Lesson 17: Tablets for Textbooks in Schools

              This lesson discusses about the tablets being a replacement to textbooks in classroom setting or in the teaching-learning process. Today, books are still the primary medium of instruction in most schools. Yet, there is a disadvantage of using books for learning that are being debated upon. The errors in public school textbooks have also been exposed, errors resulting from wrong information, technical mistakes and editorial lapses. Today, technology is being viewed as a savior because the students are enamored by computer games. By that, the educators have begun to think that the computer screen can very well serve as a power point educational medium.

As to the application, future educators cannot meet this if they are assigned to the public or government schools as well as not all private schools will agree to this. So, for us it would be a challenge on how we find alternative ways upon integrating technology in the teaching-learning process for the students to learn far better. We can employ different activities and strategies that will cater the lesson as well as the objectives that will not solely based on textbooks or the students keep on reading with their textbooks without comprehension. But we should not also close our minds that someday all the textbooks will be replaced by tablets or even by the technologies that are being planned to be created for the new millennium learners. By that, we should always be prepared because whether we like it or not, these inventions will stay and progress from generation to generation.

Lesson 16: The Internet and Education

The Internet, also simply called the Net is the largest and far-flung network system of all systems. The Internet is not really a network but a loosely organized collection of about 25,000 networks accessed by computers on the planet.
           Everything is coordinated in the Internet through a standardized protocol called Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP). To gain access to the Internet, The computer must be equipped with what is called a Server which has a special software program that uses the Internet protocol.
           The great attraction of the Internet is that once the sign-up fees are paid, there are no extra charges. E-mail for example is free regardless of amount use. The vast sea o information now in the Internet is an overwhelming challenge to those who wish to navigate it. The most attractive way to move around the Internet is called browsing. Using a program called the browser, the user can use a mouse to point and click on screen icons  to surf the Internet, particularly the World Wide Web, an Internet's subset of text, images and sounds are linked together to allow users to access data or information needed.
            Educational software materials have also developed both in sophistication and appeal. But the real possibility today is connecting with the world outside homes, classrooms and Internet cafes. Today schools are gearing up to take advantage of Internet access.

Lesson 15: Understanding Hypermedia

Hypermedia is nothing but multimedia, but this time packaged as an educational computer software where information is presented and student activities are integrated in a virtual learning environment. Most educational IT applications are hypermedia and these include:

• Tutorial software packages
• Knowledge webpages
• Simulation instructional games                           
• Learning project management, and others

The presentation of information-learning activities in hypermedia is said to be sequenced in a non-linear manner, meaning that the learner may follow his path of activities thus providing an environment of learner autonomy and thinking skills.

Characteristics of hypermedia applications:

1. Learner control- the learner makes his own decisions on the path, flow of events of instruction.

2. Learner wide range of navigation routes- the learner has a wide range of navigation routes such as by working on concepts he is already familiar with. He may even follow a linear or logical path, even if the previous activity is half-completed. He may explore other sections opting to return or complete the previous activity.

3. Variety of media- Hypermedia includes more than one media (text, graphics, audio, animation and video clip) but does not necessarily use all types of media in one presentation. Since only virtual learning activity takes place, it is important from the standpoint of the teacher to optimize the learning process by identifying the characteristics of media application, as well as the advantages and limitations of such an application.

Lesson 14: The Software as an Educational Resource

When people think about computers, they imagine the computer machine with monitor screen, keyboard, and “the box” or CPU which contains the electronic parts and circuits. It is more difficult to realize, however, that the computer hardware can hardly be useful without the program or system that tells what the computer machine should do. This is also called the software.

2 types of software:

1. Systems software- this is the operating system that is found or bundled inside all computer machines.

2. Applications software- this contains the system that commands the particular task or solves a particular problem.

Microsoft Windows

This is also referred to as program. Microsoft Windows or Windows for short is an operating environment between the user and the computer operating system. Also called a shell, it is a layer that creates the way the computer should work. Windows uses a colorful graphics interface (called GUI- “gooee”) that can be seen on the computer screen or monitor whenever the computer is turned on.

Instructional Software

  This can be visited on the internet or can be bought from software shops or dealers. The teacher through his school should decide on the best computer-based instructional (CBI) materials for the school resource collection. But beware since CBIs need much improvement, while web-based educational resources are either extremely good or what is complete garbage.

Lesson 13: Cooperative Learning with the Computer

Cooperative or collaborative learning is learning by small groups of students who work together in a common learning task. It is often also called group learning but to be truly cooperative learning, 5 elements are needed:
1. common goal
2. Interdependence
3. interaction
4. individual accountability
5. social skills
                                      Cooperative Learning and the Computer
Researchers have made studies on the learning interaction between the student and the computer. The studies have great value since it has been a long standing fear that the computer may foster student learning in isolation that hinders the development of the student's social skills.
Now this mythical fear has been contradicted by the studies which show that when students work with computers in group