Educational Technology Philosophy
I believe that my role as an elementary educator is to develop students into lifelong learners. I want to create a positive, welcoming space where students feel comfortable exploring and discovering the world around them. I know that learning is not a one size fits all model, so I strive to meet students where they are at and determine the best path to move them forward in their educational journey. Teaching should move beyond content mastery and use various methods to develop resilient thinkers and problem solvers. Students will leave my classroom knowing that when they are met with a challenge, they have developed tools that will allow them to succeed.
To provide the best learning atmosphere for my students, I believe in assessing students continuously and creating differentiated lessons to ensure that I meet each student's personal learning needs. For students to take an active role in knowledge acquisition, I believe applying constructivism and experiential learning theory into the classroom to allow students to explore studies deeply. Lessons incorporate technology, active learning, and problem-based inquiry, to help students make personal connections to learning. When I was teaching the concept of energy to my class, technology helped us simulate different conditions, tools, and methods to create energy using renewable sources and it also put us in contact with professionals in the field to help model how these concepts are studied and used in our own lives. That experimentation and instruction would not have been possible without the use of technology. By incorporating technology in a meaningful way, it helped the students connect and make meaning of an abstract concept. With teachers acting as the coaches or guides in the classroom, and through the integration of technology, students drive the learning and are able to interact with content and create products that showcase the real-world applications of their studies.
I believe that a struggle exists for students when they must apply learning to situations outside the classroom walls. For knowledge to be understood at the highest levels, it needs to be able to be applied to real-world problems. Teachers can use technology in their classroom to encourage students to explore a topic, discover new answers, create further questions, and apply this knowledge to their own lives. They are already using technology to connect and share information and media globally on a personal level. By bringing these concepts into classroom teaching and showing students how to research topics and showcase learning through tools like FlipGrid, blogs and video presentation, we are teaching them valuable skills for their future careers.
I recognize that new teaching practices and methods are continually being researched. As an educator, it can be challenging to embrace new approaches when it's easy to fall back on those you are already familiar with. Through constant training and development, I strive to keep abreast of current methods and technologies and incorporate these into my teaching. Technology is a constantly evolving field where students come into our classroom often with more knowledge and understanding than their teachers. I will keep pace with the digital natives who walk through my doors and model lifelong learning to my students as I learn by their sides as new technologies emerge. To ensure I am teaching with best practices, I seek to integrate technology to enhance the curriculum and best meet the needs of the learner. Because of this, students will remain actively engaged and motivated in my classroom through the learning process.
I became an educator because I am passionate about students developing a love of learning. My goal is to give students a place where they feel free to express themselves, explore the world, effectively communicate, and feel motivated to work hard to achieve their goals. In a world full of various learners and learning styles, I want students to recognize their strengths, overcome their struggles and learn to work with a diverse group of minds towards a common goal. I want them to leave my classroom knowing how they learn best and be able to evaluate their understanding of material to ensure their continuous growth as learners.
To provide the best learning atmosphere for my students, I believe in assessing students continuously and creating differentiated lessons to ensure that I meet each student's personal learning needs. For students to take an active role in knowledge acquisition, I believe applying constructivism and experiential learning theory into the classroom to allow students to explore studies deeply. Lessons incorporate technology, active learning, and problem-based inquiry, to help students make personal connections to learning. When I was teaching the concept of energy to my class, technology helped us simulate different conditions, tools, and methods to create energy using renewable sources and it also put us in contact with professionals in the field to help model how these concepts are studied and used in our own lives. That experimentation and instruction would not have been possible without the use of technology. By incorporating technology in a meaningful way, it helped the students connect and make meaning of an abstract concept. With teachers acting as the coaches or guides in the classroom, and through the integration of technology, students drive the learning and are able to interact with content and create products that showcase the real-world applications of their studies.
I believe that a struggle exists for students when they must apply learning to situations outside the classroom walls. For knowledge to be understood at the highest levels, it needs to be able to be applied to real-world problems. Teachers can use technology in their classroom to encourage students to explore a topic, discover new answers, create further questions, and apply this knowledge to their own lives. They are already using technology to connect and share information and media globally on a personal level. By bringing these concepts into classroom teaching and showing students how to research topics and showcase learning through tools like FlipGrid, blogs and video presentation, we are teaching them valuable skills for their future careers.
I recognize that new teaching practices and methods are continually being researched. As an educator, it can be challenging to embrace new approaches when it's easy to fall back on those you are already familiar with. Through constant training and development, I strive to keep abreast of current methods and technologies and incorporate these into my teaching. Technology is a constantly evolving field where students come into our classroom often with more knowledge and understanding than their teachers. I will keep pace with the digital natives who walk through my doors and model lifelong learning to my students as I learn by their sides as new technologies emerge. To ensure I am teaching with best practices, I seek to integrate technology to enhance the curriculum and best meet the needs of the learner. Because of this, students will remain actively engaged and motivated in my classroom through the learning process.
I became an educator because I am passionate about students developing a love of learning. My goal is to give students a place where they feel free to express themselves, explore the world, effectively communicate, and feel motivated to work hard to achieve their goals. In a world full of various learners and learning styles, I want students to recognize their strengths, overcome their struggles and learn to work with a diverse group of minds towards a common goal. I want them to leave my classroom knowing how they learn best and be able to evaluate their understanding of material to ensure their continuous growth as learners.
Reflection
When I started writing my educational technology philosophy, I first looked at my teaching philosophy and pedagogy as a guide. Using that as a framework, I looked at methods we had learned in my educational technology course, my current ideas on technology use and it's best practices in the classroom. When I first sat down to write my philosophy, it closely resembled my teaching philosophy as it has evolved throughout my 13 years in education. Through peer review, I realized I needed to add in more examples specific to technology, its role in my classroom and the theories behind my choices. With further editing, I condensed my ideas down to a clear summary of my teaching philosophy as it relates to the field of educational technology.
final Reflection
From my first draft to my final copy, my educational technology philosophy changed dramatically. The peer review really forced me to dive deeper into my explanations of the why and how technology impact myself as a teacher and drives my instruction. I think that this revision process helped me really hone in on my personal view of technology as an educator.