Online teaching technologies OMDE610

Kanuka (p. 111) writes:

Reflecting on and becoming aware of our philosophical orientations is important; it
provides a basis for how we choose and use e-learning technologies. Education effects
change, whether that change is the ability to engage in rational thought, personal growth,
or to bring about political and social change (Zinn, 1990). The desired changes are based
on what we believe should happen through education. This, in turn, will be reflected in how
we choose and use e-learning technologies.
Do you agree with her assessment here? Why or why not? Explain. What do you think should
happen through education? What would be your own philosophical orientation about how you
would choose and use e-learning technologies?
While reading over Kanuka (2008) she states that some educators make decisions based on
following the latest trends and are not doing enough background or research when making
technological or curriculum decisions. I agree with her assessment that educators must be aware
of how they provide a basis on choosing e-learning technologies and how the use of these
technologies will support learning in the online community.
Education is always evolving and technology trends will always be there, but online technology
is not just a trend, its an educational transformation. This transformation affects change in our
educational system. In order for our institutions to have positive growth and receive budgetary
funding for programs, the ability to embrace e-learning technologies and our choice of how to
implement them within our e-learning environments will require educators to do research.
Evaluation of methodologies, pilot tests of learning capabilities, and e-learning assessments of
current successful programs would have to be utilized.
Some schools already have e-learning courses that are offered for home schooling students.
There are at least twelve states that offer e-learning programs for K-12, and are fully online for
any interested student who prefers taking e-learning over face-to-face teaching. The educational
e-learning market is growing, and the demand for online instructors will continue to evolve as
the newest trend in education. Community stakeholders should get ready for this new
technological revolution it will happen. I do see the changes in the course content and objectives
for K-12 education changing rapidly. Some educators are not ready for the challenge that elearning will bring to our communities, but might get left behind with old outdated teaching
philosophies due to budget constraints and old fashioned rhetoric of how they did teaching a long
time ago.
The time may come where teachers may teach at the school for part of the day and teach from a
distance the other part of the school day. All students will need to be online in order to register
for certain classes. Language Arts and Math may be offered as online classes only, students
might only come to school for specialized classes, such as PE, Art, Athletics, clubs and
organizations. Counselors may have clinical office hours as opposed to being at the school all
day. With all of this school bullying going on Parents will eventually have the final choice in

how they want to educate their child. The sky is the limit. These changes will not be trends only
an industrial e-learning revolution. Collaborative online learning in the 21st century and beyond
will be taking place right in front of us.
E-learning technologies should be used to support classroom instruction. There must be a
technological awareness among educators that a new phase of learning is on the forefront, which
will change how we view and manage our educational resources, and our current curriculum
standards and teaching methods. The changes are already here, some schools are preparing for
the changes and some are not. More teaching and training by educators must be done in order
for them to keep up with e-learning technology. It will be the difference in a successful school
and a failing school. Whether school administrators or teachers want to see it or not, the change
is coming, its already here. Social change makes politics change, and politics makes social
change happen. You can already see the economic implications of e-learning and technology, the
wealthy can send their children to top-notch schools where the newest trends of technology is
being used. And poor or middle class students may get stuck in the process of e-learning change,
attending schools that are underfunded through political barriers. Politics plays a pivotal role in
our educational process and our socio-economic status has a lot do with decisions that are made
in the e-learning process. Finding a way around the many injustices requires social change
through social responsibility in our communities.

Kanuka, H. (2008). Understanding eLearning technologies in practice through Philosophies-inPractice. In T. Anderson (Ed.), the Theory and Practice of Online Learning (pp. 91-118).
Retrieved from http://www.aupress.ca/books/120146/ebook/99Z_Anderson_2008Theory_and_Practice_of_Online_Learning.pdf