511: Foundations of Educational Technology
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Starting the collage:
At the start of my time in the MET program, my canvas was clear. My MET photo album, if you will, was empty. My profile picture was a generic icon. All I had was my interest and passion for learning more about how educational technology could aid and assist my teaching, learning and delivery. I was familiar with some learning management systems and I had situated myself on the blended learning spectrum by welcoming the online world into my class through various sites and applications. But in the grand scheme, I knew little to nothing about the origins of educational technology. It became quickly evident that this movement to include technology in education had begun decades ago and had undergone a few transformations to suit the expectations of society at the time.
The chalk and writing slate were technologies that revolutionized education. Other technologies have followed and have had subsequent impacts on how we teach and learn. Today classrooms in the developed world have high definition projection systems and surround sound. Yet these sophisticated technologies owe their beginnings to the rows of wooden bench seats and slanted tabletops, with holes to hold ink jars which are technologies that enhance learning for so many in developing nations around the globe. In fact, that is how I started learning in the early 1980s on the island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. Interesting to reflect on how far I have come considering such humble beginnings.
At the start of my time in the MET program, my canvas was clear. My MET photo album, if you will, was empty. My profile picture was a generic icon. All I had was my interest and passion for learning more about how educational technology could aid and assist my teaching, learning and delivery. I was familiar with some learning management systems and I had situated myself on the blended learning spectrum by welcoming the online world into my class through various sites and applications. But in the grand scheme, I knew little to nothing about the origins of educational technology. It became quickly evident that this movement to include technology in education had begun decades ago and had undergone a few transformations to suit the expectations of society at the time.
The chalk and writing slate were technologies that revolutionized education. Other technologies have followed and have had subsequent impacts on how we teach and learn. Today classrooms in the developed world have high definition projection systems and surround sound. Yet these sophisticated technologies owe their beginnings to the rows of wooden bench seats and slanted tabletops, with holes to hold ink jars which are technologies that enhance learning for so many in developing nations around the globe. In fact, that is how I started learning in the early 1980s on the island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. Interesting to reflect on how far I have come considering such humble beginnings.
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A brief snapshot of 511:
To truly understand a point of view, one must consider the opinions, beliefs and values which inform each other, to form this perspective. So too with educational technology, one must take a look at where/when/why ideas emerged and how they overtook, merged, morphed etc. into where we are today. In essence ETEC 511 considered the foundations of educational technology by looking at its history, social implications, misunderstandings and the opportunities these factors pose for the future. With each factor considered, more facets to a complicated picture are revealed.
To truly understand a point of view, one must consider the opinions, beliefs and values which inform each other, to form this perspective. So too with educational technology, one must take a look at where/when/why ideas emerged and how they overtook, merged, morphed etc. into where we are today. In essence ETEC 511 considered the foundations of educational technology by looking at its history, social implications, misunderstandings and the opportunities these factors pose for the future. With each factor considered, more facets to a complicated picture are revealed.
Defining Educational Technology: My initial Perspective upon entering the met programIntroductory thoughts: Perhaps we strive to define and categorize so that we are able to create a standard by which all other things can be compared and contrasted. Ultimately, then new definitions can be created. It appears that this same process, expansion, re-evaluation and re-creation is not new to educational theorists. I wonder why, since ‘learning technologies’ can displace previous terms audiovisual education (AV Ed) and audiovisual communications (AV Com), some people in the field of education have such frustrations with the term ‘learning facilitator’ (LF) displacing familiar terms like coach, instructor and teacher? I admit I only think of the minority of people who react negatively to this slight shift in lexicon, but it is their questions that are voiced over in my mind.
The articles explored (Januszewski, 2001, Dorbolo, 2004, Loh, 2007 and Scanlon 2002) highlight that the boundaries of the previous terms Audio Visual Education and Audio Visual Communication have been outgrown. They hint at the outdated set of parameters that do not capture the entirety of the ‘role’ as presently defined. I see this same parallel change in the case of the term Learning Facilitator (LF). It seems to me that implied by the new emphasis on facilitator, this person can be coach, instructor and teacher all at once, in the same way that, as the readings suggest to me, the term learning technologies encapsulates so much more than those that came before. Terms, names and definitions are fluid and represent the present. I am comforted by the fact that in both cases, the word ‘learning’ is present and suggests that even as definitions change, our collective belief in what is important now, remains true and at the heart of what we aim to do. I am left wondering about the definitions we use to categorize our students. We use terms like ‘Generation’ and ‘dis/abilities’ to define them. As I move forward I will be thinking about the limitations of the terms and definitions in place today. Will the term student apply in future? Closing reflections: |
Theorizing educational technology - Responsibility, reality and the electronic age: Online gradebooks for allIntroductory thoughts: ![]() Teachers are constantly seeking ways for students to accept more and more responsibility for their learning. Parents often applaud situations where their sons/daughters get a taste of the realities of the ‘real world’. Today’s digitally native students base their lives around social media where they tweet, post and tag each other online even when they are standing shoulder to shoulder. It would seem that each party in this triumvirate has differing goals and motivations and never the three shall meet. Online grade books such as Engrade.com offer the ability to post and receive assignments/quizzes, track student progress and chat/discuss/network in a private online environment. Challenges/Opportunities: 24/7 access means 24/7 contact - Teachers need to determine and assert appropriate online response times or this 24/7 lifeline can become an unrealistic expectation on the part of parents and students. Accountability/clarity - some teachers do not wish to post grades as students/parents will haggle about marks and assessments. On the other hand, at least these students/parents are engaged and interested. However, there is a real concern when parents are the voice rather than the students themselves; clear criteria or rubrics can help. Closing reflections: |
Visual Credits
Defence Language Institute Foreign Language Center. (n.d.). [Photograph of 1970s Educational Technology]. Retrieved from
http://www.dliflc.edu/onlineexhibithis2.html
Engrade. (2014). [Engrade Logo]. [Graphic Design]. Retrieved from http://stadalbertschool.net/engrade
Podlich, B. (2014). Slate and Chalk. [Photograph]. Retrieved from http://www.pbase.com/qleap/image/2401307
Defence Language Institute Foreign Language Center. (n.d.). [Photograph of 1970s Educational Technology]. Retrieved from
http://www.dliflc.edu/onlineexhibithis2.html
Engrade. (2014). [Engrade Logo]. [Graphic Design]. Retrieved from http://stadalbertschool.net/engrade
Podlich, B. (2014). Slate and Chalk. [Photograph]. Retrieved from http://www.pbase.com/qleap/image/2401307