Blog Reflection Week Two (Chapter One)

1. My understanding on educational technology and its relationship with teaching and learning process.

Education is most likely one of the most complicated institutions today. Meeting the needs of each individual student is a high order. To add to the high order, students today were born into a blossoming technology age which now infiltrates our every aspect of life. Thus, utilizing technology as an educational tool has become more and more important.

Educational technology includes a vast realm of ideas and products, but can be narrowed down, according to the text, to include any technology that teachers use to supplement education. In essence, it should not be the end itself, but a means to an end. To begin, this requires that educators are equipped with the knowledge and skill to teach technologies in the classroom. The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) has paved the way by developing competencies in which a teacher of today’s children should be proficient. Where technology literacy was once considered the exception, it is now accepted nationally as the rule. In fact, the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) now recognizes technological competencies as a requirement for teachers. This is because technology is now viewed as a vital partner in the teaching and learning process.

The teaching and learning process can be simply explained as the transferring and receiving of knowledge. An educator uses well-planned instructional events to effectively transfer knowledge and skills. This transference is often affected by environmental factors, psychological factors, and personal filters. Each of these obstacles can challenge successful transfer of knowledge. Learning is furthermore affected by a student’s cognitive style (the way in which they think and interprets), learning style (condition under which a child learns best), and intelligence (inherent capabilities to learn and understand). Different schools of thought argue their perspective on learning theories: the behaviorist theory, the cognitive theory, and the constructive theory. Fortunately, teachers are not forced to conform to one single theory, since a combination of theories may best suit the teacher’s beliefs about teaching and learning. Teachers should, however, examine themselves to decide which theories will be used to design their own style of teaching.

Once the teaching and learning process is understood as a system of varying styles, the use of technology to enhance learning becomes an obvious partnership. Technology is multi-dimensional and can impact all types of cognitive and learning styles. For example, a student can hear a story about World War II, but if they are able to hear a soundclip and see pictures or video taken during the war, they’re learning experience is more meaningful. In my opinion, when learning experiences are meaningful to the student, they are more likely to absorb and retain the knowledge that is being transferred. Thus, the implementation of technology promotes a higher level of effectiveness during the teaching and learning process because it aides in creating more meaningful learning experiences.

Resource: Lever-Duffy and McDonald, Teaching and Learning with Technology, 3rd ed.

Introduction

Good afternoon and welcome to my blog! My name is Valerie Gilbert, and I am in my second semester of my Master’s program in Instructional Technology. I am also a full-time 3rd grade teacher in McComb, MS, where my husband is a full-time youth and children’s minister.

This is my first semester to have a fully online class, so I am looking forward to “learning the ropes.” I am very comfortable with my educational and professional experience in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Publisher, because I have used them consistently for over ten years. However, I have worked little or none with Access, Concept Mapping, HyperStudio, and PDF.

I am familiar with a variety of electronic communication tools. I use my personal email daily, and enjoy it. I have used discussion boards before and have liked them because I am free to access them according to my personal schedule. I also have experience with chat, but do not prefer it over the others, because it requires all participating parties to be at the same place online at the same time.

I am just beginning to familiarize myself with new technology tools for education. My 3rd grade classroom has been introduced to blogging for educational purposes, but it’s been months since I’ve posted a new question for them comment. As a class, we have also tried to put together digital storybook projects, including one on ants. I have no experience with WIKIs or podcasts for educational purposes.

From this class, I expect to become more familiar with technology tools that I can use in the classroom, and learn how to practically implement technology into my daily lessons. I am truly looking forward to this class.