Educational Technology



Educational Technology

Bethany Tabaka

What is Educational Technology

The Association for Educational Communications and Technology, the professional society for ET, defines it as:

Educational technology is the study and ethical practice of facilitating learning and improving performance by creating, using, and managing appropriate technological processes and resources. (ETEC-Connections, n.d.).

As a field, educational technology emphasizes communication skills and approaches to teaching and learning through the judicious use and integration of diverse media. Scholars in the field examine the uses of innovative media and technologies for education, examining all aspects from direct student learning to management and impacts on institutions. As in all forms of applied technology, the field studies how theoretical knowledge and scientific principles can be applied to problems that arise in a social context. Practitioners in educational technology seek new and effective ways of organizing the teaching and learning process through the best possible application of technological developments. These activities rely upon a body of knowledge for successful and ethical implementation, rather than routine tasks or isolated technical skills. (Association for Educational Communications and Technology, n.d.)

Issues and Recommendations from old Plan

When we take a look at technology and where it has been and where it is now, we can see that many advances have been made. In fact, technology is so advanced, that it has become an integral part of our every day life. For this reason, it is important that our youth be exposed to as much technology as possible in order to compete in our global economy.

In an effort to help strengthen technology in our school systems around the country, the President of the United States put together a panel that was to research how technology was being used. A report to the President on the use of technology was written in March 1997 to summarize the panels findings.

The panel found multiple issues as to why technology integration still continues to be a problem. The main issues were:

• Ratio of computers to students is significantly low and most computers remain centralized, which makes it difficult to use computers on a consistent basis.

• Telecommunications structures are out of date and not able to withstand the demands of current technology.

• Unequal funding among districts to purchase new equipment and software.

• Many teachers lack knowledge and training with the use of technology.

With any issues, if it isn’t addressed, the problem is most likely not going to be solved. This is why the panel also put together it’s top six recommendations as to how to help solve these problems.

1) Focus on learning with technology, not about technology

2) Emphasize content and pedagogy, and not just hardware.

3) Give special attention to professional development.

4) Engage in realistic budgeting

5) Ensure equitable, universal access.

6) Initiate a major program of experimental research. (Becker, Bransford, Davidson, Hawkins, Malcom, Molina,… Young, 1997)

Accomplishments or areas where we have made significant progress

Since the Presidential report was made in 1997, other plans have been put together to help improve educational technology and they way our students are taught. However, since education is a continuously evolving process, our plans have also changed to adapt to current needs. These changes have made significant progress. In the 2004 National Education Technology Report, words such as “strengthen, consider, improve, support, encourage, move towards, and integrate” are used when giving recommendations. These words or good, however, not strong enough to help make the necessary changes happen. Also this report focused a lot on giving data and funding amounts along with a huge focus on the No Child Left Behind Law. This data is all valid and truthful, but still lacks as far as the direction that needs to be taken to improve our technology in education. (U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Technology, 2004)

In the 2010 National Education Technology Report, more of a focus is put on technology and what schools “SHOULD” do to keep up to date and continue to improve each district’s technology plan. The plan also switched the word recommendation with the word goal, which makes it less of on option. An assessment section also follows up the goal section so that way districts are able to implement and measure the goals, which helps districts continually assess and fix problematic areas. (U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Technology, 2010)

Within these two documents alone, our countries progress is evident within attitude alone. Before, it was everything we consider to do, but technology didn’t seem as important or necessary as it does in the 2007 report. Attitudes alone have changed and now more of an emphasis is placed on the importance of technology here and now.

Continuing Challenges in implementation

Technology implementation in our school systems is an area where our country has continued to struggle in. While we are making progress, we still face challenges. Once challenge that has been a constant is teacher knowledge and training on the use of technology in our classrooms. Also, our curriculum is still paper and pencil focused and has not quite jumped that hurdle into the 21st century. One of the final challenges that our districts continue to face across the country is equitable funding among districts in order to sustain a technology rich classroom.

But one of our biggest challenges of all was brought up in the 2010 National Education Technology Report.

“The challenge for our education system is to leverage the learning sciences and modern technology to create engaging, relevant, and personalized learning experiences for all learners that mirror students’ daily lives and the reality of their futures. In contrast to traditional classroom instruction, this requires that we put students at the center and empower them to take control of their own learning by providing flexibility on several dimensions.”

Where is educational technology going and recommendations on how to get there

Technology has been in existence for many years and it has always been thought to revolutionize our school systems. While we are not quite there yet, we are on our way to understanding what needs to happen. Technology is not something that is going to go away, it is only going to become stronger. Because of multiple studies that have been conducted throughout the years, educational facilities are now aware of what the gaps are with education and technology and are better able to move forward and close the gap. This is why educational technology has become so important. Closing the gap isn’t as easy as it looks, people must be aware of the problem, have strategies in place to help fix the problem, and then be able to analyze and study what worked and didn’t in order to improve the system. This is exactly what educational technology is.

“Educational technology is the study and ethical practice of facilitating learning and improving performance by creating, using, and managing appropriate technological processes and resources.” (ETEC-Connections, n.d.).

In order to help achieve our goal of technology integration in the classroom, our nation needs to continue to work on the following main problems, which have seemed to be reoccurring issues through the history of technology:

1) Improved training and continuous support for teachers on the use of technology

2) Updated curriculum that incorporates technology

3) Creation of a Nation Wide Program to help ensure equitable funding of technology so no school is left behind.

4) States also need to continue to revise, create, and implement standards and learning objectives using technology for all content areas.

Obviously technology integration and our educational system is not a problem that will be fixed overnight, however, we are all finally moving in the right direction. We all need to continue to work together and do our part as educators. Using technology in our classrooms may not always be convenient or time saving, but we need to put our students first and technology is what our students relate to. Using technology is putting our students first…and that is what education is all about.

References

Association for Educational Communications and Technology. (n.d.). Retrieved from

Becker, H., Bransford, J., Davidson, J., Hawkins, J., Malcom, S., Molina, M.,… Young, J. (1997). President’s Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology. Retrieved from

ETEC-Connections. (n.d.). Retrieved from

U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Technology (2004). Toward A New Golden Age in American Education: How the Internet, the Law and Today's Students Are Revolutionizing Expectations, Washington, D.C.

U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Technology (2010). Transforming American Education: Learning Powered by Technology, Washington, D.C.

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