My Vision of an Exemplary Technology Educator Jim Becker EDCI 564

Key Words: analyze, design, develop, implement, evaluate, creativity, objectives

An "Exemplary Technology Educator (ETE) is foremost, an exemplary educator. The technology is not what makes them exemplary; rather it is their ability to consider the uniqueness of any given situation. It may be informally talking to students, or a more formal process that helps to analyze, design, develop, implement and evaluate (ADDIE). Either way the ETE uses multiple approaches to get the information they need to create effective curriculum incorporating technology. The ETE looks at the context of the students and what their base of knowledge is. This tells them where to begin lessons and how best to build on existing knowledge (Howland ET. Al, p. 17). This analysis helps to identify potential problems with approaches being considered by the educator in the design. The design should consider what the objective is, but also how the student is to be involved in their own learning. Buy-in or the lack thereof should be considered by the educator so potential remedies, or additional research can be done. The Educator should consider what the objective is, but also how the student is to be involved in their own learning. In a corporate setting, students may have little motivation to take interest in training. The topic may not be one they would choose to attend, but if they have a say in the design process, or their input is sought, then the training may better capture their interest. There is a fair amount of research showing that certain practices can help create a better situation for learning. Fernando Mortera-Gutirrez, 2006, describes findings from a study of instructors implementing a blended e-learning program, combining e-learning and classroom. Some of the best things they found were: (a) instructor-participants who developed orientation and tutoring sessions during the entire course had a high degree of communication among their students, and had fewer problems with the planned learning activities; (Fernando Mortera-Gutirrez, 2006) (b) those professors that developed visual and audio teaching materials had students that better understood the concepts, themes, and issues; the e-learning component was a great tool to

complement the F-t-F instruction because it allowed many of these visual and audio materials to be stored; (Fernando Mortera-Gutirrez, 2006) (c) instructors that knew how to handle the e-learning component (Blackboard or WebTec, e-mail, discussion boards, forums, and so on) have better control on the use of the communication and information delivery technology used; they accept the use of the e-learning component in a positive way, with less resistant than those who have a negative disposition toward it. It appeared that the acceptance and the knowledge on the use of any e-learning component in blended learning situations is a key element in the success of any blended learning course. (Fernando Mortera-Gutirrez, 2006) These important findings reflect several best practices: 1. Establishing social contact/communications between the teacher and learners, resulted in fewer problems, (Fernando Mortera-Gutirrez, 2006). 2. Developing visual and audio materials helps students to better understand concepts, than just providing written materials or power points online (Fernando Mortera-Gutirrez, 2006). 3. Instructors, who could handle the different aspects of technology to deliver the e-learning in a positive way, were able to be more successful (Fernando Mortera-Gutierrez, 2006). So in summary, it is important for the ETE to consider the process of instructional design and technology. Input from the learners, especially in situations where the subject matter is not popular, should be considered. In this situation the learning objectives are important if there is to be a chance for learner buy-in. Once the instruction has begun, then the best practices described above of social contact/communication; visual and audio materials to describe key concepts; and knowing the delivery technology well enough to avoid major issues during the class, helps lead to a positive experience for all involved.

Bibliography

Jane L. Howland, David Jonassen, Rose M. Marra, (2012). Meaningful Learning Technology, Boston MA., Pearson Mortera-gutirrez, F. (2006). Faculty Best Practices Using Blended Learning in E-Learning and Faceto-Face Instruction, 5, 313337.