The Blacker and McKie chapter clearly lays out the importance of educational technology as an ambition rather than a tool. This idea is important as the world becomes more and more full of tools. There is potential to allow tools to control our instruction rather than well founded theories and ideas.
The Issroff and Scanlon article talks about the importance of theory in educational technology. It explains how theory should guide our design of educational technology as well as our understanding of the new tools that are constantly featured as “cutting edge.”
The readings and discussions this week have forced me to reflect not only about the general importance of theory guiding practice but also what theories guide my personal actions in instruction. I know that I fit in with constructivist, collaborative learning theories, yet I seek to refine my understanding of not only the complexities of these theories, but also some of the other theories that drive my instruction.
Some additional thoughts about how I was influenced and how I can influence those around me. Coming from the Blacker and McKie chapter, I was thinking about what force drives technology tools to continually be pumped into our schools, communities and workplaces. From my perspective and reading the articles it is a desire to take a short cut to success. Businesses and schools think that they can get more for their money if they “buy more stuff.” I feel this idea is very harmful and leads to “the technological tail” wagging “the human dog” as it was so well put. This demands more from the Educational Technology community and gives me a motivation to get a good grasp on the theory and models through the course that could help me make a positive impact on my learning community.
The most valuable things that I have read so far is the first chapter of the Gredler book, the Blacker and McKie chapter, and the discussion about the importance of theory guiding practice. I feel the combination of these readings have really allowed me to gain an appreciation for the schools of thought, theories, and models that exist. With this in mind I feel I have a challenge to soak up as much as I can in these next two months. I feel in doing so I will become a more informed and better handler and conveyor of knowledge at my school and even in life.
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