Delicious is an excellent bookmarking site that helps to organize information. Prior to delicious, if I had to use another computer I did not have easy access to sites that I have bookmarked on my personal computer. Since I have created an account with delicious, I now feel comfortable knowing that there is a site where I can retrieve my favorite bookmarked sites. Fascinating enough, this site even allows me to share with friends the sites that I have bookmarked. This is an excellent tool that I would use as an educator. In the past, I referred numerous parents to sites that would help with certain issues. Now that I have knowledge of Delicious I can direct them to my site, which would allow parents to choose which links they prefer to retrieve information. This site is not only useful for parents to receive information it could also serve as a learning tool for students. For example, if my class were studying Africa, I would post links on the site directly related to the topic. This would allow them to retrieve endless amounts of information. Delicious could also be used to create a community of learners. Students could create their own Delicious site, which would allow other students to share and post links that they found helpful.
After reading Chapter 1 of Trends and Issue in Instructional Design and Technology, my viewpoint has changed. When I entered this program I thought Education Technology was a program that would only teach me how to implement current technology media into my classroom. This meant that my personal definition coincided with the 1970’s definition that was described in the book. I realize that Education Technology, which is now called Instructional Technology, is much broader than implementing media into a classroom. It holds an array of definitions, like all professions. According to the authors, instructional technology encompasses the analysis of learning and performance problems as well as the design, development, implementation, evaluation and management of instructional and noninstructional processes and resources intended to improve learning and performance in a variety of settings. Their definition helped me realize that instructional technology is the same as teaching. As teachers we regularly analyze our student’s learning and performance to determine where the problem lies. We design, develop and implement new lessons daily. We also strive to improve students learning and performance, which makes us evaluate our methods daily. Therefore, I conclude that instructional technology and educational instruction are one, with the exception of one having an emphasis on technology.
I now believe that no matter what minor you choose in education the major is still instruction (education) and there will probably never be just one definition because practices and theories change daily.
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3 comments:
Well put about the definition of technology. As fast as the world of technology is changing with all its new innovations, the definition will never be able to stay current.
I too, thought that the definition of the field is more like the original 1970s definition of the area. After reading, I now understand that there is more to the definition and that there are processes and growth, looking into the future and improving all of education.
I liked your definition of instructional technology. It is teaching since that is what we do when we find out what to instruct our students. We assess, teach, then reassess for progress. The 1970s definition does seem to fit the definition of the field as well. I liked delicious too for educational purposes as an all round site for web pages. I thought the same thing about sharing websites on subject areas and to parents as well.
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