So, what do you do? Wait, what is that?

So, what do you do?
This used to be so easy to answer. For the last few years my answer was simple, "I am a teacher." Of course that prompted the standard follow-up question, "Oh, what grade do you teach?" And then my favorite part...the shocked look on the person's face when I said that I taught high school English and that yes, I loved it. I have to admit, it was pretty easy to keep the conversation going for a while with the interesting stories of my kids and the trials and tribulations of teenage life: the laughs, the tears, and the enormous amount of fights (many which I have personally broken up). Now, it has become increasingly more difficult to answer that question.
Last weekend, my friend and I went to a local bar. As it is customary for men trying to start a conversation with a woman, the two that eased their way into sitting at our table asked, "So, what do you do?" Nervously I answered, "I am PhD student at LSU." Follow up: "What are you studying?" I took a deep breath and loudly declared, "Educational Technology." And then, as if I was in some Bill Murray film reliving the same thing over and over again, I heard the all too familiar words being muttered from the guy's mouth as if he was genuinely interested, "Wait, what is that?" I took a deep breath and for the next ten to fifteen minutes I tried to explain the many facets of the field. When I saw the guy's eyes wandering around trying to find his next prey, I ended the torture and decided that I wasn't really too sure about anything I was saying.
Chapter 1 of Reiser and Dempsey attempts to define and name the field, describing the various definitions and changes that have occured through the years. Although, their personal definition of Instructional design and technology is lengthy one, they do a good job of trying to incorporate all of the elements...even though it seems like one big run-on sentence! The chapter did help me to focus on the most important aspects: analysis, design, development, implementation, and management. One key part of the definition was that they mentioned that through the field professionals intend to improve learning. It reveals the ultimate goal and of course that is one of the major reasons that I am so passionate about the field. I believe in its ability to improve learning and facilitate learning in a better way.
There is no doubt in my mind that this definition will continue to change as advancements continue to be made. However, reciting Reiser and Depsey's definition or even the AECT definition is not going to help me get a date anytime soon. I think I will have to come up with my own definition...not one that I expect to be published, but one in layman's terms that includes the major elements, but also focusses on my specific interests within the field. I'll save the history lesson for date five and learning theory for date nine.