Running head: PERSONAL RATIONALE

CHAPTER 1: Personal Rationale for Technology Use in Education

Emilee Virdin D10348493
EDUC 344 Instructional Technology in Education
Ms. Sabrina Bailey
January 25, 2015

PERSONAL RATIONALE

Technology can be beneficial in the classroom when it is used in the right way. It can
open a variety of opportunities for students to explore and learn new information. I define
educational technology as being able to access and appropriately use different types of software
and incorporate them into the classroom.
Perspectives on Educational Technology
International Society for Technology in Education states Initially focused on computer
systems to support and deliver instructions; now focuses on all electronic devices and systems to
support teaching and learning. Their definition for educational technology states Educational
technology is the full range of digital hardware and software used to support teaching and
learning across the curriculum (Robyler & Doering). This perspective relates to my own
personal view because it talks about using software that supports teaching and learning across the
curriculum, which is very important when using technology. As a teacher, we do not want to use
technology just to make a lesson fun, but to provide a better opportunity for students to better
understand and learn the material in a variety of ways. I picked this perspective because I felt
that it best fit my view and definition of educational technology.
Digital Technologies in Education
The Internet era from 1993-1998 really helped me shape my view on the use of
educational technology. In 1993, the World Wide Web was born. Mosaic was the first Internet
browser, which transformed text based Internet into a combination of new text. For teachers, this
was the information superhighway. In 1994, the Internet use explodes. Online and distance
learning increases in higher education, then in K-12 schools educationally is advantaged.
Virtual schooling began in 1995. Then in 1998 International Society for Technology in

PERSONAL RATIONALE

Education creates standards (Roblyer & Doering). These standards were to help guide
technology skills, for student, teachers, and administrators. These eras helped me shape my view
on technology in education because this is when the World Wide Web first came about and
teachers were able to use this as a way to find information and allow their students to use this
technology in a meaningful way. The technology we have today is not like it was when the World
Wide Wed first came about. Today, students use technology for other reasons, which I believe is
a distraction, not a benefit.
PEU and NETS Standards
My view relates to the Professional Education Unit Model in two areas; the first area is
effective teaching and assessment strategies and the second is technology literacy. I chose
effective teaching and assessment strategies because as a future teacher we have to know how to
effectively incorporate technology into our lesson plans in a meaningful and useful way. The
software, Internet sites, and computer games we are allowing our students to access, must be
appropriate and are focused around the curriculum. I chose technology literacy because computer
literacy is important as a future educator. You can incorporate technology into instructions by
using calculators, online games, and videos that go along with the lesson you are about to teach.
We can incorporate technology into learning in a meaningful way by adding interactive games,
lessons, or activities on the computer to reinforce the subject content.
The NETS standard I chose that related to my view on technology in education was
research and information fluency, which states students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate,
and use information. Students plan strategies to guide inquiry, locate, organize analyze, evaluate
synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media. Students also

PERSONAL RATIONALE

evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific
task along with processing data and reporting results (ISTE Standards Students).
Summary of Essay
My view on technology is technology can be beneficial in the classroom when it is used
in the right way, it can open a variety of ways students can learn and find new information. I also
defined educational technology as being able to access and appropriately use different types of
software and incorporate them into the classroom. My perspective on educational technology
comes from the International Society for Technology in Education. I chose this one because it
was closely related to my definition on educational technology. They use technology as software
that helps teachers and students learn across the curriculum. The Internet Era helped shaped my
view on technology in education because this is when access to information was simple and there
was no distraction like todays technology where we have multiple ways to access information
that is not appropriate. The two standards that are chose from the Professional Education Unit
Model were effective teaching and assessment strategies and incorporate technology because
they best fit my view and how technology fits into education. The NETS standard I choose that
best fit my view was research and fluency that states students apply digital tools to gather,
evaluate and use information. I think my view will be beneficial in the classroom because
technology will be incorporated into my lessons in an appropriate manner where the lesson is the
main focus and the technology will be used to enhance their knowledge on the subject.

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5
References

ISTEStandardsStudents.(n.d.).RetrievedJanuary24,2015,from
iste.org/standards
Roblyer,M.&Doering,Aaron(2013).EducationalTechnologyInContext.In
IntegratingEducationalTechnologyIntoTeaching(6thed.,p.131).
Pearson.