Copy your definition from Week 5 Discussion: Definitions of Technology as an entry:
David Jonassen’s (2000) analogy of the interplay between learning technology appeals to me. He suggests educational technologies are just a set of tools for students to get access to meaningful thinking. His metaphor is a vivid exhibit of constructionism and provokes educators to think: what should be careful with as we design the learning experience for students. Constructivism was created in 1991 and constructionism was amended around 2013, but the traditional instruction model is still playing a dominant role in current schools and institutes. The main rationales could be instructors’ personal resistance to change the course designs and teaching styles. The explanation could also be the increasing cost from faculty and organizations’ perspectives. However, as someone who enrolls in the MET program and is willing to embrace the positive changes, I feel the need to consistently enhance ‘the set of tools’ for students on a cost-effective and time-efficient way to ‘build their houses’.
Although the traditional teacher-centered transmissive teaching model has strengths in schooling, education has a broader meaning than ‘schooling’. In today’s education field, if we imagine technologies as a set of tools to learn and to construct critical thinking, then educators are empowered to foster students’ internal motivation, skills, and capabilities for lifelong learning. This extraordinary metaphor may bring great enthusiasm and eagerness for both educators and learners.