Instructional technology can be defined as the different tools that we use to help us add enhancements to how we teach in the 21st century. So much of what are students are learning is taught in a classroom that could have been taken from 1970. Instructional technology not only incorporates learning for teachers as the learn to use the technology, but allows students to prepare for the world that is actually waiting for them. Recent experience has allowed me to understand that instructional technology goes beyond just computers and extends to other devices such as GPS devices, scanners, PDA's, IPods, cameras, CD players and other electronic mediums. Students still need to know much of what they needed to know in 1970. The only difference is in the presentation of the material as well as instructing students in the use of the technology.
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I thought it was interesting you developed your definition based on your experiences, as did I. Seeing that the average classroom teacher usually only experiences the usual IT technician and technology workshops, few of us, like you and I, think of the design and problem solving that takes place in IT. I'm just glad I wasn't alone in my faux pas.
I agree about learning for the teachers--it can be a sharp learning curves on the best of days.
I'm glad that you pointed out that students still need to know much of what they needed to know in the past and that the only difference is in the presentation of the material. I think we should always keep that in mind.
Have you ever thought about the fact that we are teaching students to use technology that will most likely be outdated by the time they are adults, and preparing them for jobs that may not exist yet? That really puts in perspective for me that it's not just about the technology, but the processes behind it. The content of what was learned in the past contrasted to the content of the present are going to be very different, but problem solving, and using resources effectively, that is just as much a part of education back in the beginning, as it is today.
I am glad you mentioned that Instructional Technology also incorporates learning for teachers as they learn to use the technology. Just as in days past when a teacher had a Teacher's Edition of a textbook, it would be helpful (and may be already taking place)if in the world of IDT, an instructor's module is provided to prepare the teacher to use the instructional module and the technology it encompasses.
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