Answer the four questions below in your reflection:
1. What were the most important things I learned this semester?
2. How was my teaching (or thoughts about teaching) impacted by what I learned or experienced this semester?
3. Did I (or will I) use the projects, skills, or ideas from this course in my teaching, training, or professional practice? If so, how?
4. Select three of the projects/assignments you created/wrote in this class and read the description of the related AECT standard. Then answer this question: How do these projects/assignments demonstrate my mastery of the AECT standards?

    This semester has refreshed the 'why' of teaching using theory. What I did not realize was that emerging theories exist and how they have helped with teaching in a technology world. With the review of traditional theories such as behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism, to the new theories of connectivism, transactional distance, and Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPCK).
    In discussing education theories, we were tasked with creating a bibliography, researching how theories influence educational technology and how educational technology has been influenced by learning theories. The description and critique we completed of the article helped me review how the article may best be used in my paper. The annotated bibliography fills the AECT standard 2.1 Print technologies and 4.4 information management. For my bibliography I researched seven sources related to the emerging theory transactional distance.        
    Next was writing a rough draft of a synthesis paper. I chose to coauthor my paper with two other classmates. The topic we chose was supporting distance education through theory. In coauthoring, we each chose to complete different sections of the paper, APA edit, create flow, edit each others areas, and add references.
    After creating our rough draft we were instructed to peer review another classmates paper. This was a hard task because we had to criticize each other where needed. It was definitely a learning lesson of taking the 'personal' realm out of it and merely offer advice based on the topic. I tried to give constructive criticism, point out positive areas, and support the writer where needed.
    When we received our peer review information we were then able to finalize our paper. Ours was too long and needed extensive shortening. We removed entire sections, which is hard since it took a lot of effort to write. But not all of it was needed. Our final synthesis paper met the AECT standard 1.4 learner characteristics.
    I learned this semester that teaching has the best results when built on a foundation of theory. Ensuring students are able to construct their own knowledge of topics, there needs to be dialogue, learner autonomy, but also structure in educational technology learning environments. In addition, keeping up to date on theories is necessary in this field. Once I thought theories were created so long ago, we needed to study them once. Now I realize there are theories emerging continuously in this evolving technological world, and thus we as educators need to be knowledgeable about these theories.

Reflect on connections among emerging technologies, learning theories, and theories of educational technology

New technologies are emerging every day. As discussed in our weekly forum these technologies consist of, Web 3.0 (Semantic Web), cloud computing, e-portfolios, gaming and virtual worlds, mobile devices including the ipad, and applications such as ARIS to complement these devices. Being that I am in entering a new position as the technology teacher for our elementary school I am very interested in accessing mobile devices for learning. Students will be able to create an online school newspaper, create webpages, create e-portfolios, and create presentations that consist of not merely Powerpoints, but video, audio, imbeds, graphics, and even podcasts. Many educators do not realize the emerging technologies, how easy they truly can be to access and use, and the significant difference they can have in education.

The discussion also consisted of emerging theories and whether new ones should be invented or should old ones merely be revised. With the impact of technology in education, theories must evolve, or new theories created, to accommodate this shift. The main theories all conclude that learning occurs within people, but fail to address the learning that occurs outside of people (Siemens, 2004). There was an overview of the "ole stand-by's" of behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism, but main focus was on transactional distance and connectivism. Connectivism theory focuses on cognitive development, learning that occurs within an environment, and connections enabling us to learn, rather than our current state of knowing. Whereas transactional distance is the emerging theory that incorporates open learning and its pedagogical concept.

With this shift in learning, the inclusion of pedagogy, theory, technology, and instructional design, education has the potential to change significantly for students of this generation. Education and the educational technology field are evolving by the minute, which continually changes the formal definition of educational technology and the emerging theories created to encompass this modern learning platform. “The development of new knowledge causes shifts in thinking and introduces change and in the field of Educational technology multiple knowledge bases lead to multiplying change”  (Luppicini, 2005, p. 105). Educational technology and the contributing theories are continually changing the way students learn and interact and have the ability to change the world.

References

Luppicini, R. (2005). A systems definition of educational technology in society. Educational Technology & Society, 8 (3), 103-109. Retrieved from http://www.ifets.info/journals/8_3/10.pdf

Siemens, G. (2004). Connectivism: A theory for the digital age. Retrieved from http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivism.htm

For your Module 2 reflection activity begin creating linkages between your own epistemological beliefs and your classroom instruction. Do you see inconsistencies in what you do and what you believe? See if you can extend your thinking to include ways in which you incorporate technology into your curriculum. For example, drill and practice software used for test preparation and/or remediation fit most behaviorist learning theories which fall under objectivist epistemologies. Would this necessarily fit with your own beliefs about the nature of learning?

This course revolves around theory. This means I must dig back into my bachelor’s degree and remember exactly who goes with what theory. I often feel I intermix many of the main three theories (Cognitive, Behaviorism, & Constructivism) creating some theory all in itself. Maybe it’s the Cog-Be-Con theory.  Our reading this week included a table (Ertmer & Newby, p. 69) that really visualized this for me.

Each theory is used dependent upon age level, knowledge level, and the task at hand.  However, many times we get caught up in planning the next lesson, meeting deadlines and state standards that we forget to stop and really assess what theory would be best utilized.  “Effective solutions to practical instructional problems are often constrained by limited time and resources.” (Ertmer & Newby, p. 51)

Considering I have a new role for this coming year. I really hope to take some valuable, proven information and put it into action within my k-6 setting. I have the ability to embark on a new title for our school, forming it into whatever I choose, with only state standards as my guide. In revisiting theory, psychology, and scientific research I will be able to build this new program with a firm foundation.  I also am extremely eager to evaluate the technology that should match each theory and implement those into teaching.

References

Ertmer, P.A. & Newby, T.J. (1993). Behaviorism, Cognitivism, Constructivism: Comparing Critical Features from an Instructional Design Perspective. Performance Improvement Quarterly, 6(4), 50-72.

Reflection Instructions: Use this tool as a way to document and track your progress but also as an opportunity to reflect on the work that you are doing. I will occasionally include reflection prompts in the class activities for you to consider. Your task this week will be to begin this process by reflecting upon the readings and your current state of mind. Use the following prompts to help guide your reflections:

1. Where are you now, in terms of your own teaching and professional practice and the inclusion of educational technology in that process?
   
2. What kind of change do you hope to see as a result of this class?
   
3. How might your knowledge and experiences influence the actions of those around you?

This next school year will embark on a new and exciting adventure as the elementary technology specialist/teacher at our school. I am very excited but overwhelmed in trying to include technology into education. In the past technology has been mainly about Powerpoint projects.
I do not have any preconceived ideas regarding this class on theory. Except I would like to be able to use research to back up the evidence regarding the importance of technology.
My knowledge and experience might be able to influence the actions of others for those who are new to a summer course, or are only in their first year. I have taken numerous classes and although I don't have a lot of work experience, I do have knowledge from all of the exceptional classes I have taken. I also keep a webpage of all the class resources for later references, in addition to a blog, and portfolio preparations.
This first week, we as a class, tried to come up with a definition for educational technology that would fit all realms.
Some of the good definitions were:
Educational Technology is the process of applying technologies to instruct learners. - Christina Narayan
In my opinion EdTech is the infusion of technology into instruction of individuals. - Allison Yager
Educational technology is the implementation of theory and practice through the utilization of technological tools, techniques, and methods by instructional designers, educators/trainers, and users to enhance and extend learning opportunities and achievement for all learners. - Jistine Oates.