I love technology . . . . Always and Forever.

Shawn Atwood
Foundations of Instructional Design

“I love technology . . . Always and Forever”

I hope you are all having a blast over fall break! The question: “What is an instructional designer and what is technology is on my mind during this break. So, allow me to venture to answer these questions by way of personal experience and additional thoughts.
First, I do not believe that there is one single tool that transforms a teacher into a master teacher. I have learned as a teacher that all of the teachers that are on my faculty have strengths and weaknesses, but they are still great teachers. Sometimes I have tried to take a teaching idea that I have seen work great, and it has flopped for me, even though I have done the exact same thing. Therefore, the same tools, methods of teaching, and teaching styles do not and should not work for everybody. A teacher just needs to be themselves and use their own style. Every class is different though so an instructional designer is one who is flexible in their teaching.
Secondly, an instructional designer needs to be creative in his/her approaches. Often times, teachers are under the assumption that they have to have great technology in order to be an effective teacher. That simply is not the case. Technology perhaps just may be a form of variety for the students and for their enjoyment as well. Instruction can still go on. A teacher needs to always remember to not let the "how" of teaching overshadow the "what." This challenge may just open the window of creativity for the teachers in that situation.
Last of all, there has to be a reason behind why you are choosing that method of technology. Is it just so it can be used in class, or does it really serve a purpose and what is that purpose? Also, an instructional designer has to make the lesson/technology being used “there own” so that it fits their teaching style.