David R. Zemmels
"In theory, theory and practice are the same. In practice, they are not."
-Lawrence Peter (Yogi) Berra
| Educational Technology | Communication & Visual Culture | Arts & Technology Administration |
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Educational Technology Experience
Educational Technology is perhaps best defined as:
"a complex, integrated process involving people, procedures, ideas, devices, and organization, for analyzing problems, and devising, implementing, evaluating and managing solutions to those problems, involved in all aspects of human learning." (1)
Throughout my career, I have explored nearly every aspect of technology in its application to teaching and learning in a variety of educational environments. At this point in my career, the most valuable contribution to higher education I can make may be in the interdisciplinary arena of educational technology. If one where to draw a Venn diagram of the diverse experiences and backgrounds on my resume, the logical relationships between the sets converge on contemporary educational technology issues in higher education.
What follows are resume items as they relate to professional educational technology:
- As Assistant Dean for Technology, my primary responsibility is to promote, encourage, and support the use of digital technology through leadership in and coordination of technology assistance to faculty, staff, and students in the College of Fine Arts at the University of Utah.
- I have participated in many projects to design computer classrooms and labs for student and faculty interaction.
- I have developed technology-based curriculum for both student and teacher training in collaboration with and between many organizations at the University of Utah including the College of Fine Arts, College of Engineering, and Continuing Education.
- I consult with other universities and educational organizations about technology curriculum development, faculty technology training, and supporting facilities and staff.
- I have in-depth first-hand experience with current learning technologies such as streaming video and audio (both real-time and asynchronous), NL video production, podcasting, WebCT/ Blackboard, web design and production, interactive media design and production, and others.
- The topic of my academic research focuses on teens and their media and communication consumption, production, and distribution. I am particularly interested in its relationship to pedagogy in the 21st Century. There are decades of research on the topic of youth and media, but what has fundamentally changed is youth are now producers of media, as well as consumers. Their relationship to media is no longer just passive consumption, it is active production as well.
(1)=Retrieved from http://www.neiu.edu/~dbehrlic/hrd408/glossary.htm on Dec. 8, 2007.