Reflection 1, Question 1

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

There is a certain beauty about the educational experience, because each educational experience can be different for each student depending on their learning process. In today’s global age one staple of the learning process is educational technology. According to Judy Lever-Duffy and Jean B. McDonald (Lever –Duffy, McDonald), the term educational technology differs depending on whom you ask. For that reason I will use the broadest view possible: any technology used by educators in support of teaching and the learning process (Lever-Duffy, McDonald, 5). While I accept the broadest view possible which supports even non-electronic media’s as technology others view educational technology in a more narrow view. That is, only “computers, computer peripherals, and related software used in teaching” (5). Educational Technology is important to today’s teachers because, it may allow teachers to reach students who they could previously not reach.

In today’s world American students are surrounded by and live in a technological age. Students have constant access to 24 hour cable television, cell phones, the internet, Facebook, iPod’s, video games, and countless numbers of other electronic marvels. Our students today have so much technology at their finger tips that ultimately they are becoming bored with the standard, typical learning process. The learning process for these 21st century students need to be more technological if teachers hope to reach their current students and the students they will have in the future. Along with this, the attention span of today’s student is much shorter than students of previous generation. It is not realistic for teachers to assume that students are capable of learning strictly based on lectures and reading from the textbook. Because of the world in which our students and we ourselves live in we must do everything possible to reach them in the most technological way. Because of the barriers which teachers face in reaching their students it is imperative that teachers have a resource of knowledge which contains possible working technologies, so they know what they have at their disposal (10).

Technology and instruction are one in the same. Lever-Duffy and McDonald believe teachers created instructional events to transfer knowledge and skills to their students, “An instructional event includes all the teaching methods and learning experiences created to support the learning process” (10). The instructional event is a three step process which includes proper planning, use of available materials and resources, and then the eventual outcome is learning. In order for teachers to reach the students and for the students to learn each educator, according to Lever-Duffy and McDonald, need to understand that each student may learn differently. Therefore teachers must be willing to use any and all resources which are available to them. Students learn through a number of different educational technologies. From computers, email, movies, models, photographs, and posters, the learning process of students takes place in many different forms. Whether it is as basic as dry erase boards and flash cards, or as advance as learning from a webcast in a classroom in China- through educational technology every student has the potential to be reached, and every teacher has the potential to impart the wisdom which they have set out to deliver.

Introduction

Hello blogspot, my name is Reed Hotard. I am a 2008 graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi. I am currently progressing towards a Masters in the Arts of Teaching. I am a full time teacher here in Mississippi. This is only the second online course which I have taken, so I am excited to see what I learn. I have basic knowledge of Word, Powerpoint, and Excel.I will use this blog to post reflections to the readings in each of the chapters which we will be covering over the course of this semester. Thanks, and look foward to participating in this class.
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