Lesson 3 Roles of technology for teaching and learning

LEARNING Outcomes
1. Identified roles of technology in teaching and learning
2. Recognized the value of technology in supporting student 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 4th Industrial Revolution, noody can deny the influence of technology in our lives. As future teachers of
teachers of the 21st century, it is high time that you prepare yourselves to integrate technology in your classrooms. Using tech-
nology 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 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 DVD’s or CD’s that contain educational
programs. And on-line tutorial educational programs.

2. Technology as a teaching tool. Technology is a teaching tool, but can never replace a teacher. It is used to
facilitate and lighten the work of the 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 a 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 are teaching Also used
by 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 reosurces 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 a facilitator of learning.
It transforms a passive classroom to an active and interactive one, with audio-visuals, 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 wil be more effective and efficient.

4. Technology opens new fields in educational researches.

The areas of teaching testing and evaluation are enahnced by technologies for teaching
and learning. Current educational researches 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 forms. Technology has also provided
access to big data that can be processed for problem solving and inquiry.

5. Technology adds the competence of teachers and inculcates scientific outlook.

The areas of teaching testing and evaluation are enahnced by technologies for teaching
and learning. Current educational researches 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 forms. Technology has also provided
access to big data that can be processed for problem solving and inquiry.

6. Technology support teacher professional development.

With the demand of continuin 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.

A. For Learners and Learning

1. Support learners to learn how to learn on their own.
All teachers fully understand that subject matter or contenr is a means to achieve the learning
outcomes. There are categories of knowledge according to Egbert (2009): declarative knowledge,
structural knowledge and procedural knowledge.

a. Declarative knowledge
• consists of discrete pieces of information that answers the questions what, who, when
and where
• often learned through memorization of facts, drills and practice
• can be learned by simple mnemonics or conceptual maps
• 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 peices of declarative knowledge put together to attain some form of
meaning
 • example is “pencil”
• the idea that evolved from a pencil is an understanding that “it is something used to write”
• it can be presented by concept maps, categorization or classification

c. Procedural knowledge
• a knowledge in action or the knowledge of how to do something
• based on facts but learned through the process of procedural knowledge
• examples are how to drive a car, how to use a cellphone, or how to speak English
• indicated by a performance task or graphical representation of a concept

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

Technology can support the learning of declarative, structural or procedural knowledge. There are varied
programs that can be used by students off-line or on-line.

As a facilitator of learning, the teacher can guide teh students to look for the resources and to utilize
them properly.

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 (2009), there are three basic
communication patterns:

a. Point to point two-way or one-to-one like Internet chat, phone conversation.

b. One-to-many outbound like a lecture, or television. There is no interaction.

c. Many-to-many like group discussion, buzz session, heads together. This 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.

What are the benefits derived from technology - supported communications?

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 limitless sources of information
that the teacher can direct or refer the learners

e. Teachers learners to communicate with politeness, taking turns sending information and giving
appropriate feedback

f. Enhances collaboration by using communication strategies with wider community and individuals
in a borderless learning environment
 f. Develops critical thinking, problem solving and creativity throughout the communication

3. Technology upgrades learners’ higher order thiking skills: critical thinking, problem solving and
creativity
Twenty - first learning requires the development of the higher - order thibking skills.
technology has a great role to play in the development and enhancement of these skills.

Critical thinking
• part of the cluster of higher thinking skills.
• refers to the ability to interpret, explain, analyze, 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,a sk
appropriate questions, become open - minded, defend position on an issue and draw
conclusion with caution
• all these competencies are covered by Bloom’s taxonomy of Analysis, synthesis and
evaluation

As a role model, teachers display and practice critical thinking processes, so that learners can
imitate them. Here are some ways that teachers can do to develop critical thinking.

a. Ask the right questions.
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 easy thus get 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

Creativity

• Characterized as involving the ability to think flexibly, fluently, originally and elaborately (Guildford, 1986 &
Torrance, 1974 in Egbert, 2009)
• Flexibly – able to use many points of view
• Fluently – able to generate many ideas
• Originally – implies being able to generate new ideas
• Elaborately – able to add details
• Creativity 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?

1. Provide an enriched environment.

2. Teach creative thinking strategies.

3. Allow learners to show what they can do.

4. Use creativity technology.

Further, teachers can do the following to develop and enhance critical thinking, prblem 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 student 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 the right questions are asked, student’s task 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.

1. Encourages digital production projects

2. Popularizes e - learning modalities

3. Enhances global awareness and citizenship

 Experience
Task 1: Experience as A Learner
Write a paragraph about your personal experience on how technology has influenced your life as a learner
from elementary, high school and college

Title: How Technology Influenced My Life as a Learner

Task 2: Expectations as a Future Teacher

Write a paragraph on how you are going to use technology when you become a teacher.

Title: How will I use Technology When I Become a Teacher

Prepare to share your report for Task 1 and 2 as a written output. Each task should have a minimum of
7 sentences and a maximum of 10 sentences only.

Format: Calibri (Body) - Font size 11, spacing 1.15, normal margins, letter size (8.5x11inches - portrait)

Learning material prepared by:

Gladys L. San Juan, LPT

Faculty, SEd

References:
Bilbao, P., Dequila, M., Rosano, D. & Boholano, H. (2019) Technology for Teaching and Learning 1. Quezon
City, PH: Lorimar Publishing Inc.
Huang, R., Spector, M. & Yang, J. (2019) Educational Technology – A Primer for 21st Century. Springer
Nature Singapore
Lucido, Paz. (2012). Educational Technology 2: Selection, Production and Utilization of appropriate
technology tools for instruments. Quezon City. LORIMAR publishing Inc.