My Educational Philosophy
My
philosophies on teaching, learning, and assessment have been established,
developed, changed, evaluated, thrown out completely, reevaluated, agreed upon,
accepted, questioned, wrestled with, and put into words throughout my college
career, graduate school career, and teaching career. I am certain that my views
and practices will continue to change as educational theories and studies
evolve. That being said, my philosophies are malleable and will continue to change
with experience. I am constantly challenging
my current beliefs as I further formulate my personal career goals– I refuse to
simply go through the motions.
I knew that after graduating from college, my options were limitless as to which path I would take, but the aspect of my life that excited me the most was my ability to pursue my lifelong goal of becoming a teacher. Each year, greater numbers of individuals are graduating and entering the teaching profession. After years of study, combined with my experience, my lifestyle, and my personality, I have been able to implement a unique and engaging philosophy in my classroom. With my educational background and my teaching experience, I am confident in my ability to differentiate instruction, teach to a variety of learning styles, manage a classroom, integrate technology into the curriculum, and fulfill all of the duties that are a part of a teacher’s job.
My graduate school education has truly changed many of my teaching strategies and practices. Being a part of the Technology in Education program at National Louis University has led me to explore the impact that technology has in the classroom. I am a strong advocate of teaching meaningful and engaging lessons, while being able to fully incorporate different levels of technology. “Emerging technologies are leading to the development of many new opportunities to guide and enhance learning that were unimagined even a few years ago.” (Bransford, 2000, p. 4). When I first began my teaching career, my school had a very limited amount of technology and the technology that was available was very much underutilized. Now, only three years later, the school has made significant changes and continues on this path to more technology integration overall.
The TIE program at National Louis University has made me reflect on my teaching practices and change them to better suit the needs of my students. This past year I have begun to reflect specifically on the ways I use technology in my classroom in order to facilitate teaching and learning. Although it takes time and effort, I have been successful at integrating technology and using the resources that my school has to offer. I am now able to use technology as a way to promote meaningful learning of necessary skills and concepts. In the book, “Meaningful Learning Using Technology,” Ashburn and Floden describe ways teachers can create, plan, and implement technology-rich lessons that encourage meaningful learning. It is stated:
In order to teach for meaningful learning using technology (MLT), teachers must understand what makes learning experiences meaningful, know how to construct and implement these kinds of learning tasks and to assess students’ progress on them, and have skill in using technology in ways that support this kind of teaching and learning. (Ashburn and Floden, p. 25).
As each semester passes, I feel more confident in my ability to utilize the technology at my school and support my fellow teachers who also desire a new and trending approach to the classroom.
My philosophy of education is student focused. I believe the most important aspect of teaching is the focus on each student’s individual needs. While in college, I had the opportunity to read Howard Gardner’s book, “Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences.” The information in this book opened my eyes to the fact that individuals learn differently and how it is important to teach to a variety of learning styles. In his book, Gardner (1993) states,
In the heyday of the psychometric and behaviorist eras, it was generally believed that intelligence was a single entity that was inherited; and that human beings – initially a blank slate – could be trained to learn anything, provided that it was presented in an appropriate way. Nowadays an increasing number of researchers believe precisely the opposite; that there exists a multitude of intelligences, quite independent of each other; that each intelligence has its own strengths and constraints; that the mind is far from unencumbered at birth; and that it is unexpectedly difficult to teach things that go against early ‘naive’ theories of that challenge the natural lines of force within an intelligence and its matching domains. (p. xxiii).
Children learn in individualized ways – whether through kinesthetic activities, verbalization, auditory means, or a combination of learning styles. Identifying and understanding varying learning styles will help me, as a teacher, manage the classroom, encourage learning, and take necessary steps to educate every student. I am able to take Gardner’s ideas and studies and use them to better educate all of the students in my class by differentiating learning and using various ways to teach concepts and ideas. Teachers need to recognize the individual differences and be open and willing to not only learn more about him or her, but adapt in order to help him or her learn. I, as teacher, will take this valuable information and provide the best instruction possible.
Teaching elementary students is a learning experience. Each day, children open my eyes to new ideas, lessons, strategies, and information that I integrate into my classroom. I will continue to learn and modify my approach to teaching. Our world is an ever-changing place and I will be open to new technologies, strategies, and practices that evolve over the years. As a teacher, I allow for open communication in the classroom between the students and myself as well as among the students. Students’ own experiences, stories, and ideas allow for more opportunities to work together, learn from each other, and respect each others’ differences. I look for the strengths and needs in my students and work from those. After identifying these, I build upon the strengths and help ensure any needs are evaluated, monitored, and nurtured. The interests of the students should be taken into consideration and become part of the curriculum in a creative way. Whether it be through hands-on activities, themed lessons, technology integration, or field trips, the most meaningful learning takes place when the students are motivated and interested in what they are learning.
My eclectic philosophy of teaching, learning, and assessment – from interactive student-to-teacher and student-to-student relations – is something that I will value each and every day of my teaching career. My philosophy has been shaped by my experiences as a student and the experiences I have encountered as a teacher. As I conclude my graduate work in the Technology of Education Master’s program, I feel even more confident as a teacher. I have learned so much and will continue to learn and grow with the changing world. My philosophy will never be complete and I will continue to gain knowledge that will positively impact my teaching career. As a professional, I want to be responsible and respectful of those around me. I want to stay current on what is occurring around me whether it be national, local, or within my school community. As a teacher, I will be open to change. I want to make an impact on my students, faculty, parents, and school administration. I plan to not only teach my students subject material but offer them advice for the future, motivate them to be successful, and prepare them to be role models. My goal is to be an effective teacher in more ways than one. The elementary years are a crucial time for all students and I want to be the teacher they look back on and remember as being a positive role model.
References
Ashburn, E. A., & Floden, R. E. (Eds.). (2006). Meaningful learning using technology: What
educators need to know and do. New York: Teachers College Press.
Bransford, J. (2000). How people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school. Washington, DC:
National Academy Press.
Gardner, H. (1993). Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences. New York: Basic
Books.
I knew that after graduating from college, my options were limitless as to which path I would take, but the aspect of my life that excited me the most was my ability to pursue my lifelong goal of becoming a teacher. Each year, greater numbers of individuals are graduating and entering the teaching profession. After years of study, combined with my experience, my lifestyle, and my personality, I have been able to implement a unique and engaging philosophy in my classroom. With my educational background and my teaching experience, I am confident in my ability to differentiate instruction, teach to a variety of learning styles, manage a classroom, integrate technology into the curriculum, and fulfill all of the duties that are a part of a teacher’s job.
My graduate school education has truly changed many of my teaching strategies and practices. Being a part of the Technology in Education program at National Louis University has led me to explore the impact that technology has in the classroom. I am a strong advocate of teaching meaningful and engaging lessons, while being able to fully incorporate different levels of technology. “Emerging technologies are leading to the development of many new opportunities to guide and enhance learning that were unimagined even a few years ago.” (Bransford, 2000, p. 4). When I first began my teaching career, my school had a very limited amount of technology and the technology that was available was very much underutilized. Now, only three years later, the school has made significant changes and continues on this path to more technology integration overall.
The TIE program at National Louis University has made me reflect on my teaching practices and change them to better suit the needs of my students. This past year I have begun to reflect specifically on the ways I use technology in my classroom in order to facilitate teaching and learning. Although it takes time and effort, I have been successful at integrating technology and using the resources that my school has to offer. I am now able to use technology as a way to promote meaningful learning of necessary skills and concepts. In the book, “Meaningful Learning Using Technology,” Ashburn and Floden describe ways teachers can create, plan, and implement technology-rich lessons that encourage meaningful learning. It is stated:
In order to teach for meaningful learning using technology (MLT), teachers must understand what makes learning experiences meaningful, know how to construct and implement these kinds of learning tasks and to assess students’ progress on them, and have skill in using technology in ways that support this kind of teaching and learning. (Ashburn and Floden, p. 25).
As each semester passes, I feel more confident in my ability to utilize the technology at my school and support my fellow teachers who also desire a new and trending approach to the classroom.
My philosophy of education is student focused. I believe the most important aspect of teaching is the focus on each student’s individual needs. While in college, I had the opportunity to read Howard Gardner’s book, “Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences.” The information in this book opened my eyes to the fact that individuals learn differently and how it is important to teach to a variety of learning styles. In his book, Gardner (1993) states,
In the heyday of the psychometric and behaviorist eras, it was generally believed that intelligence was a single entity that was inherited; and that human beings – initially a blank slate – could be trained to learn anything, provided that it was presented in an appropriate way. Nowadays an increasing number of researchers believe precisely the opposite; that there exists a multitude of intelligences, quite independent of each other; that each intelligence has its own strengths and constraints; that the mind is far from unencumbered at birth; and that it is unexpectedly difficult to teach things that go against early ‘naive’ theories of that challenge the natural lines of force within an intelligence and its matching domains. (p. xxiii).
Children learn in individualized ways – whether through kinesthetic activities, verbalization, auditory means, or a combination of learning styles. Identifying and understanding varying learning styles will help me, as a teacher, manage the classroom, encourage learning, and take necessary steps to educate every student. I am able to take Gardner’s ideas and studies and use them to better educate all of the students in my class by differentiating learning and using various ways to teach concepts and ideas. Teachers need to recognize the individual differences and be open and willing to not only learn more about him or her, but adapt in order to help him or her learn. I, as teacher, will take this valuable information and provide the best instruction possible.
Teaching elementary students is a learning experience. Each day, children open my eyes to new ideas, lessons, strategies, and information that I integrate into my classroom. I will continue to learn and modify my approach to teaching. Our world is an ever-changing place and I will be open to new technologies, strategies, and practices that evolve over the years. As a teacher, I allow for open communication in the classroom between the students and myself as well as among the students. Students’ own experiences, stories, and ideas allow for more opportunities to work together, learn from each other, and respect each others’ differences. I look for the strengths and needs in my students and work from those. After identifying these, I build upon the strengths and help ensure any needs are evaluated, monitored, and nurtured. The interests of the students should be taken into consideration and become part of the curriculum in a creative way. Whether it be through hands-on activities, themed lessons, technology integration, or field trips, the most meaningful learning takes place when the students are motivated and interested in what they are learning.
My eclectic philosophy of teaching, learning, and assessment – from interactive student-to-teacher and student-to-student relations – is something that I will value each and every day of my teaching career. My philosophy has been shaped by my experiences as a student and the experiences I have encountered as a teacher. As I conclude my graduate work in the Technology of Education Master’s program, I feel even more confident as a teacher. I have learned so much and will continue to learn and grow with the changing world. My philosophy will never be complete and I will continue to gain knowledge that will positively impact my teaching career. As a professional, I want to be responsible and respectful of those around me. I want to stay current on what is occurring around me whether it be national, local, or within my school community. As a teacher, I will be open to change. I want to make an impact on my students, faculty, parents, and school administration. I plan to not only teach my students subject material but offer them advice for the future, motivate them to be successful, and prepare them to be role models. My goal is to be an effective teacher in more ways than one. The elementary years are a crucial time for all students and I want to be the teacher they look back on and remember as being a positive role model.
References
Ashburn, E. A., & Floden, R. E. (Eds.). (2006). Meaningful learning using technology: What
educators need to know and do. New York: Teachers College Press.
Bransford, J. (2000). How people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school. Washington, DC:
National Academy Press.
Gardner, H. (1993). Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences. New York: Basic
Books.