Philosophy 2nd draft Teaching has changed dramatically in the last fifty or sixty years.

There is no more paper and pencil and use of textbook as the only source of information in todays classrooms. Now, computers, ipads, smartphones, interactive boards and web tools help students to be curious, creative and apply knowledge in different contexts. The classroom environment is more dynamic. The learning process is not anymore teacher-centered, but student-centered. When students use technology as a tool or support for communicating, collaborating and creating with others, they are more in the active role rather than the passive role. Technology nowadays plays an important role in the education of students of the 21st century. Our world has become more digitized than 10 years ago. Classrooms have tried to become more dynamic and have also tried to meet the needs of our digital citizens. Those citizens now have access to blogs, social networks like Facebook and Twitter. They are always connected to the world looking for topics of interest. They love to share with real audiences and show their work in the global community. I have experienced that dramatic change in education in my own learning and professional experience. I have had to learn fast how to stop using paper and pencil to write essays and start using word processors instead. I have seen how blackboards have been taken out from classrooms to be replaced by interactive white boards. I have taken several online training classes instead of going to conferences. I have stopped using a tape recorder and start using audacity to record audio files. I could continue listing the different experiences I have had, but what it is really important is to recognize that we as adults have been walking the path of integration of technology in our educational and professional lives. Applying new technologies in the classroom has given me the opportunity to create a positive environment that engages learners in active, constructivist, authentic and cooperative learning. I have been adopting and adapting technology thinking of the impact that it has in the development of thinking and problem-solving skills. I have used interactive white- boards, Ipads, multimodal projects and other software tools. With those tools I have seen how my students get more involved and engaged in classroom projects and also how they really have access to information that I cannot do within a traditional direct instruction. I consider that students need to be creators and active learners. Technology supports the principle of learning by doing (process of knowledge construction), when the student understands how to apply knowledge in different context and situations, we as teachers can say that learning has been meaningful and is now stored in memory. For example, when one of my students can create independently a power point, a word web using a web 2.0 tool or a digital story using pictures or drawings I can definitely say that learning has been meaningful. In a technology- rich environment the role of instruction from the constructivist view is to show students how to construct knowledge, to promote collaboration with others, to be involved in authentic tasks or activities, and overall increase the levels of self-esteem and motivation. Motivation makes students work in a specific subject area. Students feel proud of what they have created using a computer or Ipad. They really want to receive feedback either from the computer or the teacher about how well s/he has done it in terms of accomplished goals.

I have learned that a technology- based instruction should support effective learning, which means, the lessons should use activities that are relevant, timed, interesting, and present information to students in formats that direct instruction cannot. Also, students have the ability to do things and take charge of their own learning, in other words learning is student-centered. In conclusion, my philosophy of educational technology includes independent learning, construction of knowledge and motivation. Those aspects provide opportunities for learning through curiosity and discovery. Also, I believe that technology transforms the learning environment and if used effectively it helps the teacher to differentiate instruction and meet students needs in a student-centered environment.