Philosophy of Education
I believe that the purpose of education is to inspire learners to fully realize their capabilities of creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving, while connecting their learning to personal values, beliefs, and prior knowledge with an overarching goal to improve society. Learning is a life-long process of growing and refining these skills, values, and beliefs, which instructors should model for their learners. Teaching is also helping to motivate learners to pursue this learning by creating positive relationships with them, utilizing their interests, presenting material in engaging ways, giving specific cognitive and formative feedback, and helping to monitor their progress through goal-setting and evaluation. Assessment should reflect the retrieval that is desired (e.g., recognition, recall, elaboration) and instructors should present their objectives clearly and focus on teaching to promote that retrieval.
A central goal of teaching and learning is to make knowledge become meaningful to one’s life, focusing especially on conditional knowledge in addition to declarative and procedural knowledge. As seen in cognitive theories, learning is a constructive process motivated by a search for meaning; and this construction of meaning helps learners apply their knowledge broadly. For example, as a dance teacher I should help students create knowledge that they can successfully use outside of the classroom, whether it is specifically dance-related or more generalized, such as interest in physical activity or emotional expression, or confidence in their ability to control their own learning. I can foster motivation in learners by encouraging interest (through activation of prior knowledge and provision of choices), confidence (through a focus on effort and challenge), and self-regulation (in terms of determination, strategy, and reflection).
Additionally, I see the ability of technology to motivate learners of all levels, needs, types, and backgrounds, as well as to bring these learners together within classrooms and from across the world. I believe it has powerful potential to assist instructors and improve education, offering unique opportunities for individualized learning and collaboration. Not only can technology help learners learn from and with each other, the same is true for instructors and administrators. Technology can be educationally useless if it is not supported and/or implemented in an effective manner. Thankfully, technology allows for increased options in professional development workshops and other higher level education opportunities. For technology to be educationally meaningful, its purpose should be to support objectives and enhance the material and presentation method, not just be used for its own sake.
I am certain that technology can foster improvement in all educational areas, from core subjects, to the arts, to business, to physical education. I feel that learning becomes even more meaningful when multiple areas are interconnected, with a focus on real-life application. I especially see arts integration as a way to spark imagination and consequently engage learners at a high level; and educational technology can support that even further. Technology is ever-evolving, but will always play a significant role in our lives. Therefore, we must make sure it is linked with effective design and integration strategies in education so that our society may realize the full benefits that it offers.
A central goal of teaching and learning is to make knowledge become meaningful to one’s life, focusing especially on conditional knowledge in addition to declarative and procedural knowledge. As seen in cognitive theories, learning is a constructive process motivated by a search for meaning; and this construction of meaning helps learners apply their knowledge broadly. For example, as a dance teacher I should help students create knowledge that they can successfully use outside of the classroom, whether it is specifically dance-related or more generalized, such as interest in physical activity or emotional expression, or confidence in their ability to control their own learning. I can foster motivation in learners by encouraging interest (through activation of prior knowledge and provision of choices), confidence (through a focus on effort and challenge), and self-regulation (in terms of determination, strategy, and reflection).
Additionally, I see the ability of technology to motivate learners of all levels, needs, types, and backgrounds, as well as to bring these learners together within classrooms and from across the world. I believe it has powerful potential to assist instructors and improve education, offering unique opportunities for individualized learning and collaboration. Not only can technology help learners learn from and with each other, the same is true for instructors and administrators. Technology can be educationally useless if it is not supported and/or implemented in an effective manner. Thankfully, technology allows for increased options in professional development workshops and other higher level education opportunities. For technology to be educationally meaningful, its purpose should be to support objectives and enhance the material and presentation method, not just be used for its own sake.
I am certain that technology can foster improvement in all educational areas, from core subjects, to the arts, to business, to physical education. I feel that learning becomes even more meaningful when multiple areas are interconnected, with a focus on real-life application. I especially see arts integration as a way to spark imagination and consequently engage learners at a high level; and educational technology can support that even further. Technology is ever-evolving, but will always play a significant role in our lives. Therefore, we must make sure it is linked with effective design and integration strategies in education so that our society may realize the full benefits that it offers.