Lesson 10: Teaching Demonstrations

  Demonstration is the fourth in Dale’s Cone of Experiences. It is the process of showing the methods on how something is done. Yet, it is very handy. Unlike the dramatized experiences, it requires not much of elaborate preparation and yet executes effectiveness just like any other instructional materials when done properly.
  Demonstration is also one of the most widely used in teaching. 

 To conduct a good demonstration, the teacher must be accompanied by some visuals. The demonstrator must also consider guiding principles, planning, and organizing his/her demonstration beforehand. This is to avoid inefficiency. You can also use some questioning techniques or certain activities and a good sense of humor that can catch attention and motivate your students to learn. Sometimes, boredom strikes to the students if you do not show enthusiasm.

Lesson 9: Dramatized Experiences

 

Dramatic experiences come next to contrived experiences in Dale’s Cone of Experience. A dramatic entrance is something that catches and holds our attention and has an emotional impact. Dramatized experiences can range from the formal plays, pageants, tableau, pantomime, puppets and role-playing.

   Through these dramatic experiences, the student’s multiple intelligences will be catered. These include the kinesthetic, musical and interpersonal skills. The process undertaken is more on the development of the social aspect of the students where there is creative interaction and sharing of ideas taking place. Thus, it is very beneficial to the students. Not only it is beneficial, it also catches attention and excites students’ interest in learning. Hence, the teacher should make use of the different experiences so that the students may feel eagerness to learn and it may leave a huge impact on them.

Lesson 8: Contrived Experiences

    If for one reason or another, we cannot employ direct experiences as materials for instruction, let us make use of an “edited version of direct experience”-the contrived experience. In other words, they are substitutes of real things unlikely to be brought in class. These include models, mock-ups, specimens, objects, simulations and games. 

Although some things aren’t feasible to be brought in the class, learning is not hindered. That is because we can make use of these instructional materials that provide contrived experiences to the learners. Despite the fact that these instructional materials won’t actually copy all the characteristics of the real thing, these can give a huge impact on learning. With these models, mock ups and simulations, students may be able to manipulate the IM’s for closer and thorough observation for generation of ideas. Hence, these IM’s help in the abstraction of the students.

Lesson 7: Direct and Purposeful Experiences

  Following Edgar Dale’s Cone of Experience, this lesson will provide wider details about the first and most concrete among the instructional materials, the direct and purposeful experiences.

Learning as they say, must start from concrete to abstract. As the first of Dale’s Cone of Experience, Direct and Purposeful Experiences serve as the foundation of learning. Moreover, firsthand experiences leave long-term learning to the students. But, even concrete experiences were not enough. As a facilitator, teachers must also consider the critical thinking and abstracting ability of the students. We must not rely always on concrete learning, but we must explore and go beyond to attain better and broader understanding.

Lesson 6: Using and Evaluating Instructional Materials

   To attain the best results in our teaching, we must know how to select and use instructional materials. Choosing and utilizing these materials appropriately help us achieve our desired learning objectives. 
  There are guidelines that ought to be observed; in their selection and in their use.

  

  
   It doesn’t matter if your instructional materials were expensive and complex. What makes the most of the materials is the proper selection and utilization. We must consider its durability, efficiency and relevance to the topic. We must also consider its appropriateness to the students. Hence, if the guidelines shown above were used, then it is very likely that you would attain the learning objectives.

Lesson 5: Edgar Dale's Cone of Experience

   This lesson will introduce Edgar Dale’s Cone of Experience to acquaint us with various instructional media which form part of the system’s approach to instruction, as well as Jerome Bruner’s Three-Tiered Model of Learning.

 

 The CONE of EXPERIENCE is a visual model by Edgar Dale, a pictorial device that presents bands of experience arranged according to degree of abstraction and not the degree of difficulty. 

    


  The Cone of Experience should not be taken literally. The learning experiences must not be isolated from one another and it does not mean that learning should always start from the bottom to top. These experiences can be interrelated with one another, thus creating concrete and abstract experience. We must also practice not to always rely on one medium only. The Cone of Experience reminds us to make use of a combination of as many learning resources as we can thus making sure to have adequate foundation of concrete experience before moving into abstract.

Lesson 4: Systematic Approach to Teaching

    In this lesson, we will be introduced to the Systematic Approach to Teaching. This approach views the entire educational program as a system of closely interrelated parts. To understand more, below is a graphic organizer showing its different phases:

  


   The systematic approach is an orchestrated learning pattern with all the parts harmoniously integrated into a whole: the school, the teacher, the students, the objectives, the media, the tools and procedures. Thus, all its elements are interconnected. In other words, all the factors and its elements must be taken into consideration. The choices to be considered must be dependent on the learning objectives, that were also dependent on the students’ styles, experiences, development, and background. Overall, the elements in the systematic design must be well-executed and attained, or else, the instructional process fails. That is why, the application of this approach is crucial yet gives a structured outcome to the learners and teachers.

Lesson 3: Roles of EDTECH in Learning

   Now that we have been introduced to the comprehensive meaning of educational technology, its history, and its boons and banes, let us now dwell on the roles of ED.TECH. in the teaching-learning process from 2 different perspectives 
(Traditional and Constructivist).

    


   
   Whatever role the technology may play, when it is used effectively, research shows that technology “increases students’ learning, understanding and achievement but also augments motivation to learn, encourages collaborative learning and supports development of critical thinking and problem-solving skills”(Schacter and Fagnan0, 1999). In other words, if technology is implemented in the right way, then effective learning outcomes will be realized. The teacher must be aware on the proper usage of technology to promote a learner-centered learning environment. With the use of technology, he/she must enable students to develop their divergent and critical thinking, as well as their multiple intelligences. He/she must also engage learners in an active and cooperative learning process.

Lesson 2: Technology: Boon or Bane?

  Humans created technology as tools or instruments for convenience and more productivity. But, because of numerous services that technology can give, others use it in their own negative ways. Now, let’s find out the why technology may be BOON or BANE?

   Technology, first of all, was created to provide convenience and efficiency to any form of production. But, technology is only a tool, a product of the human’s wonderful minds. Yet, we must not let it consume us. If used properly, you should expect maximum and great results. If abused, harmful and negative effects will start to haunt you. To sum it all up, what was meant is that it is up to us how we are going to use it. 

Lesson 1: Educational Technology and its History

    Technology has been applied to the teaching and learning process ever since the Ancient times. And yet, it continuously developed throughout generations aiding and facilitating educational systems all around the world. 

“Technology is more than a hardware. Technology consists of the designs and the environments that engage learners”-D. Jonassen

"Technology is a planned, systematic method of working to achieve planned outcomes- a process not a product" (Dale, 1969)

    Throughout the years passed, different ways and strategies have been applied to teaching. Various innovations and new discoveries has been integrated in the teaching and learning process. Technology applied in education gave much efficiency to the persons involved in the learning process, thus making it essential.
To understand more about ED.TECH., below is a graphic organizer:

  Well, if we go back in time, technology really had a simple beginning. Human’s intellect, curiosity, resourcefulness, and creativity had contributed the development of different technologies. Now, let's find out some of the significant breakthroughs in the history of Educational Technology. 

  

This lesson will site six (6) major eras of educational technology development: Ancient, Medieval, Renaissance, Naturalism, 19th century, and Contemporary.

    

Technology undeniably plays significant role in the development of education. The advancements and innovations devised in the different periods just show that technology had been intertwined with education ever since. As what the trend demands today, we must make use of these technologies effectively as we integrate and apply it to teaching the young. In that way, technology will contribute a lot as it will provide efficiency and easement to the teachers as well as the learners.