Instructional Technology Professional Organizations

There are four main organizations, and I got all this information from their websites.

ISLS (International Society of the Learning Sciences)

http://www.isls.org/index.html

This organization focus on “a professional society dedicated to the interdisciplinary empirical investigation of learning as it exists in real-world settings and how learning may be facilitated both with and without technology.”

The mission of ISLS is based on “how learning and collaboration is enabled by knowledge, tools and networks, and multiple contexts of experience and layers of social structures.”

This organization serves: “The society is widely interdisciplinary and includes members from six continents, providing opportunities for collegial interaction across national boundaries in this field. ISLS brings together individuals who self-identify with disciplines including anthropology; artificial intelligence; cognitive science; computer science; educational sciences; information sciences; linguistics (particularly sociolinguistics and computational linguistics); neurosciences; organizational science and systems science; philosophy; psychology (particularly educational, developmental, and social); sociology and other fields.”

They have two main conferences: 

-  ICLS

-  CSCL

They have two journals:

-  Journal of the Learning Sciences

-  International Journal of Computer Supported Collaborative Learning

AACE (Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education)

http://www.aace.org/

 

AACE main focus is “AACE serves the profession with international conferences, high quality publications, leading-edge Digital Library, Career Center, and other opportunities for professional growth.”

Its mission is:  “The Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE), founded in 1981, is an international, not-for-profit, educational organization with the mission of advancing Information Technology in Education and E-Learning research, development, learning, and its practical application."

They serves “Its members, conference participants, and journal readers include researchers, developers, professors, trainers, administrators, directors, evaluators, graduate students, policy decision-makers, trainers, adult educators, practitioners, and other specialists in education, industry, and government with an interest in advancing knowledge and learning with Information Technology in Education and E-Learning."

They have large conferences:

-  Edmedia

-  E-Learn

-  Global Learn

-  Global TIME

-  Global SITE

Their publications are:

-  International Journal on E-Learning

-  Journal of Computers in Mathematics and Science Teaching

-  Journal of Interactive Learning Research

-  Journal of Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia

-  Journal of Technology and Teacher Education

AECT (Association for educational communications and technology)

http://aect.site-ym.com/ 

The Association for educational communications and technology focus is “providing an international exchange and dissemination of ideas for its members and for target audience; it is the national and international spokesperson for the improvement of instruction; and, it is the most recognized association of information concerning a wide range of instructional and educational technology.”

Their mission is: "The goal of AECT is to facilitate humane learning through the systematic development, utilization, and management of learning resources, which include people, processes, and media in educational settings.” 

 

This organization serves “thousands of educators and others whose activities are directed toward improving instruction through technology.” 

The AECT has one conference:

-  ICEM

They have four journals:

-  Educational Technology Research and Development

-  TechTrends

-  International Journal of Designs for Learning

-  Journal of Applied Instructional Design

ISTE (International society for technology in education)

https://www.iste.org/

 

The focus of “ISTE is globally recognized as the premier partner in advancing educational excellence through innovative learning, teaching, and leadership. We are a diverse worldwide community of educational leaders actively creating a world in which all learners can achieve their creative and intellectual potential.”

The mission is “ISTE advances excellence in learning and teaching through innovative and effective uses of technology.” 

This organization serves:  “ISTE membership is a powerful and meaningful way for educators to connect with peers, to gather in a variety of forums to share the challenges and excitement of teaching, and to be part of a community that leads the transformation of education.”

 

ISTE has two conferences:

-  ISTE 2012- San Antonio June 23-26

-  ISTE leadership Conference

They have four journals:

-  Learning and Leading with Technology

-  Journal of Digital Learning in Teacher Education

-  Journal for Computing Teachers

-  Journal of Research on Technology Education

The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE)

The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) is the premier membership association for educators and education leaders engaged in improving learning and teaching by advancing the effective use of technology in PK–12 and teacher education.

ISTE has more than 100,000 members in education leaders and emerging leaders from all around the world and it also updates its members about didactic topics of national and international constraint.

The members of ISTE come from all kind of sources, including:  18,500 members from more than 80 countries worldwide, 80 affiliate organizations, 6 affiliate regions worldwide, 60 global corporations.

The International Society for Technology in Education is a membership is a influential and significant method for educationalists to unite with peers, to get together in a forum to share their experiences, to gather in a variety of forums to share the tasks, challenges and enjoyment of instruction, and here they are part of a great community to help change education.

The ISTE has been an organization responsible for the guidelines in education technology standards. They have diagrams based on these standards in teachers’ own work, such as the one below.

The ISTE website is an excellent source of materials, learning experiences, and more, but you need to become a member to have access to a lot of resources ($92 for standard educators membership, $59 for retired educators). Among other things, membership offers:

• Webinars from many of today’s top Ed Tech professionals
• A Career Center (find or post jobs)
• Access to Special Interest Groups
• Discounted Publications – Books, Periodicals, and more.
• Discounted attendance at their Annual Conference (the 2010 conference is June 27-30 in Denver).

The ISTE has yearly conferences, this is a way to be face-to-face and learn, exchange and communicate in the education technology field.  The next conference will take place in San Antonio, Texas on June 23-26, 2013.

At this time, the International Society for Technology in Education is leading a petition drive that it hopes will convince Congress to devote some sort of support toward educational technology professional development across all teachers.  The petition, which has public endorsement from U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash.), and U.S. Representatives Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-Calif.), Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.), and George Miller (D-Calif.), aims to help PD programs that have struggled to survive since the Enhancing Education Through Technology federal program, or EETT, was defunded in April of 2011.  In the meantime, professional development remains a high profile issue within the ed-tech community.

Challenging the Assumptions of Traditional ID

For the first week of October I have comment on the following readings:

1.   -       Chapter 2 – “What is Instructional Design?” by Kent Gustafson and Robert Branch from the University of Georgia.  This reading explains the definition of Instructional Design and the main features of Instructional Design Process.  ID is a systematic process that is employed to develop education and training programs. 

2.      

       -   “A Recursive, Reflective Instructional Design Model Based on Constructivist-Interpretivist Theory” by Jerry Willis.  I find this article a bit more complicated to read, but it talks about the different theories and many aspects of behavioral ID models.  Explains that even though there are many instructional design models, but the majority of them come from the behavioral, objectivist-rational tradition rather that the constructivist-interpretivist tradition. 

3.      

       -   “The Maturing of Constructivist Instructional Design:  Some Basic Principles that can Guide Practice” by Jerry Willis.  This is basically a continuation of the article in point two.  It explains some more ID models and gives three Flexible Guidelines to ID:  A) Recursive (iterative), non-linear Design – most ID models are assumed that linear approach is best.  B) Many ID models were designed to do the steps in order, but are not an absolute requirement.  C) Participatory Design – a new approach towards computer systems design in which the people destined to use the system play a critical role in designing it”.

4.      

       -   “Translating Constructivism into Instructional Design:  Potential and Limitation” by Yiasemina Karagiorgi and Loizos Symeou.  This article talks about how fast instructional design is changing and focuses in “constructivism” which is the theory most use during the last decade.  This theory has its roots in philosophy, psychology and cybernetics and pretends to describe how people know the world.