Educational Technology
Philosophy
Teachers are very important because they are the cornerstone
to all past, present, and future careers. Teachers are also lifetime learners.
As the world of education continues to change so must the teachers. By staying up to date on research in education
and technology teachers have a greater ability to educate students in the world
we currently live in and help them to have the valuable tools needed for
success.
I follow viewpoints
from the Constructivist philosophy. Learners should be active in the learning
process. Students should be engaged in developmentally
appropriate practices which consist of educating the "whole" child:
emotionally, intellectually, physically, and socially. Hands-on activities and allow the students to
solve problems, think critically, and learn by trial and error. Teaching should
start the minute the teacher walks into the classroom. The classroom is an
environment the children should feel safe and comfortable in at all times. Teachers should provide a cooperative, collaborative,
and supportive classroom environment for their students.
I believe the world is constantly changing and
education must change along with it. Society constantly changes and education
must keep up with the change to help each student in society succeed. We live
in a very diverse society and students should be taught in a way to embrace
diversity. There are also many diverse
learning styles and as a teacher it is my duty to my students to recognize the
different learning styles and accommodate those into my instruction to give
each student the same opportunity for success. Everyone should learn in the
classroom, the students learn from the teacher, and the teacher also learns
from the students.
Learners should be active in the learning
process. Students should be engaged in developmentally
appropriate practices which consist of educating the "whole" child:
emotionally, intellectually, physically, and socially. Hands-on activities and allow the students to
solve problems, think critically, and learn by trial and error. Teaching should
start the minute the teacher walks into the classroom. The classroom is an
environment the children should feel safe and comfortable in at all times. Teachers should provide a cooperative,
collaborative, and supportive classroom environment for their students.
Technology is growing at a rapid rate and will
only continue to grow in the future. I believe that every student should have
the opportunity to incorporate technology into their learning. Technology can
provide a fun learning experience and has the potential to keep the students
engaged. Instead of just lecturing about the Declaration of Independence, the students can explore the National
Archives website and have the ability to see the document. The possibilities
that technology can provide in the classroom are endless. Education and technology should go
hand-in-hand because the future of the students is a world surrounded by
technology.
Educational Technology Reflection
Having my Educational Technology philosophy
written down will help me to stay focused on my goals. It will also serve for
me to see the growth I have over time as an educator. My philosophy will also inform others whether
it is a school administrator or a parent, of my beliefs and my approach as a
teacher. I feel it is very important to have and modify when necessary because
it will help keep my focus on what I view that is most important to me as an
instructor.
Blogging Potential
I believe there are
many potential uses for blogging. Personal expression is the original purpose for
blogs but there are many other uses for them today. Students can use blogs to
create class book reviews and recommend books for their peers. Blogs can be used
for peers to communicate about content they are learning to help deepen their
understanding. Teachers and students can communicate through blogs about
assignments or any content that is desired. Maintaining a blog takes dedication
and a love for writing and sharing ones thoughts with others.
Educational blogging
can be used as a very powerful tool. I believe that educational blogging is
very slowly reaching the po
November's Article, Creating a Culture for Teaching and Learning
The Alan November article on “Creating a New Culture of Teaching and Learning” had very interesting points. I feel every point made in the article was very concrete. The one that stood out to me the most is having the ability to know what is a truth or a lie on the internet. The example November gave the readers is a tenured engineering professor, on Northwestern University website who describes the holocaust as a legend that has been supported by historians. The teen reading this information accepted it as the truth. Educators should all stress that just because it is on the internet does not make it true. November stated, “In every subject there ought to be a standard exercise of presenting students with different versions of the truth and asking them if they know how to discriminate among them because students now have access to more information than everyone in this room can possibly imagine.” I believe that to be very sound advice which I will use in my classroom. Anyone can post things on the internet and publish it globally and students need to learn the skills to find out if it is from a reliable source.
Expectations
My expectations for this class are to learn how different technologies can be used in the classroom. I enjoy using technology and because of the rapid rate in which it grows I want to try to catch up with it. With the inclusion in the classroom and all the diverse learning styles we now know of, I want to have as many tools as possible for my students and I feel that using technology will benefit everyone.
