Raul's e-Portfolio

Having been an educator for a decade, and putting a halt on teaching to pursue a PhD, I believe that my teaching philosophies guides who I am as an educator. This is essential for the success of the students, and how they understand the topics being taught to them.

I have been used to giving lectures in the classroom, which is still the case most of the time. Lectures are important in order to impart what I know to the students. However, that is not always the case. Aside from giving lectures, I believe that Project-Based Learning (PBL) can bring out the best in students. This is one philosophy that I use in the classroom; PBL makes the students more responsible in their learning. According to an article by Marcus Guido (2022), PBL or project-based instruction is a student-centered teaching method that encourages learning through engaging, real-world, and curriculum-related questions. This encourages students to apply skills and knowledge they’ve developed inside the classroom, and also allows them to have their own approaches to develop an answer.

PBL goes beyond teacher-led instruction, and it makes the students to think more critically.  Guido adds that PBL helps teach students creative problem-solving skills and how to build independent learning, not just depending on the teacher for the lectures. Thus, I use PBL most of the time in order for my students to gain skills that they can use even beyond the classroom. Aside from giving them lectures, I allow them to think critically, usually through brainstorming within themselves about a certain topic we are discussing in class. This makes them more active in the learning process, as they interact not only with me during lectures, but also among themselves.

Complementing PBL, my teaching philosophy mainly subscribes to constructivism, which explains that knowledge is subjective in nature. Learning and knowledge goes beyond memorizing textbooks and lecture  notes. Through interactions with teachers and their fellow classmates, students will be able to learn in a more holistic manner. Furthermore, constructivism also means that students actively participate in discovery-based learning, which is essentially PBL. The students discover some more knowledge on their own, and not just from the teachers’ classroom lectures. Students can be more motivated to learn this way, when they take an active role in learning; they construct their own knowledge and meaning, rather than passively taking in the information.

Through constructivism, the students can analyze what is being taught to them on their own, in a more independent manner. In my case, I provide guidelines to my students. Even though I want them to learn independently through PBL and the constructivist approach to teaching, I still believe that as a teacher, I am responsible for the students’ learning in many ways. Through guiding the students, I am able to supervise their learning in the classroom; since students learn at different levels (some are fast learners compared to others, for example), I have to ensure that no one is left behind in the classroom. Therefore, I believe that, through my teaching experience the past decade, both Project-Based Learning and constructivism complement each other when teaching my students.

In this early stage of EC&I 833, I would want to discuss my perspective of educational technology — how I comprehend it and how I have been using it for the past decade as an educator. In my personal understanding, the utilization of technology has its pros and cons; as for what weighs more is difficult to truly define.

From my own experience, using technology in teaching is convenient in the sense that I can provide students with a gamut of learning materials online – before, during, and after class. Before classes begin, I post advanced readings for the students to read. During class, I use the ever-popular PowerPoint, and I show some educational videos. After class, my students can ask questions online, and I post follow-up questions for them to answer. I found this to be convenient especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, wherein, for two years, classes were fully online. However, it had its limitations. First of all, I was not able to totally monitor my class effectively. Second, I was not sure if students fully understood the topics I was teaching them, because it  was difficult for me to gauge their true insights from the laptop screen. This leads to what Neil Postman mentioned in his talk in 1998, in which he explained that the first idea is that all technological change is a trade-off. Advancement in technology, according to Postman, may bring unmixed blessings to society, and technology in education is not spared. An article by the United Nations even mentions that technology in education can threaten privacy and even fuel inequality, as not all students have access to some forms of educational technologies. Another article by Telefonica states that technology in education promotes student flexibility and autonomy, it also distracts students, wherein social networks, chats, and unnecessary web pages take away students’ attention from the subject matter.

In educational technology, it is essential to consider the different forms of communication, as explained historically by Tony Bates in the chapter A Short History of Educational Technology, from his book Teaching in a Digital Age. He explains oral communication, written communication, broadcasting and video, and computer technologies historically. From the long history of written communication, such as the Bible, to folklore and stories transmitted from one generation to another (oral communication), to the early era of television and radio broadcast, what Bates explained is still relatable to the 21st century. No matted how advanced technology is used in education, going back to basics such as good oral and written communication are still what educators should aim. This will ensure that the students do not just rely on technology usage in learning, but in communicating properly with their teachers, and vice versa.

Based on Bates’ explanations in the preceding paragraph, the various mediums of communication should work hand-in-hand, in order for educational instruction to succeed. Educators must not only concentrate on advance educational tools — they must also have proper oral and written communication to and with the students.

Overall, I view the advancement in educational technology to be more of a pro rather than a con. I appreciate its convenience, as a teacher and as a graduate student. As a PhD student now, I can download and read articles wherever I am. Furthermore, as a teacher, I can easily communicate with my students in a faster manner, even when there are days of no classes. However, one must not totally rely on the various forms of technology, rather, use those as tools in order to teach in a better and more complete manner. With the proper tools and proper communication, teachers will be able equip their students better for the future.