The first week in class we learned what exactly Education in Technology was about. Educational Technology relates to using modern technologies such as computers, PowerPoint, etc. to help promote learning.
Using technology in the education setting is helpful because it can help relate information learned to a more concrete source. It also makes learning more flexible in terms of different learning styles. For example, some people are visual learners and seeing a chart on a PowerPoint slide may help them. Distance learning has grown because people who have circumstances and cannot physically go to school are able to get a degree online. It can also help prepare one to enter the professional working world with the 21st century skills necessary to succeed.
However, while technology does help in some aspects of learning, there are still factors that hinder the learning process. Environmental issues, such as a loud classroom may disrupt some students. One's personal filters such as your values or religious beliefs may cause a disruption in learning. For example if you believe in the Creation theory, you might not be able to accept/understand the theory of evolution. Psychological factors that are unique to each student can hurt learning, such as if one had a death in the family they may not be able to concentrate. Technology is also very expensive and may not be available to all people. Also, technology is ever growing and improving so what one learns today may be obsolete in a couple of years.
As a telecommunication major on the production track technology is very important to me for not only my field but also in the classroom learning about my field. In class we use technology everyday, we use video cameras and have to record what we shoot on tapes. Once we have everything we need recorded on those tapes, we need to edit. In the editing lab I have to using programs on the computer to cut footage, insert graphics and text, and to burn the final version to a DVD. Because Technology is ever changing and I will probably always be editing footage on a computer, I will always have to up to date on the newest programs available.
In this youtube video, the narrator explains how there are three different phases of technology that can be used to help educate. The first phase is the the most basic: it is having the teacher use a computer to teach the children from a PowerPoint or other information source. The second phase having the student find information through online searching. The final phase is having the student essentially involved in all aspects of learning. The student in not just turning in the homework, but they can publish their work on the web, can review their peers submissions and likewise have others comment on their work. With all this technological involvement it is likely that the students understanding of the material is better than if they were just passively turning in an assignment and getting the grade back.
