Reflection of ED6711

My goal has always been to become an exemplary teacher. One who was reflective and able to share ideas, beliefs and values about teaching and learning (Frank, 1999). It is my job and my passion to encourage student growth academically, socially, and psychologically. I view each child as an individual with needs. Needs for respect, needs for safety, as well as needs for knowledge. My students feel welcomed and loved and I know that only when their basic needs are met will true lifelong learning be possible. While no two educators have the same teaching style and, though I may create a caring classroom environment, a student may not have known such care nor had such support in the past. I know that learning is best accomplished when the student feels safe and comfortable and when I work towards those ends academic skills will follow. My personal theory of learning, while strongly supportive of Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences, has become more holistic throughout this class ,as I better understand the research behind each theory as well as through my own classroom experiences. I have experienced, as the Behaviorist might suggest, the value of rewards and consequences to reinforce or punish. I believe, in some degree, with the Constructivist view where new knowledge is either assimilated or our existing schemas are adjusted to accommodate new information (Duffy-McDonald, 2008). As I learn more about the workings of the brain and the biological processes, I better understand the view of strengthening synaptic connections through procedural and declarative practices. As Dr. Orey suggests; these two types of memory are strengthened supporting learning theory through immersive experiences by active learners (Laureate, 2009).

The use of technology can and does enhance the learning experience. As a teacher of elementary students, third grade, I have witnessed the joy a student exhibits when introduced to new technology. When offered an opportunity to create a PowerPoint presentation and then share their experience, students are engaging in conversation together, sharing their views, experiences, and understanding. I also have recently obtained a Mobi device, an electronic writing device that replaces my chalkboard, where I allow the students to write with and devise answers to the questions posed. Though a simple hands on device, I suspect the students are as thrilled to use it as an 18th century student may have felt about writing with chalk on a blackboard. With the Mobi device, I have also begun using a CPS system of assessment. This system includes individual “clickers” that the students use to respond to test questions and generates reports immediately that can support further teaching of the skill, the need for differentiated instruction, or whole class understanding of a concept promoting advancement to a new skill. Whenever we are able to offer new technology and new experiences in a positive environment where success is not measured relative to perfection but through individual effort and growth, teachers are effectively supporting active learning and engaging active learners.

My classroom environment is supportive of a student’s self-efficacy. This concept lies at the center of psychologist Albert Bandura’s social cognitive theory. Bandura’s theory emphasizes the role of observational learning, social experience, and reciprocal determinism in the development of personality. Thus a person’s attitudes, abilities, and cognitive skills comprise what is known as the self-system. Self-efficacy is the belief in one’s capabilities to organize and execute the courses of action required to manage prospective situations. In other words, self-efficacy is a person’s belief in his or her ability to succeed in a particular situation. These beliefs then determine how people think, behave, and feel (Wagner, 2010). I believe that a person with a strong sense of self-efficacy will develop deeper interests as they participate in new activities. The use of instructional strategies lead to active engagement. By allowing the students to work with partners, the students who are more apt at the task can guide the understanding of the student who may struggle. By including graphic organizers the students have resources to aid in understanding, building relationships though modeled steps in the answer determination process. Both instructional technology tools and learner technology tools are available and will be used in my classroom. My goal is to use the instructional tool (mobi) minimally, allowing the students to use it in responding to the questions posed. With the leaner tools (clickers) the student is motivated to respond without fear of being singled out as inferior. The results of the responses aid in the decision to proceed with more difficult examples, to reteach, or to re-evaluate work groups. My strategy is, and will remain, my increased knowledge of new technology, my continued study of the latest research, and creating challenging experiences for my students.

Resources:
Frank, Peter. (Fall, 1999). “Becoming a Reflective Teacher.” ASCD Catalyst.
Lever-Duffy, J. & McDonald, J. (2008). Theoretical Foundations (Laureate Education, Inc., custom ed.).
Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). [Webcast]. Baltimore: Author.
Wagner, Kendra Van (2010). About.com/Psychology. Retrieved January 19, 2010, from http://
psychology.about.com/od/theoriesofpersonality/a/self_efficacy.htm