Lesson 1: A Review of Educational Technology 1

     The Educational Technology 1 (ET-1) course has truly paved the way for the learner to become aware, appreciative and equipped to use educational technology tools ranging from traditional to modern educational media.

     Truly, the foundation for a truly satisfying exposure to educational technology has been firmly laid down by the ET-1 course, starting with thorough treatment of the history of educational technology, quality education, and the roles of ET in the 21st millennium.

     In ET-1, the learner was also oriented towards averting the dangers of dehumanization  which technology brings into societies, such as through ideological propaganda, pornography, financial fraud, and other exploitative use of technology. Sad to say, these dangers continue to affect peoples and cultures while widening the gap between rich and poor countries.

     On the application of educational technology to instruction. Educational Technology 1 showed the 4 phases of application of educational technology in teaching-and-learning, namely; (a) setting of learning objectives (b) designing specific learning experiences (c) evaluating the effectiveness of the learning experiences vis-a-vis the learning objectives, and (d) revision as needed of the whole teaching-learning process, or elements of it, for further improving future instructional activities.

     Adding to the technology sophistication of the learners, Educational Technology 1 fittingly refined the distinction between educational technology and other concepts, such as instructional technology ( which is the use of technology in instruction, different from school management), audiovisual aids (or learning media to stir the senses for more effective learning).


COMMUNICATION DEVICES:

Communication Signals

In sum, Educational Technology 1 served:

* To orient the learner to the pervasiveness of educational technology in society.

* To lend familiarization on how educational technology can be utilized as media for the avenues teaching-learning process in the school.

* To uplift the learner to human learning through the use of learning technology.

* To impact skills in planning, designing, using and evaluating the technology-enriched teaching-learning process.

* To acquaint learners on basic aspects of community education, functions of the school media center, and finally

* To introduce the learner to what is recognized as the third revolution in education, the computer.

Lesson 2: An Overview: Educational Technology 2

     Educational Technology 2 is concerned with " Integrating Technology into Teaching and Learning". Specifically this is focused on introducing, reinforcing, supplementing and extending the knowledge and skills to learners so that they can become exemplary users of educational technology. Mainly directed to student teachers, also professional teachers who may wish to update their knowledge of educational technology, it is our goal that this course can help our target learners to weave technology, with software (computer programmed learning materials) becoming a natural extension of their learning tools.

      Necessarily, Educational Technology 2 will involve a deeper understanding of the computer as well as hands-on application of computer skills. But this is not say that the goal of the course is to promote computer skills. But this is not to say that the goal of the course is to promote computer skills. Rather, the course is primarily directed at enhancing teaching-and-learning through technology integration.

      In essence, the course aims to infuse technology technology in the student-teachers training, helping them to adapt and meet rapid and continuing technology 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 skills on technology integration-in-instruction to learners.

* To impart learning experiences in instructional technology-supported instructional planning.

* 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, etc.

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

     While the course is primarily intended for the use of student-teachers, it can also be of great to use to professional teachers, school administrators, teacher educators, and in fact anyone who is interested on how Information Technology can be used to improve not only instruction but the school management program and curriculum.

     It may be said, too, that the study of this course on integrating Information Technology in instruction should not be considered as a formidable task, but rather as a refreshing and exciting study given the idea that all learning should be fun.

Lesson 3:

              To provide confidence to educators that they are taking the right steps in adopting technology in education, it is good to know that during the last few years, progressive countries in the Asia Pacific region have formulated state policies and strategies to infuse technology in schools. The reason for this move is not difficult to understand since there is now a pervasive awareness that a nation’s socio-economic success in the 21st century is linked to how well it can complete in a global information and communication technology (ICT) region. This imperative among nations has therefore given tremendous responsibilities on educators to create an educational technology environment in schools.

            And since it is understood that the state policies will continue to change, it is helpful to examine prevailing ICT policies and strategies of five progressive states/city, namely New Zealand, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong.

           

New Zealand 2001 ICT Goals and Strategy

( Web link for more a detailed document)

http;//www.tki.org.nz.ict/

GOAL

            Government with the education and technology sectors, community groups, and industry evisions to support to the development of the capability of schools to use information and communication technologies in the teaching and learning and in administration.

STRATEGY

It forces schools to be:

·         Improving learning outcomes for students using ICT to support the curriculum.

·         Using ICT to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of educational administration.

·         Developing patnerships with communities to enhance access to learning through ICT.

Focus Areas

·         Infrastructure for increasing schools’ access to ICTs to enhance education.

·         Professional development so that school managers and teachers can increase their capacities to use ICT.

Initiatives

·         An online esource center with a centrally managed website for the delivery of multimedia resources to schools.

·         A computer recycling scheme

·         A planning and implantation guide for schools

·         ICT professional development schools/clusters

Australia IT initiatives

(http.//www.deet.gov.au/schools/adelaide/text/htm)

In the adelaide declaration and national Goals for  schools, information technology is one of the eight national goals/learning areas students should achieve. Students should be confident, creative and productive users of new teachnologies, particularly ICTs, and understand the impact of these technologies on society.

The plans for achieving the and national goal fo IT are left to individual states and territories with the Educational Network Australia (EdNA) as the as the coordinating and advisory body. Across the states and territories, the common features to planning, funding and implementation strategies are:

·         Fast local and wide area netwoks linking schools across the state and territory

·         Substantial number of computers in schools, ensuring adequate access

·         Continuing teacher training in the use of teachnology for instruction

·         Technical support to each school

·         Sufficient hardware and software

·         Digital library resources

·         Technology demonstrations as models for schools

Malaysia Smart School-Level Technology Project

(http://www.ppk.kmp.my/smartschool/)

Technology plays many roles in a Smart School from facilitating teaching-and-learning activities to assisting with school management. Fully equipting a school includes;

·         Classrooms with multimedia, presentation facilities, e-mail, and groupware for collaborative work.

·         Library media center with database for multimedia courseware and network access to internet

·         Computer laboratory for teaching, readily accessible multimedia and audiovisual equipment

·         Multimedia development cente with tools creating multimedia materials. Computer studies as a subject

·         Studio/theatette with control room for centralized audio-visual equipment, teleconferencing studio, audio, room, video and laser disc video room.

·         Teachers’ oom with on-line acess to courseware catalogues and databases, information and resource management systems and professional networking tools, such as e-mail and gruopware.

·         Server room equipped to handle applications, management databases and web server

·         Administration offers capable of managing databases of students and facilities, tracking students and teacher performance and resources, ditributing notices and other information electronically

Singapore Masterplan for IT in Education

(http;//www.moe.edu.sg/education/masterplan/welcome.htm)

The masterplan has four key dimensions;

Curriculum and assessment

·         A balance between acquisition of factual knowledge and mastery of concepts and skills

·         Students in more active and independent learning

·         Assessment to measure abilities in applying infomation

Learning resources

·         Development of a wide range of educational software for instruction

·         Use of relevant internet resources for teaching-and-learning

·         Convenient and timely procurement of software materials

Teaching Development

·         Training on purposeful use of IT for teaching

·         Equipping each trainee teache with core skills in teaching with IT

·         Tie-ups with institutions for higher learning and industy partners

Physical and technological infrastucture

·         Pupil computer ratio of 2;1

·          Access to IT in all learning areas in the school

·         School-wide network, and school linkages whough wide area network (WAN), eventually connected to Singapore One ( a broadband access service for high-speedy delivey of multimedia services on island-wide basis

Hong Kong Education Program Highlights

(http//.www.info.gov.hk/emb/eng/prog_high/schoolprog.html)

            Government raise the quality of school education by promoting the use of IT in teaching and learning. The IT initiative are;

·         On average, 40 computers for each primary school and 82 computers fo each secondary school

·         About 85,000 IT training places for each teachers at four levels

·         Technical support for all schools

·         An Information Education Resource Center for all schools and teachers

·         An IT coordinator for each of 250 schools which should have sound IT plans

·         Computer rooms for use by students for normal school hours

·         An It Pilot Scheme to povide schools with additional resources

·         Review of school curiculum to incorporate IT elements

·         Development of appopriate software in collaboration with gvernment, the private sector, tertiary institutions and schools

·         Exploring the feasibility of setting up an education-specific intranet

Lesson 4:

Levels of integration

            Now to provide moe specificexamples of levels of integration.

Ms. Cruz wants to show photos in her Social Studies class, but the icture are so small. She decides to use the computer scan the photos fo a computer projection to the class( a presentation softawae package)	Result: good class presentation followed by a discussion
Mr. Alonzo thinks it is tedious to do paper and pen match worksheets. He decides to use the computer to put the woksheets into a spreadsheet form. He then asked students to submit thei completed worksheet to him by e-mail.	Result: more active student activity

 

Geography teacher, Mr. Sioson finds it difficult to motivate her students to learn about other countries. Her supervisor suggested an instructional simulation software in which students play detectives to solve mysteries related to Geography. Ms. Sioson use the computer-based material, also designed worksheets and question-answer sheets to find out the students’ experience in the learning process.	Result: an exciting group learning activity
Mr. Roxas uses a computer-bases Trigonometry softwae, projected to the class using a pojector to supplement his teacher centered class presentation.	Result: an interactive class using a software
English teacher Ms. Santos, used computer-based activities (software) which students can go through duing library time	Result: enrichment activity; recording- keeping features of softwae allows checking of progress of student learning.
Ms. Yu asks her students to find information on H-fever in the internet. Students are to create an information leaflet giving a family health tips on H-fever.	Result: creative skills employed by students

	In these examples, Technology is the central instructional tool

 

To dish out infomation on the Asean Region, Mr. Lopez assigned newsletter computer production by group	Result: increased social skills to group wok: planning, creativity, computer skills
The Rizal school has a partner school in the US. A joint Science project allows the Phillipines and U.S schools to exchange information on indigeneous herbal plants in both countries. Video conferencing is held involving students of both schools.	Result: a more sophisticated Technology-supported project demonstrating global communication and socially relevant research.

                   

                    To reflect in may need time fo teachers who are novices in technology integration to become adept technology instructional integrators. There is no need to worry since technology integration is developmental and takes a gradual route to amstery and expertise. In time, teachers can advance from basic to morecomplicated levels of technology use in instuction

Lesson 5: Obstacles to IT pedagogical practice

           Especially for educators living in developing or peasant economies, objections are likely to be heard such as that the use of the computer is time-consuming and expensive. Besides there is also the danger of a technology-centered classroom along the fear that computers may soon replace teachers.

            Virtue is in moderation and so, there is truly a need for teachers to balance their time for the preparation and application of instructional tools. Through wise technical advice, schools can also acquire the most appropriate computer hardware and software. At the same time, training should ensure that the use of ET is fitted to learning objectives. In addition, teachers should acquire computer skills for so that they can serve as models in integrating educational technology in the teaching-learning process.

 

                                                                                                                                   

FIGURE 1- SYSTEMATIC INSTRUCTIONAL PLANNING PROCESS

          Following modern trends in technology-related education, schools should now foster a student-centered learning environment, wherein students are given leeway to use computer information sources in their assignments, reports and presentation in written, visual, or dramatic forms.

          All these suggestions show that teachers and schools can no longer avoid the integration of educational technology in instruction. Especially in the coming years, when portable and mobile computing will make computing activities easier to perform, the approaches to classroom pedagogy must change. And with continuing change in high-speed communication, mass storage libraries, educators should be open for more drastic changes in the years ahead.