Lesson 3

Role of Technology for Teaching and Learning

EXCITE

Are students of today interested to use technology in order to learn? Do teachers

have the skills to use technology to enhance their teaching? With the 4 Industrial
Revolution, nobody can deny the influence of technology in our lives. As future teachers
of the 21" century, it is high time that you prepare yourselves to integrate technology in
your classrooms. Using technology is a tool and a catalyst for change. What then are the
roles of technology for teaching and learning?
EXPLORE

As teaching and learning go together, let us explore what would be the roles of
technology for teachers and teaching and for learners and learning. According to Stosic
(2015), educational technology has three domains:

1. Technology as a tutor. Together with the teacher, technology can support the
teacher to teach another person or technology when programmed by the teacher
can be a tutor on its own. The teacher will simply switch on or switch off radio
programs, television programs or play DVDS, or CDs that contain educational
programs. There are on-line tutorial educational programs, too.
2. Technology as a teaching tool. Like a tutor, technology is a teaching tool, but can
never replace a teacher. This is like the handyman, which is just there to be
reached. Like any other tool, it is being used to facilitate and lighten the work of
the teacher. It will be good if the teacher can also create or develop technology
tools that are needed in the classroom.
3. Technology as a learning tool. While the teacher utilizes technology as the tool
for teaching, likewise it is an effective tool for learning. As a learning tool, it makes
learning easy and effective. It can produce learning outcomes that call for
technology-assisted teaching. Even the teachers who are teaching can utilize
similar tools for learning. As a learning tool, it is very interesting that even the
elderly use these tools for learning for life.

A. For Teachers and Teaching

 There are numerous roles that technology plays in the job of teachers. As a tool,
technology has opened wider avenues in management of resources and management of
learning. Likewise, it has modernized the teaching-learning environment in schools. Here
are some examples of the myriad of roles that technology can do for teachers and
teaching.

1. Technology provides enormous support to the teacher as the facilitator of

learning. It transforms a passive classroom to an active and interactive one, with
audio-visual aids, charts and models, smart classrooms, e-learning classrooms
which motivate and increase attention level of learners. Many of these can be
searched on the web.
2. Technology has modernized the teaching-learning environment. The teachers
are assisted and supplemented with appropriately structured instructional
materials for daily activities. There are varied available technology-driven
resources which can be utilized for remedial lesson or activities. Likewise there are
also a lot of technology-driven resources that can be used for enrichment purposes.
You may search for the examples on the web.
3. Technology improves teaching-learning process and ways of teaching. This will
make the act of teaching more efficient and effective. There are arrays of teaching
methods and strategies that can use technology which are found compatible with
learning styles. The multiple intelligence theory of Howard Gardner tells us that
there is a genius in every child. This implies that there must be varied ways of
teaching as there are many varied ways of learning. All the learning styles can find
support from technology, so that teaching will be more effective and efficient.
4. Technology opens new fields in educational researches. The areas of teaching
testing and evaluation are enhanced by technologies for teaching and learning.
Current educational researchers will no longer find difficulty in interpreting tests,
assessment and other evaluation results. There are available programs that can
analyze and interpret results with speed and accuracy. Reference retrieval is also
hastened because many of the research materials are in digital form. Technology
has also provided access to big data that can be processed for problem solving and
inquiry.
5. Technology adds to the competence of teachers and inculcates scientific
outlook. Through the utilization of theories of learning and intelligence, which are
explained in references uploaded in the net, the teachers are encouraged to imbibe
skills to source these information with speed and accuracy.
6. Technology supports teacher professional development. With the demand of
continuing professional development for teachers, the availability of technology
provides alternative way of attending professional development online. For those
who are involved as providers of continuing professional development like
 trainers, facilitators or organizers, they can level up or enhance their delivery
systems with the support of technology tools.

B. For Learners and Learning

1. Support learners to learn how to learn on their own. All teachers fully
understand that subject matter or content is a means to achieve the learning
outcomes. There are three categories of knowledge according to Egbert (2009):
declarative knowledge, structural knowledge, and procedural knowledge.
a. Declarative knowledge consists of the discrete pieces of information that
answers the questions what, who, when, and where. It is often learned
through memorization of facts, drills and practice. It can be learned by
simple mnemonics or conceptual maps. Declarative knowledge is the
fundamental knowledge necessary for students to achieve more complex
higher order thinking such as critical thinking and creativity, inquiry and
production.
b. Structural knowledge consists of facts or pieces of declarative knowledge
put together to attain some form of meaning. An example of declarative
knowledge is "pencil". The idea that evolved from a pencil is an
understanding that: "it is something used to write." This is referred to as
structural knowledge. It can be presented by concept maps, categorization
or classification.
c. Procedural knowledge is knowledge in action or the knowledge of how to
do something. It is based on facts but learned through the process of
procedural knowledge. Examples include how to drive a car, how to use a
cell phone, or how to speak English. Procedural knowledge is indicated by
a performance task or graphical representation of a concept.

The traditional sources of knowledge are printed books, modules and journals.
Other sources are primary sources such as information taken from research. However,
knowledge or content can be learned in many ways.

But how can technology support the learning of declarative, structural or

procedural knowledge? To teach content, time is always an issue of teachers. Oftentimes,
we hear teachers say: "Too many things to teach, too little time to do." Technology may be
the answer, however the challenge is for teachers to use technology to learn the
technology first. As a facilitator of learning, the teacher can guide the students to look for
the resources and to utilized them appropriately. There are varied programs that can be
used by students off-line or on-line for students. What should be necessary is that the
students are engaged, the tasks should focus on questions like how, why and which in
addition to who, what, when and where.

2. Technology enhances learners' communication skills through social

interactions.
This is commonly described as the transmittal of information from one person to
another as single individual or groups of individuals. According to Shirly (2003)
in Egbert (2009), there are three basic communication patterns:
a. Point to point two-way or one-to-one like Internet chat, phone
conversation or even face-to-face conversation.
b. One-to-many outbound like a lecture, or television. There is no social
interaction.
c. Many-to-many like group discussion, buzz session, heads together. This
kind of interaction provides opportunities for social interaction.

Social interaction occurs in two ways where the participants ask for clarification,
argue, challenge each other and work towards common understanding. Social interaction
through communication occurs through technology (directly between two persons via
email, a cell phone or other communication technology). It can also occur around
technology like students discussing about a problem posed by a software program or
with support of technology like teachers and students interacting about the worksheet
printed from a website. In all the three modalities, communication occurs and technology
is involved.

For this particular role, what are the benefits derived from technology-supported
communication?

a. Enables any teacher to guide the learners virtually and making learning unlimited
because communication and social interaction go beyond a school day or a school
environment
b. Enhances students' freedom to express and exchange ideas freely without the
snooping eyes of the teacher face to face
c. Enables learners to construct meaning from joint experiences between the two or
more participants in communication
d. Help learners solve problems from multiple sources since there is limitless sources
of information that the teacher can direct or refer to the learners
e. Teaches learners to communicate with politeness, taking turns in sending
information and giving appropriate feedback
f. Enhances collaboration by using communication strategies with wider community
and individuals in a borderless learning environment
g. Develops critical thinking, problem solving and creativity throughout the
communication

There are several technology tools and software programs that you will
learn in the coming modules.

3. Technology upgrades learners' higher-order-thinking skills: critical thinking,

problem solving and creativity
Twenty-first century learning requires the development of higher-order-
thinking skills.

Technology has a great role to play in the development and enhancement

of these skills. Let's discuss this in the lesson.

Critical thinking is part of the cluster of higher order thinking skills. It

refers to the ability to interpret, explain, analyze, evaluate, infer and self-regulate
in order to make good decisions. With the use of technology, one will be able to
evaluate the credibility of the source, ask appropriate questions, become open-
minded, defend a position on an issue and draw conclusion with caution. All of
these competencies are covered by Bloom's Taxonomy of Analysis, Synthesis and
Evaluation. .

Teachers play a significant role in supporting learners with technology.

How?

As a role model, teachers should display and practice critical thinking

processes, so that the learners can imitate them. Here are some ways that teachers
can do to develop critical thinking.

a. Ask the right questions.

Most often teachers ask questions to find out if the students can
simply repeat the information from the lesson. Although these are
necessary questions like what, who, when and where, these do not develop
critical thinking. Critical thinking questions should ask for clarity, accuracy,
precision, relevance, depth, breadth and logic.

Clarity: Here are some examples: Can you give examples of …

Accuracy: What pieces of evidence support your claim?

Precision: Exactly how much . . .

Breadth: What do you think will the other group say about the issue?
 b. Use critical thinking tasks with appropriate level of challenge.

Teachers should be mindful of the readiness of the students.

Students who have higher ability may find the task too easy, thus getting
bored early, while those who have low ability may find the task too
difficult. Thus, there is a need to have activities that are appropriate for the
learners. These can be determined by interview, observations and other
forms to determine the level of readiness.

What are some simple ways that teachers should do?

1. Vary the questions asked.

2. Introduce new technologies.

3. Modify the learners' grouping.

4. Modify the critical thinking task.

5. Encourage curiosity.

By nature learners are curious. They ask lots of questions all the time.
Why is the sky blue? Why do I have to learn geometry? How do people
choose what will they become in the future? Can robots solve the problems
of climate change? How?

These questions will lead to critical thinking, but some of these

questions cannot be answered by the teacher. The unanswered questions
are avoided or answered unsatisfactorily. Sometimes teachers shut down
the question that curtails the first step in critical thinking. The internet as a
problem solving and research tool can help find answers to the questions.
Creativity is characterized as involving the ability to think flexibly, fluently,
originally, and elaborately (Guildford, 1986 & Torrance, 1974 in Egbert, 2009).
Flexibly means able to use many points of view while fluently means able to
generate many ideas. Originally implies being able to generate new ideas and
elaborately means able to add details. Creativity is not merely a set of technical
skills, but it also involves feelings, beliefs, knowledge and motivation.

Seven Creative Strategies (Osborn, 1963). These have been simplified into
fewer categories. To be creative, one can use any of these strategies.

1. Substitute – Find something else to replace to do what it does.

2. Combine – Blend two things that do not usually go together.

3. Adapt – Look for other ways this can be used.

 4. Modify/Magnify/ Minify – Make a change, enlarge, decrease.

5. Put to another use – Find other uses.

6. Eliminate – Reduce, remove.

7. Reverse - Turn upside-down, inside out, front-side back.

All together, the strategies will be labelled as SCAMPER.

What should teacher do to support student creativity? Here are

suggestions:

1. Provide an enriched environment.

2. Teach creative thinking strategies.

3. Allow learners to show what they can do.

4. Use creativity with technology.

Further, teachers can do the following to develop and enhance critical

thinking, problem solving and creativity. As a future teacher, try these
suggestions.

1. Encourage students to find and use information from variety of

sources both on-line and off-line.
2. Assist students to compare information from different sources.
3. Allow student to reflect through different delivery modes like
writing, speaking, or drawing.
4. Use real experiences and material to draw tentative decisions.
5. Involve students in creating and questioning assessment.
To do these, the teacher should see to it that right questions are asked,
student's tasks should be appropriate to the levels of challenge and curiosity is
encouraged.

There are several critical thinking tools and technology software that can
support critical thinking skills. Some of these you will encounter in the succeeding
modules:

1. Encourages digital production projects

2. Popularizes e-learning modalities
3. Enhances global awareness and citizenship