Lesson 3: Understanding Technology Learners

Jean C. Cotamora  BSED General Science 4
Author

CONTENT: 

Understanding

     “It is not easy to understand learners - technology learners,” I must say. Education must cope up with the trends of the world. In the same way, teachers and students too must adapt. Why? Is there really a need to adapt? This could be opinionated, but, we just cannot deny the fact that even before the advent of technology in education, schools have already been producing very good students. Some people may even say, “Learners now are only smart because they know how to use technology, but old times ‘smarties’ are different from now.”

Based on the assertion above, what then are the significant differences of learners yesterday and learners today? What makes a traditional learner better than a technology learner, or the latter better than the other? Are the two even comparable?

It is indeed a need for Education as a whole, to adapt to what is in. I cannot say that without technology, a teacher is less effective but I want to emphasize that with technology, teachers’ teaching will become better. If teachers will not adapt, there is a big tendency that students will become passive learners and will easily get bore because in the environment now, everyone needs to do something to learn. If students will not adapt, they will find a hard time in school (say, submitting requirements, getting informed, and accessing information). In the future where technology will become a necessity, anyone who sticks with the traditional may not be able to understand the language of world (figuratively!). It may be true that intellectuals have been products of traditional schools, but human as we are, we change, we innovate, and we find ways to improve things.

Let me define the following terms

Traditional Learner

Traditional Learner – basically, a leaner who makes use of traditional ways of learning; one who studies from books and other second sources of information.

Technology Learner- Anyone who makes use of man-made inventions such as books in learning. HOWEVER, in the context of Educational Technology, we are referring to TECHNOLOGY LEARNERS as DIGITAL LEARNERS, a learner who learns with the use of technology, anything that is digital. 

Digital Learner

In my opinion, there should be no comparing of traditional learners and technology learners because I believe the latter is just the transition of the other, it may even just be a shifting! You may disagree with me, but if we just come to think, no one has ever learned to do anything without going through the traditional way of learning. Let me ask this question, how did a child learn to differentiate the voice of his mother and his father? Do you think the mother use any device just to teach her child to differentiate her voice and her husband’s voice? No, right. By mere talking to the child, the child gets to learn his mother’s and father’s voice – that is natural, traditional. Allow me to cite myself as an example, I learn to read by reading books – traditional; now, I read Ebooks at times because they are less bulky – I am a technology/digital learner. See? From being a traditional learner I turned into a Technology learner. (There are even times that I shift styles because going through the traditional makes me learn better than doing the digital way). (I may have answered differently from the report)

A traditional learner is indeed different from a technology learner, in terms of the medium used. But as I say, the other is just the transition of the other, they may even shift depending on what’s necessary.

Digita is the transition of the traditional learning style

The most important question is, how then should we understand the technology learners? One must go back to the basic. The teacher must identify first the strengths and weaknesses among his/her students. He/she must give activities catering the strengths and weaknesses of his/her students to develop what needs to be developed. If there be deviations, that this the time the teacher makes the analysis leading him/her understand his/her students.

EXPERIENCE:

            Integration of technology in education really helps. I am a traditional learner but I am also a technology learner. Sometimes I shift my styles to cater my preferences in learning. Sometimes I prefer reading books rather than just read the softcopy of it.

            Moreover, it is important for a teaching to have an understanding of technology learners, what are they and what makes them that.

            I failed to answer one of the questions thrown during the report because I failed to differentiate what a “traditional learner” and “technology” is. The question is kind of hard. It’s like differentiating a human and papers. It is somehow distinct but I think I got the essence of understanding technology learners. Being digital learners, learners construct their own meanings which are sometimes crooked. That is why the teacher should be there to assist.  

REFLECTION

            The following are among realizations on this lesson: it is not good to compare students with regards to the type of learner they choose to be. Instead, a teacher must be the aid of the students in transforming into learners they are supposed to be, to be in conformity with the trend of global education. The change must not be abrupt so as not to shock the students.

APPLICATION                                                                         

                        A traditional learner is indeed different from a technology learner in terms of the medium used for learning. As a future, I must not make any comparison with the learning styles of my students. Instead, I must develop the necessary skills they need to have to compete with the world. Not all students prefer technology all the time, some prefer the traditional. Hence, it goes back to the issue of appropriateness. As a future teacher, I must evaluate the usefulness and application a certan technology

Below is a video about understanding technology learners. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2S1h6q0Mpc4