My Educational Technology Philosophy

I became a teacher because I have a passion for helping others learn. I love seeing light bulb moments and knowing that I played a part in them. I enjoy the daily challenge of using my knowledge of the required skills and finding a fresh and memorable way to present it to my students.In my own schooling experiences the best teachers were the ones who understood the level I was on and related to me through my interests and ideas. This closely relates to the Pragmatism view that all children want to learn, but they do not learn in the same ways. Children have varied interests and personalities, so it is up to teachers to find a way to mesh those with what they are teaching. Also, just because teachers are adults does not mean they must lose their imaginations and childlike thirst for knowledge. A teacher should never pretend to have all the answers because they will miss the opportunity to model for students how to find the answers themselves.

I also believe that in order to teach my students I must speak their "language" more fluently. This is why I am striving to broaden my technological horizons a little every day. In fact, I have already seen the small ways that technology has benefited my students. In my classroom learning is hands on because you cannot discuss a subject with students and expect them to have a deeper understanding if they have no way to experience it. We take many field trips, but the school budget does not allow for everything. Our newly installed Promethean boards are a wonderful tool that students can use to view videos, pictures, and play theme related games. This new technology has allowed us to step outside our world, sparked rich discussions and inspired us to further explore topics. In my opinion, this is what educational technology is really about.