Instructional Design - ETEC-578
The title of this course is Instructional Design & Development. Apply the thinking routine I used to think. . . Now I think . . ., to that topic. Tell us something (or a few things, if you wish) that you used to think at the beginning of this class, and then tell us how your thinking has changed.
I used to think...
I knew that instructional designing was a newer and upcoming field of study and career, but I did not know much beyond that. The process for an educator to prepare for teaching course(s) was originally entirely up to the teacher to take care of. With the ever involving use of technology in the classrooms as part of the instruction, this was becoming a lot for the educator solely to manage.Now I think...
Students are increasingly introduced to technology in the classroom from an early age. The courses have been possibly developed by instructional designers using the ADDIE model, in combination with the educator who facilitates the learning experiences and environment. The technology is incorporated into these multifaceted, yet student-centered TPACK richer experiences that allow them to obtain and retain information coming at them (If you will) from various areas and ways. Additionally, learners are expected to comprehend content via numerous teaching methods like guided inquiry and cooperative learning, to name only two here, between the teacher as their facilitator, using numerous technology tools to assist them with their comprehension skills.
Finally, student-centered, technology-rich educators who promote and facilitate the learners better prepare younger learners for their futures in several ways. It affords teachers and their students more engaging, interactive, and safe learning environments. They increase occasions for collaboration between students, technology, and their teachers. It also affords more significant opportunities for including distinct learning styles and allows the teacher more opportunities to use various teaching techniques. Through the inclusion of a student-focused, student-centered learning environment, the use of various technology tools to assist in learning by various methods, as well as the teacher who is there to facilitate through those tools and experiences using her/his knowledge, skills, and pedagogical expertise, which often results in providing for, promoting, and facilitating safe, interactive, engaging and an open-area full of open-minded and eager learners who will then be able to collaborate with fellow classmates, explore and capitalize on those technology tools. Other teacher-facilitated resources each individual student learns best from. Lastly, through this wealth of student-centered learning experiences, students become comfortable, safe, and free to engage in the learning processes, in which they learn not only the content that is being taught but also, they learn “how to learn” moving forward, which was a significant flaw with teacher-centered learning environments. Through these experiences, environments, and technology resources, linked they afford learners the opportunities and abilities to develop much-needed problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, social interactions, and soft skills, as well as adapting to inevitable daily changes in life, whether it be the physical setup of the classroom from one class to the next, whether or not, technology is working, or even any other outside factors around these individual students moving forward throughout the rest of their life-wide and lifelong learning experiences. Student-centered educator facilitating many teaching/learning methods and integrating many technology tools that enhance the learning process for the learners is a more effective and optimal learning method. The focus must shift with the priority of making the learning environment and technology tools “student-centered” in ways that they will learn the content, learn how they “think and learn” the way that they do, which cultivates reinforcing future learning and growth mindset to adapt to change and use problem-solving, and critical thinking in their individual lives moving forward, which will then enhance future learning opportunities.
Instructional Design