Tuesday, July 18, 2017

My Philosophy - Collaboration and The Five Senses for Learning

July 18, 2017



My Education Philosophy (in a nutshell): 
            Wonder, work together, and figure it out.


To influence and shape the growth and development of a child is a significant responsibility. The impact, whether positive or negative, contributes to the long term growth and development of our democratic society as a whole. Educating children is to prepare them with the gifts of knowledge, creativity, and critical thinking skills so they may take on an active and informed role in a future, democratic, and global society.

All students can learn. Students enter school with different backgrounds, values, tendencies, disabilities, and group learning experiences, but all have the capacity to learn and achieve. Educators must strive to foster a growth mindset through a combination of self-guided exploration, interactive modeling and direct instruction. The Responsive Classroom approach to classroom management is one model that is effective in creating an optimal learning environment for students, because it emphasizes the value of each person, gives students a voice in the governence of their learning, and holds them accountable through personal reflection, rather than authoritarian rule.

Students need to move and touch and hear what they are learning. In order to truly absorb new knowledge and skills, an emotional connection and interest needs to be established during the learning process. Teacher-directed learning is a piece of the learning process, but should not be the only approach. Providing students the opportunities of inquiry, tactile exploration, collaborative group work, and the ability to pursue further discovery where their interests lie, with teacher guidance and assistance, is imperative for optimal academic growth. Intentional lesson planning and teaching, with an emphasis on critical thinking, is an essential piece of education. Technology can greatly enhance the learning process, yet it is important for teachers to ensure the incorporation of technology has a purpose and reason for it's use. The utilization of technology must be intentional, and for the objective of bolstering peer collaboration and critical thinking opportunities.   

Measuring a student’s development must be included in one’s intentional teaching pedagogy. Tracking progress via the collection of data provides actual proof of progress and deficiencies. Technology can increase the ease of data collection and analysis to track student progress. 

Recognizing the potential and value of collaborative learning, respecting one's peers, taking chances and making mistakes to advance one's learning, and attending class as an active participant demonstrates that one has accepted and embraced their role of student. Once students grasp and embrace their role as individual learners and contributing members of a larger community, they are prepared to progress through the graded education system.

The responsibility of a teacher is immense, yet incredibly worthwhile. Devoting time, passion, and intentional, thoughtful effort to the teaching profession is necessary to truly bring about success. An educator is not a lecturer, nor a sheep-herder, but an informed guide and cheerleader for young minds. Education is not a career to take lightly, as the resulting “product” is vital to the progress and growth of our global society. Recognizing the student as an individual, establishing and fostering relationships with them and amongst their peers, and discovering and meeting the needs of their emotional-being and personal learning style doesn’t just benefit the student; it benefits us all.




Resources:
Gutmann, A. (2003). The Authority and Responsibility to Educate. A Companion to the Philosophy of Education. 397-411. 

Kohn, A. (1991). Caring Kids: The Role of Schools. Phi Delta Kappan, 72 (7). 496-506.

Online:

https://www.ted.com/talks/sugata_mitra_the_child_driven_





 












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