I have been thinking about how I used to use technology to reflect on my teaching and how that may or may not have changed over the past 7-8 years. It feels like coming to AISC has opened my eyes to technology and that since we are a 1:1 school, I have been using it more effectively in the past 5 years than ever before. Wait. I used technology before, at my "old school". Upon reflection, it is probably just a sign of the increasing availability and acceptance of technology in classrooms that makes me perceive that I am using it more.
This got me thinking about how I used technology before to reflect on my teaching and gather evidence of student work/learning. I remembered that I used to add photos to a Shutterfly site at "my old school" and invited parents to view it. I would write a short paragraph to explain and I would send the link to my students and their parents. I don't actually think many parents bothered with it, and I do remember it taking forever to load the pictures and use the site. This was around 2008-2010.
I went to the site and found that I also had created a separate site for my Portfolio. On it I had a page titled "My Teaching Philosophy" which I was interested to read and compare to what I think now. Here is what I wrote then. I was teaching Grade 6 in a self-contained classroom. I believe that what I have written here still applies and I quite like how I have given a quote for each of the points I wanted to make.
My Teaching Philosophy
“It is not what is poured into a student, but what is planted” -Linda Conway
I strive not just to deliver facts and information to my students. Indeed a solid knowledge base of the material to be covered in a given class is important. However, in the students that have been entrusted to me, I hope to plant seeds that will germinate and grow, allowing them to reach their fullest potential. I hope to foster critical thinking skills, facilitate the acquisition of life-long learning skills, and ultimately prepare students to function effectively in tomorrow’s ever-changing world.
“I am not a teacher, but an awakener” -Robert Frost
In addition to motivating and inspiring my students, my role is that of a “guide”. I aim to encourage my students to explore a subject and come to their own conclusions. I believe in allowing students, with guidance, to develop their own methods for showing mastery of a topic or concept. Helping students to evaluate themselves and judge whether or not they have understood and internalized the concept is very important to me.
I use active-learning principles that allow my students to use their background knowledge to discover and relate what they observe to what they already know. I use the resources given to me to make authentic learning experiences for my students. I do not believe in students completing worksheets, studying grammar outside of context, and busywork. I strive to create lessons that are engaging, purposeful, and motivating to my students. To help my students improve their writing, for example, I provide ample time for them to write in a Writer’s Workshop format and use their writing to assess which grammar points need to be addressed in mini-lessons with the group. I believe that students learn more effectively when they are engaged in meaningful work that they see a value in completing. Students in my classes are explicitly informed of the value of an assignment in relation to the “Real World”.
“Every student can learn, just not on the same day, or the same way.” -George Evans.
We each learn in our own ways, by our own time clocks. I strive to differentiate for the needs of all learners in my classroom. These needs have ranged from students with learning disabilities to those who are gifted. It is my responsibility to provide for all the learners in my classroom the resources that they need to be successful. These resources can come in various forms, such as allowing for more time, varying the method of instruction, or accommodations in testing. For gifted students, I believe in challenging them with projects that engage them in a purposeful way. I use instruction strategies that appeal to various learning styles to aid all learners in my classes. I also encourage and employ a cooperative learning approach with my students. My classroom is one in which all students feel they have something to contribute. I work strongly on building a “community of learners” who can help each other, building on each other’s strengths and helping each other to overcome their weaker areas.
“Teaching is not a profession; it’s a passion.” -Unknown
I am a teacher. I teach because I love to touch the lives of children. Some say that we teachers are selflessly devoted to our students. There is truth to that, for I am committed to my students. Teaching, however, has a selfish side for me as well. As a teacher I am surrounded by books and knowledge and live in an environment of constant discovery. My students often teach me more than I teach them. Our symbiotic relationship is not only challenging, but also highly fulfilling. Within my classroom walls, I can enjoy being creative by trying to reach all my students in unique, fun, and interesting ways. I can see them discovering content, concepts, and relating these to their own lives in meaningful ways. I can see the results of the seeds planted by previous teachers, as my students grow before my eyes. I can hope that I, too, have planted some seeds that will grow in each child and that, in some ways, I have also helped them on their path to reaching their potential.
This got me thinking about how I used technology before to reflect on my teaching and gather evidence of student work/learning. I remembered that I used to add photos to a Shutterfly site at "my old school" and invited parents to view it. I would write a short paragraph to explain and I would send the link to my students and their parents. I don't actually think many parents bothered with it, and I do remember it taking forever to load the pictures and use the site. This was around 2008-2010.
I went to the site and found that I also had created a separate site for my Portfolio. On it I had a page titled "My Teaching Philosophy" which I was interested to read and compare to what I think now. Here is what I wrote then. I was teaching Grade 6 in a self-contained classroom. I believe that what I have written here still applies and I quite like how I have given a quote for each of the points I wanted to make.
My Teaching Philosophy
“It is not what is poured into a student, but what is planted” -Linda Conway
I strive not just to deliver facts and information to my students. Indeed a solid knowledge base of the material to be covered in a given class is important. However, in the students that have been entrusted to me, I hope to plant seeds that will germinate and grow, allowing them to reach their fullest potential. I hope to foster critical thinking skills, facilitate the acquisition of life-long learning skills, and ultimately prepare students to function effectively in tomorrow’s ever-changing world.
“I am not a teacher, but an awakener” -Robert Frost
In addition to motivating and inspiring my students, my role is that of a “guide”. I aim to encourage my students to explore a subject and come to their own conclusions. I believe in allowing students, with guidance, to develop their own methods for showing mastery of a topic or concept. Helping students to evaluate themselves and judge whether or not they have understood and internalized the concept is very important to me.
I use active-learning principles that allow my students to use their background knowledge to discover and relate what they observe to what they already know. I use the resources given to me to make authentic learning experiences for my students. I do not believe in students completing worksheets, studying grammar outside of context, and busywork. I strive to create lessons that are engaging, purposeful, and motivating to my students. To help my students improve their writing, for example, I provide ample time for them to write in a Writer’s Workshop format and use their writing to assess which grammar points need to be addressed in mini-lessons with the group. I believe that students learn more effectively when they are engaged in meaningful work that they see a value in completing. Students in my classes are explicitly informed of the value of an assignment in relation to the “Real World”.
“Every student can learn, just not on the same day, or the same way.” -George Evans.
We each learn in our own ways, by our own time clocks. I strive to differentiate for the needs of all learners in my classroom. These needs have ranged from students with learning disabilities to those who are gifted. It is my responsibility to provide for all the learners in my classroom the resources that they need to be successful. These resources can come in various forms, such as allowing for more time, varying the method of instruction, or accommodations in testing. For gifted students, I believe in challenging them with projects that engage them in a purposeful way. I use instruction strategies that appeal to various learning styles to aid all learners in my classes. I also encourage and employ a cooperative learning approach with my students. My classroom is one in which all students feel they have something to contribute. I work strongly on building a “community of learners” who can help each other, building on each other’s strengths and helping each other to overcome their weaker areas.
“Teaching is not a profession; it’s a passion.” -Unknown
I am a teacher. I teach because I love to touch the lives of children. Some say that we teachers are selflessly devoted to our students. There is truth to that, for I am committed to my students. Teaching, however, has a selfish side for me as well. As a teacher I am surrounded by books and knowledge and live in an environment of constant discovery. My students often teach me more than I teach them. Our symbiotic relationship is not only challenging, but also highly fulfilling. Within my classroom walls, I can enjoy being creative by trying to reach all my students in unique, fun, and interesting ways. I can see them discovering content, concepts, and relating these to their own lives in meaningful ways. I can see the results of the seeds planted by previous teachers, as my students grow before my eyes. I can hope that I, too, have planted some seeds that will grow in each child and that, in some ways, I have also helped them on their path to reaching their potential.
