ˈlidərət/
adjective
adjective: literate
1. :able to read and write
2. :having or showing
knowledge about a particular subject
3. - Merriam-Webster
Dictionary
My parents always says
"Tama na yang cellphone mag aral ka muna" (Stop using your cellphone,
study first). I know most of your parents usually says the same Even in
classes, teachers prohibit students in using their gadgets but students still
tend to sneak and use their phones during class hours.
Does students gain better grades through snapchat?
Through instagram? Do they gain valuable knowledge through it or they just gain
gossips and other updates about their favorite artist?
These are the questions often ask by many to students who
just can’t let go of their gadgets. And while
much attention has been paid to the negative effects of social media, including cyber bullying, there could be a positive upside, too.
From elementary school to
college, social media is empowering students, parents and teachers to share
information in new ways and build a new sense of community. And students are
using social media to do more than just share tips to ace the next exam.
Schools don’t need to convince students of the value of social
media; they've already been won over. Today’s teens are already
collaborating and connecting with other teens outside school via social media;
and now, some educators are pushing to make this collaboration happen inside
school walls, too.
On
the most practical level, integrating social media into day-to-day learning
makes sense. Why not talk to teens in the online world where they already spend
most of their time inhabiting?
Walk
down the hall of any school, and today’s teens are fully absorbed in their
smartphones, checking their Instagram feeds, sharing photos and
sending Snapchat messages. How can teachers reach this world?
There are a lot of positive effects of social media not only to
students but also to the teachers and parents.
For example, A book report
follows a standard format; so, an online discussion about books is an
opportunity to break this format by setting up students to listen and
respond to other people’s opinions, with textual evidence.
Another example is when
the teachers made a very creative project. To tweet and converse with other
students about the things they learned in their history class using a hashtag. It
isn’t just exciting and fun to do but it also shared knowledge to the students’
followers.
There is also a time when
the teachers made us react and reflect with a certain topic or a certain book
and made us post it in social media. At first, I didn’t like the idea that your
grades will be depending to the number of likes, but then I realized that while
you’re asking other people to like your post, their curiosity about the post
gains that made them read the content of the post and maybe they will use the
hashtag to read more. In this way, we share information, knowledge and opinion
to other people to also make them reflect and react.
Social media integration
doesn’t have to stop with teens and teachers; increasingly, administrators are
finding new, creative ways to integrate social media into their schools.
Today’s parents’ of
younger students usually depend through social media. They look for updates,
announcements, news about the school activities and events through the social
media pages of the school.
With over a hundreds of
children in the school, it is nearly impossible to know all of the families. When
a parent tags the school in a post, retweets a message or message the school
admins, it is an opportunity to engage with that parent in a way that would not
be possible with a paper newsletter.
Social networks are one of the most used
communication methods of today's world. Their use in different fields has been
examined in several research studies. This study aims to examine the effects of
social media on student's behaviors which will mainly focus on Facebook.
Humans are social animals. We always like to
remain in some group or another, and we prefer to follow what this group does.
All of our traditions and cultures are the product of this group-oriented facet
of human nature. A well-known American psychologist, Abraham Maslow, stated in
his “Theory of Motivation” that the social need of human beings is the third
most important requirement after our physical and safety needs — the third tier
in his hierarchy of needs. Even our self-esteem comes after this social
dependence. This is the main reason billions of people use social networking to
stay connected, make friends and satisfy their social needs.
Integrating technology in Philippine education
has taken a lot of turns. There was the
initial call for ‘literacy’, which only meant
the capacity to use office tools like word processors, spreadsheet, and
presentation tools. Others developed specialized skills stage required
investment in equipment, networking infrastructures, and most of all like programming,
use of databases, drawing, CAD, and even robotics. This initial increased the
cost of education but also created an ethical issue of access, which later
software licenses that you have to upgrade the following year. This situation
not only brought technology to the offices and administration and was more
successful was associated to the ‘Digital Divide’.
Aside from cost, there was
also the question of
effectiveness, making parents and administrators
grow skeptical. The next stage
In the present stage, since technology is here
to stay, some educators took a second.
Technology was used for the efficient delivery
of services like enrollment, grading,
accounting, communication, etc.
assistants of the teachers finding ways to bring technology at the
service of learning.
look at how technology is being used. Instead of
technology dictating what they
should do, they started telling technology what
they wanted to do in teaching core
subjects. The technology experts of the school
started shifting gears. From being the
untouchable nerds in the computer lab, they
suddenly found themselves as the
There is a change of
paradigm for the better
Numerous factors
contribute to the integration of ICT in Philippine education. Some of whom are
policy makers and educators. The government’s role in ICT education is to create
a framework and exercise decision making with regards to all aspects of
implementing programs. As for educators, their task is to implement the
educational policies and programs in ICT education. Teachers have a vital role
of effectively and appropriately using technology in educational institutions
References:
- Uplifting Education in the Philippines Through Technology
- Information Communication Technology in the Philippines
- Technology Education for the Transformation of the Philippines
- How Social Media is Reshaping Today's Education System
