Educational Philosophy
Educational Philosophy
Below are some of the main points of my educational philosophy. If you are interested in reading more, please use the link at the bottom of any page from this site to contact me. I would be happy to send you a copy!
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Constructivism
I believe that the best way to teach kids is to create an environment where they feel safe, and foster a relationship with them that allows them to feel like their voice is heard and their opinions are valued. Piaget says that knowledge is constructed on an individual level, based on experiences. If this is true, then nurturing an environment such as this will give my students the best conditions under which to construct their understanding of the world. Vygotsky says that in order to learn, children must also have interactions with other children to develop and grow understanding of a concept. For this reason, I also believe that it is important to create a classroom culture based around collaborative work in which everyone is working toward the same (or at least a similar) goal.
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Discovery Based Learning
Something else that Vygotsky posits is that students gravitate toward what they are ready to learn next. From this I believe that, with diligent reflexive pedagogy and formative assessment (listening to conversations, observing students' responses to guiding questions) I can allow my students to work toward what feels interesting to them, and in so doing also encourage them to work on precisely what they are ready to learn.
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Appropriate Technology Use
Puentedura's SAMR Model (Access here: [PDF] eduzis.ch) shows that there are four ways technology can be used in the classroom. Much like Bloom's Taxonomy, none of the levels are inherently bad nor are any inherently good, some just require more depth than others. I think that the same can be said about the level of technology integration in a classroom. My goal in terms of technology use is one that has more to do with intentionality around my lessons than around the amount of screen time or number of technologically advanced techniques I use. I think that an often forgotten piece of being a 'tech-savvy' teacher is understanding the difference between when using a more technologically advanced tool is beneficial and when it may not be.
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Regular Time Outdoors
Watching kids absorb the wonders of the natural world is what drew me into this profession. The rejuvenation, fascination and joy that come from being outside are often wasted on educators who cannot seem to see it. I think that saving that exhilaration for breaks and recesses and after school is doing a disservice to the planet and to our students. Saying that being outside is only meant for the recreational parts of a student's day is like saying that observing nature and asking questions about it are reserved for the free-time parts of the school day as well. I think that this mindset is a wasted opportunity. Harnessing that fascination and curiosity can offer an opportunity for students to feel in-control, and for educators to get creative with spur-of-the-moment lesson planning. One example of how enriching outdoor time can be came in the form of a story: a first year teacher whose student brought in a frog. They set to work building a frog apartment for it, and were able to incorporate math, writing, reading, researching, and a conversation on morality. From a frog a student brought into the classroom for show and tell. Despite the misconception that outside is only for recess, my goal is to get my class outside during class time every day to learn about their world in the only way that makes sense to them: by being in it!​