To me, Educational Technology is made up of three main areas: Study, ethical practice, and facilitating learning and improving performance. Educational technology requires continuous research in order to come up with new ideas and improve processes. However, it is also necessary to reflect on this research in order to decide whether the new ideas are actually making an improvement in educational outcomes. An ethical stance is also an important aspect of educational technology. One cannot work effectively without a code of conduct or basis for how technology should be used. Finally, educational technology should facilitate learning and improve performance. Technology should be used as a tool to support the learner using effective processes and proper resources. The products created with the use of technology should demonstrate effective learning and learners should be able to apply what they have learned in real world settings.
I chose to use Prezi for my Educational Technology Graphic. In the past, I have avoided Prezi due to the fact that when my students have used it for presentations, I have nearly gotten sick with the zoom in and out feature that they enjoy using. What I like about Prezi is that it is web based so I do not have to worry about whether or not the viewer has the proper software to view my presentation. I also wanted to be able to show the “big picture” of the breakdown of the definition of Educational Technology and Prezi seemed to be the best option. I liked that the information would be presented in a non linear fashion and could better show how the concepts are interconnected.
View my Prezi.