Teaching Philosophy
Teaching is a professional discipline that requires the acquisition and use of an ever-expanding body of knowledge and skills including but not restricted to learning theory, learning styles, human development, design and development practices, media use, and instructional, assessment, evaluation, and management techniques. I believe that learning is the development of new knowledge, skills, or attitudes as an individual interacts with information and the environment. It can take place anywhere and at anytime and extends throughout a lifetime.
Teaching is the act of facilitating a learning experience that is focused on the learner’s needs and the characteristics of the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that the learner sets out to acquire. Taking the learner and learning goals into account, the teacher collaborates with the student to design, implement, and continuously evaluate and improve on the strategies and resources called upon as part of a learning event.
My career goal is to promote the integration of technology in university instructional settings using research-based practices. The goal focuses the teaching profession in two relative ways: professional development of educators and transformative learning of students. I have intense interest in the work being done through the College of Education to promote educational quality with the support of technology and I would like to continue to be a part of this process.
As I reflect on my beliefs regarding teaching and learning, I find that my mission as a teacher composed of four parts:
To accomplish this, I benefited from applying a wide variety of strategies based on essential educational principles encompassing cognitive functioning, learning theories, diversity issues, instructional planning and assessment.
Cognitive functioning level(s) of the learner: Considering the cognitive functioning of learners is essential in order to implement and apply strategies that are appropriate for either concrete operational and/or formal operational learners. I routinely plan activities, such as brief writings (three minutes paper), that can help me determine the cognitive levels of my students and tailor my instruction accordingly. Without this consideration, I would risk the possibility of my students experiencing ‘hit or miss’ learning.
Learning theory: I have valued many years of opportunities to apply significant contributions from various learning theories. Behavioral theory offers a wealth of principles that, when used appropriately, can benefit classroom learning and management at all levels. In concert with this, cognitive learning principles offer significant contributions, particularly in brain-based research regarding memory systems and active processing of intellectual operations. Some of my favorites that are well received by students include: think-pair-share, classroom jigsaw activities, interactive class discussions and lectures, and both group and individual assignments.
The students also can construct their own meaning and knowledge, and the best way to foster this construction is to have them create some sort of hands-on artifact around which they can base their understanding. As a teacher, I believe my job is to help facilitate the students’work on their projects and on their construction of knowledge. I see the construction of knowledge as happening on two levels, the social levelas well as the individual level so the fostering of a community of learners is an important aspect to my teaching. Some of my favorites that are well received by students include: group projects, role playing, field work, workshops related to the use of computer applications in teaching and web 2.0 activities.
Cultural diversity, group culture and learning style: Understanding both the learning style of individual learners and the cultural diversity of the class/group helps me both design and tailor effective instruction by implementing appropriate concrete strategies. Although a variety of learning styles are likely represented by learners in any large class/group setting, I routinely design my instruction using the research-based learning cycle; this cycle provides the framework for me to encompass a repertoire of effective strategies, which can accommodate individual preferences, engage diverse learners, and help establish a respect for differing preferences and perspectives.
Curriculum and Instructional Planning: An essential consideration for teachers pertains to overall curriculum and instructional planning. Whether the instructional approach is based on a behavioral model (direct instruction, mastery learning), a cognitive model (exposition/presentation), or a constructivist model (inquiry-based methods, cooperative learning), I plan and implement lessons that clearly identify the lesson objective, anticipatory set, strategies for effective student engagement, and assessment options to measure student mastery. This helps me teach with both clarity and focus.
Assessment: I strongly believe that one can employ numerous options to accurately assess understanding of course content among diverse groups of learners. To this end, I have developed (and continually use!) a firm foundation in assessment basics, from alternative types of assessment (rubrics, checklists, projects, portfolios, role playing, presentations, etc.) to traditional exams/test construction.
Considering all these basic educational principles and continually reflecting on and evaluating the effectiveness of my teaching methods will help me grow in my love for teaching and learning and enable me to successfully prepare my students to acquire the requisite knowledge and skill-sets they need to be successful.
Teaching is a professional discipline that requires the acquisition and use of an ever-expanding body of knowledge and skills including but not restricted to learning theory, learning styles, human development, design and development practices, media use, and instructional, assessment, evaluation, and management techniques. I believe that learning is the development of new knowledge, skills, or attitudes as an individual interacts with information and the environment. It can take place anywhere and at anytime and extends throughout a lifetime.
Teaching is the act of facilitating a learning experience that is focused on the learner’s needs and the characteristics of the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that the learner sets out to acquire. Taking the learner and learning goals into account, the teacher collaborates with the student to design, implement, and continuously evaluate and improve on the strategies and resources called upon as part of a learning event.
My career goal is to promote the integration of technology in university instructional settings using research-based practices. The goal focuses the teaching profession in two relative ways: professional development of educators and transformative learning of students. I have intense interest in the work being done through the College of Education to promote educational quality with the support of technology and I would like to continue to be a part of this process.
As I reflect on my beliefs regarding teaching and learning, I find that my mission as a teacher composed of four parts:
To accomplish this, I benefited from applying a wide variety of strategies based on essential educational principles encompassing cognitive functioning, learning theories, diversity issues, instructional planning and assessment.
Cognitive functioning level(s) of the learner: Considering the cognitive functioning of learners is essential in order to implement and apply strategies that are appropriate for either concrete operational and/or formal operational learners. I routinely plan activities, such as brief writings (three minutes paper), that can help me determine the cognitive levels of my students and tailor my instruction accordingly. Without this consideration, I would risk the possibility of my students experiencing ‘hit or miss’ learning.
Learning theory: I have valued many years of opportunities to apply significant contributions from various learning theories. Behavioral theory offers a wealth of principles that, when used appropriately, can benefit classroom learning and management at all levels. In concert with this, cognitive learning principles offer significant contributions, particularly in brain-based research regarding memory systems and active processing of intellectual operations. Some of my favorites that are well received by students include: think-pair-share, classroom jigsaw activities, interactive class discussions and lectures, and both group and individual assignments.
The students also can construct their own meaning and knowledge, and the best way to foster this construction is to have them create some sort of hands-on artifact around which they can base their understanding. As a teacher, I believe my job is to help facilitate the students’work on their projects and on their construction of knowledge. I see the construction of knowledge as happening on two levels, the social levelas well as the individual level so the fostering of a community of learners is an important aspect to my teaching. Some of my favorites that are well received by students include: group projects, role playing, field work, workshops related to the use of computer applications in teaching and web 2.0 activities.
Cultural diversity, group culture and learning style: Understanding both the learning style of individual learners and the cultural diversity of the class/group helps me both design and tailor effective instruction by implementing appropriate concrete strategies. Although a variety of learning styles are likely represented by learners in any large class/group setting, I routinely design my instruction using the research-based learning cycle; this cycle provides the framework for me to encompass a repertoire of effective strategies, which can accommodate individual preferences, engage diverse learners, and help establish a respect for differing preferences and perspectives.
Curriculum and Instructional Planning: An essential consideration for teachers pertains to overall curriculum and instructional planning. Whether the instructional approach is based on a behavioral model (direct instruction, mastery learning), a cognitive model (exposition/presentation), or a constructivist model (inquiry-based methods, cooperative learning), I plan and implement lessons that clearly identify the lesson objective, anticipatory set, strategies for effective student engagement, and assessment options to measure student mastery. This helps me teach with both clarity and focus.
Assessment: I strongly believe that one can employ numerous options to accurately assess understanding of course content among diverse groups of learners. To this end, I have developed (and continually use!) a firm foundation in assessment basics, from alternative types of assessment (rubrics, checklists, projects, portfolios, role playing, presentations, etc.) to traditional exams/test construction.
Considering all these basic educational principles and continually reflecting on and evaluating the effectiveness of my teaching methods will help me grow in my love for teaching and learning and enable me to successfully prepare my students to acquire the requisite knowledge and skill-sets they need to be successful.
- to park learner enthusiasm for learning
- to contribute to the effective use and integration of technology in educational settings using best practices; and
- to provide a strong foundation for lifelong learning.
