My Instructional Technology Philosophy

Instructional Technology (IT) is a term that is often, mistakenly and narrowly, used to explain how computers are used in classroom. More recently this interpretation has come to include the use of the Internet as well. Some technology users will even go as far as to include how computers can assist the administrative duties of the teacher. However, instructional technology includes a much broader term that encompasses a greater philosophical consideration.

In 1970, a government commission defined instructional technology as "a systematic way of designing, carrying out and evaluating the total process of learning and teaching". (Commission on Instructional Technology. 1970. To improve learning: a report to the president and congress of the United States of America. Washington D.C.: US Government Printing Office.) This definition, although dated, is the beginning of my personal philosophy instructional technology. IT encompasses all formsof technology: computers, the Internet, whiteboards, Smart boards, chalkboards, text books, electronic books. I believe that anything that can be used in the classroom to improve the experience for the individual can be included in instructional technology. The IT specialist should be able to look at the tools available to the teacher and use those tools to make sure that s

The importance is not so much on the theory but upon its application. If a teacher is grounded in a particular theory and knows how to implement it to provide the best possible learning environment for the child, the outcomes for the student are likely to be positive. Conversely, the educator who has no understanding of how individuals learn may indeed make the “right” decision along the way, but to teach without belief, knowledge, and conviction lacks responsibility. To teach a person to fish is better than giving a person a fish to eat, unless that person lives where there is no water. Understanding how people learn means understanding what their needs are and helping address those needs.

The other purpose of education is to address the conditions and the needs of society. There is a fine balance that must be reached, but educators are remiss if they fail to understand that society is an important factor that shapes us. What is good for a child living in America is not necessarily good for a child living in Zambia . Within Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, we all need to be fed, to be loved, to feel safe, and to find self-actualization. But those needs are different depending upon the immediate world in which we function, live, and grow as individuals. There are certain fundamentals that must be taught regardless of place and time: communication skills, problem-solving skills, creative thinking, etc. But the needs of the society certainly must be considered. As a culture matures, it shifts from agrarian to industrial to technical to informational. As these changes take place, the goals of education must also change. To continue to teach children to be successful in an agricultural society when that child lives in a society that has evolved to a technical or informational society is an injustice to the child and a danger to the society. As well, within a nation, within a state, the needs may be vastly different. Education must address those differences and conditions.

Every child deserves to be educated. Every child deserves to be allowed to explore the infinite possibilities that life has to offer. Like-wise society has the right to expect the individuals within that society to be conscientious, contributing citizens. Education is the balance between these two.

I believe Constructivism, as posited by Brunner and Social Constructivism as presented by the work of Vygotsky, offer educators the best approach to addressing these dual needs. Social constructivism assumes that society has a great influence on the cognitive development of the child. Piaget's Cognitive Constructivist theory gives us the notion that knowledge and skills are "constructed" through the child's experiences. 

The culture, or the environment in which the child develops, gives the child the cognitive tools necessary for development in that environment. These tools play an important role in what the child learns and how fast. The adults in the child's life provide the tools to the child and the tools provided the child include cultural history, social context, and language. Today, technology plays an important role as both a tool and a provider of tools for the child in a learning environment.

A classroom based on Social Constructivist theory would be one in which the teacher recognizes that learning and development is a social, collaborative activity and therefore develops classroom activities to support this. The teacher would ensure that learning would occur in a meaningful context and not be separated from the learning and knowledge children develop in the "real world." Instruction must also relate the child's out-of-school experience with the classroom experience. 

I believe that technology can provide necessary skills and tools that will enable and empower the child. The computer should be used as it becomes of interest to the child at the appropriate developmental stage. The Internet should be seen as another tool to assist the child in discovering new knowledge, utilizing a wider and broader body of experts. In our present informational society the peer base and the expert base has become much greater in volume and easier to access than ever before with the evolution of telecommunication via the Internet. Chat rooms, instant messengers, powerful search engines, email, access to university libraries and databases all contribute to the vast body of knowledge available via the world wide web. The role of education must evolve to reflect these changes and use the new tools available.

We are no longer justified in keeping hold of the traditional school house mentality that was so important to our agricultural and industrial society. These are still important aspects of our lives, but we need to be teaching our children how to find information, what to do with the information they find and how to develop new knowledge and better technologies in order to best shape the society of the future.