Domain II: The SSU teacher candidate understands the nature of human development and learning in working with diverse learners.
Artifact II:1
Writing Lesson #I: Teaching methods
Education 115: Fall '06
N. M. S. A. Standard 6: Middle level teacher candidates understand the major concepts, principles, theories, and research related to working collaboratively with family and community members, and the use that knowledge to maximize the learning of all young adolescents.
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Rationale: This writing assignment shows that I have researched and become knowledgeable of the different types of teaching methods, as well as learning theories. This was one of the assignments in my education 115 class. Although I was previously aware that students may learn in different ways, I was never really aware of the different methods that could be more effective for these learners. This lesson was very informative, and this is the reason I have included this assignment in my portfolio. I chose this artifact because the content directly relates to my knowledge of diverse learners, and how they may learn differently from different methods. I believe that this assignment meets the criteria explained in the N.M.S.A. standard 6 which states that all middle level teacher candidates should understand the research related to teaching methods to maximize learning of adolescents. The research required helped me to understand what will be required to teach some adolescents when I am perfecting my own methods. |
Angie Bentley
Education 115
Writing assignment 1
Part one:
Culture plays a critical role in the development of a student. Teachers can sometimes unknowingly express and even teach their own cultural beliefs to their students. My culture is closely tied with my family and relationships. Growing up on a farm, in a rural community, my experiences were limited. It was not until we moved at the age of thirteen that I realized how limited I was. I didn’t even move to a big town, and even there I was considered backwards and had to do a lot of catching up as far as my education was concerned. Living a sheltered existence is harder to overcome then most imagine.
I would say that most of the people in this area of the Christian
faith. I attend
I come from a working class family in rural
My Education left something to be desired. The only motivator for me to learn was the competition and need for good grades on my report card. I done well in school, because it came pretty easy to learn from the book and do what was required to get good grades. However, as far as being able to figure out things without a book or teacher straight up telling me right or wrong was something that was just not done in my education experience. That is why I hope to incorporate critical thinking and problem solving into my teaching philosophy.
Political preferences can bias a teacher’s ability to reach all students and can lead to confrontations with more politically knowledgeable students. Anytime there is conflict, learning can be lost. This can result in a loss of respect for the teacher. For example, political preferences are very different for me and my in-laws. I try to stay out of heated debates with them out of respect for my husband. Sometimes it is hard when you can’t just agree to disagree. It is my opinion that political preferences be kept out of the classroom at all costs.
Personal experiences are a major concern for teachers. The biggest conflict in this regard I have seen in the school system of my children is that parents don’t believe that non-parents know as much about children as they do. This must be hard for these teachers. Even though they have given there all to their profession, they are still judged based on their lack of personal experience with children. These parents unknowingly observe progressivism as their personal educational philosophy and are unable to view others philosophies as legitimate. I feel fortunate that this will not be a problem I will have to confront.
Part two:
Metaphysics is the field of philosophy concerned with the nature of reality. Ones core beliefs shape ones personal philosophy. Metaphysics is ones own beliefs on the meaning of life, what is real, and why are we here. This is especially important for teachers to understand as they will be shaping students who may have different core beliefs then they do. Cosmology takes metaphysics a step further. Cosmology questions the nature and origins of the universe. This is the reason such extensive study is done on objects millions of light years away in space. Ontology on the other hand is more personal. This branch questions when life begins, how to relate to people.
Epistemology is the field of philosophy concerned with how knowledge is acquired, or how we are capable of knowing things or figuring things out. This is, in my own opinion, the most significant branch of philosophy for teachers, as it asks the questions, what is learning? How do you go about learning? What defines knowledge? What is the best way to teach for the absorption of knowledge?
This field of philosophy can be broken down into many subfields, one of which is knowledge through reason, or logic. There are many ways in which to develop logic, which is critical in problem salving, critical thinking, and inquiry. Logic can also be broken down into two separate groups, deductive and inductive reasoning. Deductive reasoning is where a student knows the rules and can identify examples of that rule. On the other hand, inductive reasoning requires students to ask questions, and to try to come to their own conclusion about a rule or phenomenon. Both of these areas are imperative for the success of pedagogy.
Knowing through active construction is the knowledge that we acquire through experience. This knowledge can be molded and reshaped several times over by the same person. An example that comes to mind for me is the experience of having kids. When I was younger, I watched my little cousins. I thought I knew a lot about kids. That was until I had my own. With my first child, I was so overprotective. The child never had a speck of dirt on him and every toy he came into contact with had to have educational value. This was fine at the time, but two more kids later and I have become more lenient. Partly because I didn’t know how hard having a teenager could be. You just live and learn.
Axiology is responsible for our moral values and beliefs. Teachers can play a profound role in the moral and ethical development of their students. By simply greeting and listening to their students portray how to respect and get along with others. Most parents want their schools and teachers to impart such values as honesty, hard work, fairness, and respect for others.
Part three
Perennialism is a very traditional educational philosophy. People who believe in perennialism tend to believe that learning should be subject-centered as in a traditional classroom. Perennialists believe that the teacher should stick to the curriculum they have set and should teach the same material to every student, this is a philosophy concerned with finding universal unchanging truths. Perennialists are very concerned with realistic learning, and the development of rational thinking.
The element I can most see myself incorporating in my classroom would be to foster the development and use of virtues in my students. I believe that the loss of this important aspect of education has caused a great deal of problems in out education system.
Essentialism is another philosophy of education. This philosophy allows the student more freedom of choice in their own education. Students have to accept responsibility, as well as work on problem solving, and setting their own goals, in order to become a better citizen. The teacher’s main goal and responsibility is to create an environment in which the student can feel free to do this, and to be able to analyze and help a student in defining the choices they have made. Essentialists promote vocational and practical training, and believe that all should be taught the same common core of culture.
The aspect of essentialism that is most appealing to me is the promotion of citizenship to the students. Promoting how our decisions and thinking skills affects others can be useful.
Progressivism is most commonly seen in the nontraditional or facilitator’s classroom. In this philosophy of teaching, experience is the teacher. The focus is put on the student rather then the subject or the teacher. The teacher is not just a giver of knowledge, but rather a coordinator for this student-based learning style. The main concern is to keep the student’s interest, making them want to learn. This philosophy relies on the student’s interest and initiative to learn.
This philosophy is the closest to my own. I always learned the most in classrooms where I was able to express my own opinions and answer my own questions, usually with help. Whether or not this is the most common, I don’t know.
Social reconstructivism is the belief that education can be used as a means to solve social problems occurring in the world around us, thus making democracy more effective. This philosophy requires students to use the knowledge they acquire to critically think and solve these social problems when they arise. The teacher’s role is as a facilitator of group problem solving and to encourage students to solve these problems on their own.
I like the foundation of this philosophy because in my own experience as a student this was never used. The result is that when I was faced with real problems in like with no one there to tell me what to do, at first I tended to procrastinate rather then jump in and problem solve on my own. This is a valuable skill that all students should master from a young age. I would hope to be the kind of teacher that can let students figure out some things without me standing over their shoulders telling them the right answer.
Part four
I hope to blend some of the four branches of philosophy into my everyday teaching. I see myself leaning more towards the facilitator based side of philosophy since I can only think of one teacher that used that philosophy in my entire elementary and high school education, and he was the teacher that promoted the most learning with me. I hope to always be sensitive to the needs of all my students. I hope I never become so clouded in my own beliefs and philosophies that I can’t stop and listen to what a student is calling out for. I hope that I will become able to adapt to the changing needs of several different classes with minimal frustration. Students can be very frustrating, especially middle childhood, and especially in math and science, where I think they are quick to say they are just not good at these subjects, when in fact the problem might just be how they were taught. I want to be able to try new things all the time. I hope that I never become one of those stale, burnt out teachers that is just there for the paycheck. I want my students to develop self esteem in the classes I teach, I never want them to feel as though they have failed, because if they have failed so have I. I hope I will be the kind of teacher that students can look back on and say she tried every way she could to educate me. If I accomplish this I have really made an accomplishment.