Lesson 1 - Meaning of Educational Technology

Many people think that technology refers only to machines such as computers, televisions, videos, etc. technology is more than just machines. Technology refers to "all the ways people use their inventions and discoveries to satisfy their needs and desires." (The World Book Encyclopedia, Vol 19).

"Technology" comes from the Greek word "teche" which means craft or art. Therefore, educational technology refers to art or craft of responding to educational needs. Furthermore, educational technology refers to how people use their inventions and discoveries to satisfy their educational needs and desire like learning.

Educational technology is the application of scientific findings in our method, process or procedure of working in the field of education in order to effect learning. It embraces curriculum and instructional design, learning environment, theories of teaching-learning. it is also a field study of a profession, it is a use of all human inventions for teachers to realize their mission to teach in order the students to learn.

Technology in education is associated with educational technology.  technology in education means the application of technology in education. It involves any processes involved in operating institutions which house the the educational enterprises. 

Instructional technology is also part of educational technology. Instructional technology the systematic way of designing, carrying out, and valuing the total process of learning.

Lesson 2 - Technology : Boon or Bane?

The question if technology is a boon or bane lies on how we use technology. Technology has a big part to human existence. It makes our life easier and enjoyable. However, technology could also cause damages to human and to Mother nature. That is why competence in using any kind of technology is a must to avoid harmful and disastrous effect to human existence.

Lesson 3 - The Roles of Educational Technology in Learning

Educational Technology plays a big role to the instruction that makes the world a new place.

There are two types of the roles of the technology- traditional and constructivist way.
In traditional type of instruction in ET, technology serves only as delivery vehicles for instructional lessons which learner learns the content presented with the use of technology through the teacher in the sense that the certain knowledge is embedded in technology. In addition, traditional way also seen as productivity tool where it is being known for word processing, databases, spreadsheets, graphic programs and desktop publishing that is why learners could be able to understand deeply of what is being presented by the teacher because of unavailable access of internet. Learners could also pay attention in books in order to have a good and reliable source of references for them to have a better research.

In constructivist point of view, learners learn best to technology in building more meaningful personal interpretations in life. It makes learner gather, think, analyze, synthesize information and construct meaning with what technology presented. Also, it engages learner in active, constructive, intentional, authentic and cooperative learning that provides opportunities for technology and learner’s interaction for meaningful learning. With that, technology in constructivist approach served as facilitator for thinking and knowledge construction.

With all this approaches presented, whether traditional or constructivist way as long as it used effectively, it makes the instruction achievable, understandable, adds motivation, encourages collaborative learning and supports the development of critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Lesson 4 - Systematic Approach to Teaching

According to C. West Churchman stated that “A plan that emphasizes the parts many pay the cost of failing to consider the whole, and a plan that emphasizes the whole must pay the cost of failing to get down to the real with respect to the parts”.

The system’s approach to the instruction is not just of theory but it is being broaden in practice, not just normal approach to teaching but is composed of more enhancements to the instruction. In this, teachers should undergo a specific target especially the consideration of students, their needs, interest, home background, prior experience, developmental stage as well. Various methods and strategies should be able to implement to maintain the meaningful learning to students.

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In the system, there are elements to teaching. 
First is to Define the objectives in which teacher should be able to identify the content that are said to be connected to one another where one can be reflected the point of a certain objective. 

Second on the process is to Choose appropriate method, this will really help students to keep them motivated and with this method should fit to the situation. 

Third, Choose appropriate experiences, the very purpose of this is to make the method fits into the activities. 

Fourth, Select materials, equipment and facilities in order for the students to accommodate their learning skills and apply the certain activity well. 

Fifth, Assign personnel role which this includes the preparation and setting in order to have a convenient way of the teaching-learning process. 

Sixth, to Implement the instruction where the evidence taken in the system, this would make system packages the instruction into a successful none since the student is the focus, so teacher has to give extra effort to the students in order to give also an extra justice to his instruction given. 

Seventh, Evaluate outcomes wherein teacher should planned well because on this stage, the result of the process will be identified whether it is attainable or not and last is to refine the process, this will be the basis of the evaluation, the teacher here will have his reaction and post evaluation for him to improve more or focus to remedial of the class. With that, student will be able to assess regularly their learning.

All this elements are very important and connected to one another. If one will not be attained, it adversely affect to outcome of the entire system to instruction. Lastly as Brown (1969) stated that “the purpose of a system instruction design is to ensure orderly the relationships and interaction of human, technical, and environmental resources to fulfill the goals which have been established for instruction”. In short, a systematic approach for instruction is a network of elements or parts different from each other performs a unique function for life and effectiveness of the instruction.

Lesson 5 - The Cone of Experience

The Cone of Experience

The Cone of Experience is a visual model, a pictorial device that presents bands of experience arranged according to degree of abstraction and not degree of difficulty. Dale fyurther explains that “the individual bands of the cone of experience  stand for experience that are fluid, extensive and continually internet”.

• Direct Purposeful Experience-serve as the foundation of our learning.
• Contrived Experience- use for representative models or mock ups of reality for practical reasons.
• Dramatized Experience- participate  in a reconstructed experience .
• Demonstrations- is a visualized explanation of an important fact, idea, or process.
• Study trips- there are the educational trips that observe an event that is unavailable within the classroom.
• Exhibits- these are displays to be seen byu spectators. Sometimes exhibits are “for your eyes only”.
• Television and Motion Pictures- reconstruct the reality of the past effectively yhat we are made to feel we are there.
• Still Pictures, Recordings, Radio- these are visual and auditory devices which may be used by an individual or group.
• Visyual Symbols- these are highly abstract representations, such as: charts, graphs and etc.
• Verbal Symbols- these are the written words, it may be a word for a concrete object.

           

            Harvard Psychologist, Jerome  S. Bruner presents a three-tiered model of learning where he points out that every area of knowledge can be presented and learned in a three distinct steps:

• Symbolic (through a series of symbols) 
• Iconic (through a series of Illustrations)
• Enactive (through a sequence of actions)

It is highly recommended that a learner proceeds from the ENACTIVE to the ICONIC and only after the SYMBOLIC. The mind is often shocked into immediate abstraction at the highest level without the benefit of the gradual unfolding.

Lesson 6 - Using and Evaluating Instructional Materials

         One of the instructional materials used to attain instructional objectives is field trip. For an effective use of an instructional materials such as field trip, there are guidelines that ought to be observed, first of all, in their selection  and second, in their use.

Selections of Materials:

1.          Does the material aligned to the curriculum standard and competencies?
2.          Does the material give a true picture of the ideas they present?
3.          Does the material promote self-study?
4.          Is the material culture-and grades- sensitive?
5.          Does the material have culture bias?
6.          Is the material worth the time, expense and effort involved?

THE PROPER USE OF MATERIALS:

To ensure effective use of instructional materials, Hayden  Smith and Thomas Nagel, book authors on instructional media advice us to abide by the acronym PPPF.

P-repare yourself- know your lesson objective and what you expect the class after the session and why you have selected such particular instructional materials.

P-repare your Student- set reasonably high class expectations and learning goals. Motivate them and keep them interested and engaged.

P-resent the Material- using media and materials, especially if they are mechanical in nature, often requires rehearsal and carefully planned performance.

F-ollow up- remember that you use instructional material to achieved an objective, not to kill time nor to give yourself a break, neither to merely entertain the class.

Lesson 7 - Direct Purposeful And Beyond

Direct Purposeful Experiences                                Indirect Purposeful Experiences

Cooking personal meals                                                      Watching cooking show

Driving the car                                                                     Observing the driver 
Manipulating the car

From the examples stated above, we can see that there are two different ways of learning, and they are describe as follows:

    The direct purposeful experiences are the firsthand experiences that are done personally by a learner and also set as the basis of one's learning. And does describe as purposeful in such a way that they are experiences done for a specific purpose or with a purpose.

    Indirect experiences in contrast with the direct experiences , are experiences done by other people. And they are being observed by the learner. In short, learners do learn not by doing but through observation on what they see from others or from what they have read from the magazines or books.

However in a teaching-learning process, we must not limit or end in direct experiences. We must bring learning to a higher level. We should go beyond into the level of generalization and abstraction.