1. TECHNOLOGY THEORIES
1.1. Media Ecology
1.1.1. There are many ideas of what the definition of media ecolody actually is
1.1.2. It looks at how media interacts with humans and how it shapes our actions
1.1.3. Media shapes our preceptions
1.1.4. There are formal and informal rules governing what people can and cannot do
1.2. Social Construction of Theory (SCOT)
1.2.1. Relates to constructivist theory
1.2.2. suggests that human actions are responsible for the tecchnology that we have, and that technology DOES NOT shape our actions
1.2.3. If we want to figure out why a technology was accepted or rejected, we need to look at the society at the time to explain this
2. TPACK
2.1. Speaks to the importance of integrating technology info education
2.2. 3 types of knowledge
2.2.1. CK: Content Knowledge- knowledge about a particular subject/field
2.2.2. PK: Pedagologocal Knowledge - Knowledge of How to Teach
2.2.3. TK: Technical Knowledge - knowledge of technology
2.3. All 3 of these types of knowledge can act in isolation (ex. CK), in pairs (ex. PCK), or all together (TPACK)
2.4. For educators to integrate technology into their content and pedagological knowledge effectively, they must choose the most appropriate technology for the tast and students
2.5. It is important that TPACK is relative to the context in which it is being implemented
2.6. A teachers Philosophy of Teachnology may influence how and when they integrate technology into their educational practices
3. LEARNING THEORIES
3.1. Constructivism
3.1.1. The learner's background, and previous knowledge strongly affects how they learn new information
3.1.2. Individuals are responsible for their own learning
3.1.3. Learners build on their past experiences: building upon what is already known, makes learning authentic and relatable.
3.1.4. In educatin, collaborative projects are a good way to implement constructivist learning. Students work in groups and bring all their ideas of what they already know about the topic at hand.
3.2. Connectivism
3.2.1. A relatively new theory that focuse on building connections rather than simply memorizing facts
3.2.2. Focuses on innovation and creativity
3.2.3. Again, uses pre-existing knowledge (schemas) to make learning more relevant and more comprehensible
3.2.4. Learners need to be able to filter through important and non-important information when searching for answers
3.2.5. Currency is a big part of this theory: meaning that information is always changing and learners need to search for the most current knowledge
3.2.6. In education, Students are encouraged to search for experts in the field/topic they are studying and create a network with them. Experts will help students get the most current information
3.3. Cognitive Load
3.3.1. A subset of Cognitivism: The learner is a processor of information
3.3.2. Focuses on the Working memory (short term memory)
3.3.3. The Working memory has a finite capacity of +/- 7 pieces of information
3.3.4. In education, students need time for the processing of information. Breaking large learning tasks down into smaller parts will allow for processing time.
3.3.5. Learners make use of schemas: the way in which learners assimilate or accomodate new information into exisiting frameworks of knowledge
3.4. Behaviourism
3.4.1. Individuals learn based on the behaviours they ovserve
3.4.2. Learing takes place with practive and repitition
3.4.3. Certain behaviours can be made more or less present through the use of punishment or rienforcement
3.4.4. Learners strive for rienforcement, and try to avoid punishments
3.4.5. In education, teachers should create environments that foster positive behaviour, and offers lots of support for the learner
4. PHILOSOPHY OF TEACHNOLOGY
4.1. Typically formed as an addition to the teaching philosophy
4.2. Examples:
4.2.1. For tachers, an ePortfolio could be a technology that falls under this category being used for professional development
4.2.2. For teaching students, smartboards and projectors are a technology that can be used
4.2.3. For students to work on individual learning activities, computer software programs such as MathBlasters would be a technology for learning
4.3. An educators stance on where,when, and how technology should be used in the educational process
4.3.1. the teaching process can include teaching students, learning activities, as well as your own professional development
4.3.2. How much a teacher values teaching digital literacy, communication, cooperation, and networking skills will influence a teachers philosophy