Ed 7730 - Philosophy Statement (Updated Version)

I believe that everyone has a place in the educational world.  You can say I believe that everyone has a divine right to be educated.  My philosophy over my years of teaching is changing as technology is changing.  I aim for the success of all students and I give equal chances to all students, no matter who they are.

I meet the standards of the curriculum in my district each day that I instruct my students.  There are rubrics set in place for such things as reading writing, and technology in my district.  Each day, I try to follow these rubrics in some way so that the students can get the most out of their education.

Coming from the new generation of learners called the "Net Generation" (Bennett, p 776) born between 1980 and 1994, I lived in an educational system that was semi-immersed in technology.  As I went through my schooling, technology was as its growing stages.  By the time I reached high school, computer labs were surrounding me.  I worry about our students now and how they have grown up in an educational system completely immersed in technology, yet having teachers that know less than they do.  Many of the teachers try to use these technologies, but do not know a lot about it. (Bennett, p 778).

I plan to give the students choice and  to discover and learn new things that interest them the most.  There are many different techniques and ideas that can work for different students.  Every students learns differently and I will speak to the visual, kinesthetic, and auditory learners.

In teaching mathematics, there are so many ways that you can learn one concept.  I am always prepared to teach concepts in different ways so that all of the learners in the class have a chance to understand the concept.  I always try to give the students chances to work together to help each other.  Oftentimes students can explain topics in different ways than I can.  When they work together in small groups, they explain topics in different ways and understand each other in away that I could never interpret.  Technology is giving us a chance to do this now more than ever before with videos and online tutorials that students can use as guides to improve their understanding, it makes learning more exciting.

The technological breakthroughs have brought my teaching to a whole new level.  When I began teaching, I had a piece of chalk and an eraser.  I now teach using a SMARTBOARD and internet access.  When the SMARTBOARD is not working, I feel like my entire lesson is completely washed out.  For some of the newer teachers in the "Net generation" not having technology for a lesson can be life altering.  Using the technology every day in class keeps my students engaged.  I use this technology as a reward, offering the students credit for coming to the board (they truly do get enjoyment from feeling like the "boss" of the class for a few moments).  I also look up videos to engage them in some of the more tedious topics that we do go over in mathematics class.  When they see these fun things, I inform them that these are videos and topics they can look up at home or on their own devices to gain a better understanding if needed.

In my district, this upcoming year, all students and teachers are receiving a Samsung Galaxy 3 Tablet to be used in the classroom.  With each student having access to technology right in front of them, the opportunities are endless.  Students can collaborate on projects, use their tablets for information, or take quizzes online during class.



In conclusion, I have noticed a great shift in my teaching with the use of technology.  I learn more and more each day due to technology and look forward to sharing all that I have learned with my colleagues.  If we all take the time to use technology a little more each day, it will get easier.  Technology is always changing and we need to keep up with it before it leaves us behind.