I just finished reading George Siemens' blog entry, "Pedagogy First? Whatever" and I it gave me a jolt.  Wow!  As an educator pedagogy has the status of an iconic god.  Not putting it first is to incurr the wrath of education professionals, the defenders of the faith (perhaps a bit extreme here but I think I made my point ). 

At times have wondered how practical some of the research literature is that I am reading in the MDDE program?  How does it make me a better teacher?  How practical is it?  Does it fit my context? 

Siemens argues that the decision to use technology in education should not be based upon a vague notion of sound pedagogy, which means different things to different people with different backgrounds.  It should be context first.  In the distance education setting, Siemens concludes:

Or consider teaching students in a remote location. How should we select technology? In my eyes, selection should be based on the funds available. The experience of the educator. The technology learners can already access. The intended outcomes of the program. And so on.

My one criticism centers around innovation within an organization?  I can see how this approach could stifle innovation within an organization.  I believe the context of the k-12 educational system (and in post-secondary) is responsible for holding back technological progress? On that note, I have to mention that my own school and school district has banned students from bringing personal electronic devices (cell phones, digital cameras and mp3 players mostly) to school.  I don't think anyone has thought about how we can use these devices to enhance learning.  Perhaps it does not fit their pedagogy.