Years ago, as a student working towards my associate’s degree I remember taking a distance education class which consisted of me watching VHS videotapes and submitting my homework at the local community college campus on Fridays at 3:00pm.  Since then education has changed.

When it comes to online learning it is in high demand in schools in all parts of the country. Students are now deferring the traditional setting with the professor facilitating a lecture and opting for distance instruction. The ability to communicate globally allows education to change. Lectures and learning materials are offered to students who are able to retrieve them at their leisure. For those who perform a forty hour work week; they are able to have the ability to study and schedule events that fit their lifestyle. Also, online courses teaches one to be disciplined. It takes self-motivation; in which the student’s success level depends upon them using their time productively. Tests and reading materials can be reviewed until the pupil is ready to complete the assignments. There is time to absorb the materials prior to due dates. Time management is key (Piccanio; 2011).

According to Piccanio; Synchronous distance learning allows the teacher and student to communicate with text, audio, or video. Blending with Purpose is a model that is recommend that educators apply technology for instruction which consists of content, dialect, collaborations which meets socially and emotional needs of the student. Prior to purchasing materials for distance learning some important factors to consider are performance, compatibility, modularity, ergonomics, software availability, reputation of the manufacturer, and the price of the item (Piccanio, 2011).

According to author Desantis; there are some technical requirements you may want to consider before enrolling in a class that is taught online more than just possessing a computer and having access to the internet such as the following:

ü  Printer/Scanner

ü  Basic Software; audio, movie maker, or any form of graphics

ü  Email Address

ü  Adobe Acrobat

ü  Plug ins; flash drives, quick time, real player

ü  Tablets; to download textbooks

In conclusion, technology is and most likely will continue to be the connection to learning at distance. Students’ interest in taking technology and applying it to difficult concepts, as well as their interest in using it as a way of exploring their career opportunities will only increase as long as colleges continue to enroll.

References

Desantis, J. (2012). Getting the most from your interactive whiteboard investment: Three guiding

principles for designing effective professional development. The Clearing House, 51-55.  

 

Picciano, A. G. (2011). Educational leadership and planning for technology (5th ed.).  Hunter College, NY: Allyn & Bacon  

 

Sheninger, E. (2014). Digital leadership: Changing paradigms for changing times. Thousand Oaks: Corwin.

 

 

 

 

Years ago, as a student working towards my associate’s degree I remember taking a distance education class which consisted of me watching VHS videotapes and submitting my homework at the local community college campus on Fridays at 3:00pm.  Since then education has changed.

When it comes to online learning it is in high demand in schools in all parts of the country. Students are now deferring the traditional setting with the professor facilitating a lecture and opting for distance instruction. The ability to communicate globally allows education to change. Lectures and learning materials are offered to students who are able to retrieve them at their leisure. For those who perform a forty hour work week; they are able to have the ability to study and schedule events that fit their lifestyle. Also, online courses teaches one to be disciplined. It takes self-motivation; in which the student’s success level depends upon them using their time productively. Tests and reading materials can be reviewed until the pupil is ready to complete the assignments. There is time to absorb the materials prior to due dates. Time management is key (Piccanio; 2011).

According to Piccanio; Synchronous distance learning allows the teacher and student to communicate with text, audio, or video. Blending with Purpose is a model that is recommend that educators apply technology for instruction which consists of content, dialect, collaborations which meets socially and emotional needs of the student. Prior to purchasing materials for distance learning some important factors to consider are performance, compatibility, modularity, ergonomics, software availability, reputation of the manufacturer, and the price of the item (Piccanio, 2011).

          According to author Desantis; there are some technical requirements you may want to consider before enrolling in a class that is taught online more than just possessing a computer and having access to the internet such as the following:

ü  Printer/Scanner

ü  Basic Software; audio, movie maker, or any form of graphics

ü  Email Address

ü  Adobe Acrobat

ü  Plug ins; flash drives, quick time, real player

ü  Tablets; to download textbooks

In conclusion, technology is and most likely will continue to be the connection to learning at distance. Students’ interest in taking technology and applying it to difficult concepts, as well as their interest in using it as a way of exploring their career opportunities will only increase as long as colleges continue to enroll.

References

Desantis, J. (2012). Getting the most from your interactive whiteboard investment: Three guiding

            principles for designing effective professional development. The Clearing House, 51-55.  

 

Picciano, A. G. (2011). Educational leadership and planning for technology (5th ed.).  Hunter College, NY: Allyn & Bacon  

 

Sheninger, E. (2014). Digital leadership: Changing paradigms for changing times. Thousand Oaks: Corwin.

 

 

 

Forum 3 (Module 4)

Technology in Instruction

 



 

 

 

 

 

In the 1980's there was a  large amount of computers purchased by public schools for the use of instruction. However, a survey reported by Education Weekly in 2004; acknowledged that teachers were novices when it came to using technology while instructing in the classroom.(Picciano, 2011)

 

According to authors Sheingold, Kane, and Endreweit there were several issues that may limit the use of technology during instruction such as; (1)Hardware may not be available (2)Technology may be new to educators and administration (3)Elementary schools may not be have technology listed in their curriculum (4)Assuring there is a sufficient amount of technology available to students that is considered to be valuable (5) Lack of professional development (6) Does the technology have a positive or negative effect (Picciano, 2011).

 



Education has the responsibility of preparing its students to be contributing members to society. With society tied to communication; technology, is directly related to communication. Therefore preparing students to be lifelong learners requires a new approach to teaching, one in which students are taught at a distance. It’s not difficult to find teachers utilizing new technological tools to reproduce older educational patterns.(Sheninger,2014).Technology has the ability to facilitate learning and improve the quality of educational experience, provide students develop skills with the use of technology, and expand technology awareness throughout the education community. The new technological tools allows educators to have a larger amount of students with the use of distance education. Thus, in order for teachers to be prepared to teach at a distance in depth professional development is necessary(Hannafin; 2010).

References

 

Hannafin, M. J., & Polly, D. (2010). Reexamining technology’s role in learner-centered professional development. Association for Educational Communications and Technology, 557-571.

Picciano, A. G. (2011). Educational leadership and planning for technology (5th ed.).  Hunter College, NY: Allyn & Bacon  

Sheninger, E. (2014). Digital leadership: Changing paradigms for changing times. Thousand Oaks: Corwin.