Evaluating Learning Technology

Baking has become one of my favorite holiday traditions. I love making cakes, pies, and cookies. My family looks forward to these special treats every year. Many of my treats have been at a request. However to explain step-by-step on a video and post to YouTube would not guarantee that your treats would come out perfectly. Practice makes perfect. When I first started baking I watched a video from YouTube on how to make a sweet potato pie. Even though I had my grandmother’s recipe I wanted to see someone in action. Nevertheless my pie did not taste like my grandmother’s pie or look like her pie. As I kept baking I became better at it.

Technology has definitely been a huge impact on my success at baking. From the timing on my stove to the videos I watch has influenced me to become better and better. No two people do things a like. Therefore learning how to do things many different ways simply by using Google to find information has been wonderful. The Internet has become one of the most popular ways for people to spend their time. The amount of time spent on the Internet also shows no sign of abating, with an average of about 18 hours a week, for any purpose -- and, on the extreme end, some 6.6 percent of respondents (mostly male) saying they spend more than a full-time job's worth of 40 hours online a week (2007). The more I on the Internet the more I learn. I feel as if I learn something new everyday. The great thing about the Internet is I can search until I find what I am looking for. This has made my baking skills even better. The Internet has become one of the greatest resources ever. I am not sure what I would do with out it.
Needless to say it is extremely important for instructional designers and educational technologists to become familiar with all sorts for technology in order to tech technology. You must embrace your world with it and stay current and fluent with the use of technology. Therefore your students will learn and be successful.

Reference:
Educause Center for Applied Research. (2007). Students’ ‘evolving’ use of technology. Retrieved from http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2007/09/17/it