LESSON 5: State-of-the-Art ET Application Practices

Looking through progressive state policies that support technology-in-education, and other new developments in pedagogical practice, our educators today have become more aware and active in adopting state-of-the-art educational technology practices they can possibly adopt.

The following trends should also be recognized by educators:

*    Through school or training center computer courses, present-day students have become computer literate. They send e-mail, prepare computer encoded class reports, even make power-point presentation sometimes to the surprise of their media tradition-bound teachers.

*  Following the call for developing critical thinking among students, teachers have deemphasized rote learning and have spent more time in methods to allow students to comprehend/internalize lessons.

* Shifting focus from lower-level traditional learning outcomes, student assessment/examinations have included measurement of higher level learning outcomes such as creative and critical thinking skills.

* Recent teaching-learning models (such as constructivism and social constructivism) have paved the way for instructional approaches in which students rely less on teachers as information-givers, and instead more on their efforts to acquire information, build their own knowledge, and solve problems.

Virtue is in moderation and so, there is truly a need for teachers to balance their time to 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.