How Instructional Technology Has Evolved Into What Is Defined As 21st Technology?

Instructional technology: instructional guidelines and training materials for technologies such as hardware devices and software applications (Blau & Peled, 2012).

Vital Paths is the title of the second chapter in Nicolas G. Carr's book, The Shallows. This chapter continues Carr's argument, posed in chapter one, in highlighting the dangers of the internet, regarding our cognitive abilities. Specifically on format, this chapter argues for our brains neurological flexibility through an array of examples, ranging from historical observations to scientific experiments, and ends cautioning that with malleability negative neurological effects are plausible.

“We are always in a perpetual state of being created and creating ourselves (Siegel, 221)”. The brain is a product of its ever-changing environment. As certain linkages between its regions are used more or less frequently, their relative strength fluctuates. Many times, cultural shifts, such as the current transition from a print culture to a digital culture, cause the largest effect on the connections within the brain. Because of the overabundance and simplicity of information on the internet, the brain is becoming more impatient and losing its ability to focus and interact at a deep level. As a result, humans must rely increasingly on the internet.

The instructional setting is an elementary school located in a middle class neighborhood. Technological information will be presented to an audience of educators, administrators, specialist, and instructional aids.

With new technological advancements occurring more rapidly each year, it is no surprise that there is an extensive conversation about how these new progressions impact the brain’s development and cognition. One trend is evident: there is a universal acknowledgment that technology is indeed changing the way we think. Among the members contributing to this conversation, two strikingly different outlooks on how these changes will affect the future exist. Either we should be terrified, or worrying is premature. Articles written by experts specializing in psychology and the brain, such as Pinker’s “Mind Over Mass Media,” as well as "How Has the Internet Reshaped Human Cognition?" by Kee and Loh, as well as and finally “Children, Wired- for

With the explosion of technological advances in the 21st century comes the increased need for the incorporation of technology in the educational field. The classrooms in America can all benefit from the use of technology to increase the understanding of academic content whether in the general education or special education setting.

In the past, curriculums ranged everywhere from children need to be taught everything to children learn totally on their own. There are many different theories out there about the best ways to teach. With the advancements of technology, scientists can now explore how the brain actually learns, grows, and responds. This new information is changing the approach to teaching in many schools around the world.

When the Internet was first put into use, there was a wide-spread belief that it would be a great tool in the classroom to aid students with websites like

Education is among the sectors that have benefited the most from the advent of modern technology, and especially information and communication technology (ICT). Traditional education systems faced many challenges and huge limitations at delivery, in practice, and in application. Tools of education such as chalk, blackboard, books, classrooms, laboratory items, and so on, were mostly manual and cumbersome. Even the structure of the traditional literature content, and pedagogy was a challenge to both the teacher and the learner.

Education is vital to the strength and economic prosperity of a nation. As society has changed over time, so has the way our education system has changed as well as the way we are educated. The advancements that have been made in our educational systems are important to the development and economic growth of our country. The role of education in America has changed and has developed greatly from the past to the present. So, how has the importance of education changed over time?

Neuroscience is critical to the future of research. After all, Dr. Penfield did say, “the problem of neurology is man himself”. Since the birth of cognitive neuroscience in 1861, scientists have been searching for the “hows” - how do we process sensory information, how does language form, how do we move? New technological developments such as AI and machine learning are now allowing neuroscientists to focus on the processes behind cognition and accelerating our understanding of the pathways of the brain, which I find fascinating.

Today’s education differs much from the education fifty years ago. One of the reasons they are so different is because of technology. In the past fifty years the world of technology has grown tremendously, affecting everything, including education. A few things that have been brought into the world of education are computers, video and digital equipment such as DVDs, digital cameras and recording devices. The technology also includes information presentation technologies which includes the Smart Board, and different interactive whiteboards. There are many more that schools did not have fifty years ago.

The education system around the world has progressed and changed in a plentiful amount of ways, and the concept of knowledge and learning has changed in modern day. For example, certain schools around the globe are moving on to implementing technology in classrooms because it provides many benefits and statistical research that states how students are improving their academic readiness because of the instant access to information, a greater engagement and interactive process in learning, and the personalization that instructors can do towards the educational experience that students receive. The benefits of technology in class can be rather debatable, for there are people who think it's a distraction, but it certainly seems to be beneficial according to the increase of passing percentages in schools.

The modern brain, the authors argue, is forced by increasing use of digital materials into a

Across the U.S., technology used in education has been increasing exponentially. Every learning institution ranging from elementary school to college have incorporated technology into their teachings. Online textbooks, quizzes, notes, and classes are all examples of how education has been utilizing technology. While technology has a place in education, not everything in education needs to involve technology.