Educational Technology Philosophy (rough draft)
As a math teacher I find the need to have students follow a carefully planned path. Mathematics requires a solid foundation with one concept building upon another. A solid foundation leads to a strong understanding, while a weak foundation leads to poor understanding of future concepts. I believe that there is a place for rote memorization in the study of mathematics as long as there is an understanding that accompanies the memorization; however, I believe that mathematics goes way beyond memorizing facts and rules. A good math teacher can break a concept down into manageable parts and then reconstruct step-by-step. Math lessons must be relevant to the student’s lives and students must be engaged in the learning process. Students that are taught to balance a checkbook, figure their team’s stats, purchase materials and build a dog house, and find the best deals on a shopping spree are more likely to apply these newly learned concepts to other situations than one who simply solved problems from a textbook.
Educators need to be passionate about the subjects that they teach, striving to ignite that passion in their students. Students who are passionate about a subject will desire to learn more, push harder, and reach higher. An educator’s expectations should always keep a student reaching a little higher. There is always more to learn … or discover. Educators should create a safe environment for students to make mistakes. Mistakes should be acknowledged and shared, not hidden. Students must be encouraged to learn and grow from their mistakes and then push through to success.
Educators face a new dilemma in the 21st century. Technology is no longer a computer sitting in a corner of the classroom used for emails and storing grades. Technology needs to be embraced and utilized instead of prohibited and feared. The internet places the world at the student’s fingertips. We no longer have to use pencil drawn diagrams to show how a machine works when a quick search of the internet will likely provide a step by step video of the actual process. Teachers can provide class notes and video demonstrations of work missed or misunderstood to students through a class blog. Research is a keystroke away at all times. Virtual field trips can be taken without ever leaving a classroom. Students can communicate and collaborate on a project with other students in other states or countries. Literacy now includes computer literacy and communication includes power point presentations, videos, blogs and emails. Research involves a wealth of information, but the trick is to discern the accurate from the false.
Technology has changed the face of business. In order to prepare our students for the 21st century workforce, educators must allow technology to change the face of education as well.
Reflections:
1) My journey as a classroom teacher began three weeks ago. I already see a transformation of thoughts. Ideas that I once questioned now hold meaning. Concepts that I once simply accepted are now being proven. Ideals that I held high might just go by the wayside. I suppose it is the perfect opportunity to put my educational philosophy in writing. There is little doubt that it will change over time, so this exercise allows me to document the beginning and follow the transformation. Putting thoughts on paper somehow gives them voice and authority. I can refer to them as I make decisions about teaching. They will help me to stay focused and true to my goals. I will also have to answer to them as my views change. I will be able to compare my new ideas and philosophies with my old ones and decide where the changes are coming from and if they are positive changes.
Putting my educational philosophy into words will also act as my guide through this class. I have the opportunity to start my teaching career as an informator of technology instead of an automater of technology. Hopefully, as I reflect upon the rough draft of my educational technology philosophy statement, I will see ways to improve my use of technology in the classroom.
2) As a Math teacher I can see great benefit to a class blog. I would use it to briefly list a description of the class and any assignments made. I would then hope to provide links that explain the concepts studied that day. ( I might find a site or two that discussed the concept in detail, or in a way other than how I explained it in class, or possibly a video that shows how to solve a problem using the concept, or a site providing extra practice in using the concept). This information could help a student that missed class, did not quite grasp the concept in class, or a parent that needed a quick refresher course in order to help their child with homework. I could also post links to sites that were applying the concepts that we were learning. These are just a few of the ways that I could see using a class blog.
3) I do not think that we have reached our potential with educational blogs. I think this might be because too many educators are afraid of technology, do not give it the respect that it deserves (view blogging only as online gossip columns), or do not see its importance in the futures of our students. Too, I think privacy issues, safety issues, security issues and the need for constant screening might be seen as threats that are not worth the effort.
4) The point in Alan November’s article, Creating a Culture for Teaching and Learning that I find the most important is the need to teach students to separate the accurate from the inaccurate information on the internet. I think most students are taught that certain sites can’t be trusted when using the internet for research, but I do not think that we teach them how to discern the truth if they are not referencing those few noted sites. I agree with the author that we should not teach our students to use the internet for research if we are not going to teach them to think about the information they are obtaining and be discriminating about its “truth”.
5) This is my first educational technology class, so I am not sure what to expect. I hope to learn effective ways to utilize technology in the classroom. Too, I hope to learn things as well as, if not better than, my students. I realize this might be a daunting task! And lastly, I hope to have a blog that looks more inviting that what I have produced thus far.
