What is Instructional Technology?

Activity 3: Discussion - What is Instructional Technology?

Context: The purpose of this discussion is to start thinking about Instructional Technology, what it means, what is expected from an Instructional Technology professional, and what organizations are available to provide ideas and support.

What is Instructional Technology?

Instructional Technology is the study of different technologies and methods of using those technologies, to asses them for their usefulness in an educational setting, such as a school or district building.  Things in schools are very different than they were even 20 years ago. In this day and age where my third graders have smart phones, we need to be continually re-educating ourselves and be innovators on how to tap that technology potential to use in our classrooms.

What is the role of technology in instruction?

First of all, technology is not one more cumbersome thing we have to squeeze into our school day. Many teachers have this mindset, especially teachers who have been in education for many years. Technology should be in student hands as much as possible. It should help us be more efficient in our instruction and engage students better. However, just because students are using technology doesn’t mean they are engaged. We need to be aware of how our students are learning as much as always.

Technology is an excellent motivator for students. Reading may not be exciting for them, but reading a book on iPad is suddenly very appealing. There are so many teacher created resources using technology that allow us to collaborate with teachers from all over the world and share our ideas.

What should be and is expected of the Instructional Technology specialist?

An Instructional Technology specialist could have a many different roles depending on the needs of their building and/or district. In buildings with plentiful technology resources they need to distribute these resources and educate teachers on how to use them. In buildings with a limited amount of technology, the specialists should help teachers be able to do a lot with little resources and start thinking of different resources, besides the obvious computers and such, as technology resources. It is a different mindset. They can also help organize who gets to use the available technology and for how long.

In general, Instructional Technology Specialists should be experts on classroom technology resources. They should be a resource for other educators. They really need to educate people in the building about having a new mindset towards technology, and instruct them on how it can be used effectively and efficiently. Technology is not replacing genuine teacher interaction and instruction.

What is the role of Instructional Technology at the building and district level?

At the building level, Instructional Technology could be deploying technology resources, troubleshooting with teachers, and creating professional development opportunities for the educators in the building. They need to maintain and update technology resources available.

At the district level, Instructional Technology could be researching, purchasing, maintaining and deploying different technologies to be used in the school buildings. They can be resources for building tech specialists or all teachers. They can also have professional development classes or articles and resources available to teachers.

What professional organizations are available to assist with instructional technology in the classroom?
Some Organizations to help assist with instructional technology include the ISTE: International Society for Technology in Education, the CSTA: Computer Science Teachers Association, and the AECT: Association for Educational Communications and Technology.