LESSON 3: UNDERSTANDING TECHNOLOGY LEARNERS

Content:

            Students nowadays are evidently visual and experiential learners. They are not used to just sit and listen while the teacher is discussing. They want movements, they want to be involved. Understanding this kind of learners is of great importance because they are the center of learning. A lot of teachers are still using the traditional way of instruction though their learners are already digitally inclined.

            Undeniably, technology has detriments but let us also consider that there are more advantages of technology than its harms. So let us allow our students to be computer literate because it’s a need for this information technology age.

Experience:

            As far as I can remember, it was only in college where I experienced digital instruction. It’s very new to me where simple Power Point Presentation had a big appeal. I like it when my instructor will show some video presentations before getting into the discussion or playing some relevant music. It’s one of my motivation in learning because I enjoy it a lot.

            Back when I was High School, everything was Manila paper, other times we’ll just looked at our books while the teacher was discussing. Though we still learned with those kinds of strategies, but it’s really different when our teacher will integrate in the discussion some technology-based educational tools. Granting, we have Computer subject then but the computers were just limited so we can only meet twice or once a month and just encode one paragraph stories or draw anything you want in 30 minutes, just like that. The rest of the subjects our teacher will have lecture method. The education we have before was far different from our education now. It’s a lot more convenient and the information we need in school are just searchable.

Reflection:

            I now understood the need to learn the new ways of teaching students specially the information technology learners. If I will remain blind to the needs of the learners as to having a good instruction, I’ll be missing the chance of helping them succeed in life. As a teacher, I must adapt and accept the fact that somehow traditional approaches to instruction cannot support the learning styles of the students in this generation. As they say, there is no best strategy in teaching but we need to give appropriate and suitable strategies to our learners for them not to be frustrated in going to school or even lose the appetite of learning.

Application:

            Understanding and meeting the needs of digital learners is one way of helping them improve their lives. Since their exposure to computer games and social media are inevitable, let’s make use of it as a digital tool for them to learn in a way they want it to be. We should not neglect the learning styles of our learners, if they learn best when they are in front of a computer or watching educational videos why not give them that opportunity. It’s a matter of how we assess our students’ needs. I know that as teachers to be, we are mostly concern on the learning of our students. And I am willing to help them learn in the best way I can through learning the things that an IT age teacher needs to learn.