The Educational Technology Skills of Grade School Teachers at Commonwealth Adventist Elementary School: Towards A Guide

Abstract

Technology has changed our lives throughout generations to generations. We tend to rely mostly on technology so we can do things easily and productively. In the education field, technology has become a necessity for both teachers and students. The main reason for the improvement of our education is to make sure that students will be productive and globally competitive. So we included the technology on our curriculum so we can enhance our selves as teachers and students as well. Our students are important because they are the future of our generation and technology will be one of the keys to improving their critical thinking. Although we always want an upgrade, we know that there is still a negative side to it because some students nowadays are struggling to learn from the educational technology performed by their teachers. A survey method was used. In this study, researchers selected twenty (20) respondents at the Commonwealth Adventist Elementary School to know their Skills in teaching using technologies. The researchers distributed 20 survey questionnaires to their targets. The study focused on the educational technologies skills of every teacher. The unstructured interview and focused group discussion were used to gather data. For the statistical treatment, data and ranking were used in this study. The researchers find out that 45% of the respondents are more likely to rely on PowerPoint presentations in making their visuals inside the classroom while 55% of the respondents used Traditional teaching in delivering their lessons. This only means that most of the respondents at Commonwealth Adventist Elementary School still use traditional teaching methods while others preferred to use Powerpoint presentations in making their visuals and present them inside the classroom. The findings were utilized for crafting a guide. Based on the gathered information, researchers came up with the following findings: that teachers should update themselves with current trends and technological software and hardware; they must explore their knowledge about educational technology capacity in acquiring their more information on certain situations; and teachers should attend professional growth activities such as workshop and seminars on the use of technology, inquiring and seeking assistance from experts to improve their use of computer and other related technology. Some of the Teachers in Commonwealth Adventist Elementary School lack experience and knowledge when it comes to educational technologies. Different strategies employed for developing teacher's educational technology skills include using powerpoint in presenting their lesson inside the classroom, using Microsoft word in lesson plans and hand-outs, using speakers in daily motivation/energizer, using lapel inside the classroom, using tarpapel as visual aids, and lastly, using TV Screen/Projector in showing film or short video.