As educators, should we only be committed to inquire into the applications of technological devices in the teaching learning process? What about the foundations of education and educational technology?

The purpose of educational technology is to transform one’s mind and culture, providing a way to explore possibilities and opportunities. New educational tools must never be seen as panacea, but should embody a way of thinking that is technical, exploring all possible agendas and inherent tendencies. Hence, divergent and reflective thinking among students must be encouraged. Reflective thinking will help individuals to analyse education and promote an understanding of the different dimensions of technology.
Education should afford individuals the tools to function in a given society at a given time. In helping students to become better consumers of media messages, teachers must encourage active learning through participation in the production of media messages and the interpretation of messages created by others. This practice encourages critical thinking about new media in communication. To me, instruction should deal appropriately with the contradictions within technology itself.

Advancements in educational technology will definitely depend on our proper manipulation and a true understanding of technology. Shouldn’t education be more than mere curriculum and strategies? What about the value of culture-shaping through interactions. I see values and technology as being embedded in each other. Education should orient people to the cultures within which they are living and making decisions. Technologies hold moral and ethical issues that intertwine into these social situations. As such, teachers and students must grasp the essence of technology if it is to be a ‘saving power’ in education and by extention, humanity. This essence will never be understood if we merely ‘put up with’ or ‘avoid technology’. Albeit, authentic educational technology experiences can only be achieved with learning-by-doing and exploration.
What is your theory of teaching about technology? My theory of teaching about technology reflects the Constructivist views on learning, emphasizing the Social Construction of Technology and the Social Shaping Approach as opposed to the Linear Model of Innovation (Technological Determinism). As such, I believe that there are choices in both the designs of technologies and the direction of innovation. An exploration of the social world offers much in understanding technology, as there exist a mutual shaping or reciprocal relationship between technology and society. In the learning process, students should be encouraged to assess the effects of not only technology on society but also the effects of society in shaping technology. Through the active process of knowledge construction, effective learning environments will engage learners in representing the world around them.