Lesson #5 The Cone of Experience

The Cone is a visual model, a pictorial device that presents bands of experience arranged according to degree of abstraction and not degree of difficulty. The farther you go from the bottom of the cone, the more abstract the experience become.

• Direct Purposeful Movement - First hand experience which serve as the foundation of our learning. We build up our reservoir of meaningful information and ideas through seeing, hearing, touching, tasting and and smelling.
• Contrived Experiences - In here we make use of a representative models or mock ups of reality for practical reasons.
• Dramatized Experiences - By dramatization, we can participate in a reconstructed experience, even though the original event is far removed from us in time.
• Demonstrations - It is visualized explanation of an important  fact, Idea or process by the use of photographs, drawings, films, display, or guided motions.
• Study Trips - These are the excursions, educational trips, and visits conducted to observe an event that is unavailable within the classroom.
• Exhibits - These are displays to be seen by spectators. They may consist of working models arranged meaningfully or photographs with models, charts, and posters. Sometimes exhibits are "for your eyes only".
• Television and motion pictures - Television and motion pictures can reconstruct the reality of the past so effectively that we are made to feel we are there.
• Still pictures, recordings, radio - These are visual and auditory devices which may be used by an individual or a group.
• Visual Symbols - These are no longer realistic reproduction of physical things for these are highly abstract representations.
• Verbal Symbols - They are not like the objects or ideas for which they stand. They usually do not contain visual clues to their meaning.

APPLICATION

Harvard psychologist, Jerome S. Bruner, presents a three tiered model of learning where he points out that every area of knowledge can be presented and learned in three distinct steps.

It is highly recommended that a learner proceeds from the ENACTIVE to the ICONIC and only after to the SYMBOLIC.

Three pitfalls that we should avoid with regard to the use of the Cone of Experience:

• Using medium in isolation
• Moving to the abstract without an adequate foundation of concrete experience
• Getting stuck in the concrete without moving to the abstract hampering the development of our students' higher thinking skills.

Lesson #4 Systematic Approach to Teaching

• Systematic - Organize, relating to or consisting of a system. Methodical in procedure or plan (systematic approach). Logical, presented or formulated as a coherent body of ideas  or principle (systematic thought). Efficient, effective in class that is marked by thoroughness and regularity (systematic efforts).
• Systematic Approach to Teaching - it is a network of elements or parts different from each other but each one is special in the sense that each performs a unique function for the life and effectiveness of the instructional system. The systems approach views the entire educational program as a  system of closely interrelated parts. It is an orchestrated learning pattern with all parts harmoniously integrated into the whole: the school, the teacher, the students, the objectives, the media, the materials, and assessment tools and procedures. Such an approach integrates the older, more familiar methods and tools of instruction with the new ones such as the computer.
• Purpose of a System Instructional Design - To ensure orderly relationships and interaction of human, technical and environmental resources to fulfill the goals which have been established for instruction.
• The focus of systematic instructional planning is the student.
• It tells about the systematic approach to teaching is the students.

Systematized Instruction

• Define Objectives - Instruction begins with the definition of instructional objectives that consider the students' needs, interests and readiness.
• Choose Appropriate Methods - On the basis of these objectives the teacher selects the appropriate teaching methods to be used.
• Choose Appropriate Experiences - Based on the teaching method selected, the appropriate learning experiences an appropriate material, equipment and facilities will also be selected.
• Select materials, equipment, and facilities - The use of learning materials, equipment and facilities necessitates assigning the personnel to assist the teacher.
• Assign Personnel Roles - Defining the  role of any personnel involved in the preparation, setting and returning of this learning process.
• Implement the instruction - With the instructional objectives in mind, the teacher implements planned instructions with the use of the selective teaching method, learning activities, and learning materials with the help of other personnel whose role has been defined by the teacher.
• Evaluate outcomes - After instructions, teacher evaluates the outcome of instruction. From the evaluation results, teacher comes to know if the instructional objective was attained.
• Refine the process - If the instructional objectives was attained, teacher proceeds to the next lesson going through the same cycle once more.

Examples of Learning Activities:

1. Reading 
2. Writing 
3. Interviewing
4. Reporting or doing Presentation
5. Discussing
6. Thinking
7. Reflecting
8. Dramatizing
9. Visualizing
10. Creating Judging
11. Evaluating

Lesson #3 Roles of Educational Technology in Learning

Technology can play a traditional role, i.e., as delivery vehicles for instructional lessons or in a constructivist way as partners in the learning process.

• From the traditional Point Of View, technology serves as source and presenter of knowledge -David H. Jonassen 1999.
• Technology like computer is seen as a productivity tool.
• With the eruption of the INTERNET in the mid 90s.
• From the constructivist Point Of View, educational technology serves as learning tool that learners learn with.

From a constructivist perspective, the following are roles technology in learning: (Jonassen, et al 1999).
Technology as tools to support knowledge construction:

• for representing learners' ideas, understandings and beliefs
• for producing organized, multimedia knowledge bases by learners

Technology as information vehicles for exploring knowledge to support learning by constructing:

• for representing and simulating meaningful real world problems, situations and contexts.
• for representing beliefs, perspective, arguments, and stories of others
• for defining a safe, controllable problem space for student thinking

Technology as a social medium to support learning by conversing:

•  for collaborating with others
• for discussing, arguing, and building consensus among members of community
• for supporting discourse among knowledge building communities

Technology as intellectual partner (Jonassen 1996) to support learning by reflecting:

•  for helping learners to articulate and represent what they know
•  for reflecting on what they have learned and how they came to know it
•  for supporting learners intellectual negotiations and meaning making
•  for constructing personal representations of meaning
•  for supporting mindful thinking\\

Lesson #2 Technology: Boon or Bane?

 

"Technology is in our hands. We can use it to build or to destroy."

Boon- is a thing that is beneficial or useful. It is also called "Advantage."

Bane- it is curse or destruction. It is also called "Disadvantage"

The educational technology is boon when:

• Technology is a blessing for man. With technology, there is a lot that we can do which we could not to do then.
• Technology contributes much to the improvement of the teaching-learning progress and to the humanization of life.
• With cellphones, webcam, you will be closer to someone miles and miles away.
• Many human lives saved because of speedy notifications via cellphones.
• Your teaching and learning have become more novel, stimulating, exciting, fresh and engaging with the use of multimedia in the classroom.
• With your TV, you can watch events as they happen all over the globe.

The educational technology is bane when:

When not used properly, technology becomes a detriment to learning and development.

Examples:

1. It can destroy relationships.

2. Erode marital relationship.

• The learner is made to accept as Gospel of truth information they get from the Internet.
• The learner surfs the Internet for pornography
• The learner has an uncritical mind on images floating on televisions and computers that represent modernity and progress.
• The TV makes learner a mere spectator not an active participant in the drama of life.
• The learner gets glued to his computer for computer-assisted instruction unmindful of the world and so fails to develop the ability to relate to others.
• We make use of the Internet to do character assassination of people whom we hardly like.
• Because of our cell phone, we spend most of our time in the classroom or in our workplace texting.
• We use overuse and abuse TV and film viewing as a strategy to kill time.
• The abuse and misuse of the Internet will have far reaching unfavorable effects on his moral life.

The integration of technology in the instructional process must be geared towards.

1. Interactive and meaningful learning.

2. The development of creative and critical thinking.

3. The development and nurturing of teamwork,

4. Efficient and effective teaching.

"Technology is made for man and not man for technology. Technology is made for the teacher and not teacher for technology."