...and still is. One of the biggest learning curves I had during my internships was how hard it was to actually effectively implement movies and videos into the class. As a student, I just thought my teacher was showing us a video so they didn't have to teach a full lesson, or so that they could grade papers. I thought the questions they asked were logical and just thought of on the spot.

I was at a different district working under a Social Studies teacher that always showed movies in their class. It was to the points that the kids didn't want to do it (even though the did not have to fill anything out). The other teachers were saying negative things about the head teacher and I was confused. Once I saw there was not much constructive activity to go along with the movie, I was worried about its effectiveness.

I taught an Immigration unit and showed a video of Ellis Island. I attempted to make Guided Notes for them to fill out. I thought listening to it in pieces would be best. Turns out I needed to have them watch it through once, and then replay the specific clips multiple times. Creating thought provoking questions students could answer after the video was also more difficult than I thought. All of this to say that it is actually not much easier to teach using videos because you need to make sure you are using them in moderation, with the appropriate activities, and in a way that engages students. There are so many factors that videos may not work in a classroom.

I personally agree with this viewpoint. While teachers should have control over the learning activities and means of presentation they use in their own room, they should not be viewed as primary means of presenting instruction. Instead, teachers should be in charge of creating and facilitating activities that help students construct their own learning. I think the best way to do this is to implement diverse forms of instruction and collaborating with other teachers, department members, or administration about what media to utilize.

Media v. Process (could mean both)

One important aspect of this definition is the addition of human contexts / social experiences in the way that we teach and learn.

This is interesting to me. My co-worker began explaining to students that they cannot learn from her, but rather from the activities she is facilitating. This is another modern mindset shift in the field. It used to be that the teacher was pouring out information to the students, who were learning from them. Now, teachers recognize that it is the way they present the information, or the opportunities they provide for learning that actually drive student success.

I think this is a much better analogy than comparing things as if they were in a linear relationship. I think this is even a better way than to structure systems in "steps". It provides more fluidity.

This shift has been emphasized in how we teach material to students. The most important part students need to take away is not the answer itself but rather how to get there so that they can apply it to other problems. It is also important to recognize the need for new solutions, even if the problems are the same. This philosophy can explain shifts in perspective and values.

Meaning not only the composition or visual appeal but the best times to use it. I feel that many times online instruction could lose its meaning (just like games and simulations) when overused or used at the wrong time.

Is there a point that becoming too broad is a bad thing? How can we attempt to establish the field without ranking which aspects are 'most important' ?

Initial questions : Can educational technology and instructional technology be used interchangeably? If not, how could we describe the difference?