1)
This is my first
time to use a Social Bookmarking like Diigo. I explored several basic function
of Diigo, and it is really a big surprise for me. I realized that
social bookmarking, such as Diigo, is a kind of social tool which can be used
to save and share website. Through Diigo, users can collect and classify their
interesting information, also can share them with other people. Since Diigo is
a useful knowledge management tool, in my view, it also has some instructional
use.
Firstly, it is
helpful for instructor to prepare to classify and sum up the instructional
materials. In order to avoid repeatedly searching, instructor can use Diigo to
save and classify the website online they often use so that they easily use it
whenever and wherever they want. Furthermore, basing on this, many website will
be selected out by different instructors and classify by Tag. Once they share
these information to each other, it will become a valuable instructional
resource. Also, considering that the inefficient search engines, which might be
caused by the larger amount of information, will make learners spend many time
on searching information, instructors can provide these useful website to
learners. Besides, learners can also use Diigo to save and share their
interesting website. In that way, instructors will know some about their
interesting through Diigo. This will help both instructors and learner have a
better communication.
2)
The 1994 definition correspond with my
understanding about educational technology. In my view, we learn how to design,
develop, utilize, manage, and evaluate the processes and resources of learning
in order to facilitate learning. However, the AECT 2008 definition makes me
think more. Some words I want to highlight especially:
l Ethical practice: This clearly stipulates
that the practice of educational technology should meet the requirements of
ethics.
l Performance: From the emphasis on resources, to the emphasis
on teaching, then to the emphasis on learning, and finally to the emphasis on
both learning and performance, this process reflect the shift, with the time
change, of the main emphasis of educational technology. Adding improving
performance to be one of the goals of educational technology means that the
learning effects, benefits, and efficiency playing an important role as well.
l Appropriate technological: This reflects a
shift from the study of learning processes
and recourses to the study of appropriate
technological processes and resources.
By reading the
chapter 1 of Trends and Issues, I learned something new about this are. To my
surprise, I never knew that the history of educational technology can be traced
back to the 1920s. I read some reference materials in China before, and they
showed that the definition of education technology began in the 1963. So after
reading the chapter 1, I searched more information about the history of
definitions of educational technology. Then, I found that there were something
seem to be missing in the book. In 1972, AECT stated a definition of
educational technology listing as follows:
Educational technology is a field involved in the
facilitation of human learning through the systematic identification,
development, organization and utilization of a full range of learning resources
and through the management of these processes. (Ely, 1972, p. 36)
References:
Kay, A, Persichitte & Alan, Januszewski. A HISTORY OF THE AECT’S DEFINITIONS OF EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY[EB/OL]. http://lichinhuangdl.wikispaces.com/file/view/ER5861X_C010.pdf
Xiao, I appreciate your clear examination of the definition. The 2008 definition resonates in some parts for me as well "...creating, using, and managing appropriate technological processes and resources".
ReplyDeleteI think the word 'appropriate' is even more powerful than 'ethical' I think. Whose ethics are being described? A for-profit education corporation, or the American Federation of Teachers? Each group would have a different way to talk about ethics, I bet! It is difficult for me to separate the definition from the political landscape that must have brought it forth.
I really like how you said that "Once they share these information to each other, it will become a valuable instructional resource". I feel that sometimes, as teachers, once we expose students to a website it gets used in the classroom and forgotten about. It seems that once the students have these bookmarked through Diigo, they become websites used at home and even once they've graduated past my classroom! What a great wording of it!
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