My friends and family have asked me about my class this semester and when I tell them I'm enrolled in Educational Technology I routinely hear, "What is that?" Educational Technology empowers people to use technology. It serves to disseminate the vast amounts of technology and chunk it into something tangible and user-friendly. http://ejite.isu.edu/Volume2No1/nanjappa.htm
Like many others, I have been a little intimidated by technology. I'll never forget my first semester as an undergraduate in 1996, when my professor said our class would be using the Internet as a research tool. I remember thinking, "The Internet! I've never used that before. What if I mess up?!" It is amazing how much I have grown, but I have a long way to go. My philosophy of education has changed within the past year in that it now incorporates technology. The use of technology as an educational tool is not a trend that will phase in and out of schools like so many others do. So what do I do when I feel intimidated by technology? Ask the experts - they are sitting in my classroom! I listen to what the students know and how they access technology in their own homes. If I can connect to their knowledge, even in a small way, coursework will be so meaningful to them. They love to be my teacher and are so proud when I "get it." I no longer worry about messing up - there is usually an "undo" or "back" button to help me.
