Week 2- Educational Technolgy

In this week's lesson we were introduced to technology and how it is being used to teach in today's society. While we now relate technology to the internet, in the past other mediums of technology were used. For example, I remember listening to audio tapes and using overhead projectors when I was in elementary school. While we now use more advanced forms of technology, it is important to note that technology has been used to assist educators for many years. A great example of today's educational technology is this very course. We meet in the lab once a week, and the other two hours are to be completed online. We have presentations to watch, forums to post and interact, and this blog to keep up with. This is very different from other classes because there is such a heavy reliance on technology.

Even though educational technology doesn't directly apply to advertising, I think it is still relevant because technology is becoming an everyday part of society as a whole. The skills that we learn in this class can be used in advertising in many ways. For example, while forum posts can be used to interact and teach by ordinary people, market researchers can view them to gain insight into their consumer's minds. Photoshop is also a great skill needed by advertisers who will create visual art. Even though the education field and the advertising field use technology in different ways, I think they relate to each other because the same skills are needed, it is just a matter of how you apply the technology.

I found a video on Youtube that was created to teach kids the proper way to wash their hands.

This is an example of educational technology because someone had to create a video, put it together with kids in mind, and post it on the internet for adults everywhere to have access to a fun, informative video. Instead of a chart or poster to teach kids, this video uses a cartoon to exemplify the correct way to sanitize your hands. It also uses a catchy song that will keep the children's attention and get them excited about what they are learning. I think this is a great exmaple of educational technology because the kids can learn from something they also find entertaining. Because germs help spread the flu, I'm sure this video is being used all over the country to explain to kids the proper way to wash thier hands.