Lesson 4: Bridging the Generation Gap

CONTENT

The manifestation of change is fast experienced by the entire society. Various functional components of the social context have been explicitly adopting to the changes being imposed along with the innovations being encouraged by human creativity. Education, as one of the most valued aspects of society is seen to have been actively engaged in these changes that are particularly fashioned by certain technological advancements.

Education, just like the rest of the world, is dynamic. Adopting to certain changes is admittedly effort-taking and at times, would certainly require a lot of emotional and psychological preparation. Traditional teachers are having a hard time in coping up with the major changes in the educational system, as being demanded by the needs of the current generation (ICT generation) and era (computer era). With this, a generation gap is formed – addressing a challenge to the modern educational arrangement. How would we adopt to this? How would the traditional education administrators respond to the immediate demands of modernization?

Embracing what’s new would mean giving up what’s old. The chalk and board technique (for example) may had become essential for traditional learners but may appear boring to those of the modern classrooms. The learners’ learning styles are becoming more visually demanding. Most of the teachers nowadays use the available ICT’s in school as a resort to aid their instruction more efficiently. But not all teachers have the manipulative skills to run a modern technological tool like computers. And this creates a destructive gap.

What are we going to do with teachers whose teaching preferences only include the traditional-classical way then? Is getting rid of them the best way to bridge the generation gap? Would it be upright to remove teachers from the educational context whose technological skills are not enough to bring up a modern classroom? No, to reject traditional teachers is never a remedy to erase the gap between the old and new generation. It’s unrealistic and insane. The best way to connect two separate islands is to build a bridge. This analogy can be applied in remediating the problem generation gap in the whole system of education.

Traditional teachers should be well-oriented with the breakthroughs of education. This can be done through conducting seminars on how to manipulate new technological tools which can effectively aid them in facilitating learning. They, themselves, should be made to appreciate technology as a part of the evolution of the educational system. Through this, they can work more interestingly; driving students’ learning to its full potential.

EXPERIENCE

The topic was delivered through a plain presentation of few slides. Questions were encouraged so as to create an interactive atmosphere. Ideas on how to bridge the generation gap were adjoined through inquiry to evaluate the learners’ understanding on the report given.

REFLECTION

An effective future teacher must clearly understand that the learners’ demands change over time. I have realized that technology is significantly providing reinforcements in uplifting educational standards. Consequently, learning how to use important technological tools as an aid for instruction should not be taken for granted. I have seen how difficult it is for traditional teachers to adjust with the certain changes brought up by technological innovations. Being born with the consciousness of computer literacy is a big chance for me to broaden my perspectives and religiously learn new skills. Not all were born with the same opportunity that I have. I should use it for this is the reason why it is made. 

APPLICATION 

My future teaching style will abundantly require a lot of technological involvements. I see it as an explicit need for science instruction. As how I perceive it, technology is continuously growing. What’s new and in at the time being will soon become outdated. I have to ride along with the world’s dynamics – this is one of the ways to grow up. I have to practice my interest in using technology for advantageous purposes for I believe that someday, I’ll be needing it – oh – well, I’m even using it at this moment. However, this doesn’t mean spending my whole time facing the monitor. It means going out and seeing how things work, making realizations about the world and applying what are learned. 

Lesson 3: Understanding Technology Learners

CONTENT

The previous sections of this course have made us clearly understand that technology has its pros and cons. One of the most evident advantages brought to us by technology is the easy and quick access to information and communication. The internet even made a way for people to construct a virtual society they now call the social media. These are places in the virtual world where people spend most of their on-line time.

Young people of today are actively engaged in virtual communication. Facebook, Twitter, Yahoo, to name a few – these terms are so popularly used that the English language is learning to embrace it. Now, we can hear people say, “I got a twit!” or “Let’s google it!” The influence of technology can never be stopped, but its undesired effects can always be circumvented. Since modern learners prefer more to engage in learning while involving technological tools, educators can flexibly make use of technology to motivate learning. Some research findings have shown that daily exposures to technology (computers, gadgets, and cellphones) tend to stimulate mental activity, thus creating neural circuits.

A good teacher will never yell at his/her students for preferring to browse the net rather than to read books in the library. Every learner has his/her learning style and preference which a good and constructive teacher should truly consider. The availability of technological tools has even allowed young learners to learn concepts advance to their stage which, I think, is what makes them truly exceptional. Therefore, there are no reasons that are reasonable enough to discourage the use of technology at school.

EXPERIENCE

An interesting interaction took place during the delivery of the topic. Several curious and practical questions were raised to the reporters and the rest of the class were encouraged to share their viewpoints. Varying ideas were richly extracted as students raised contrasting arguments on the application of technology in facilitating learning. It was made clear that technology is both traditional and modern, for technology itself upgrades through time.

REFLECTION

Teaching is not just about making learners learn by giving off knowledge and extrapolating established concepts. A mediocre teacher tries to explain and make his/her students understand what he/she knows, but an exceptional teacher tries to listen and understand his/her students’ points of view. One common mistake of a teacher is that he/she tends to manipulate the learning process when, as a matter of fact, the role of the teacher falls only on facilitating learning. The learners are still the focal point. Seeing myself as a future educator, it would be advantageous to start practicing not just on how to speak well but also on how to listen well. I have realized the “talking” part will not always fall to my part but also to that of the learners. I should see their needs as learners and serve my purpose as a teacher.

APPLICATION

Every subject course in education that I have taken mentioned about learners’ needs. This subject course (Educational Technology 2) talks about the same thing – understanding learners. A classmate of mine once raised an opinion, “We can understand technology learners only when we ourselves experience to learn with technology.” Perceptibly, he agrees with the saying, “Only when you step on someone shoes that you understand what he’s/she’s been through.” If the learners prefer to learn with the use of technology, then we should prefer to teach with technology as well. That makes it fair enough. Only technology teachers have the heart to understand technology learners. So, at the time being, the best thing to do is to practice to become technology teachers. That’s how we apply it. How exciting!

Lesson 2: An Overview of Educational Technology 2

CONTENT

Topics in Educational Technology 2 is not too far from that of Educational Technology 1. However, the former deals with broader but more specific concepts on educational technology – how technology revolution is given importance in education; how technology-based learning is enriched to produce better learning outcomes, and so much more.

Technology offers many options to perform educational administrative tasks more effectively. These include computer software and internet sites that are helpful in planning out activities, interpreting educational data and evaluating learning. Educational Technology 2 explains as well how technology plays an extremely significant role in promoting education to sustain the productivity of the society.

The course also includes discussions on the interconnections of other societal sub-units to education such as government, industry, community groups and technology sectors. It will be understood that the above-mentioned sub-components are importantly involved in the formation of necessary support that strengthens the teaching and learning process alongside with the involvement of Information and Communication Technology.

EXPERIENCE

The topic was delivered through a plain presentation of few slides. Questions were encouraged so as to create an interactive atmosphere. However, the reporter was not sure if she’s delivering the topic right (although the lesson is truly self-explanatory); making the entire report slightly ambiguous.

REFLECTION

I still have a lot of essential things to learn in Educational Technology 2. I admit that I still feel unequipped for an actual exposure, but I believe EdTech2 is one of the things that would help me have my future class with compelling confidence. The internet is not only a vogue tool for socialization, but more of that, it is a helpful companion in understanding useful and essential concepts, and a very good assistant in effectively promoting literacy.

APPLICATION

Teaching is fun but it’s never a joke. Making young minds of different capacities learn is not easy to say (which makes it even harder to do), especially for newly exposed teachers. But technology is making a way for us to get informed about the thing we’ll encounter in the field. It even provides us with necessary information to orient us of the things we’ll be dealing with. So as of the moment, the best thing to do is to concentrate in learning though the course and aim for high outcomes.

Lesson 1: A Review of Educational Technology 1

CONTENT

Education, technically, is the process of receiving and giving systematic instruction, especially at a school or university. It can also be described as a fuel for social mobility - a boat for an upright living, or a torch that gives enlightenment to human thinking. Many have made agree that when learning takes place, there is education. Technology, on overrated term nowadays, is known as the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, especially in industry. It can also be referred to as machinery and equipment developed form the application of scientific knowledge. As a branch of knowledge, technology deals with engineering or applied sciences. Generally, technology affects the world's mechanism. 

When education and technology are fused under similar significant goals, it would produce a wide range of advantageous effects. However, certain evidences would as well show that technology, when poorly applied, can be truly devastating. Technology in education is the application of technology in educational administration, management and other educational activities. Perpendicular to this, Educational Technology, a field in education, refers to the application of technological tools in learning. In this sense, technology doesn't assume the role of the teacher in the learning process but instead aids the teacher in facilitating learning more effectively. 

It is also made understood in Educational Technology 1 that students' learning demands are better catered through providing them with direct-purposeful experiences. In Edgar Dale's Code of Experience, learning tools are chronologically arranged according to the degree of significance. It is further discussed that wise and appropriate choice of teaching strategies and technological tools should be satisfied as to produce the most desirable learning output. The internet can be a very good source of information for students (under certain supervision) and a very sufficient help for teachers in realizing their role as the key prime mover in the learning process. 

EXPERIENCE

As what was instructed, the reporters should present the topic as if like they are real teachers. Although we have prior knowledge about the topic, it is still important for the reporters to clearly elaborate the concepts involved so as not to confuse learning. Unluckily, they didn't make that part up to 100%. Moreover (just a brief critique to the reporters of Lesson 1), the reporters were not able to completely gather the attention of their assumed students, causing the latter to do unnecessary things while the lesson was being delivered (although that's not how college students should behave - what a humor!). That was a failure when we consider classroom management. But the activity they conducted in the later part of the lesson gathered my amazement. The idea was new and I am truly willing to use it in my future class. I like how they made a twist in the idea of inquiry as a strategy to assess learning. Because of their lesson, the significant things I've learned from my EdTech1 was made fixed in my knowledge room. Now I can assure that the "PPPF" mnemonic will always be in my memory. Ha ha ha!

REFLECTION

It is us humans who devised technology. Parallel to this is the resounding responsibility we should watch to control and keep technology modulated. The latter is undeniably helpful in completing our educational pursuits, but we need to acknowledge its limits so as not to have it abused. As we walk through the corridor of the college, we see how evident the influence of technology is. Most students of today are taking refuge in the internet every time they are required to synthesize knowledge from smooth to hard. Even this blog is an explicit requirement, so I really have to do it here in the net. Had technology never been added in the educational aspect, education would be unimaginable! As an educator in the near future, I should continue to have an open-mind. Technology should never become my substitute, for I believe that virtual instruction doesn't compare to the influence of a real teacher. 

APPLICATION

Certain conditions would require us whether to use technology or go with the traditional way. Factors such as students' learning style, objectives, subject matter and time should be considered as to come up with a suitable teaching strategy. For an instance, Teacher Alven had a lesson about the Solar System in his Grade 7 class. To provide students with relevant understanding, he projected a clear video clip presenting the real picture of the Solar System in space. He then used clear pictures to support his discussion about the unique features of each planet. After the discussion, he made a simple assessment of students' learning and got a very positive result. In this case, the appropriate technological tools he used had effectively support him as he facilitated the learning process. However, an effective teacher cannot just project the concepts especially when it has to be learned by students through direct-purposeful experiences. In Chemistry, for example, in teaching students the concepts of how chemicals react, it is best to use experimentation. 

"Technology is anything invented after you were born, everything else is just stuff." -Allan Kay