TEACHING AND LEARNING WITH TECHNOLOGY: AN INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION

If there is one thing that changed the world so fast, it is TECHNOLOGY. While there
exists technology in the past as non-digital technology, the current digital technology has been a
factor that shrunk the world and made it flat. It has provided a new environment for learning;
new ways teachers teach and also new ways of how learners learn. In the beginning, it has
created a divide between the digital natives and the digital immigrants. However, as the years
go by, such a divide has become narrower and even blurred. This has led to the new
educational revolution in teaching and learning which has been triggered by technology and
resulted in better learning outcomes in the 21st century.

Research and development in pedagogical practices has shown improved models of

instructional design for meaningful learning of students. Integration of Information and
Communication Technologies (ICTs) and their integration in teacher education programs are a
means to improve and reinforce the quality of teacher education programs at pre-service and in-
service levels (Dash, 2014). In the 21st century, technology is considered to be a potential
instrument for bringing a revolution in the social and cultural lives of our society.

However, the teacher education institutions and teacher education professions in our
country and all Asian countries are yet to explore its complete advantages (Mishra, et al., 2006).
Capitalizing on the potential of new technologies in general and digital technology in particular
as a learning tool for the effective teaching-learning process is a real need in today’s world.
What essentially the need of the time is meaningful integration of technology with curriculum
and teaching-learning process to bring about to learners the shared learning resources and
learning spaces, and promotion of collaborative learning, leading to a move towards
autonomous learning.

LESSON 1: ICT Competency Standards for Philippine Pre-Service Teacher Education

ICT Competency Standards (CHED-UNESCO) as provided in the 2017, Policy Standards

and Guideline (PSG) for Pre-Service Teacher Education
 The program outcomes for teacher education degrees clearly state that every future
teacher “demonstrate proficiency in the development and utilization of Information,
Communication, and Technology (ICT) resources in promoting quality teaching-learning
process.”

To ensure that the program outcomes related to ICT shall be achieved, competencies
were identified to be developed by every pre-service teacher (CHED-UNESCO, Bangkok,
2009.)

The ICT Competency Standards is made up of seven domains. Each domain has a set
of competencies. The competencies are expressed in desired learning outcomes. Becoming
proficient in the different competencies will enable you to handle learners of the 21st century in
your future classroom. These domains and corresponding competencies are found in the Table
below.

Table 1: ICT Competency Standards for Pre-service Teachers

Domain 1: 1.1 Demonstrate awareness of policies affecting ICT in education

Understanding 1.2 Comply with ICT policies as they affect teaching-learning
ICT in 1.3 Contextualize ICT policies to the learning environment
Education
2.1 Demonstrate understanding of concepts, principles, and theories of ICT
systems as they apply to teaching-learning
Domain 2: 2.2 Evaluate digital and non-digital learning resources in response to
Curriculum students’ diverse needs
and 2.3 Develop digital learning resources to enhance teaching-learning
Assessment 2.4 Use ICT tools to develop 21st century skills: information media and
technology skills, learning and innovation skills, career skills, and effective
communication skills
3.1 Apply relevant technology tools for classroom activities
3.2 Use ICT knowledge to solve complex problems and support student
Domain 3: collaborative activities
Pedagogy 3.3 Model collaborative knowledge construction in face to face and virtual
environments
Domain 4: 4.1 Demonstrate competence in the technical operations of technology
 Technology tools and systems as they apply to teaching and learning
Tools 4.2 Use technology tools to create new learning opportunities to support
community of learners
4.3 Demonstrate proficiency in the use of technology tools to support
teaching and learning
Domain 5: 5.1 Manage technology-assisted instruction in an inclusive classroom
Organization environment
and 5.2 Exhibit leadership in shared decision-making using technology tools
Administration
Domain 6: 6.1 Explore existing and emerging technology to acquire additional content
Teacher and pedagogical knowledge
Professional 6.2 Utilize technology tools in creating communities of practice
Learning 6.3 Collaborate with peers, colleagues, and stakeholders to access
information in support of professional learning
Domain 7: 7.1 Demonstrate social, ethical, and legal responsibility in the use of
Teacher technology tools and resources
Disposition 7.2 Show positive attitude towards the use of technology tools
Likewise, the Department of Education issued Department of Education Order 42, s.
2017 mandating the use of the Philippine Professional Standard for Teachers (PPST) to start
with the Beginning Teachers who are fresh graduates from the teacher education program. The
document includes: “show skills in the positive use of ICT to facilitate teaching and learning and
show skills in the selection, development and use of the variety of teaching and learning
resources including ICT to address learning goals.”

These competency standards to learn and master will assure 21st century learners in
your class of a more enjoyable, creative, innovative ways in teaching and learning.

ISTE National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers (NETS* T)

An international organization for educational technology called International Society for

Technology in Education (ISTE), established standards for both teachers and students. These
standards were also referred to in the development of the Philippine ICT Competency standards
which include the following:

Standard 1: Technology Operations and Concepts.

 This means that teachers demonstrate a sound understanding of technology operations
and concepts.

Standard 2: Planning and Designing Learning Environment and Experiences.

This standard implies that teachers utilize the use of technology to plan and design
effective learning environments and experiences.

Standard 3: Teaching, Learning and Curriculum.

Teachers should be mindful that in the implementation of curriculum plan, they have to
include strategies for applying technology to maximize student learning.

Standard 4: Assessment and Evaluation.

Teachers apply technology to facilitate a variety of effective assessment and evaluation

strategies to collect and analyze data, interpret results, and communicate findings to improve
instructional practice and maximize student learning.

Standard 5: Productivity and Professional Practice.

Teachers use technology to engage in on-going professional development and lifelong

learning in support of student learning, increase productivity, and to build community of learners.

Standard 6: Social, Ethical, Legal and Human Issues.

Teachers understand the social, ethical, legal, and human issues surrounding the use of
technology in support of student learning who come from diverse background, affirm diversity,
promote safe and healthy use of technology resources, and facilitate access to technology
resources for all students.

ISTE National Educational Technology Standards for Students (NETS* S)

From how technology teachers facilitate learners, outcomes of student learning should
indicate that the following standards have been complied with.
Standard 1: Creativity and Innovation
This standard will produce students who demonstrate creative thinking, construct
knowledge, develop innovative products and processes using technology from existing
knowledge.
Standard 2: Communication and Collaboration
This standard requires students to use digital media and environments to communicate
and work collaboratively to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others.
This includes the use of variety of media and formats for global awareness with learners from
other culture

Standard 3: Research and Information Fluency

Students are expected to apply digital tools to gather, evaluate and use information and
plan strategies for inquiry. This standard expects the student to locate, organize, analyze,
evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media.
Standard 4: Critical Thinking, Problem-Solving and Decision Making
This standard expects the students to use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct
research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate
digital tools.
Standard 5: Digital Citizenship
It is required by this standard that every technology student becomes a digital citizen
who demonstrates ethical and legal behavior, exemplified by the practice of safe, legal and
responsible use of information. Further, the students exhibits attitude towards the support of
technology for collaboration, learning and productivity as a digital citizen.
Standard 6: Technology Operations and Concepts
Sound understanding of technology concepts, systems and operation is a standard that
students should comply with. They too, are expected to further transfer current knowledge to
learning of new technologies.
As a pre-service teacher education student now, you will have to master the knowledge
and skills (Learning to Know) for the standards for students. However, since you will become
teachers in the future, you should harness the same knowledge and skills to become (Learning
to Become) future teachers.

Understanding the Basic Concepts in

Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
Let us explore various resources to have a clear understanding of this lesson. Let us
unpack some concepts and terms related to technology for teaching and learning. You can
further find more explanation in this module as you go along with your lesson or in other
references in the library or in the web.
Here are key terms and concepts that you need to know and understand:
Technology
Refers to a mix of process and product use in the application of knowledge. it includes
tools from pencil and paper to the latest electronic gadgets and tools for practical tasks.
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary (www.merriam-webster.com), technology may be
defined as “the practical application of knowledge especially in a particular area.” In its broadest
sense, the term technology, when applied to education, includes the skills, practices, and
procedures of instruction itself. These would be the evidence-based teaching practices that
teachers use in the classroom. In fact, one might say that the classroom culture is made up of
all the practices, expectations, and technology (including non-material and material technology)
within the classroom environment.
Concept of ICT
ICT is technology that supports activities involving information. Such activities include
gathering, processing, storing and presenting data. Increasingly these activities also involve
collaboration and communication. Hence IT has become ICT: Information and Communication
Technology.
Educational Technology
Throughout history, teachers have encountered what we may call “instructional
problems.” Technology, both the physical tools and methods we use in employing these tools
have been called upon to solve these instructional problems. The chalkboard now makes a very
suitable example of this process. According to www.slate.com, the use of cheap, erasable
slates to practice reading, writing, and math have been around for centuries. However, it was
not until some innovative teachers, early in the 1800s, connected several slates together into a
larger surface that the concept of the modern chalkboard emerged in our culture.
The promise of the chalkboard was apparent. Teachers could write and draw words and
diagrams to support their oral presentations to relatively large groups of learners. The
chalkboard was simple, effective, erasable, reusable, and cheaper than paper and ink for the
purposes it was created. Implementation of chalkboards into classrooms was rapid. The
chalkboard provided a form of textbook, a blank page, a laboratory, and probably most
importantly, a focus of student attention. The promise of today’s instructional technology builds
on these same expectations. We want our newer technology to be a form of textbook, a blank
page, a laboratory, and a focal point for students’ attention.
Not only do we live in a time of rapid change in information, computer, and
communication technology, we live in a time where the adaptation of these technologies to
education is a primary strategy to address of the variety of instructional challenges and
problems that we face across the entire education industry. We are living in a new age of
Positivism where we turn toward scientific methods, measurement, invention, and technological
innovation as the primary means by which we address our questions and problems. While our
politics may vacillate between being proscience and not, the populace generally feel our future
is in the good hands of forward-thinking innovators and scientists, and I agree. In the presence
of a problem, science and technology present fantastic tools to explore and create solutions.
Instructional System and Instructional Technology
With implementation of ICTs and its effective integration with teaching-learning process,
the approaches to learning and teaching has been changed dramatically (Takwale, et al., 2014).
The basic approaches are as follows:
• Learner Centric: Explore the best in every student.
 • Learning Centric: Learner learn by designing and preparing meaningful learning
experience with the help of a teacher.
• Promoting Inquisitiveness: Develop questioning ability in learner. Teacher
encourages learner to ask questions. It leads to critical thinking.
• Innovation Centric: Teacher promotes innovation, creativity and team spirit in
learner.
• Develop cooperative and collaborative learning environment: Learning occurs
through discussion, interaction and debate called learning for development.
Teacher is expected to perform the role of a facilitator and moderator with different
responsibilities in different situations in a technology-mediated learning environment, called
networked society. There is the need for specialized training and orientation of teachers to
enable the teacher to develop the classroom, school and society with new skills and
competencies.

3 Roles of Technology for Teaching and Learning

Three Domain of Educational Technology according to Stosic (2015)
As teaching and learning go together, let us explore what would be the roles of
technology for teachers and teaching, and for learners and earning. According to Stosic (2015),
educational technology has three (3) 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 search to Google or YouTube that contain educational programs. There are on-line tutorial
educational programs or even Webinars.
2. Technology as a teaching tool. Like a tutor, technology is a teaching tool, but can
never replace a teacher. 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. As a learning tool, it makes learning easy and
effective. It can produce learning outcomes that call for technology-assisted instruction. Even
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
B. Technology for Learners and Learning
Support learners to learn how to learn on their own.
3 categories of knowledge according to Egbert (2009):
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 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 cell phones, or how to speak English.
Procedural knowledge is indicated by a performance task or graphical representation of a
concept.