Lunes, Oktubre 10, 2011

IT Enters a New Learning Environment

It is most helpful to see useful models of school learning that is ideal to achieving instructional goals through preferred application of educational technology. These are the models of meaningful, discovery, generative learning, and constructivism.
          In these conceptual models, we shall see how effective teacher’s best interact with students in innovative learning activities, while integrating technology to the teaching learning process.
          Meaningful learning
          If the traditional learning environment gives stress focus to route learning and simple memorization, meaningful learning gives focus to new experience departs from that is related to what the learners already knows. New experiences depart from the learning of a sequence of words but attention to meaning. It assumes that:
·         Students already have some knowledge that is relevant to new learning.
·         Students are willing to perform class work to find connections between what they already know and what they can learn.
In the learning process, the learner is encouraged to recognized relevant personal experiences. A reward structure is set so that the learner will have both interest and confidence, and this incentive system sets a positive environment to learning.
Discovery Learning
It was differentiated from reception learning in which ideas are presented directly to students in a well-organized way, such as through a detailed set of instructions to complete an experiment task.
New ideas and decisions are generated in the learning process, regardless of the need to move on and depart from organized set of activities previously set. In discovery learning, it is important that that the students become personally engaged and not subjected by the teacher to procedures he/she is not allowed to depart from.
In applying technology, the computer can present a tutorial process by which the learner is presented key concepts and the rules of learning in a direct manner for receptive learning. But, the computer has other uses rather than delivering tutorials. In a computer simulation process, for example, the learner himself is made to identify key concept by interacting with a responsive virtual environment.
Generative Learning
In this, we have active learners who attend to learning events and generate meaning from these experiences and draw inferences thereby creating a personal model or explanation to the new experience in the context of existing knowledge.
It was viewed different from the simple process of storing information. Motivation and responsibility are seen to be crucial to this domain of learning. The area of language comprehension offers examples of this type of generative learning activities, such as in writing paragraph summaries, developing answers and questions, drawing pictures, creating paragraph titles, organizing ideas/concepts, and others. In sum GL gives emphasis to what can be done with pieces of information, not only on access to them.
Constructivism
In constructivism, the learner’s builds a personal understanding through appropriate learning activities and a good learning environment.
The most accepted principles of constructivism are:
·         Learning consists in what a person can actively assemble for himself and not what he can receive passively.
·         The role of learning is to help the individual live/adapt to his personal world.
These two principles in turn lead to three practical implications:
·         The learner is directly responsible for learning. He creates personal understanding and transforms information into knowledge. The teacher plays an indirect role by modeling effective learning, assisting, facilitating, and encouraging learners.
·         The context of meaningful learning consists in the learner “connecting” his school activity with real life.
·         The purpose of education is the acquisition of practical and personal knowledge, not abstract or universal truths.
ISSUES:
Is constructivism more important to recognize, in terms of practice rather than generative learning?

REFLECTIONS:
   
    Constructivism paved much of recognition, whether dealing to the stereotype setting in a classroom, even to this day, that technology was an integral curriculum being practice in a classroom. It was an innate learning or a given fact that “everybody, loves to talk about themselves”. The idea of imparting the applications derived from their own experiences best delivered when you are actually giving direct response or reaction coming from your experience and learning.



Linggo, Oktubre 9, 2011

The Computer as a Tutor

The COMPUTER is one of the wonders of human ingenuity, even in its original design in the 1950s to carry out complicated mathematical and logical operations. With the invention of the microcomputer (now also commonly referred to PCs has become the tool for programmed instruction.
          Educators saw much use of the PC. It has become more affordable to small business, industries and homes. They saw its potential for individualization in learning, especially as individualized learning is a problem since teachers usually with a class of forty or more learners. They therefore devised strategies to use the computer to break the barriers to individualized instruction.
Computer-assisted instruction (CAI)
          The computer can be a tutor in effect relieving the teacher of many activities in his personal role as classroom tutor. It should be made clear, however, that the computer cannot totally replace the teacher since the teacher shall continue to play the major roles of information deliverer and learning environment controller, Even with the available computer and CAI software, the teacher must:
·         Insure that students have the needed knowledge and skills for any computer activity.
·         Decide the appropriate learning objectives.
·         Plan the sequential and structured activities to achieve objectives.
·         Evaluate the students’ achievement by ways of tests the specific expected outcomes.
On the other hand, the students in CAI play their own roles as learners as they:
·         Receive information.
·         Understand instructions for the computer activity
·         Retain/keep in mind the information and rules for the computer activity.
·         Apply the knowledge and rules during the process of computer learning.
          During the computer activity proper in CAI the computer, too, plays its roles as it:
·         Act as a sort of tutor ( the role traditional played by the teacher)
·         Provides a learning environment.
·         Delivers learning instruction.
·         Reinforces learning through drill-and-practice.
·         Provides feedback.
          Today, educators accept the fact that the computer has indeed succeeded in providing an individualized learning environment so difficult for a teacher handling whole classes. This is so, since the computer is able to allow individual students to learn at their own pace, motivate learning through a challenging virtual learning environment, assists students through information needed.
ISSUES:
          - Do you believe CAI in some future time can replace teachers in the classroom?
          - Will CAI work at all with a whole school using a single computer?
REFLECTIONS:
          The COMPUTER serves as an anchor in this new age of learning. It will never a replace a TEACHER, for a computer cannot function alone. The teacher as the navigator should uphold balance between the traditional and technological aspect of teaching practices.
          Using computer on integrating it through exercises by means of introducing computer software as an alternative to the traditional classroom practices would be more appropriate to expect in furtherance of delivering information and supporting learning activities.
          In the not so distant future, we shall commend the computer in school as a common tool for the enhancement of the students thinking, communication and collaboration skills. A commendable integral part in every classroom and not as a mere equipment that can deliver routine drills and exercises.






Biyernes, Setyembre 30, 2011

Cooperative Learning

Cooperative Learning are concepts and techniques for helping students learn together..
The creativity of the teacher will have to respond to the situation, and so cooperative learning will likely be the answer to the implementation of IT supported learning in our schools.


Cooperative or collaborative learning is learning by small groups of students who work together in a common learning task. It is often called group learning, but to be truly cooperative learning, five elements are needed:


1. a common goal
2. interdependence
3. interaction
4. individual accountability
5. social skills.


From several studies made on cooperative learning, it is manifested that cooperative learning in its true sense is advantageous since it:


(a) encourages active learning, while motivating students
(b) increase academic performance
(c) promotes literacy and language skills
(d) improves teacher effectiveness.