My Educational Technology Philosophy

As a young third grade girl at Cypress Springs Elementary School, I was privileged to have a teacher that impacted me for life. I knew that she cared for me as a person, and I wanted to grow up to be just like her. I think of her often, and many ways I try to model her teaching philosophies. A child will not be able to flourish and grow if they feel unloved, unsafe, and unmotivated. Therefore, I make an effort to make all students feel that I genuinely care about them and that they have a safe place to express themselves and grow. This is the environment that I thrived in, and I believe every kid deserves the same.
In order to be effective, teachers must be excited about what they are doing, well-prepared, flexible, be able to handle classroom management, and be open to new ideas and change. I tend to identify most closely with the constructivist theory. I believe that we, as educators, must teach our students to think. Rather than simply reproducing information, students must construct knowledge that is relevant for them rather than merely spitting out information learned from someone else. The teacher should serve as facilitator and the learning should be student-centered.
In order for students to learn, they must be able to relate to material/experiences being presented to them. We must provide learning environments that are relevant and that encourage them to learn independently and then give thoughtful reflection about what they have encountered.I think it is beneficial to teach problem-solving in a practical way. If students can see first- hand the need for problem-solving in their own lives, it makes sense and application is made easier.
I do consider myself to be somewhat of a realist, however, so I do believe that the essentials must still be taught. The building blocks must be in place in order for learning to continue. Standards should be set high and students must be held accountable. There are different ways to go about reaching these standards and individual needs and learning styles must be taken into consideration. It is imperative that in addition to reading, math, and science, students must receive education for moral and character development.