TECHNOLOGY FOR TEACHING AND

LEARNING
MODULE IN ELEMENTARY GRADES

Lesson 11: Roles and Functions of Computers

Many researchers have enumerated the roles and functions of computers among
them are the following:

1. Computers can increase can increase productivity.

Through computers, students and teachers can perform their tasks well. For
student they can create their homework and research quickly. For teachers –
preparing lessons. Checking and grading them are most easy. The time that they
save can be used for other tasks.

2. Computers facilitate communication between students,

teachers, and administrators.
There are many communication tools that are used today to be able top
communicate to students to submit assignments, share lessons digitally, which
can be considered as a form of communication.

3. Computers are used to access large amounts of information.

Learning today is not confined to using prescribed textbooks. Many of the

information that our students need can easily be found from the internet where
there is a vast amount of information.

4. Computers are brilliant aids in teaching.

Computers are used as an aid in learning through different academic software,

software support tools, and productivity tools. Teachers can use presentation
software for a more interactive and interesting delivery of lessons. Teachers can
also different software support tools to allow them to generate materials and
gather data.
5. Computers facilitate an electronic format for storage of information.

One good thing about the computer is that it can save all the information that
we need. By using the different storage devices, you can save files, retrieve
them and use the device repeatedly.
 6. Computers can teach subjects and enhance learning of the students.

Using the computer, the students will be able to gain knowledge of various subjects.
Students can work individually to work on exercises to practice skills and to enhance.

Lesson 12: Application Software

Application software or application programs allow users to perform specific

tasks like writing documents, making project presentations, video recording and
many others.

Application software can be used for the following purpose:

 As a productivity/business tool
 Create graphics and multimedia projects
 Support school and professional activities
 Help individuals with home and personal activities
 Facilitate communication

Business software is application software that assists people while

performing business activities.
 Word processing software allows users to create and manipulate
documents.
 Clip art is a collection of electronic drawings, photos, and other images.
 Spreadsheet software allows users to organize data in rows and
columns and perform calculations.
o Charting depicts data in a spreadsheet in graphical form.

 A database is a collection of data organized in a manner that allows

access, retrieval, and use of that data.
o Database software allows users to create, access, and manage a
database.
 Presentation software allows users to create visual aids for
presentations to communicate ideas, messages, and other information to
a group.
 Note taking software is application software that enables users to enter
typed text, handwritten comments, drawings, or sketches anywhere on a
 page.
 A software suite is a collection of individual programs available together as a
unit
 A Personal Information Manager (PIM) is application
software that includes appointment calendar, address book,
notepad.
 Project management software allows a user to plan, schedule, track,
and analyze the events, resources, and costs of a project.
 Accounting software helps companies record and report their financial
transactions.

 Document management software provides a means for sharing,

distributing, and searching through documents by converting them into a
format that can be viewed by any user.
 Enterprises typically require special computing solutions for various
functional units: human resources, accounting, engineering,
manufacturing, marketing, sales, distribution, customer service,
information technology.

Instructional Software these are programs designed specifically to deliver

instruction or aid with the delivery of instruction. Instructional software is
intended to teach skills or information through demonstrations, examples,
explanations, or problem solving. Examples are tutorials, drill-and-practice
programs, simulations, instructional games, problem solving, and special needs
software.

 Tutorial Software software that teaches the users about new concepts. A
tutorial usually offers pre-test, post-test and drill and practice. This
software guides the users from starts to the end of learning.

 Drill and Practice Software provides exercises in which students work on

items one at a time and receive feedback on their correctness. And
effective drill-and-practice program should allow students to work at their
own pace, give motivating feedback, and be user-friendly. Drill and
practice software strengthens student‟s skills by providing them repetitive
 tasks until they master the concept or idea.

 Simulations provide a life-like or world-like scenario or system that

students may experience through the computer. Simulations allow the
students to experience what is it like and learn how it should be done in a
real-world situation. Simulations involve students into a learning process,
save money and resources, and make experimentation safe.
 Instructional Games primarily used to motivate learners in learning a
concept or topic. It also allows learners to practice their skills in a more
engaging manner. Instructional games make learning fun and motivating.
It motivates learners via the challenge of competition, and provides
different levels of complexity that match player‟s ability.

 Problem Solving Software focuses on fostering skills in problem-solving.

This software provides opportunities to practice solving various kinds of
content area problems.

 Special Needs Software designed specifically for students with learning

disabilities to assist them in carrying out school tasks. This includes speech
synthesis software, test enlargement programs, talking calculators and
others.

Productivity Software is designed to help teachers and students in creating their

reports, computing of grades, communicating, developing of materials and
keeping of records effectively and efficiently. Productivity software includes
applications such as word processing, electronic spreadsheet, presentation
graphics, graphics and multimedia software, database, personal information
management, and software suites.

 Word Processing Software is one of the most widely used application

software. People including teachers and students use word processing
software in creating documents such as letter, memoranda, reports,
newsletter, thesis, lesson plans, handouts, tests, communication and many
others. The commonly used word processing software in schools is the
Microsoft Word. Some word processing software is Open Office Writer,
 Google Docs, Adobe Buzzword, and Lotus Symphony.

The Power of Word Processing in Education

- Saves time in the preparation of materials needed for teaching and
learning.
- Enhances document appearance.
- Allows sharing of documents.
- Allows collaboration on documents.

Electronic Spreadsheet Software allows the users to organize numeric data in

rows and columns. This software is normally used to doing budgets, grade
computation and accomplish mathematical problems. Spreadsheets are
composed of thousands of rows and columns. Columns are vertically arranged
which are identified with letters starting from A to XFD (MS Excel 2010). Row
numbers are horizontally arranged which are identified with numbers from 1 to 1,
048, 756.

 Save valuable time in completing the required computations in teaching and

learning.
 Organize displays of information.
 Support asking “what if” questions that gives quick answers.
 Increase motivation to work with numbers.

Presentation Software is designed to communicate and display information

including text, images, audio, and video elements in a slideshow format.
Presentation programs and typically used in schools during lectures,
presentation of reports, motivational games, and the like. Keynote, Apple iWOrk
and Microsoft PowerPoint are some examples or presentation software.

The Power of Presentation Software in Education

 Helps organizer thinking of what the speaker would like to say.

 Enhances the impact of spoken information.
 Allows collaboration on presentations through group work.
 Graphic and Multimedia Software allows professionals like engineers, architects,
publisher, and graphic artists to design work that is intended for their own field of
specialization. Graphics and multimedia software include desktop publishing
software, paint/media editing software, clip art/image gallery, multimedia
authoring tools, video and audio editing software, web page authoring software
and others.

Administrative Software these are programs that administrators at schools use to establish
and strengthen record keeping and exchange of information among various institutions and
agencies. These include student information records, admission, accounting, payroll system,
tuition management, class scheduling, purchasing, faculty hiring, and faculty evaluation.
 CHAPTER VII: EVALUATING EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY

Lesson 13: Educational Technology: Evaluating its

Effectiveness in Classroom Use

Evaluation is an important part of any process or any entity or item consumed by

an individual, to know how well it works, whether it is effective or not, and to
determine whether it benefits or brings complications to the person.
Performance of students in class, work performance of employees. Teaching
performance or teachers, performance tasks done by students, seminars, and
workshops are some of the examples where evaluation occurs.

Evaluating the use of educational technology is class is as important as

evaluating the process done in any project. To evaluate a process or item is to
determine its importance and usefulness. Determining the appropriateness of
educational technology in classroom instruction and to gauge how much it
enhances teaching and learning are some areas that we take a look at a final
decision about its use and implementation in education. Further, educational
technology must:

1. be suitable for the teaching and learning situations

2. be motivational
3. promote learning
4. be at the right level or age of the learners
5. address the needs of the curriculum
6. help meet the leaning outcomes
Educational Technology is being evaluated before instruction, during instruction, and
after instruction.

Before
Instruction

Evaluate and
Revise
After During
Instruction Instruction

Evaluating before Instruction

Before acquisition or before using any educational technology tool and software, the
teacher should be asking himself/herself the following questions:

1. Will it match the needs of the curriculum?

2. Is it appropriate for the age of my students?
3. Is it appropriate for the teaching and learning situations?
4. Is it updated?
5. Will it match the learning capacity of my students?
6. Will it help me convey the message of the lesson?
7. Will it help me demonstrate the process?

Evaluating during Instruction

During instruction, the teacher should continue to observe and assess the
effectiveness of educational technology being implemented in classroom use.
The teacher may take note of the benefits and problems encountered during
implementation.

This then, will help him/her in adjusting to the use and implementation of
educational technology. The teacher should be asking himself/herself the following
questions:

1. Is educational technology attractive to the students?

2. Is it innovative and exciting?
3. Is it being used appropriately?
4. Is it easy to use?
5. Does it help the students understand the lesson better?
6. Does it help me explain the lesson?
7. Does it help students to stay focus?
8. Are students more participative and more engaged in learning?
9. Are there problems encountered during the use of educational
technology?

Evaluating after Instruction

This is the stage where the teachers will finally decide whether the educational
technology used in instruction is of help in the teaching and learning process.
Before putting your thumbs up or down, you might want to ask yourself a few
more questions to help you determine if there is a need to change the
educational technology, or you just need a little more adjustment and practice in
using the technology.

1. Did it help my students achieve the intended learning outcomes?

2. Did it improve the performance of the students in the subject matter?
3. Did it enhance my students‟ learning?
4. Did it help me determine the strong and weak points of my
students in learning the subject matter?
5. Are students looking forward to learn the next lesson.

Evaluating Software Programs

Evaluating the software particularly the instructional software to be used in class

is likewise important as evaluating technologies. The following are the areas that
need to be evaluated:

Content – The teacher has to determine if the content relates to the

curriculum, school standards, and instructional objectives. The teacher
 has to determine also the validity of the content, whether it is up-to-date
or not.

Ability Levels and Assessment – the teacher has to evaluate if the software matches
the ability level – student‟s current competency/skill level – in achieving a particular learning
outcome.

Technical Quality and Ease of Use – teachers have to consider the

following when it comes to technical quality: clarity of text, design, and
multimedia elements;
correctness of prompts and feedback; appropriateness of graphics, audio, sound,
effects, animation, and video. When it comes to ease of use, the software should be
user0friendly for both the teachers and students yet sustains students‟ interest and
attitude of being challenged.

Educational technology plays an important role in the assessments mentioned

above. Thus, completion of assessments is aided with educational technology
that helps students achieve the learning goals. When students succeed, the
technology then is beneficial and suitable in the learning process, if it is
otherwise, the educational technology may not be the appropriate tool for
meeting the ends of education – that is learning.

Checklist, Rating Scale, and Rubrics

After the students submit their requirements, projects, and other assessments,
the teachers evaluate all these and their learning process using checklists, rating
scales, and rubrics. These evaluation tools are likewise helpful in evaluating the
integration of educational technology in education.

Tips for Developing Checklists, Rating Scales, and Rubrics:

 Use checklist, rating scale, and rubric in relation to outcomes and standards.
 Use simple formats that can be understood by students.
 Ensure that the various skills that students need to demonstrate are
clear, specific, and observe.
 Ensure that checklists, rating scales, and rubrics are properly dated to
track student‟s progress history.
 Leave appropriate space remarks and comments.
 Checklist- an evaluation tool that indicates specific criteria that allow students
that keep track of the things they need to complete and perform. This is also
being used by teachers to judge or evaluate the knowledge and skills performed
by the students which are related to used to pre-determine learning outcomes.
This is usually in a YES/NO format that used to record the performance of
students, individually, by group, or whole class.

Rating Scale – an evaluation tool that allows teachers to indicate the degree
point/observation equivalent to the behavior or skills displayed by the learner.
Rating scale indicates the criteria which are graded through numerical value (e.g.
1, 2, 3, 4) or descriptive words (e.g. exemplary, superior, satisfactory,
unsatisfactory).

Rubrics – are defined as scoring guides which consist of specific pre-determined

performance criteria and used in evaluating student work and performance.
Rubrics allow teachers to grade the performance of their students in a more
precise manner. This helps students to determine the areas they need to
improve on and be better the next assessment; it allows teachers to save time in
grading the work performance of their students; it also help teachers to refine
their teaching skills. Rubrics may be holistic or analytic.

CHAPTER VIII: LEGAL AND ETHICAL USE OF TECHNOLOGY

Lesson 14: Ethical Use of School Technology

In the use of school technologies, both teachers and students must recognize
and observe the ethical use of school technologies to achieve rightfully the main
purpose of technology – to support teaching and learning.

Ethics for Computer Users

 Use the computer to help people and not to do harm.

 Use your own or assigned computer unit and not to interfere with others‟
works.
  Use the computer using your own files and not to use other‟s files.
 Use the computer to share information and not to steal other‟s information.
 Use the computer to spread truthful information and not to do character
assassination.

 Use software that is original and legal and not pirated.

 Use other‟s computer resources with permission and not to
duplicate it with authorization.
 Use your own work and not the work of others.
 Use the computer that shows respects and consideration for other people
and not to do cyber bullying.
 Create programs or software having in minds its social impact and
not ofr slef- interest.

laptops that are being borrowed by the teachers and students for class are being
closely monitored. Some schools implement policies that allow the
administrators or person-in-charge of the computer laboratory and other school
equipment to keep the hardware secured and intact.

3. Software Theft

Software piracy is a form of software theft. This happens when a person copies
illegally copyrighted software for personal or business or business use.

When a person purchases software, he/she actually purchase the right to use the
software but do not own the software. Software that as been purchased has with
it a software license which provides conditions for its use. These conditions must
first be agreed upon by the user prior to its use.

An End-User License Agreement (EULA) or single-user license agreement is the

common type of license included in software packages purchased by an
individual. Some of the conditions are:

- Users may install the software on only one computer.

- Users are prohibited to install the software on a network (school
computer lab network).
- Users may make one copy for backup purposes.
- Users are prohibited to give copies to friends and colleagues.
 TECHNOLOGY FOR TEACHING AND
LEARNING
MODULE IN ELEMENTARY GRADES

14 | P a g e