Definitions regarding INST / Ed Tech.

I will start by speaking about something I heard Doug say at the beginning of class on the 10th.  He made comments about using technology as an aide for different types of presentations.  Some examples he gave included using PowerPoint to supplement his teaching, as well as his interview for his gig at USU.  He said, when he uses these types of things, he tends to rush through them.  That, to me, speaks volumes.  The same thing holds true for most areas of technology and education, or technology as a whole.

 

I believe we tend to LOOK at technology as an aide, but instead, we USE technology as a crutch.  If Doug did not have a PowerPoint in front of him, he may have been able to space out his presentation in a different manner.  Instead of rushing through things, we could utilize our own knowledge base more efficiently.

 

You may be asking how this applies to definitions within the field.  Well, I think we should learn to differentiate between how technology can be used in Education and how technology can be used in Educational design.  At first glance, I believed Ed Tech to be in the same vein as how can I use technology IN the classroom versus what I believe Ed Tech really is, and that is how can I use technology FOR the classroom.

 

The differentiation for me lies in the practice.  Am I using high tech devices to present my material, which may be fundamentally flawed in its design, v. am I using appropriate technology to actually design my material to appropriately educate others?  Educational Technology, in its essence, is the science of creating educational tools while focusing on appropriate objectives.  It should not be seen as only using tools of technology to supplement your presentation of materials.