It seems to me that in the burgeoning world of web applications and technologies, educators are faced with SO many choices and a mountain of learning to understand each one and how it could be used in their instruction. With as fast as technology changes, it's hard to imagine a time when tech-savvy educators aren't spending their time researching new ideas or implementations of the latest/greatest gizmo. I'm not suggesting that this phenomena is a bad thing, but...
I believe using technology for the sake of staying current (the "use it because it's there mentality") is one of the biggest disservices educators can do to their learners. I think educators should be constantly appraising and evaluating their own product to determine what works, what doesn't, what needs improving, etc. A process akin to the continuous improvement philosophy in quality management. When they recognize and define a problem in their instruction, then they should seek the right tool to remedy the problem. Sometimes that tool will come in the form of a technology, but not always. There should be a group (dedicated educational technologists) available to educators at every level who can help these teachers find the right tool for their specific problem. I know it works like this in some places, but not all. If we task the educators to stay current on developing technology trends and applications, we're asking them to put the cart before the horse. They will be looking at the technology, then deciding if or how they can use it in their courses. They're given a solution without knowing the problem... which is never a good thing.
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