledge but we develop and mold them into a whole being. This would help us guide our student for their betterment. As a teacher and a role model, we must emphasize to them the appropriateness of using technology in our daily lives and that we must not be dependent on what technology could give us because in the battle field of life, it is our skills, morals and philosophies in life that could help us I our way to success.

        

Lesson 2: An Overview To Educational Technology 2

Content
            If Educational Technology 1 is about presenting new technology to the learners, Educational Technology 2 is more on the application of the different modern educational media presented from the previous subject. This is wherein learners can be more aware, appreciate more, and be fully equipped to use different technology tools ranging from traditional to modern educational media.

        Educational Technology 2 as I see seems to encourage educators as well as learners to combine education and technology. Educators can use technology in providing knowledge and skills to learners. On the other hand, Educational Technology 2 also encourages educators, school administrators and stakeholders to be computer literate and to appreciate Information Technology for instruction and school management as well.

Experience

                New software and applications will be taught in educational technology 2. One of those is what I’m doing right now which is writing and posting a blog.  And doing a podcast which shows our reflection to what our professor have shown to us.

Reflection

                I’m a bit excited to explore the word of new applications and software which can be a great help on my teaching career. It may be a bit complicated and demanding when it comes to time but I can manage it. It would also help me develop my skills.

Application

        As a future teacher, it would help me in various ways. I could make use of what I have learned in educational technology 2 with my teaching strategies that won’t let my students get bored and that there will be an interactive teaching-learning process.

        

Lesson 1: Review of Educational Technology 1

Content - We sometimes think that educational technology is limited to tools and equipment. In educational technology 1, we were made to understand that educational technology is more than that. It is more than a material for it includes processes, procedures and activities, instructional and curricular designs, learning environment and systems. Technology nowadays are a great advantage to people since you could do a lot  which you could not do then with less effort and time especially in communication. However, when not used properly, technology becomes detriment to learning and development. It can destroy relationships. Technology contributes much to the improvement of the teaching-learning process. The integration of technology in the instructional process must be geared with interactive and meaningful learning and efficient and effective teaching.  The systems approach views he entire educational program as interrelated parts wherein one cannot function well without the other. The most important thing to consider is the formulating the objectives that should follow SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Result-oriented and Time bound). The focus of this approach is the learner which specifies that teachers should use the technology as an aid in teaching and it encourages for a student-centered approach.

          The cone of experience ensures that instructional materials serve as their purpose in instruction. The bands are arranged according to their abstraction and not degree of difficulty. This just shows that teachers should be able to select materials which give a true picture of the ideas they present, contribute to the attainment of the learning objectives, be appropriate to the age intelligence and experience of the learners and help develop critical and creative thinking powers of students. Educational technology 1 enables students to manipulate information in a manner that accelerates both understanding and the progression of higher-order thinking skills. As a result, students gather more real-world data, share their findings with learners in and beyond their school. Because of educational technology 1, the role of their students broadens from being mere learners and knowledge seekers to being creators of their own work.

Experience - With educational technology 1, I was able to create my own cartoon strips by using the toondoo.com. I also made a rubric in the field of science with the help of the site www.rubistar4teachers.org wherein competencies and objectives are already given; you just need to choose the appropriate one that could cater the three domains so as the multiple intelligences of the students. I was able to edit and replace my face into my favourite character in their movie poster with the use of adobe Photoshop which was both fun and challenging since it needs mastery in using the tools found in the software. We were able to shoot a short film, edit it and produced it which I find fun and useful. We also had a virtual classroom wherein whenever our professor can’t make it to the class, he would just post our assignments and other requirements in www.edmodo.com.

Reflection – The activities we have done in educational technology 1 are both fun and challenging. It enhanced and develop our critical, analytical and creativity skills. It also taught me to be more cooperative and help me get closer and understand my classmates even more. We did not just make our requirements, our projects but we made a family out of it. Indeed, our multiple intelligences were catered and new skills and talents were discovered and developed. This just shows that technology in education is in good use if one won’t abuse it and it is also a great help to the total development of a person because a lot of things would be learned.

Application – As a future teacher, educational technology serves as learning tools that learners learn with. It engages learners in active and cooperative learning. It provides opportunities for technology and learner interaction. By the use of my knowledge and skills developed and enhanced in educational technology 1, I could be able to do different teaching strategies which are appropriate to achieve my learning objectives and that the learners won’t find it boring and traditional. Since we are the teachers in the 21^st century, we must be able to reach or even exceed our students’ capabilities in handling technologies. A systematized instruction should always be followed. If we can organize our activities, then any kind of confusion can be avoided. Organization simplifies the workflow and approach towards learning: it eases our task in a systematic way. Using technology in our classroom setting helps teachers aid us in teaching, we would be able to create experiences that complement each other whether our students are learning online or physically present in the classroom. This would help teachers optimize our time, efforts and resources and focus more on guiding students. For teachers like me in the future, technology amplifies the resources we can offer to our students. Rather than relying on the textbook for content, computers can provide online access to content experts and updated information from original sources.