Republic of the Philippines

Tarlac State University

COLLEGE OF TEACHER EDUCATION
Lucinda Campus, Tarlac City
Tel. No. (045) 493-0182; Fax No. (045) 982-0110
Re-Accredited Level IV Phase I by the Accrediting Agency of Chartered Colleges and Universities of
the Philippines (AACCUP), Inc.

Technology in the Delivery of

Instruction in the New Normal

Submitted by:
Mercelyn S. dela Cruz

Submitted to:

Dr. Mellany G. Masangkay

Professor
The pandemic could open a door to new technology — and dramatic innovation —
in education

Disaster is a laboratory for innovation. During a war, or in the aftermath of an

earthquake, whole societies mobilize to answer the immediate challenge, while a cadre of
researchers looks for a way to transform the crisis into advances that will improve lives, or save
lives, in the future.
Definitely. Now that so many educators have had to communicate, learn and teach
through the online medium, it can’t be ignored as an option to consider in the future, nor can the
question be ignored of what tools could be brought to bear to improve the quality of learning in
online and place-based environments.

As biological, cognitive beings, we haven’t changed very much. But technology is

changing every facet of our life, and I think that is also now happening in education, where
teachers are working alongside technology. There is also a hint of the familiar here, since many
adaptive learning systems have been inspired by one-on-one tutoring.

We will see technology become easier to integrate with what teachers are trying to accomplish.
Machine learning technology, especially natural-language processing, will provide for Socratic
pedagogical approaches and better coordinated peer-to-peer learning opportunities.

The Latest Technology Used in Classrooms Today

There are many new technologies being used in classrooms today: social networking,
online teaching, class blogs and wikis, podcasting, interactive whiteboards, and mobile devices.
There are many ways in which we can benefit from the new technologies being developed today.
For one, new technologies make distance learning easier. It also allows for faster feedback and
improved collaborative efforts between large groups of people. Technologies like podcasting and
websites allow students to learn and participate in discussions even when they miss classes due
to sickness. Class blogs and wikis widen the avenue for discussion and give students a chance to
participate outside of the classroom. Interactive whiteboards makes teaching easier, giving
students better visual aids and teachers an easier time in presenting lessons; while mobile devices
allow teachers to deliver information to students in a lightning-fast manner. Online teaching and
distance learning is a fast growing industry. People today are not confined anymore by
geographical or cultural boundaries. People want to learn and people want to give out
information. In today's world that is growing ever smaller thanks to technology, classrooms
aren't just confined anymore to the four walls of traditional schools. Education thru technology is
the way of the future.

In the last decade, the use of computers in classrooms have extended and become
widespread. From just being confined to computer labs in MIT and other research institutions,
computers now pervade every aspect of the educational institution. You can hardly go to class
without encountering the use of computers in teaching. Students use computers to complete their
assignments, do their research, and connect with their classmates. Teacher use computers to keep
track of their students, check on their work, and make grading them easier and more transparent.

The invention of the internet only made the explosion of information even faster. Now
we can blog or tweet about anything and have it spread like wildfire in mere seconds. Everything
happens in real-time. The internet is the new consciousness in today's society. It's a living,
breathing organism that drives evolution forward. Educational projects like the Wikipedia, the
Wikiversity, and the Wikibooks all make use of the internet as the driving force to make
educational information freely available to all. E-books are now being made at a quarter of the
cost of traditional books. It is hoped in the future e-books won't even have to cost anything since
by that time every book in existence would have been scanned and downloaded there won't be a
cost to the production of more e-books. Education that is truly free and universal will have been
achieved by new technologies such as the computer and the internet.

From the old computers we used in science labs to iPads that we can now carry in our
bags, the way we go about educating students sure has changed a lot. The continuous
development of microchips that grow smaller and more powerful means that in the next few
years to come, we will see even more new technology that will improve and change the way we
teach and learn. One of the longstanding dreams of the computing community is that there comes
a time when we won't have even have to go to school anymore. That with just one touch of a
button, we can learn anything we want. By just downloading a lesson and uploading it to our
brain, we can learn and master anything.

Use of Technology in Teaching and Learning

Technology ushers in fundamental structural changes that can be integral to achieving

significant improvements in productivity. Used to support both teaching and learning,
technology infuses classrooms with digital learning tools, such as computers and hand held
devices; expands course offerings, experiences, and learning materials; supports learning 24
hours a day, 7 days a week; builds 21stcentury skills; increases student engagement and
motivation; and accelerates learning. Technology also has the power to transform teaching by
ushering in a new model of connected teaching. This model links teachers to their students and to
professional content, resources, and systems to help them improve their own instruction and
personalize learning.
Online learning opportunities and the use of open educational resources and other
technologies can increase educational productivity by accelerating the rate of learning; reducing
costs associated with instructional materials or program delivery; and better utilizing teacher
time.
Virtual or online learning: Both core subjects and electives can be taken online, many
supported by online learning materials. While some online schools or programs are home grown,
many others contract with private providers or other states to provide online learning
opportunities.
Full-time online schools: Students enrolled in these schools are not attending a bricks and
mortar school; instead they receive all of their instruction and earn all of their credits through the
online school.

Blended learning: Blended learning opportunities incorporate both face-to-face and online
learning opportunities. The degree to which online learning takes place, and the way it is
integrated into the curriculum, can vary across schools. The strategy of blending online learning
with school-based instruction is often utilized to accommodate students’ diverse learning styles
and to enable them to work before or after school in ways that are not possible with full-time
conventional classroom instruction. Online learning has the potential to improve educational
productivity by accelerating the rate of learning, taking advantage of learning time outside of
school hours, reducing the cost of instructional materials, and better utilizing teacher time. These
strategies can be particularly useful in rural areas where blended or online learning can help
teachers and students in remote areas overcome distance

Open educational resources: Open educational resources are teaching, learning, and research
resources that reside in the public domain and are freely available to anyone over the Web. They
are an important element of an infrastructure for learning and range from podcasts to digital
libraries to textbooks and games. It is critical to ensure that open educational resources meet
standards of quality, integrity, and accuracy—as with any other educational resource—and that
they are accessible to students with disabilities.
Use digital resources well: Schools can use digital resources in a variety of ways to support
teaching and learning. Electronic grade books, digital portfolios, learning games, and real-time
feedback on teacher and student performance, are a few ways that technology can be utilized to
power learning.

Face-to-face: This refers to a modality where the students and the teacher are both physically
present in the classroom, and there are opportunities for active engagement, immediate feedback,
and socio-emotional development of learners. Notably, this modality is feasible only in very low
risk areas with no history of infection, easily monitored external contacts, and with teachers and
learners living in the vicinity of the school.

Distance learning: This refers to a modality where learning takes place between the teacher and
the learners who are geographically remote from each other during instruction. This modality has
three types, namely: Modular Distance Learning, Online Distance Learning, and
Television/Radio-Based Instruction. This is most viable for independent learners, and learners
supported by periodic supervision of parents or guardians.

Homeschooling: This modality aims to provide learners with quality basic education that is
facilitated by qualified parents, guardians, or tutors who have undergone relevant training in a
home-based environment. However, this modality will be the subject of a later DepEd issuance
since there remain several issues in its implementation, including the supervision of licensed
teachers and alignments with the standard curriculum.

Today’s platforms are equipped with so many engagement tools it can feel
overwhelming, even for students.
Accessibility is often a challenge in online courses . Thankfully, a number of tools have
made accessibility easier. When using cloud recording, Zoom auto-captions the session enabling
students to watch a closed-captioned recording after class. If using Google Slides, students can
see live captioning during class.

In sum, when it comes to technology, take a gradual approach. Sometimes, when faculty
learn about all the tools available, in our zeal to create the best possible experience for students,
we run the risk of trying to do too much. Avoid jumping headfirst into the bells and whistles,
giving yourself time to grow incrementally. As you gain more experience, you’ll learn which
tools best fit with your teaching style and pedagogical strategy.

Adopting a New Tool Now to Prepare for New Teaching Environments

Before your eyes glaze over at the thought of bringing yet another new technology tool into the
mix, it might be worth thinking again…particularly if that tool can support your teaching in both
the remote and in-school environment. Digital pen and tablet technology is typically “plug and
play” and compatible with the instructional software and platforms you’re currently using,
including Google Classroom, Microsoft Office programs like Word, PowerPoint and One, along
with Adobe’s creative software. Teachers can use the pens in nearly any content area and at any
grade level. They’ll help elementary teachers clarify and emphasize early reading and math
concepts. They’ll support math and science teachers as they illustrate complex graphs, equations
and operations.
There are other advantages to consider as well. You’ve no doubt seen the images as some
schools reopened for the rest of the school year. Classrooms have been reconfigured to satisfy
safety guidelines in order for students and teachers to keep safe social distances from one
another. Those protocols will no doubt continue and expand when the new school year begins in
the fall. It will be more difficult to work side-by-side with an individual student or a small group
of students. But with digital pen and tablet technology, you can work directly with students,
commenting on their work, sharing conversations, and providing individual learning support via
screen, while you’re in the classroom together. So, this is one instance, when adding a new tool
can translate directly into improved instructional delivery and a way to meet individualized
learning goals.

The COVID-19 pandemic has many of us teaching in unfamiliar situations. Perhaps a

silver lining has been the widespread practice of synchronous instruction, a potential
remedy for the connection students and faculty often miss in traditional online classes. The
exponential growth of synchronous and asynchronous sessions will likely shape a “new
normal” for online learning, long after the pandemic has passed.
References:
https://www.teach-nology.com/teachers/educational_technology/
https://www.ed.gov/oii-news/use-technology-teaching-and-learning
https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/online-education/online-course-delivery-and-instruction/
synchronous-strategies-for-the-new-normal/
https://community.wacom.com/us/new-edtech-tool-for-the-new-normal/