Educ 3- ProfEd Section C

(Reporters:Vanessa Mae Saburao & Jenelyn Pocomios)

: I and Ms. Jenelyn will be reporting about

Lesson 11
The Computer as a Teacher’s Tool

In the Lesson, we shall look at the computer, as the teacher’s handy tool. It can in fact support
the constructivist and social constructivist paradigms of learning.
: So 1st, let’s define what is constructivism and social constructivism.
Constructivism as an approach that allows students to construct their own concepts and meaning about
anything. Constructing can be done socially, so the term social constructivism emerged. Constructivism as an
approach is employed when a teacher makes use of computer as a tool in teaching.
So, How are computers can be an effective tool for teachers from a constructivist's point of view?
By using technology in the constructivist classroom, teachers will engage students with the lesson
more actively, work collaboratively and develop more complex thinking skills. Constructivists believe
that technology should be used by the students as a tool to explore problem solutions and acquire
new information.

The Computer’s Capabilities:

Based on the two learning theories, the teacher can employ the computer as a/an:

The Computer as a/an:

 An information tool
 A communication tool
 A constructive tool
 As co-constructive tool
 A situating tool

The computer serves as a teacher’s tool in the sense that the educators used computers as their instructional
materials in supplementing the cognitive development of learners when it comes to technology. Computer
has a great help for both the teachers and the learners, for the teachers it facilitate their instructional
methods and improve their instructional materials; for the learners it contributes a lot in their cognitive
development and learning experiences.

Information tool
- A computer can provide vast amounts of information in any form (text, graphics, sound or video).
With the Internet, a computer can provide global information on anything. Computer alone is helpful but
with the Internet, it becomes even better. A teacher can use this to teach his/her students develop
researching and evaluative skills (choose among sources which is/are reliable).

Communication tool
- With Internet, communication has become better. A teacher can have a virtual class thus defying
space and still pursue the teaching and learning process. 
Given the fact that the internet can serve as a channel for global communication, the computer can very well
be the key tool for video teleconferencing sessions.

Constructive tool

- With the programs installed in the computer, students can construct their own works. They can organize
their ideas into multimedia presentations or through texts. A teacher can use the computer to allow his/her
students to develop their own concepts or express themselves through computer creativity activities. 

Co-constructive tool
Students cannot only do an original work in the computer but they also can share their works with others. The
teacher can make use of this computer function to develop cooperation among his/her students.

-students can use co-constructive tools to work cooperatively and construct a shared understanding of new
knowledge.
-the use of the electronic whiteboard where students may post notices to a shared
document/whiteboard. Students may also co-edit the same document from their homes

Situating tool
-the computer can create 3-D images on display to give the user the feeling that are situated in a
virtual environment

One of the most important use of computer is to serve as teacher’s handy tool. It lessen the works of the teachers in
which they can focus on the learning of the students. With computer, the teachers can present his/her lesson in a
presentation in which it can catch the attention of the whole class and can be visible and understand on the learners
sitting on the back. As we studied on the past lesson, learners are become alive again if the lesson is presented using
video or presentation and it only become possible if the teacher uses computer.