Technology, by definition, is the application of knowledge for a practical purpose. According to national science teaching association (NSTA), technology is the modification of the natural world to meet human needs and desire. In the pedagogical realm, technology could be any tool used to facilitate teaching in any modality. Hence, technology is not a goal in its own right; rather, it is a mean to fulfill learning goals. The instructor should determine content knowledge (what will be taught), pedagogical knowledge (how this material will be taught), and technological knowledge (the tool to support the content and teaching methods). This is collectively called TPACK (Technological Pedagogical Content knowledge). That term implies that choosing the adequate technological style is as important as determining the content.

Although technology denotes any tool that supports content delivery and assessment, over the past decades, it has become confined to digital tools. However, practically, a piece of paper and pencil are considered a technological way of teaching as long as they serve the learning objectives. As I mentioned earlier, technology should be determined based on the learning goals and course objectives. In that sense, instructors should align their choice of technological methods with desired goals, activities, and assessment; the same way backward design is conducted.

Educational technology includes learning management systems as D2L and google classroom along with assessment tools, such as iClickers and D2L quizzes. Pedagogical realm abounds with other technological tools that facilitate content delivery, whether in-person or virtual, e.g., PowerPoint, Zoom, Camtasia, etc. Not only does technology aim at supporting students' learning in the classroom, but it can also equip students with skills needed for future career. With all these innumerable technological approaches, however, instructors should be chary when choosing technology. Advanced and highly sophisticated technology could be itself a hurdle that impedes students' learning instead of enhancing it. 

In conclusion, we all have been witnessing the big leaps in instructional technological tools that have occured over the past three decades. With these ever-changing pedagogical tools, instructors encounter the daunting task of staying up to date with the technology and revising the intended learning goals before introducing a new technology.

The project is delineated here, but I want to allude to the use of Qualtrics for peer assessment. Qualtrics is a survey tool that is available through MSU without additional charge. Here is the link to the survey I created whereby students assessed each other in a collaborative problem-based activity. The project gave me the opportunity to learn how to create survey questions and incorporate them into Qulatrics. Above all, exporting and analyzing the data was simple on Qualtrics.

Technology is a way that could make learning more enjoyable, approachable, and accessible. In this vein, technology provides a multidimensional pedagogical experience regardless of its complexity or simplicity. Undoubtedly, the continuous evolution of technology has immensely benefited learning in K-12 arena and college education. That being said, technology is not the pivot of teaching. Rather, the choice of technology depends on the learning goals set in advance. 

When I designed a course syllabus in ISE 870, I included "creating concept maps" as one of the learning goals. In fact, concept maps help students retain information by connecting discrete pieces of information into one cohesive unit. To achieve this goal, I proposed using a software that generates concept maps efficiently. Accordingly, from all available softwares, I need to choose one. But which one? 

Therefore, the next determinant in choosing technology is my expertise level with this technology. To guide students effectively and address their questions with specific technology, I believe I should be highly skilled in using it. In my mentored teaching project, I investigated the impact of peer assessment on students' performance in a problem-based activity. Peer assessment was completed in the form of rubric-based survey. Thus, I used Qualtrics to create the survey. I had not used Qualtrics or any other survey tool before. To boost my confidence, I dedicated a month to self-training on Qualtrics by creating mock surveys. Thus, I was prepared for the project, and I could readily solve technical issues that arose during class. 

Another factor I will essentially consider in choosing technology is its accessibility. Hence, technological tools that are available through the institution are my top choice. They will be largely available for free, which will make learning experience sustainable. Furthermore, institutional technical support is likely available whenever it is needed. 

A collaborative culture among instructors, especially those who teach the same course, begets a fruitful pedagogy. Thence, I will prefer to use the same technology colleagues are using to achieve common learning goals. In doing so, I will avail from their expertise in using that tool. Additionally, that will minimize the amount of technology students need to tackle during class. Thus, students will be less distracted, less overwhelmed, and more focused on achieving the learning objectives. 

Undoubtedly, COVID-19 pandemic imposed uncanny changes to the educational system by pushing all instructors to virtual teaching. Instructors were prompted to navigate different ways to maintain group activities and monitor them, assess students’ performance, and create engaging environment remotely. That opened the gateway to other versatile technologies that could maintain teaching effectiveness as in-person. During the past three years, platforms like Zoom and Google Meet have become in the vanguard of synchronous virtual teaching. In particular, they introduced features that largely mimic in-person instruction and enliven learning environment, such as breakout rooms for students' discussions, whiteboards, and polls as an alternative for iClickers, etc. In addition, cloud office like Google slides and Google docs enable collaborative activities for students while the instructor monitors their progress. In this excerpt, I can by no means exhaust all the tools that were enlisted during COVID-19 pandemic. Broadly speaking, the pandemic engendered perennial changes to educational technology and displaced the notion of "students have to be in class to learn". In fact, MSU has started to equip classrooms with technology that allows for hybrid learning. As an instructor, I will tend to always keep the hybrid approach if the institution provides the resources. In that way, students who cannot come to class in-person (due to sickness or family commitment) are still able to attend without being deprived of their class. That definitely feeds toward creating a more inclusive climate in the classroom, which I will discuss in the next paragraph. Furthermore, learning how to create synchronous and asynchronous materials help to sustain flipped classroom approach, which I want to maintain in my discipline.

Educational technology can be geared towards creating an inclusive environment in the classroom. For example, I learned about CATME, which is a web-based tool to create effective and compatible teams based on some demographic information about students. That helps to enhance sense of belonging in students and increase their engagement. Furthermore, several softwares are available to record the lectures that are given in-person. In doing so, students will have access to the recorded lectures outside class time. I anticipate to teach a diverse group of students whose first language is not English. Making the recorded lecture accessible outside class will help them to revisit the information to ensure they understand the material and pinpoint areas that need further clarification. To further foster inclusive classroom, caption should be incorporated in recorded video lectures to ascertain equitable access to the information to all students. I want to emphasize that using technological tools that are available through the institution at no cost should be the first choice if possible to ensure all students have equal access to it. 

At the end, technology at disparate levels of intricacies might be needed for successful pedagogy. However, it is my role as an instructor to be wary in selecting the adequate tools in order not to overwhelm students. The key principle is to be wise and balanced in my choices and listen to students' feedback. I should continuously remind myself that the goal is not using the technology; rather, the "goal" is learning goals.