Dream
IT
Build IT
Part 5
Key Issues in EdTech...What's the connection?
I think the reasons that technology advances as far and as fast as it does is because people crave connections with other people. Of course, we know social media is social, but so are so many other technologies, like Second Life, multi-player online gaming and web 2.0 technologies. As we know, technology enables people to connect and share information. Isn’t that the very reason the internet came into being in the first place? I think connecting with people and sharing information is the driving factor in the rapid advancement of technology. Perhaps, if we keep this simple idea in mind, many people won’t be so intimidated by it. I want to use technology to encourage educators to develop technology skills in an organic way that provides a reliable vehicle for content delivery. As a result, I believe they will feel more comfortable and confident in their pursuit to implement appropriate technologies into lessons. And, perhaps most crucial to the entire process, they will feel connected to their community.
One of the most compelling aspects of educational technology for me is collaboration. Technology provides a convenient means of communication, which can be accomplished though writing, speaking, video conferencing, asynchronously or synchronously. Why then do teachers often feel isolated in the integration of technology? In my DreamIT project, I want to build up communication amongst a department, around educational technology, as a way to encourage and foster collaboration about technology. Hopefully, this will establish an ed tech community of educatiors within a particular department, many of whom won’t consider themselves technologically capable in the beginning of this project.
