Week 10 Assignment #2 Revised Teaching Philosophy Incorporating Technology

The birthing of my teaching philosophy it two-fold. The first phase was birthed out of my teacher’s inability to identify my learning style and help develop it. I was frustrated because I was forced to ascribe to a learning style that I struggled to adopt as my own. As a result, I felt like I was in a space that was not safe for me to give any input because I feared my responses weren’t correct. I looked at school and learning as a form of punishment. I felt as though I was so different and somewhat ostracized. It was not until I entered High School that my AP History teacher changed my entire life. For the first time in my life one of my teachers understood me. She identified my strengths and my weaknesses, and she used both to guide me through learning. It was that very moment that I decided I wanted to become an educator. I wanted to ensure that students weren’t placed in an unsafe learning environment. And if they were, I want to be just like my AP History teacher to place them in a safe learning environment where they could flourish despite their differences.

As an aspiring educator, it is my goal to create a safe learning environment for each child. This environment will allow for the exchange of dialogue and the sharing of information. Once a safe environment is created it allows for students to be open and motivated to express themselves. The safe space that will be created will allow each child to feel comfortable to express how they learn with the use of their own learning style. I will then be able to assess how they learn and tailor my instruction to incorporate their learning style that is identified. The learning environment I strive to create will not be limited to one learning style, it will be one that each child will feel their input is valuable and they are valued.

The world is moving at such rapid speed where technological advancement is inevitable and can’t be ignored. As an educator, I would be doing my students a disservice if technology was not incorporated in the way content is delivered. In fact, it is the role of the educator to include the most effective and innovative ways of incorporating technology to achieve a desired goal. As an instructor, I will be flexible enough to be able to teach using methods and resources that each child can gravitate towards. Technology allows for instruction to be displayed on a larger platform that presents possibilities not limited to the classroom.

My goal is to use technology as a collaborating tool for my students and I to be able to construct knowledge in a more visual and sequential order. This way my students will be best able to identify relative data and be versed to explain how each set is interconnected. I endeavor to introduce my students to use technology to explore issues outside of their scope of interest and implore them to venture into areas on a global perspective. With the use of technology, my students will be able to introduce complex ideas in a simpler form through visualizations, digital objects and a plethora of other mechanisms. It is my duty to grow with my students and incorporate new and innovative ways to deliver content.

I am obligated to also make my students aware of the negative impacts of using technology in a demeaning way. I must be able to educate my students on the advantages as well as disadvantages of using technology. I must ensure that my students are educated on the legal, ethical and safety requirements that are associated with the use of technology. It is necessary that with the use of technology, students feel free to share their ideas without being ridiculed. My chief goal is to introduce innovative ways to use technology, then transfer said tools into the hands of my students so they can personalize their own learning experiences. As an educator, I fully understand that to be effective I must include multiple intelligences, and that can also be applied with the use of technology. I must incorporate ways for my students to use technology in a way that is most understandable for them.

I want to master the content that I am trying to teach my students. In mastery, I want to diversify how content is delivered. I want clear and simple instructions that allow for my students to be engaged and interested in learning. My role is to use my resources to accompany content for a clear delivery where all students can learn and are excited about learning. As an educator, I want to be a guide for all my students. And in doing so, I must develop my instructional skills so that I am best able to identify and relate to my student emotionally, mentally and socially.

With the mastery of content, I want to be able to transform the lives of my students. I want to be able to identify their learning style but open them up to the possibility that learning is not limited to their learning style only. In order to transform for my students, I want to be able to identify their strengths as well as their weaknesses. I want to aid in the development of their strengths as well as their weaknesses. I believe it is a disservice to only highlight a child’s strength and not help in turning their weakness into a strength. I believe that a child should be developed holistically. As a transformational instructor, my goal is to transform the life of each student through learning and present an environment where the possibilities for them to succeed is not limited one.

My goal is for my students to develop the art and use of critical and creative thinking. I want to coach students in pulling out their own thoughts and for them to be able to assess each hypothesis presented to them. I want them to be able to think and make constructive decisions on their own. As an educator, I want to prepare my students for life beyond my classroom. I want to stir their curiosity whilst preparing them for the road that lies ahead. I want my students to understand and always be prepared for what will happen next in their lives. My goal is for my instructions to be transferable and applicable outside of the classroom. In my classroom, every student is important, and we are a community of learners taking on this journey called life.