Lesson 5: Preference of The Technology Generation

Some Basic Comparison between Old and New Generation:

Older generation is clearly far from the ways of today’s generation. If older generation doesn’t enjoy much of what today’s generation does.

Text vs. Visual

Our parents read book text while today’s generation enjoy watching and paying too much attention to what they called idiot box.

Linear vs. Hyper Media

The older generation obtained information in a linear, logical and sequential manner which is a positive effect for them to be more logical, focused and reflective thinkers while the new generation follows a personal random access to hyperlinked digital information, less superior elders in focused and reflection. Thus, they appear to be more easily bored and distracted during class lectures.

Independent vs. Social Learners

The traditional education system gives priority to independent learning, prior to participative work while today’s learners are already acquainted with digital tools that adapt to both personal and participative work. They learn because of socializing with other peers.

Learning to do vs. Learning to pass the test

Old teachers teach students in order to help them pass tests and complete the course requirement while the new digital learners simply wish to acquire skills, knowledge and habits as windows of opportunity afford them to learn.

Delayed rewards vs. Instant gratification

The traditional reward system in education consists in the grades, honour certificates/medals and diplomas.  Digital learners, immediately get their reward through high scores from playing games, excitement from email chats and comments on Facebook and etc.

Rote memory vs. Fun learning

Today’s learners believe that there is much fun in digital world outside the school while the learning of older generation is measurable by standard test.

Lesson 4: Bridging the Generation Gap (My Report)

           The older generation often feels there is a generation gap between them and the younger generation. This is apparent in simple things like the manner of dressing, socializing, intimate relationships like friendship and marrying, etc. Still, some old things are difficult to overcome, as there are still the caste systems in India, pre- arranged marriage in China, female circumcision in Africa, theocratic or religion- rule societies in the Middle East. Even in education, traditional schooling has hardly changed even with the clear evidence of a digital world.

          In the field of education, a huge generation gap also exists and it will continue to widen unless some changes are adopted at the proper time. In peasant third world countries where schools don’t have technology facilities, it is understandable that the transition to digital technology may take time.  But given the rapid emergence of digital technology, at times referred to as information and communication technology (ICT), there is the need to prepare for bridging the digital gap in society. First, we need to understand the potentials of ICT:

• The new network of instantaneous communication is global, overcoming borders between countries and continents.

• Much of what elders believe may not be applicable anymore to the new generation, especially along matters of traditional value systems.

• Alvin Toffler’s book, Future Shock, shows how the information age has begun to create many cultural changes in the family, societies, business, governments such as what he calls the throw-away society, modular man, kinetic image, scientific trajectory, fractured family, surfeit of sub cults, psychological dimension, etc.

        Given the speed and power of ICT for change, growth, innovation, it becomes critical that teachers understand the gap that may be perceived between them and the new generation of learners. Much of the old technology such as tube radio, platter records, cassette tapes, celluloid movies, antenna television, landline phones have vanished or are quickly vanishing today. Even in communication, sending a written letter has become tedious with the advent of emailing and web- camera face-to-face communication. As sophisticated technology advances at a dizzying pace, the complacency of educators to stick to traditional education systems and approaches become futile, if not retrogressive.

         Since the new generations are expected to face a future professional challenge of a digital world ahead of them, technology supported skills need to be taught in schools today, or else schools will become a white elephant. If schools fail to respond to emergent changes and needs, new learners may lose appreciation of the educational system, and drop out of school, as surveys show an increasing drop-out rate every near. Learning at home and availing digital learning systems like Open Universities may save the day, but the situation remains bleak for schools stolidly adhering to the old educational system.

Lesson 3: Understanding Technology Learners

Today’s learners appear smarter because they are really hands-on in using the computer and any other kinds of Technology and they become alive because of these technologies used in classrooms. But they can’t read as their parents do.

            The concern for new learners is valid. Because teachers nowadays generally use the traditional way of teaching and not seeing the side that the way they teach is not applicable anymore because of the digital world. It is also observed that today’s learners spend too much time in using their gadgets and any kinds of technology that is likely to be the advantage of it. But the learner’s today is not well understood because daily exposure to these technologies has positive effects; it stimulates the brain by strengthening and creating neural circuits and creating an intellectual revolution.

            From Jean Piaget’s presented chart from childhood to adulthood, learners experienced having susceptible minds in the first two years where they are easily influenced or affected by something or someone. They are acquiring communication skills on six years. There is a transition of concrete thinking in teenage years and we experienced abstract thinking and reasoning in adult years. By that presented chart, even in their early years, they can easily adapt to the new technologies and even enhance it until they are getting older.

The influence of technology is rapid, life changing and phenomenon. Learners or the younger generation is practiced on the multi- tasking as they perform task simultaneously. Researchers made an evidence that multitasking prevents from concentration but is still used because of the new world of information technology. There is the need therefore to balance the good and possibly detrimental changes observed among new learners of this information technology age.

Lesson 2: Overview of Educational Technology 2

Concerned of: “Integrating Technology into Teaching and Learning”

            The meaning of which is putting together technology into teaching and learning so that these will become one in learner’s education. For students, it is focused on introducing, reinforcing, supplementing, and extending the knowledge and skills to learners so that they can become exemplary users of educational technology.

Educational Technology 2 will involve a deeper understanding of the computer as well as hands-on-application of computer skills for Student Teachers and Professional Teachers. To infuse technology in the student-teacher training, helping learners to adapt and meet rapid and continuing technology changes in information and communication technology (ICT) environment.

The course objectives are; to provide education in the use of technology in instruction, to impart learning experiences in instructional technology- supported instructional planning, to acquaint students on information technology 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, and to inculcate higher-level thinking and creativity among students while providing them knowledge of IT- related learning theories.

Because of using technology in classroom instructions, the traditional way of teaching has clearly changed and it improved. But that doesn’t mean technology can be used in different ways in instructions, teachers are also need to plan on when to use a certain technology to provide in learning. Of course, before anyone else in the class, teachers should be the first one to understand technology and its usefulness.

Lesson 1: Review of Educational Technology 1

Educational Technology 1 is defined as the application of technology in the educative process that takes place in education institution. Technology Integration is one of the best reasons why Technology is useful in Education because Teachers can use technology in instruction even if the subject is not computer-related subject. And because Educational Technology 1 is applied in instruction, Educational Technology 1 showed the four phases of application of Educational Technology in Teaching and Learning:

·                  Setting of learning objectives

·                  Designing specific learning experiences

·                  Evaluating the effectiveness of the learning experiences and

·                  Revising teaching- learning progress for improving future instructional activities.

In Learning, technology has roles: Technology as tools to support knowledge construction, as information vehicles, as context to support learning by doing, as a social medium to support learning by conversing and as intellectual partner to support learning by reflecting.

Learning objectives of Educational Technology 1: To orient the learner of educational technology in society, To lend familiarization on how educational technology can be utilized as media for teaching-learning process, To uplift learner to human learning through the use of learning technology, To impart skills in planning, designing, using and evaluating the technology- enriched teaching- learning, To acquaint learners on basic aspects of community education, and To introduce the learner to what it recognized as the third revolution, the computer.