1. How do the definitions in the first chapter compare to your own definition of instructional or educational technology?  What experiences or other influences have shaped your definition? How has your definition changed from examining the definitions in the first chapter of this book?

The latest definition mention in the first chapter is very similar to my personal thoughts on educational technology.  Being in education for 12 years and in career and technical education arena, I’ve seen the later movement of instructional technology.  I do see a different side of things now that I’m at the district level and not in the classroom.  There seems to be a lot of “push down” of new technologies without being proactive in the development stages.  This causes many classroom teachers to be reactive instead of being proactive.  I do believe there’s lots of facilitating of learning in my district.  However, there are teachers who struggle to master the improvement of learning.  For some students, I believe it happens automatically without educator intervention.  Which means some educators know how to facilitate the learning and others tend to control the learning.  I believe my definition has broadened a bit due to the importance of utilizing the “right” technologies that are appropriate.  Again, at the district level, administrators have grand visions.  However, it’s not always the most appropriate resources to maximize learning.

2. Next, think of a lesson or unit of instruction that you have developed. Or if you haven’t ever taught or developed instruction, think of one that you have received. How does that lesson adhere or fail to adhere to the six characteristics of instructional design? How would you redesign it to better adhere to the six characteristics.

A few years ago, I taught secondary engineering.  I utilized a curriculum platform for one of my courses called “Systems Go” which allowed students to design, construct and launch 10-foot rockets.  This curriculum also integrated physics so students understood the science behind flight.  During those days, our district and CTE department was heavily involved with PBL, project base learning.  This allowed for heavy collaboration and tailored approaches for student centered activities.  One particular lesson from this program was based on student groups having to present and defend their findings to a group of Lockheed Martin project engineers.  The purpose was to allow students to demonstrate their understanding and to select the best two groups to actual build their design and launch at the Systems Go launch event later that year.  Student groups had to show their 3-D model, which was designed in Rocksims, a rocket software. They had to show the break down of their materials, cost and vendor selections.  They also had to show their data of predictions of flight.  This was a culminating lesson where students had to have a clear understanding to defend their work to proceed to the next level.  Looking back on that lesson, I must say it was very much student centered.  The goal was for students to demonstrate their understanding of flight using physics.  This was amazing because there are programs where you can simply punch in the numbers to attest flight patterns.  This also supported the design to focus on a meaningful performance.  The presentation had clear expectations with a rubric and expert industry panel feedback.  As a CTE teacher unlike core-academics, we don’t have more than one teacher in our specific subject area so we plan typically alone.  If I were to redesign the lesson better, I would have added several stakeholders to assist in creating that team effort approach.

3. In the 3rd chapter, Reiser distinguishes instructional media from instructional design, excluding teachers, chalkboards, and textbooks from the definition of instructional media. Why? Would you consider teachers, chalkboards, and textbooks instructional media? Is the purpose of instructional design to incorporate media into instruction?

He excluded teachers, chalkboards, and textbooks from the definition of instructional media to better discuss the other mediums used during the earlier times.  Yes, I consider the teacher, chalkboards, and textbooks instructional media.  In today’s time, however more advanced, we still use all of these things as a support or reference, not as the “meat” of your instruction.  I believe the purpose of instructional design is to foster excellent instructional planning which will lead to finding the most effective media.