It was very interesting to see the different definitions and compare all the different ideas. One thing that stuck out to me was the length of the definition from the 70s compared to the 90s and current definitions. The definition from the 70s is definitely more wordy. I think in the 70s everything was still very unknown in technology, so there had to be a variety of examples and boundaries set. Now, looking at the current definition and the 90s, it is more open-ended. We have more accessibility to a variety of resources and media.
My definition of educational technology relates more to the current definition. The main reason is the word "appropriate." I feel that some teachers just want to get credit or recognition for using technology in their classrooms. Not only have you wasted your time planning the technology, but you have also wasted the students' time if the technology is inappropriate.
This is my third year as a primary school teacher. During my first year, I had access to a portable laptop lab to use in my classroom. I was just focused on trying to stay above water. However, I did use the laptops often. The most important thing I learned that year was always to have a back up plan with technology because you never know what might happen! My second year, we had a 2 to 1 ratio of students to ASUS Transformer tablets. I, along with the students, was walking in uncharted territory. I was still new to Android devices and learning the different ins and outs. Now, during my third year, we have a 1 to 1 ratio of students to tablets. Not only do I feel more comfortable, but the students do as well. This year has started off very smoothly with the tablets, and I am looking forward to an exciting year.
My definition has changed by including processes. It is very important to teach students the process of completing an activity or the process of creating a product. Students need to be able complete activities or projects independently for their future.
2nd grade, Science
My students chose an animal to research on PebbleGo.com and created a cartoon on ToonDoo sharing their research. First, partners had to agree on an animal to research. Next, the pairs researched on pebblego.com and found different facts about their animal. They had to find at least 3 different facts. Next they created a story board for their cartoon. This was mainly to get their ideas down, so they wouldn't be so overwhelmed while creating their cartoon. After their story board was completed, they worked together to create their cartoon. Each frame had to have a background, characters and a speech bubble with their fact in it. The students presented these to the class. Each group was graded on a rubric that addressed the different parts that were mandatory. It also graded their creative side.
I thought this lesson was pretty well-rounded. The students and their research were the focus. The ending goal was to create a cartoon involving their animal. The design was meaningful to the students because it was designed by them! The product was graded using a rubric to which the students had access during the entire project. It was definitely a team effort from start to finish. I think a way to improve this lesson was the actual data collection. I could have required the students to find different facts they didn't already know about their animal or they could have compared their animal to another.
I think this diagram shows the different parts of any type of project whether media is involved or not. It is similar to the circle of life because it keeps repeating the process over and over. There is always going to be a new and improved way to develop and implement an idea which will lead to analyzing and designing. However, no matter what stage you are in there can always be some type of evaluation, which is where a facilitator or teacher comes in. The kind of project determines whether the teacher, chalkboards or textbooks are instructional media. If students are taking information from their textbooks and creating a virtual poster I believe that textbook served as an instructional media resource. It all boils down to how the student is using the resource.
