Educational Technology Definition & Technology Skills

What is educational/instructional technology? Educational/instructional technology has different meanings to different people. I believe that we would not be able to completely understand the concept without establishing a personal definition first. David Moore (2006) defines instructional technology as, “A multifaceted process that involves a variety of types of work; each requiring qualitatively different types of tools and instruments.” Moreover, Calvin Finley’s (2005) definition of instructional technology is, “The theory and practice of design, development, utilization, management and evaluation of processes and resources for learning."

From these definitions and through my research I developed my current educational/instructional technology definition, which is the implementation and utilization of technology to meet the needs of and engage each learner in order to create reflection and empowerment in the learning process. As the semester progresses I believe I will have a better understanding of what educational/instructional technology encompasses.

Technology skills I would like to develop are:
Moviemaker
Create and develop a website
How to integrate video into Microsoft PowerPoint presentations
How to efficiently use Photoshop
Communicating with Skype on the internet

I want to learn these skills because I have access to this technology but I do not know how to use it. In developing these skills I will become a better informater of technology, therefore, allowing me to better meet the needs of the teachers on my campus. I believe in today’s educational realm automating is the dilemma we face as educators. If I can empower my teachers with educational/instructional technology they will be able to empower their students.

Technological skills I would like to share are:
How to use excel spreadsheets
Developing graphs, tables, and charts from data in an excel spreadsheet
Inserting pictures/designs into a document and being able to write over it with text

Finley, C. (2005). Instructional technology: A profession vs. a field of
study. Distance Learning, 2, 35-37.

Moore, D.R. (2006). The technology/inquiry typology: Defining
instructional technology. Journal of Interacting Learning Research,
17, 401-407.