How the past shaped the present about educational technology?
Although technologies do bring many advantages for an educational process, after several decades of using computers, gadgets, and the World Wide Web, we have learned something. First of all, as Roblyer and Doering (2013, p. 10) claim, ‘no technology is a panacea for education’. Even the best and the latest innovations are only machines – they are not able to define and meet all the specific needs of students.
So, teachers are still much more valuable. Secondly, the opportunities brought by technologies are not always the best solution. As proof of it, Skype is widely used for communicating; however, live chat is always preferable. And finally, it is impossible to keep pace with all the latest technologies, since, as history shows, they change too fast. Therefore, teachers can not be guided by technologies only.
Have educational standards and assessments changed due to technology?
When the first technologies appeared, many educational establishments wanted to implement them in their learning process. Huge parts of the budgets were spent to buy new computers, get Internet access, and so on (Halverson & Smith 2009, p. 50). However, the implementation was not very easy. Many years passed before technologies changed the educational process and teaching practice. Firstly, they contributed to information and communication systems, changing the way how students learning data was collected, stored, and analyzed. Finally, education was rethought fundamentally: eBooks and tablets replaced textbooks, chalkboard began to disappear, libraries gave place to web-based research, etc. Students do not even pass notes to each other now – they just text.
Explain and understand the difference between educational and instructional technology
In some cases, educational and instructional technologies do overlap but although a lot of people think those are synonyms, that is not right. Instructional technology is only a part of an educational one. So, educational technology is a broader term. The subtle difference between them follows from the very concepts of education and instruction. Instruction is written by someone (in detail) and is aimed to achieve particular outcomes. Education, according to AETC, refers to various ‘activities… that support learning’, including unplanned ones (Hodges 2006, para. 5). So, instructional technology is only a tool, which educational one implements to achieve the primary goals of education.
Explain why 21st Century Skills are important for learners and teachers
With the term 21st Century Skills, we usually associate critical and creative thinking, problem-solving, ability to communicate and collaborate with others, computer literacy, leadership skills, etc. (Pacific Policy Research Center 2010).
Those are necessary for both teachers and learners since the world of education is constantly changing, and if you want to meet its demands, adapt to its changes, and finally succeed, you simply do not have any other option. Without an ability of critical thinking, a person would not be able to solve problems, both professional and personal ones. Without creativity, it is impossible to innovate. Without leadership skills, you would never make people listen to your ideas.
Determine how technology trends can affect your views on teaching and learning
Surely, I agree that technologies have already firmly rooted in our lives, and an educational process is not an exception. I support the use of the Internet for research, tablets instead of textbooks, e-learning, cloud computing, and many other technical innovations. However, I do not think that we should rely only on those. I believe that the excessive use of modern technologies can deprive us of the ability to think critically and solve problems without the help of gadgets. As an example, when you type something in Word, and it corrects your mistakes, you begin forgetting the spelling of some words.
The video, “Writing an Article Critique,” suggests several tips for writing an article critique. Identify one of them and tell us why you believe it is a good tip
In the video mentioned above, I have liked the tip regarding the citations most of all. The narrator focuses on a direct quote and demonstrates a good example of it and then a bad one. This advice is helpful since it teaches to get rid of long quotations (shorten them as much as possible), write the same in your own words, and make it sound more natural and comprehensible for the readers.
Reference List
Halverson, R & Smith, A 2009, ‘How New Technologies Have (and Have Not) Changed Teaching and Learning in Schools’, Journal of Computing in Teacher Education, vol. 26, no. 2, pp. 49-54.
Hodges, Amanda 2006, A Definition of Instructional Technology. Web.
Pacific Policy Research Center 2010, 21st Century Skills for Students and Teachers. Web.
Roblyer, MD & Doering AH 2013, Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching, Pearson Education, Boston.