Becky's definitions

Before starting out on the adventure of looking up the definitions for this assignment, I thought about my preconceived notions of what each term meant. My prior knowledge and experiences with learning and instruction basically corresponded with the definitions I found in Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary and others found on the internet. However, my preconceived concept of technology was barely in the ball park.

 

My definition of technology was a minuscule portion of the vast meaning. My idea of technology was computers (and how far they’ve come in the past decade), cell phones (remember the bricks?), iPods (which used to be Discman’s, which used to be Walkman’s, which used to be. . . Well, actually I don’t remember before that), electronic gaming (remember the good ol’ original Nintendo NES system), and so forth. My whole concept of technology was based around digital and electronic products. To my surprise, I found a much broader definition. The explanation of technology that I found on Comcast made the most sense to me. It expresses that technology is “1. Human innovation in action that involves the generation of knowledge and processes to develop systems that solve problems and extend human capabilities; 2. The innovation, change, or modification of the natural environment to satisfy perceived human needs and wants.” (http://home.comcast.net/~pm1963/grade8/vocab.htm)    Through amazing innovations we are able to make the impossible, possible using any and all sorts of tools at our disposal. Technology is knowledge and processes to solve unsolvable conundrums. Basically technologies make our lives easier, more comfortable, and allow us to extend beyond our own alleged limits. I now believe that technology can be any person, place, or thing that contributes to our accomplishing tasks or making life easier.

 

Before I close I just wanted to mention a couple of definitions about learning and instruction that jumped off the page for me while researching. The first definition I want to share comes from a website called Dynamic Flight and it says, “Learning is a change in behavior as a result of experience.”  (http://www.dynamicflight.com/avcfibook/glossary/) As I pondered about “a change in behavior”, it hit me: Daily our brains receive a lot of incoming information (called experiences), but if out behavior doesn’t change, then we have learned nothing. I first started thinking about my students and how it sometimes feels that they do not learn anything, but then I made it more personal. I could go through this graduate program, do all the assignments, take all the tests, turn in all the projects, pass all the classes, and graduate with a Masters Degree in Educational Technology. However, if I don’t change my approach to design and instruction and take advantage of available technologies using the techniques I experience in this degree for the benefit of my students, what have I “learned”? I think the answer is pretty obvious, NOTHING. I need to change my behavior as a result of the experiences I will have over the next two years. Hopefully this will result in improving the effectiveness of my instruction.

 

The second definition I would like to touch on is a definition for instruction from the University of Texas at Austin. It states that instruction is, “Any activity or program that supports the interaction between students, faculty, and content with the aim of learning.”  (http://www.utexas.edu/academic/diia/assessment/iar/glossary.php#i) I really liked the idea that instruction is an interaction between students, teachers, and material. I don’t feel that instruction should be one-sided where the teacher stands and lectures, students take notes, then students take test. Not only does interaction make it more enjoyable for everybody, I feel that everybody benefits more from the interaction and more learning is accomplished. 

 

 

Sorry, I know my resources are not properly cited. I hope it is enough to give credit where credit is due and won’t be viewed as plagiarism.