Technology in the classroom is not a new idea. Technology has advanced, but the message is still relevant. It shows how technology may transform delivery and create new opportunities but the process is not new. More importantly, it reinforces the need to guide the learner (with some good old note taking). The use of new media and technology still has to be carefully thought out especially in targeting conceptual learning.
New technology in the classroom should stimulate, motivate and educate with a goal in mind. It brings fun and excitement to learning, lessons are captivating and engaging, and many abstract subjects become tangible for students. It can also cultivate mastery of lessons and shortened period of teaching. Students require more than simple lectures to gain knowledge. They instead need variety. Children must be immersed in different forms of learning. This is to ensure that all types of fact absorptions can be addressed. Some individuals master information through reading while others require visuals, and some may instead need to touch their assignments
One of the major keys to motivation is the active involvement of students in their own learning. Standing in front of them and lecturing to them is thus a relatively poor method of teaching. It is better to get students involved in activities, group problem solving exercises, helping to decide what to do and the best way to do it, helping the teacher, working with each other, or in some other way getting physically involved in the lesson. A lesson about nature, for example, would be more effective walking outdoors than looking at pictures.
It is rewarding that the Department of Education is driven by its commitment to the advancement of teacher education through the use of technology in all learning areas as a means for promoting greater interactivity, widening access to knowledge that will enrich learning and develop skills in accessing, processing and utilizing information. When you teach kids how to stimulate their mind while having fun, kids systematically seek ways to educate themselves and enjoy lessons at school and education in general.
By: Lolly B. Ravago | Teacher III | Bonifacio Camacho National High School | Abucay, Bataan
