What Is Educational Technology - Post #2

I am not sure my first ideas of Educational Technology aligned with what I feel right now. This past week has given me a lot to think about and realize that the technology that is out there is not being used in the classroom. Educational Philosophy is so much more than computers, overhead projectors and videos. It is cell phones, iPods and the programs you can use available on the internet that work with these devices. I am so glad that my Educational Philosophy is just a rough draft, I can see that I will want to make changes to it weekly. I stated earlier that my philosophy was grounded in the views of the Constructivism and I still feel strong about the opinions of the Existentialist, but I feel myself moving away from the ideas of the Realists and leaning more toward the Constructivist and Existentialist. Students can learn so much more from group work and using technology than drill and practice. I am not sure my first ideas of Educational Technology aligned with what I feel right now. This past week has given me a lot to think about and the technology that is out there that is not being used in the classroom.

The two videos were amazing. In fact as I sat there and watched them I looked at the definition I had written for educational technology and thought I am not quite getting the point. The technology that we have out in the world today is amazing and if was used in the proper manner in school, the results would be amazing. I agreed with principal, Sam Ray from Provo High School, “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em”. Podcasts could be an effective as a form of instruction. In fact, I looked at the two websites listed in the video to get some ideas for future lessons, lessons that would motivate my students.

I do think we are on the right track, but I don’t think we are there yet. If more educational technology workshops teaching and stressing the positive effects using technology could be made available, I feel then that those who were apprehensive about using technology in their classrooms would change their mind.