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.

Lesson 8 - Teaching with Contrived Experiences

Contrived experiences are not made to replace the original but to substitute real things for a better learning since there are things that cannot be brought inside the classroom.

• Model- According to Brown, it is a thing that substitutes real things in a small scale or large scale, or exact size which are made with synthetic materials.

• Mock-up- A special model where the parts of the model can be removed to focus on a particular part.

• Specimens- Item to be considered typical of a group, class or whole. A specimen will generate more accurate information and is ultimately more humane.

• Objects- May include artifacts displayed in a museum or objects displayed in exhibits.

• Simulations- A kind of activity done by learners wherein they are an active participants.

• Games- Can also be a part of contrived experiences where the students play a particular game relating to the discussion. Unlike with simulations, in a game there is a winner.

    


Models or mock ups are made not to replace but to substitute to bring out which are not feasible for the class. Always bare in mind that when we are using mock ups or models, they should be close to the real things they present.

Lesson 9 - Teaching with Dramatized Experiences

“All dramatizations are essentially a process of communication, in which both participant and spectators are engaged. A creative interaction takes place, a sharing of ideas.”

The third level in the cone is Dramatic Experience.

Dramatic is something that is stirring or affecting or moving.

Dramatic entrance is something that catches and holds our attention and has an emotional impact.

   "If our teaching is dramatic, our students get attracted, interested and affected. If they affected and moved by what we taught, we will most likely leave an impact on them."

Kinds of dramatized experiences:

1.       Formal plays - depict life, character or culture or a combination of all three. It offers excellent opportunities to portray vividly important ideas about life.

2.       Pageants - usually community dramas that are based on local history, presented by local actors.

3.       Pantomime - is the “art of conveying a story through bodily movements only.”(Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary). Its affect on the audience depends on the movements of the actors.

4.       Tableau -  it is a French words means picture. It is a picture-like scene composed of people against the background. Often used to celebrate Independence Day, Christmas, and United Nations Day.

5.       Puppet - present ideas with extreme simplicity—without elaborate scenery or costume.

Types of Puppets:

Shadow puppets – flat back silhouette made from light-weight cardboard and shown behind a screen.

     Rod puppets – flat cut out fingers tacked to a stick, with one or more movable parts, and operated from below the stage level by wire rods or slender sticks.

                                      
      Hand Puppets- the puppet’s head is operated by the forefinger of the puppeteer; the little finger and thumb being used to animate the puppet hands.

           Glove-and-finger puppets – make use of old gloves to which small costumed figure are attached.

              Marionettes – flexible, jointed puppets operated by strings or wires attached to a cross bar and maneuvered from directly above the stage.

6.       Role playing- is an unrehearsed, unprepared and spontaneous dramatization of a ‘let’s pretend’ situation where assigned participants are absorbed by their own roles in the situation described by the teachers.

Points to remember:

•   Play and pantomime require much time for preparation and so cannot be part of everyday classroom program.

• Pantomime and tableau, when compared to a play and a pageant, is less demanding in terms of labor, time, and preparation. These are purely visual experiences.

•  Role playing is highly effective for lessons in the affective domain.

• Dramatic experiences cater student’s multiple intelligences and it cannot be implemented by individuals alone.

•   Plays, pageants, pantomimes, tableaus, puppets and role playing are obviously most fit for kinesthetically intelligent.

•  When pantomimes, tableaus and puppets re accompanied by music, musical instruments is at work.

Lesson 10 - Demonstrations in Teaching

  “Good demonstration is a good communication.”

Demonstration is…..

- A public showing and emphasizing of the salient merits, utility, efficiency, etc., of an article or product. (Webster’s International Dictionary)

- Showing how a thing is done and emphasizing of the salient merits, utility and efficiency of a concept, a method or a process or an attitude. (in teaching)

§  Guiding principles in using demonstration as a teaching-learning experience by Edgar Dale:

1.       Establish rapport

How? :

-Greet your audience.

-Make them feel at ease by your warmth and sincerity.

-Stimulate their interest by your demonstration and yourself interesting.

-Sustain their attention.

2.       Avoid the COIK fallacy (Clear Only If Known)

What is this fallacy? It is the assumption that what is clear to the expert demonstrator is also clear known to the person for whom the message is intended.

3.  Watch for key points

What are key points?

-“They are the ones at which an error is likely to be made, the places at which many people stumble and where the knacks and tricks of the trade are especially important.”(Dale, 1996)

§  In planning and preparing for a demonstration (by Brown 1969):

1.       Determine our goals

2.       The materials we need

3.       Our steps

4.       Rehearse

§  Points to observe in the actual conduct of demonstration (by Dale):

1.       Get and sustain the interest of our audience.

2.       Keep our demonstration simple, focused and clear.

3.       Do not hurry nor drag out the demonstration.

4.       Check for understanding in the process of demonstration.

5.       Conclude with a summary.

6.       Hand out written materials at the end of the demonstration.

Lesson 11 - Making the most of Community Resources and Field Trips

           
Field trip is one of the instructional materials used in attaining an instructional objective. School Field Trips are primarily self-guided, which lets teachers plan a trip that best meets the needs of their particular students. In order to make it useful and fruitful, the teacher must have a realistic objective and proper planning. This includes discussions and decisions on what to do before, during and after field trip.

              

               The destinations for field trips could be community resources like places of exhibits, museums, zoos, historical and scenic spots, other members of the community like the senior citizens, parents, and many others in which they can get information base on their experience within their community.

Advantages of Field trips:

• Good field trip is that equipment and facilities that could not be experienced in the classroom become available and if good guides are provided, a lit of information can be picked up quickly.
• Greatest part of the experience may be realized that scale/ size does not come across in picture or videos.
• Promotes Discovery Learning.

Disadvantages of Field trips:

• Oftentimes, field trips require expenses.
• Time consuming.
• The discipline, control and safety of the students is crucial.

Lesson 12 - The Power of Film, Video and TV in the Classroom

                

The use of film, video and TV in the classroom as instructional tools, can contribute to a more lasting learning to the students. This is because of its audio, visual and motion effects that makes learning fun. They can make the teaching-learning process more interactive, colorful, lively and concrete.

               
                On the other hand, if they are not use appropriately and moderately especially at home, they can give damaging effects in the development of children’s imaginative and thinking powers and sensitivity to human life.

               
                Therefore, the teacher must be wise enough in using these as an instructional tool in the school and be guided by the parents at home to gain the maximum advantage of these educational tools.

Lesson 13 - Teaching with Visual Symbols

     Visual symbols come in many forms- drawing, cartoons, strip drawing, diagram,   map, chart, and graph. For these visual symbols to be at your fingertips, you ought to be skilled at making them.

       Visual symbols come in many forms-drawing, cartoons; strip drawing (comic strip), diagram, map, chart, and graph. For these visual symbols to be at your finger tips, you ought to be skilled at making them. The collection, preparation and use of these various visual symbols depend to a great extent on your own resourcefulness and creativity. They may be used in different ways and in different phases of the lesson depending on your purpose. If you use them skillfully, your classroom may turn into a beehive of busy students.

                                 

                    

      You may not realize it. But with visual symbols alone, you have an array of teaching materials to choose from. If you decide and commit yourself to using one visual symbol for every lesson, you will keep your teaching crispy and fresh. Only that this requires more preparation and more learning on your part. You must learn how to draw, sketch, make diagrams, graphs, the charts and some diagrams. You have to know what software to use and of course how to manipulate the computer.

Lesson 14 - Maximizing the Use of the Overhead Projector and the Chalkboard

                    Today the chalkboard comes in all colors, shapes, sizes and degrees of portability. Some have special surfaces that require a particular type of felt-tip pen rather than chalk. Most times, however, this medium includes a large writing area, a writing substance (usually chalk), and an eraser.

       Among all instructional equipment, the chalkboard is most available. The overhead projector is versatile equipment that is quite common today. By learning how to use them properly and in an inexpensive way we are able to realize our instructional objectives.

                  The OHP is indeed very versatile equipment. With your prepared transparencies you can do so much in so short a time. You save much time when you present your lecture on transparencies instead of writing these notes or drawing naively on the chalkboard. With the photocopier, it is easy to prepare notes on transparencies. Just photocopy your hand copy using a transparency. It is sometimes more reliable than the LCD. I have attended several lectures where the lecturer and audience get dismayed because the lecturer ends up presenting without visuals. It is either that they cannot open the flash drive or gadgets are not compatible, etc. If you have your transparencies and there is a functioning OHP available, that will be your saving factor and you can proceed with a visual presentation.

Lesson 15 - Project-Based Learning and Multimedia What It Is?

 Project -based multimedia learning is teaching method in which students “acquire new knowledge and skills in the course of designing, planning and producing multimedia products."This project-based multimedia learning is most of all anchored on the core curriculum.This means that project- based multimedia learning addresses the basic knowledge and skill and students are expected to acquire as laid down in the minimum competencies of basic education curriculum.

Project-based multimedia learning does no only engage use of multimedia for learning. The students end up with multimedia product to explain what they learned. So, they are not only learners of academic content, they are at the same time author of multimedia product at the end of learning process.

The project-based multimedia learning has 7 dimensions these are: Core Curriculum, Real-world Connection, Extended time frame, Student decision making, Collaboration, Assessment and Multimedia.

We need to use project-based multimedia learning because it is “value added” to our teaching. It is a powerful motivator; it actively engages students in the learning task. Students are likewise engaged in the production of multimedia presentation.

Lesson 16 - Using Project-Based Learning Multimedia As A Teaching-Learning Strategy

The efficient use of project-based multimedia learning requires through planning. 

Initial planning involves: clarifying goals and objectives, determining how much time is needed and extent of students involvement in decision making, setting up forms of collaboration, identifying and determining what resources are needed and deciding on the mode to measure what students learn.

Project-based learning enables classrooms to emphasize the underrate part of the “invisible curriculum” or other name called “emotional intelligence”.

Goals and objectives are always the starting points of planning. When we plan a multimedia learning project as a learning strategy, we begin by clarifying our goals and objectives. Since this strategy requires much time, we need to be realistic in the amount of time we have to spend a seen against time available or run the risk of failure and disappointment afterwards.

Another important thing is to determine the resources available from the library materials, community resources both material and human, internet, news media, since this project calls for multimedia.

The effective use of project-based multimedia learning requires thorough planning. Initial planning requires/involves clarifying the goals and objectives, determining how much time is needed and extent of students’ involvement in decision making. Important steps involved in multimedia project lesson plan: 1. Planning, 2. Researching, 3. Organizing, 4. Developing, 5. Communicating, and lastly 6. Evaluating.

Lesson 17 - Assessment in a Constructivist, Technology-Supported Learning

“We should go beyond memorizing for tests and we should not study only for a passing score and a passing grade”

     In constructivist classroom, learning transcends memorization of facts. It is putting isolated facts together, from concepts and makes meaning out of them. It is connecting the integration of these facts and concepts to daily life.

   What then is the assessment practice that will be congruent with the constructivists thinking? It is a higher level of assessment that will require the display of the basic skills of writing and speaking, computing and the more complex skill of applying concepts learned, analyzing, critiquing  and evaluating, integrating and creating, and the social skills of working with the others. Such higher form of assessment will call for alternative forms of assessment. The traditional paper-and-pencil test will prove to be inadequate to measure basic skills integrated with higher-order-thinking-skills or HOTS and Social skills.

     Authentic assessment is most appropriate for the constructivists classroom. Authentic assessment measures collective abilities, written, and oral expression skills, analytical skills, manipulative skills, integration, creativity, and ability to work collaboratively. In this assessment, students perform the real world tasks. The performance of the student is reliable measure of skills learned and the product is a proof of the acquisition of the skills. What do we need? We need to observed and evaluate, and to do more objectively, with the aid of Scoring Rubric. Sample of scoring rubric to get an idea of what it is about. 

• Organization- Students presents information in a logical, interesting sequence that the audience can follow.
• Subject Knowledge- Students demonstrates full knowledge by answering all class question with explanations and elaboration.
• Graphics- Students graphics explain and reinforce screen text and presentation.
• Mechanics- Presentation has no misspelling or grammatical errors.
• Eye Contact- Students maintains eye contact with the audience, seldom returning to notes
• Elocution- Students uses a clear voice and correct, precise pronunciation of terms so that all audience members can hear presentation.

     You and your students may develop a rubric. It can be a collaborative effort for both of you. In fact scoring rubric, standards are clearly set at the beginning for you and your students and with that rubric your students can assess their own performance or products.

     Assessment in a technology supported environment necessarily includes display of skilful and creative use of technologies, old and recent. These technology and integrative skills are demonstrated when our students present answers they have found to two or more assigned problems or present the group project they have worked on for a purpose with the use of various technologies. These presentation need performance-based-assessment or product assessment (it is a direct assessment). Measuring their computer skills directly in an authentic or real-life setting.

     A technology supported classroom maximizes the use of old and new technology. Students are expected to demonstrate learning with the use of both old and new technology. To assess their manipulative skills, we conduct direct assessment with the help of scoring rubric. From the eyes of constructivist, learning is an active, constructive, intentional, authentic and the cooperative process, so should the ways in which we assess learners and the criteria that we use to evaluate them.

POSTCRIPT

     Students study and learn based on the way they are tested. The type of assessment anticipated appears of influenced how and what they learn. Therefore, the quickest way to change the way students learn is to change the way learning is assessed.

     In a technology –supported classroom, the student learns FROM and WITH technology. Technology is seen as a source of information that the students learn FROM  in the same way that you, the teacher, are a source of information. We combine the traditional paper-and-pencil test with authentic assessment to assess analytical integrative and collaborative skills, skills that are taught in constructivist classroom.