Lesson 11: The Computer as the Teacher’s Tool

CONTENT

            In the previous lesson, we saw how the computer can act as a tutor, particularly along a behaviorist and cognitive approach to learning. But we also saw how certain computer software programs have been developed to foster higher thinking skills and creativity

            In this lesson, we shall again look at the computer, but this time from another perspective, the computer as the teacher’s handy-tool. It can in fact support the constructivist and social constructivist paradigms of constructivist learning.

 Constructivist was introduced by Piaget (1981) and Bruner (1990). They gave stress to knowledge discovery of new meaning/concepts/principles in the learning process. Various strategies have been suggested to foster knowledge discovery, among these, is making students engaged in gathering unorganized information from which they can induce ideas and principles. Students are also asked to apply discovered knowledge to new situations, a process for making their knowledge applicable to real life situations.

While knowledge is constructed by the individual learner in constructivism, knowledge can also be socially constructed. Social constructivism. This is an effort to show that the construction of knowledge is governed by social, historical and cultural contexts. In effect, this is to say that the learner who interprets knowledge has a predetermined point of view according to the social perspectives of the community or society he lives in.

The psychologist Vygotsky stressed that learning is affected by social influences. He therefore suggested the interactive process in learning. The more capable adult (teacher or parent) or classmate can aid or complement what the learner sees in a given class project. In addition, Dewey sees language as a medium for social coordination and adaptation. For Dewey human learning is really human languaging that occurs when students socially share, build and agree upon meanings and knowledge.

EXPERIENCE

            I have been exposed to a series of reporting that helps me alot in boosting my confidence and measuring how far is my understanding but i cannot deny that computer is really one factor that helps me in achieving my objectives. Computers, in fact, makes my lesson easier because through computer software I can make powerpoint presentation, I can show a video relating to my topic and I can share to them my creativity skills as well in using the computer. Computers makes the work easier and accessible but it is also dramatic and detrimental to human.

REFLECTION

           The computer serves as a teacher's tool in the sense that the educators used computers as their instructional materials in supplementing the cognitive development of learners when it comes to technology.  Computer has a great help for both the teachers and the learners, for the teachers it facilitate their instructional methods and improve their instructional materials; for the learners it contributes a lot in their cognitive development and learning experiences.

APPLICATION

The computer has provided as different uses, gives us advantages and convenience. The trend nowadays is information technology which makes use the computer in all its applications. Computers have been already used in schools to provide and facilitate students’ learning. It is obvious that even the youngest generation knew about it and how it is being used. Student’s make their assignments, create projects, and do researches with the use of computer. It really seemed that our present civilization is dependent on computers. It is in anyway advantageous if used wisely and purposely.