Educational Technology: My Definition

Educational Technology Educational technology is not simply resigned to the concept of implementing technology in the classroom, nor is it merely a focus on the presentation of content or media output. Rather, educational technology serves as the medium between input and output: That is the information acquired and the information applied. It involves finding ways to improve learning and enhance performance (i.e. output, active-use, implementation) by using the appropriate technology resources. Encompassing a variety of different media, such as websites, DVDs, slideshows, and social media, educational technology enhances the learning environment, allowing students to actively participate in and take ownership of their learning. Instead of the typical "information regurgitation"--restatement of facts or memorized information--that have no other meaning to the student other than to pass a test or gain approval (from teachers, peers, parents, etc.), students are able to see what they have learned applied to actual situations. They are able to formulate their own opinions, develop solutions to problems, and actively make what they have learned a part of their lives.Medium - Often, many people associate media with things like the newspaper, television, the Internet, etc., and they are right to do so. However, I do wonder how many consider media as the means of receiving and giving information. It does not come as a prominent thought because we automatically send e-mail, and we automatically share a photograph on Facebook. It is not a prominent thought, but it is a prominent action.The medium of educational technology is not only a means of exchanging information, it is also a means of organizing, synthesizing, and understanding information. The result is the application of the information.Information regurgitation - It is my own term to describe what happens to most students: the memorization of static information that they may deem to have no real relevance other than to pass an exam or gain approval from others. In my personal experience in learning Spanish, I was satisfied with simply memorizing information and reading cue cards. The language, itself, was not a part of me, and I didn't find any connection with it. When I started learning Japanese, I learned not to simply memorize rules but to interact with the new information I learned by writing, speaking, and receiving feedback from native speakers: actively using the language. In a sense, I have made the language my own: "Language teachers promote or discourage students' engagement by the ways they define successful language learners. When the successful language learner is one who can pass tests and make good grades, learning about the language is all that is required and success is defined by mastery of rules and forms. When the successful language learner is one who has the ability to use the language to accomplish communication goals, success is defined as making the language one’s own" (Motivating Learners: Promoting Engagement in Learning).Motivating Learners: Promoting Engagement in Language Learning. (2003). Retrieved August 26, 2015.Educational technology is more than the obvious statement of "education that makes use of technology." Rather, it is the incorporation of media, such as computers, DVDs, visual images (e.g. slides, Power Points, etc.) to make learning more comprehensive. It does not focus on teaching styles, but rather it focuses on the pedagogy, how materials are presented, and learners' needs. Learners, who most likely already have access to the latest technologies such as smartphones and are already wired into various social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, are taught to grow with technology rather than depend on it.Educational technology promotes ownership of learning and independence. It is an interdependent relationship where learners must draw their own conclusions about the world and learn to make their own decisions in preparation for real world experiences.