ICT use: My experience as a student

As I have not done my internship period this year, I am going to base this report on my experience as a student, and how ICT has being used in the different centers I´ve studied in. 

ICT (information and communications technology) is an umbrella term that includes any communication device or application, including: radio, television, cellular phones, computer and network hardware and software, satellite systems and so on, as well as the various services and applications associated with them, such as videoconferencing. Regarding to education, worldwide research has shown that ICT can lead to improved student learning and better teaching methods. It has different advantages: through ICT, images can easily be used in teaching and improving the retentive memory of students; teachers can easily explain complex instructions and ensure student´s comprehension; and teachers are able to create interactive classes and make the lessons more enjoyable, which could improve student attendance and concentration.

In my personal experience, the use os ICT was nearly inexistent in my Primary Education period (2001- 2007). During the firsts years of primary,  I remember that the lessons and the methodology of the teachers followed a very traditional approach of education. They based all their teaching practice on text books and in general,  students had a very passive role in their learning. Classrooms had no computers, neither projectors, and we just went once a month to the computer´s room, where we had to share computers in pairs and we use to do some exercises and games. 

When I reached the third cycle of primary, I remember the use of ICT having more presence than before, although it was very poor yet. We used to go more often to the computer´s room, and we even did some projects in which we recorded us with video cameras. 

Some reasons for this lack of use of ICT on my primary period were that, as a public school, it may not had the economic resources for including more technologies in the classrooms. In addition, we have to take into account that it was more than a decade ago, and technologies for education were not as developed and generalized as they are nowadays. 

When I changed to high school for my secondary education period, I could notice more presence of ICT: most of the classrooms had a projector and there was an audiovisual room and two computer´s room that we used very often. However, the methodology was still very traditional and the teachers didn´t had a high level of digital competence, so they didn´t know how to include the ICTs on their teaching practice on an efficient way.

I remember one english teacher that was very aware of the importance of teaching us on the use of new technologies. Thanks to him, we learnt how to use a Virtual Learning Platform (moodle). We also learned the basic aspects of video edition creation programs, and we used one blog. However, this teacher was the exception, and during all my secondary education period the only new technologies that I used were really basic, such as the use of Power Point presentations, or Microsoft word. 

It has not been until i´ve started the university that i have felt the necessity to incorporate new technologies on my every-day student practice. Here in university, and specially in my degree, the presence of ICT is notorious, and students need to know how to use technologies to pass the different subjects. For me it supposed a big change on my way of studying, but a very interesting and motivating approach to learning. 

Now i´ve realized the importance of ICTs in education. I feel that as a future teacher, I have the necessity to develop my digital competence, learning and exploring about the infinite possibilities that ICTs and the internet provide us for improving the teaching practices and ensuring a good education for our students, so they develop the necessary skills to face the technological world they are going to live in.