Technology and Teachers: An Inseparable Connection

Yesterday, I just had the biggest demonstration teaching in this lifetime yet. It was nerve-wracking and fun at the same time because I get to see how the system goes-- to which my co-teacher-applicant commented: "Akala natin pag nakapasa tayo ng LET ok na lahat, dadaan pa pala tayo sa butas ng karayom magka-item lang sa public.", she is a volunteer teacher. 

Rolls of cartolina, cartoon characters, and large bags--
a typical teacher-applicant's loot for demo teaching. 

Technology and Teachers have an inseparable connection. I only knew and confirmed about that demo on the night of March 5, 18 hours before the demo. I hurriedly prepared all the materials I need. Thanks to technology, it has made the pain of doing overnight visual-aids more bearable. 

I could hardly imagine how I would go about without an internet connection, a computer and a printer for that would mean I would have to draw (which is something I am bad at) all the pictures and images needed for my demo, that would also mean I would have to painstakingly write the most legible way possible even if I am half-asleep, that would mean I would have to take longer hours and probably give up sleep (which I cannot afford) just to finish all my visual materials. 

Our generation is fortunate enough to have these technological devices within our reach. If we are luckier, we might not need these cartolinas anymore, but just project the presentation of our lessons using an LCD projector and a laptop.

Technology and Teachers have an inseparable connection. I can still vividly recall our Educational Technology I subject (which I thought was just about computers, projectors and every possible 'machine' that is used in education) where a lot of paper, pen, pencils and tears were wasted because I am trying (very, very hard) to copy Ma'am Vi's computer-font like lettering, and yes, in the end, I just cried because I realized this is something I am bad at-again, hence, the tears.

I can also remember how my cooperating teacher and I computed for grades facing two giant calculators and recording the same to the class record, but upon entering the teaching profession, I've forgotten how to compute manually because the first school that I've worked for has an automated grading system where I would just enter the raw scores and they will compute by themselves. Haha!

Technology and Teachers have an inseparable connection. A teacher may be effective, but that does not mean that he is also efficient. In these times, where children typically spend more time on their phones, gadgets, laptops and computers, a teacher must be skilled to maximize the use of different technological tools. For as long as the human needs continuously increases, there will be more of these tools in the future.