IN A 21st century classroom, teachers are encouraged to be technology-oriented and inclined to integrate the lessons with the available technological resources. Gone are the days when teachers have to always stand in front of the classroom and talk to their pupils all day.
However, keeping them attentive in these contemporary times is no easy feat. The process of getting pupils’ attention without getting frustrated and raising one's voice is challenging considering the fact that pupils cannot learn effectively unless they are paying attention.
Now, there are various forms of educational technology that can be used inside the classroom to catch pupils’ attention and at the same time, they will learn. One of which is the use of educational videos during story time. The use of educational videos allows students to better understand their lessons and capture their attention.
In a classroom-based action research conducted by Irish Mae M. Loquina, Grade-One teacher of Don Manuel H. Gutierrez Sr. Elementary School in Matina, she employed educational videos during story time to capture the attention of Grade I-Malvar pupils.
She could no longer hear her pupils talking to one another during class.
“Their eyes were all looking at the video being played and they were all attentive,” she said.
She also observed that the pupils had learned better about the lessons.
“When asked about the details of the story, most of them could remember and answer the questions correctly. Hence, it helped improve their performance,” she added.
There is no doubt that technology has influenced education nowadays. The level of interest is rising and its progression has been impressive.
According to research, a benefit of multimedia learning is that it takes advantage of the brain's ability to make connections between verbal and visual representations of content, leading to a deeper understanding, which in turn supports the transfer of learning to other situations.
This method of teaching is important in today’s 21st century classrooms, as we are preparing students for a future where higher-level thinking, problem solving, and collaborative skills will be required.
The challenge now is for the teachers to be creative and resourceful in integrating the lessons with the available resources. Let us get ourselves engrossed in effective instruction through technology! (Janice D. Montalvo)