Lesson 3

UNDERSTANDING TECHNOLOGY LEARNERS

Today’s learners appear smarter, yet they don’t read ass their parents do and they are addicted to the internet. Even in the classes their concentration is questionable as they are uneasy to simply sit and listen. They become alive again through video presentations, group activities and computer classes.

            The concern for new learners is valid. On the other hand, it is to be admitted that our teachers today generally use the traditional education program applicable to learners of the past, acquainted with linear, textual, and sequential learning. They fail to realize that the new generation of the 21stmillennium is not the kind of learner that they were, but are information technology or digital learners.

            It is observe that the new learners spend much time talking with friends on their cellphones, spending text messages, interacting trough social Internet media like Facebook, playing video games and surfing the World Wide Web.

Last the concerns for new learners is not well understood, it serves to know what scientist say as follows:

• There are positive benefits derived from the use of information technology or digital resources and these counterbalance possible negative effects of technology on children.

• Daily exposure to high technology-personal computers, video game gadgets, cellphones, and Internet and search sites-stimulates the brain by strengthening and creating neural circuits.

• A current technological revolution is creating an intellectual revolution, faster and better than ever before.

            Truly there are valid concerns which must be met, and among these is the feared under development of new learners along social face-to-face interaction skills. On the other hand, there is the phenomenon of the young generation taking on multi-tasking as they perform task simultaneously: watching video, chatting online, downloading pictures and music, surfing the Web, etc. True to say, research shows that multitasking can be detrimental since this prevents concentration and the completion of specific tasks. However, multitasking characterizes professional works in the new world of information technology. There is the need therefore to balance the good and possibly detrimental changes observed among new learners of this information technology age.

           

The 19th century psychologist Jean Piaget presented a chart from childhood to adulthood with the first two years of susceptible minds, six years of acquiring communication skills, teenage years of transition concrete thinking and adult years of abstract thinking and reasoning. Digital technology resources, such as IPod music devices, video games, mobile phones, and the Internet contribute to their digital acculturation.

Lesson 5

PREFERENCES OF THE TECHNOLOGY GENERATION

What Old Generation likes may not be the same as what the New Generation prefers in Life, work and leisure. Much of the good things enjoyed by elders when they were students are no longer available to the new generation. Vocational, Cultural and Values classes that are widely used by old generations during their time today, it is also available but it has been minimized due to the emphasis on the basics of English, Mathematics and Science

Text vs. Visual 

Our parents read book text, enrich by illustrations and photos. In order to research, they go to the school library, use the card catalogue for needed books and sign up to borrow books for home reading. The technology or digital generation has greater affinity to visuals (photo and video) compared with text. In fact, they have been exposed since childhood to cable television and videos images especially cartoon characters and then to compute images, in such manner and their visual fluency or abilities have sharpened and enriched. 

Linear vs. Hyper Media

The past-30 year old generation obtained information in a linear, logical and sequential manner. On the positive side, this made them more logical, focused and reflective thinkers.  The new generation, however, follows a personal random access to hyperlinked digital information, less superior elders in focused and reflection. Thus, they appear to be more easily bored and distracted during class lectures.

Independent vs. Social Learners

The traditional education system gives priority to independent learning, prior to participative work. New learners, however, are already acquainted with digital tools that adapt to both personal and participative work. They take the opportunity for dozens of instantaneous ways to communicate with others mobile calls and text, emails, Facebook, YouTube, Myspace, twitter, wikis and etc. experts describe this mode of digital learning as one that based on experimentation, discovery and intuition. 

Learning to do vs. To pass the

test

Old teachers teach students in order to help them pass tests and complete the course requirement.

On the other hand, the new digital learners simply wish to acquire skills, knowledge and habits as windows of opportunity afford them to learn. Our parents have completed a course and have engaged in a permanent job for most of their lives. A different work situation awaits the digital generation with contractual, multitask and multi-career opportunities in a digital world ahead of them. 

Delayed rewards vs. Instant gratification

The traditional reward system in education consists in the grades, honor certificates/medals and diplomas, including future jobs, the traditional rewards for the performance. 

On the other hand, digital learners on their own experience or more immediate gratification through immediate scores from games, enjoyable conversation from web-cam calls, excitement from email chats and inviting comments from their Facebook accounts.

Rote memory vs. Fun learning

Teachers feel too obliged to delivering content-based courses, the learning of which is measurable by standard tests.


Digital learners and not surprisingly there is much fun in the digital world outside the school.

Lesson 4

BRIDGING THE GENERATION GAP

The older generation often feels there is a generation gap between them and the younger generation. This is apparent in simple things like the manner of dressing, socializing, more intimate relationships like friendship and marrying, etc. Still, some old things are difficult to overcome, as there are still the caste system in India, pre-arranged marriages in China, female circumcision in Africa, and theocratic or religion-rule societies in the Middle East. Even in education, traditional schooling has hardly changed even with the clear evidence of a digital world. Reflect on how some teachers confine their teaching to the board talk-test method. In the field of education, a huge generation gap also exist and it will continue to widen unless some changes are adopted at the proper time. In peasant third world countries where schools don’t have technology facilities, it is understandable that the transition, to digital education may take time. But given the rapid emergence of digital technology at times referred to as information and communication technology (ICT), there is the need to prepare for bridging the digital gap in society. First, we need to understand the potentials of ICT.

            Given the speed and power of ICT for changes, growth, innovation, it becomes critical that teachers understand the gap that may be perceived between them and the new generation of learners. Much of the old technology such as tube radio, platter records, cassette tapes, celluloid movies, antenna television, land lines phone, have vanished or are quickly vanishing today. Even in communication, sending a written letter has become tedious with the advent of emailing and web-camera face-to-face communication. As sophisticated technology advances at a dizzying pace, the complacency of educators to stick to traditional education systems and approaches become futile, if not retrogressive.

            As living organisms we are made to adapt to what is happening to our surroundings for as to survive in this fast-changing world. The discovery of new technologies were a threat to some people because all they see is its bad effect to the people without exerting effort to know what goodness it can bring to humanity. Older teachers were not really in to technology but it makes me happy knowing that their teachers who are willing to accept the challenge of becoming a more technological teachers, I am very happy for those who participated the BPS Seminar-Workshop Last November 2014.

            As of today’s generation learners are totally engaged in computer because that’s what they are born into, the generation of computers. That’s why there is a need for the teachers and for the future teachers to really understand the learners in their own perspective in order to have a harmonious teacher-students relationship. Also, as a teacher one must exert effort to cope up with the digital era even if it is already out of their comfort zone because that is the only way to prevent the generation gap between the older and younger generation. The gap that ca be a source of conflict but if address finely, this gap will exist no more.

            Nowadays, we cannot avoid the fact that today’s learners are really quite different than the learners of the past generation, because today’s learners are more vulgar and much more advance. That’s why teachers must take time to improve themselves when it comes to dealing with the digital learners. Teachers must attend seminars and convention related to technology because there are still teachers who are left behind when it comes to using technology. So, attending seminars and taking time to learn is a must to avoid the generation gap between the older and the younger generation.

Lesson 2

is more concerned with “Integrating Technology into Teaching and learning.” Knowing how to use technology and integrate it in the learning and teaching process is a skill will make a teacher and those aspiring teachers to be more equipped, efficient, and effective teacher. As we address that today’s learners were more visual learning we can simply as effective learning through the use of technology in delivering every lesson. Though every student is unique is has its own way on addressing the different needs of every student. Technology offers a wide range of choices to make the teaching-learning process more active and more student-centered making student to be more independent and more productive own their own without relying so much on the teacher.

Necessarily, Educational technology 2 will involve a deeper understanding of the computer as well as hands-on application of computer skills. In essence, the course aims to infuse technology in the student-teachers training, helping them to meet and adapt to 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 skill on technology integration-in-instruction to learners;

• To impart learning experiences in instructional technology supported instruction to learners;

• 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; and

• To include higher-level thinking and creativity among students while providing them knowledge of IT-related learning theories.

            As a future teacher the things I learned about the uses of computer on how to make a lesson more effective and interesting will surely help me become a good teacher in the future. My experiences I using a computer can aid my needs in my future career, a teacher.

            The integration of high technology in the classroom setting had made a big impact on the performance of the students. Student before were so dependent on what the teacher can give offer them they wee isolated in their comfort zones. The big change is that students now were given a variety of options on how to make their learning be more meaningful.    

            We cannot teach the students of what we don’t have. So, it is very important to read a lot and learn a lot. Because how are you going to teach your students if you as a teacher don’t know it yourself? That’s why is very important to know your limitations and be honest with yourself. As a teacher we are looked as the most reliable person in the view of our students. We need to make ourselves better not just in knowledge but in our attitudes a as source of knowledge.

Lesson 1

The Educational Technology 1 

It surely help the learners to be more active, equipped and more aware about integrating technology to education because they are exposed on hands-on learning. Because of these, there is now an enhancement with regards to student's ability and knowledge when it comes to the modern technology.

Moreover, Educational Technology 1 also showed the four phases of application of educational technology in teaching-and learning and these are:

• Setting of learning objectives


•Designing specific learning experiences


• Evaluating the effectiveness of the learning experiences


• Revision as needed of the whole teaching- learning process, or elements of it.

 Furthermore, Educational Technology also refined the difference between educational technology and other related concepts which gives confusion to the students and these are: instructional technology which is different from school management and uses technology in instruction, educational media which uses equipment and materials apart the teacher himself/herself and the last is the audiovisuals aids which uses learning media to stir the senses of the learners.

            According to the cone of experience of Edgar Dale, people generally remember 90% of what they do. That’s why the involvement of the students is really important. Moreover, because the learners already experience how to utilized the technology in learning. Learning becomes more interactive and more meaningful. Student are able to retain the things they learn and last longer in their memories.

            With the help of technology it teaching becomes more enjoyable, learning can never be boring because learners can visualize as well as grasp the concept well, especially those visual learners. Also it helps students to be more aware of what technology can bring them and how to utilize it in a useful manner. As a teacher we should  also  be responsible o how our students deal with technology for we all know that though it has good effect it also has a variety of disadvantages.

          Learning how to integrate technology is really useful because learners already know how to utilize technology. Also, the learners of today are already knowledgeable when it comes to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint and knows how to create and edit pictures and videos and there times they are more knowledgeable than their teachers.