1. Why do we do school? (vision, place, where are you coming from)
� I chose teaching as a profession because I want to educate, motivate, and build life long learners.
2. How does the learning theory fit into your vision? (cognitivism)
� The learning theory fits into my vision because I know that my student�s environment plays a huge role in shaping who they are and how they learn. That�s one of the reason why I place so much emphasis on designing my classroom to be more student centered as oppose to the traditional drill and kill method.
3. Real World Experience-(example in learning theory)
� One great way to motivate and instill the appreciation of technology in the classroom is to use digital equipments to help build onto a lesson. For example, a teacher could let the students use a digital camera to take pictures of various geometric shapes in their surroundings. As an extension to the activity, the teacher could use the pictures as a slide show to either activate prior knowledge or just build some background knowledge for math. Either way, it will help the students visualize the shapes that are being discussed which help them contextualize the information.
My philosophy of education is similar to Vygotsky's theory of social learning. It not only puts the responsibility on the child but it also presents a challenge to all adults to be the best role models in education and life that they can possibly be. I believe that a child can succeed at anything if they are guided to place more emphasis on learning through social contexts. The ultimate purpose of education is to produce individuals who strive for excellence for themselves, their peers, and their community. The well-rounded individual is one whom the higher ideals of life have been instilled. In this way, students enter the rest of their lives with the valuable lesson that they too can make a difference in this world.
Since there are so many different types of learners within my classroom, I am constantly assessing my teaching to better adapt to my student�s needs. My first focus is creating an inviting and comfortable learning environment for my students. My physical classroom is set up in a more interactive and collective surrounding. The desks are clustered in groups to promote a friendly and social atmosphere. This type of work space is effective to maximize peer interaction, collaboration, and small group cooperation. Like the environment, my lesson plans and teaching styles are structured to promote and encourage student collaboration and group effort. Thus the classroom becomes a community of learning.
Social interaction in my class is top on my list, however reciprocal teaching is another effective strategy that I use on a daily basis. I have a daily routine that I use every morning to stimulate their enthusiasm for writing. The topic is usually selected by myself and it is chosen in such a way as to connect their background to a given focus. After they journal their ideas and feelings about the given prompt, we discuss the subject matter in an open forum. I usually ask for volunteers and once they have shared their viewpoints, the class would provide some constructive criticism. This is one form of reciprocal teaching because it allows for some dialogue between the students and myself. This two way communication becomes an instructional strategy because it encourages my students to go beyond answering questions but they must also engage in the discourse. Another way that I utilize reciprocal teaching is in math. My students are expected to master the higher level of reasoning in math by applying their problem solving skills. This strategy involves my students collaboratively exploring their math problems in small groups and then, sharing their different problem solving strategies in an open dialogue. This is a valuable strategy because it is a form of peer teaching and it helps them identify that there are multiple ways in solving problems.
My passion in life is teaching and with that, I hope to also integrate technology within the learning environment. Technology is an ever-changing field that can be seen by children as very complex and too intricate for them to learn. Since the use of technology is required by state standards, it is not only useful but also necessary to incorporate technology into every lesson. Both Microsoft PowerPoint and Excel are basic programs, which I will try to incorporate into my class on a weekly basis. PowerPoint is an excellent tool to help myself in reaching all the different learners in my classroom. It is beneficial because it is a great tool for visual and auditory learners, and it is better than solely lecturing. I find that it also guarantees that all of the students will be seeing the same thing, since many have different interpretations of what they perceive. With the lecture notes in front of them, they are able to pay attention to what is being said and therefore, ask questions that may come up without being distracted by note taking. Excel is a program that is helpful for all teachers because it can be utilized for both grade keeping and maintaining attendance records. It allows students to become familiar with a commonly used program used in the working world as well.
Hard copies of all technology information, including websites can be made for students that may have different abilities or for those students who do not have web access at home. Making sure that all students have access to school computers is imperative for digital equity. Prior to any time students will spend on the internet, I will first go over the safe and ethical rules that the school is implementing about proper computer usage. Along with incorporating technology in my every day class activities, I hope to have a website for parent and student access. This would keep communication lines open and provide easy access to class notes, current topics and assignments being covered in the class. The use of technology in my classroom will not only be a sporadic tool, but an integrated part of the classroom. I believe that students need to be aware of how technology is used to help them become productive and effective citizens of the community in the future. Lastly, I also think that technology lends a much needed helping hand to visual aids in our classrooms today.