Instructional Technology is changing the way we teach and learn.

Technology has been moving as a lightning fast pace since the turn of the century. A student who began college in 1998 might have indulged in computer labs to complete word processing and basic internet searches. Four years later that same student would be able to look up information on their smart phone and complete their application for their degree online.

In grade school, this change in technology is even more pronounced. My first year teaching high school in 2010, I had to write notes on a white board and wait for students to copy down information. We had to make backroom deals with copy clerks in order to print jobs at the last minute and students would sift through poorly organized backpacks in order to find crumbled worksheets and notebooks. Today each student has their own school-issued laptop with access to software that can correct their grammar and send notifications that their assignments are due. The students of today were handed cellphones and tablets to play with as toddlers and any information that they need is one Google search away.

While technology has changed the educational landscape by providing us with unprecedented access to resources, we have to keep up with those changes in order to meet the needs of the 21st century classroom and learner. Instructional Technology programs such as the one here at USF provides us with not only an understanding of the tools that can be used to create curriculum, but a thorough grasp of the pedagogical foundations of quality teaching and the psychology learning.

This portfolio will demonstrate my use of a variety of tools for instruction as well as my thorough understanding of the foundations of teaching and learning. My goals as an instructional designer is to use the technology to bridge the achievement that is caused by unequal access to resources. Technology has the power to transform communities by providing access to high quality instructional materials. It is my firm belief that with technology, quality instruction, and a passion for learning, we can bring every student to success, regardless of age, gender, disability, or socio-economic factors.

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