Multi-Media Knowledge: A Requirement

Edwin T. Zabala

I have used many strategies to enhance student learning and to teach new concepts. I am still not convinced that I thoroughly understand how student learn. Yet, at this point, I do believe students redefine old understandings. Of concepts and integrate new experiences into their old concepts, they mature in their knowledge and understanding.

In their early experiences of the world students develop ideas which enable them to make sense of the things that happen around them. They bring these informal ideas into the class-room, and the aim education is to give more explanatory power so that their ideas can become useful concepts.

In discussion in “Discovery, Enquiry, Interaction, Conservative Learning—What’s the difference?” Harlen(1993) suggested that there is no single solution to the complex matter of education. According to Harlen, the objectives of learning are various and so should be the approaches to teaching. A combination of approaches is often the most effective education.

As a teacher I cannot assume that I am the giver of knowledge. I can only be confident in knowing that I am the facilitator of understanding, the presenter of an opportunity to explore, discover, and compile knowledge. A student’s willingness to learn and his/her enthusiasm for discovering knowledge and developing understanding will dictate the level of student learning.

Students need to be actively involved in their education. Interested and enthusiastic students are more willing learners, and I believe willing learners become active participants in their own instruction. As children become more actively involved in their learning, they develop interest and enthusiasm for the content and/or the process that is their conduit for acquiring new knowledge.

I opted to find that multimedia technology would be the conduit that my students needed to acquire new knowledge, develop new concepts, and express strong understanding. Through the integration of multimedia computer software I hoped to tap the enthusiasm of my students towards learning science and make them active participants in their own instruction.

As I watched and listened to my students while doing presentation, it was apparent very early that they were thoroughly enjoying using computers and developing their presentation. Student rushed to class, eager to get started on their presentations. Normally these students would ask to pack up their things three to five minutes before the end-of-the-day bell sounded. During then, I had to insist that they stop work, and often they ignored me and worked through the dismissal bell. Several times a week students would ask to stay after school and work on the computers. One group worked for an hour and a half after school and would have stayed longer, but I had to go lock up for the day.

Enthusiasm for learning science was also reflected in student comments. Everyone gets into the topic more when they use multi-media, it was creative and fun. According to them, computer are millions of times more fun than book work. With books it gets boring a while, but with computer it’s fun and exciting. “Computer make learning fun”

I fell the more ‘high tech’ the mode of teaching, the more important the subject will be to be students. If they think science is ‘cool,’ because the equipment they use is ‘cool,’ then more learning will take place and interest will remain high.

All of these support notion that the level of enthusiasm for learning science was increased through the incorporation of computer and multimedia software into the high school science curriculum. The integration of technology will be an ongoing pursuit in my classroom. The enthusiasm it brought to my students has been infectious. Student and parents of students in my other classes have become interested in integrating technology into their curriculum.

This was all made possible through the cooperation of my fellow teachers. By borrowing computers from neighboring classrooms, each group of students that developed a presentation had a computer to use throughout their work boring classroom, each group of students should be made available to students and teachers for check-out and use at home as well as at school through the school’s media center. The difficulties encountered (all of which involved the logistics of accessing the equipment needed) were far outweighed by the academic benefit to my students.

As our society is becoming more computer dependent, our students need an early start. Hands on is fine, but they need the basics too. We also need to have more computers in the classroom to be effective. It seems to generated more enthusiasm for science learning.

Students talked more about science during the use of computers. It does not only increase my students’ enthusiasm for learning science, but it also rekindles my excitement for teaching.

The author

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is Teacher III/ALS Coordinator at Floridablanca ES, Florida East District