Probably the most difficult part for teachers in learning to use the computers is not knowing what they can do with it.
Everybody knows what computers are! They are devices with a TV monitor, a keyboard and a clicking rodent. They are used for typing long letters, making large calculations and doing complex programming tasks. They are difficult to learn and require highly technical skills to operate. Students (not teachers) must learn to use computers because it is required by the Department of Education. But there are not enough computers for every teacher and student in the school because they are expensive. These statements are, of course, inaccurate.
I often ask teachers and administrators, “What are your computers in school for?” or “What exactly do you do with them?” Responses are often very vague or even defensive. Teachers can easily cite tasks or projects their students have done but can hardly claim anything of their own. They concede by admitting their students are better than them at using computers and argue it is a technology for their students' generation. Courses on the use of computers in education are just electives in some teacher education institutions.
Basic concepts and operations
A quick survey of the local curricula and books used by a number of primary and secondary schools in the country will reveal that computer education is very much confined to learning the basic concepts and operations. Understanding the basics is necessary to demystify these modern machines to new users. However, with the complexity of modern computers, it is a real challenge to make learners understand how it works. It is a lot easier to make them appreciated as tools and identify their uses for everyday tasks. Computers and computing are taught as theoretical topics rather than tools and skills to be used. Learning to use the computers must go beyond making students draw and label the parts and functions of the device.
Social, ethical, and human issues
Perhaps the most overlooked areas of computer education are softer issues related to the responsible use of technology. One concern pertains to the right age to initiate computers. Some educational researchers recommend the introduction of computers only after basic skills such as reading, writing, and counting have been learned, around age 10. the first encounter of most children with computers is in the form of games. Many of the so-called edutainment software (education/entertainment) have proven to be very entertaining but with very little educational value. In some cases, the personal computer has replaced the television as babysitter. Teaching responsible use of technology include making students realize that submitting a report which they merely “cut-and-pasted” from some sources do not only prove that they have learned anything but plagiarism. Some students have become overly reliant on clipart and graphic libraries for their projects that they can no longer create anything on their own. Time spent by students before computers must be monitored to assure a variety and maintain a balance in their activities.
Technology productivity tools
Computers are good at routine and repetitive tasks. Modern user-friendly software with graphical-user-interfaces has reduced the need to memorize commands and focus on the tasks at hand. Similarity in interfaces facilitates the transfer of skills from one application to another. Applications for word processing, presentation, spreadsheets and databases can help students produce more comprehensive better looking reports. Prerequisite skills such as keyboarding and using a mouse are essential if students are to use word processing and graphics software.
Technology research tools
A few years ago the main function of a personal computer was to store text or data encoded by end-users, with the development of the CD ROM, computers have evolved as major source of information. Today, all the information in a 27-volume encyclopedia can fit in a single CD. Moreover, multimedia capabilities provide students compelling illustrations, pictures, sounds and even videos of facts and events that have traditionally been presented only in pure textual form. Moreover, current CD titles are equipped with search and indexing facilities that allow students to locate information quickly.
Technology communication tools
Developments in digital telecommunication have significantly expanded the capabilities of computers. CD-based information is still static. The internet has over 2.5 million URLs or sites making it the biggest library in the world. The topics available over the internet covers practically all areas-- math, science, hobbies, news, and entertainment. In addition, students can be linked to another student, authors and organizations via email, websites and other web-based services to get updated information, seek help, share and exchange information.
Technology problem-solving and decision-making tools
Interactive multimedia applications now allow students to simulate actual processes and even run virtual experiments. For instance, students can find out the availability and actual prices of parts and materials they will need for a project by linking real-time suppliers. They can even run chemistry experiment in a simulator before actually using the chemicals. This can help adjust their formula before consuming the real materials, much like the way engineers simulate the behavior of a product before it is actually produced.
Computer literacy is not the end but the means to integrating computers in education. Integrating technology means using the technology, not just knowing it. It means distinguishing the “must have” from the “nice to have”areas to use computers. No matter how much we know about how to use technology tools, educational practice will never improve unless teachers have clear goals for what teaching and learning should accomplish and see the path to take to achieve them. Again, “What are your computers in school for?”What exactly do you do with them?” (August 13, 2010)
(Dr. Lloyd Espiritu, Vibal educational technology consultant, writes about the fundamentals of computers for an effective teaching and learning process.)