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Week 1 Assignment: Reflective Paper: EDUC 8840/7100: //Evolution of Educational Technology in Society, Education, and the Workplace// Kelly Gallagher Walden University June 9, 2012

Week 1 Assignment: Reflective Paper While the technological professional organizations and the United States Department of Education mutually agree that technology should be used in the educational arena today, the teachers and other campus staff are working under a different vision and goal pertaining to educational technology. The confusion sets in with the initial definition of educational technology. Along with the definition confusion, is the confusion about what direction education should be going in to prepare the students for the advanced technological society they will be working, playing, and interacting with in the near future. Dr. Thornburg, Dr. Dede, and Paul Saettler contribute vital pieces of information pertaining to educational technology today and yesterday that enable the players, connected to educational technology is all fields, to embrace a holistic view of educational technology. First on the agenda is a definition of educational technology: Educational technology is an individualized human-crafted mode of learning and interacting with information that enables the individual to be a successful and interactive community member; this is accomplished by utilizing theories, learning strategies, technological devices, and the most current neurological cognitive processing data available. This definition is a compilation derived from professionally recognized organizations such as Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT), International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), Association of Information Technology Professionals (AITP), International Technology Education Association (ITEA), and the Society for the History of Technology (SHOT). The AECT continuously updates its definition of educational technology with the current one being, “ Educational technology is the study and ethical practice of facilitating learning and improving performance by creating, and using and managing appropriate technological processes and resources” (ACTE, 2008, p. 1). While developing this definition, a few key words seemed to be missing from the definition that both Dr. Thornburg (2008) and Dr. Dede (2008) conveyed in their podcasts discussing educational technology. Dr. David Thornburg states, “Ultimately, we have to remember that education or learning at its core, whether it is a corporation or in schools is a //human craft//, and the human task is pivotal” (Laureate Education, 2008). While at the same time, Dr. Chris Dede explains that “[w] hen people instead began to focus on learning, they realized that the power of technology is //individualization and interaction//” (Laureate Education, 2008). The italicized words are the ones left out of the ACTE definition. As an educator in the public school system today, one of the primary concerns that persistently haunt the classroom curriculum and instruction is whether the information being delivered is what is needed. Are educators preparing the students adequately for the business world, their personal lives, and their academic arena? As a new teacher, teaching students the same material/information that was taught in the 1970’s seems wrong somehow, and yet this is what we are doing. We may be using different technology to impart the material, and the students may be sending the information back in different formats, but the material interaction seems to be the same. However, I keep encountering a different opinion from historians, “George Santayana once said, ‘Those who do not remember the past are condemned to relive it'” (Saettler, 2004, p.3). So maybe what we learned in the 1970’s was not so wrong after all; perhaps, it is how we apply it that makes all the difference. Surveys are taken of teachers and other staff working on school campus (elementary, middle, and high) asking about educational technology. The questions always seem to pertain to the devices available for the teachers and students to use. There is little or not reference in the surveys to education technology being anything other than some device that conveys information in a different manner separate from a book, paper, or other non-technical mode. There is a misconception about what technology is supposed to be and do in the classroom; the teacher is secondary to the computer in regards to interacting with information. The term “technology” is directly connected to a device, and this is where the confusion comes in for the student and the teachers, as there seems to be a pressure to “use the device” so that learning can take place. It is up to educational technologist to inform the staff on school campuses that technology does not begin and end with the device, but also includes the means and modes of gathering and using information. Looking forward, the United States Department of Education’s Education Technology Plan set for 2015 offers some insight for educational technology. Their plan is titled “Transforming American Education: Learning Powered by Technology” (ED.gov, 2010). The focus on the plan is centered around five core concepts: The trend for the future looks very much like the trend in the past (except the piece about using broadband); however, it has the formal intent for being student focused, student needs, and student achieved. The ED.gov technology plan is very clear however, about the use of technology devices, “Technology will never replace good teachers,” Duncan said. We all know that the most important factor in a student’s success is the teacher leading the class. That will not change” (ED.gov, 2010, para. 8). What does this mean to the education departments across the nation? Education is a human craft, and it cannot be replaced by a machine or device. Educators are responsible for identifying the best mode of delivery of information for our audience. Technology is how we get there. No matter the difference in definition for educational technology, as long as the educators understand that our ultimate goal is to ensure the use of information for the betterment of the individuals receiving the information. Whether we use a stick in the sand, symbols on a word processor, or images in the sky, the end results must be the same: “Like the generation of the revolutionary dead, we have a destiny to create” (Toffler, 1980, p. 443)
 * Learning:** Change the learning process so it's more engaging and tailored to students' needs and interests.
 * Assessment:** Measure student progress on the full range of college and career ready standards and use real time data for continuous improvement.
 * Teaching:** Connect teachers to the tools, resources, experts, and peers they need to be highly effective and supported.
 * Infrastructure:** Provide broadband connectivity for all students, everywhere—in schools, throughout communities and in students' homes.
 * Productivity:** Use technology to help schools become more productive and accelerate student achievement while managing costs. (ED.gov, 2010, para. 5)

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References Dede, C. (2008). //Educational Technology Defined.// Retrieved on June 9, 2012 from https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_971885_1%26url%3D ED.gov Press Office (2010). U.S. Department of Education Releases Finalized National Education Technology Plan. Retrieved on June 9, 201 from [] Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2008). //Evolution of educational technology in society, education, and the workplace.// Baltimore: Author. Saettler, P. (2004). //The evolution of American educational technology//. Greenwich, CT: Information Age Publishing. Thornburg, D. (2008). //Educational Technology: A Historic Perspective.// Retrieved on June 9, 2012 from https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_971885_1%26url%3D Toffler, A. (1980). //The Third Wave//. New York: Bantam Books.