I believe education is the most important activity that prepares people for life. I think education for life includes the ability to be agents of change, think critically, work in groups, adapt to new technologies, be autonomous learners, communicate effectively and understand the needs of the communities in which we live in.
I believe that people understand and perceive the world in different ways. I think that using inquiry-based education and the theory of Multiple Intelligences (Gardner) students assume responsibility of their learning by asking questions, seeking answers and analyzing information. This trains the mind to keep searching for more questions, and thus, developing Metacognition. I will encourage my students to follow this Confucius quote:”I hear and I forget, I see and I remember, I do and I understand”. This saying basically means that the best learning of all comes from 'hands on' experience. I believe that in the 21st Century, teachers' focus will shift to enabling more individualized student learning.
I believe educators play an important role in Education, and that is to contextualize knowledge during the learning process. I will provide examples of ways to use the new knowledge in solving meaningful problems or to accomplish personally meaningful goals. I will work incessantly to foster teamwork and partnership, where everyone joins together in an effort to recognize the skills and talents of others. I will note changes emerging in the classroom from the use of technology and gain confidence in using or adapting more effective strategies (Hinostroza, Hepp and Laral, 2000).
I believe that a more balanced curriculum that incorporates the arts, communication, self-awareness and physical education may be useful in order to leverage the intelligences that some students may have. I believe that inclusion is a key ingredient in the makeup of a classroom and I will support inclusion thorough practices such as using multidimensional assessments and preparing instructional materials which appeal to different learning styles and abilities.
I believe education needs to take place in different locations that will allow the learners to be in closer contact with the type of jobs found in the real world. I think learners need to go out on frequent field trips. I am in favor of the use of technology to bring people together anytime, anywhere. Technology provides an opportunity to fundamentally rethink traditional teaching and learning, not to support existing curricular approaches (Hepp).
References:
How PeopleLearn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School. Expanded Edition. Washington, DC: National Academy Press. Online.
Psychology Applied to Teaching. Twelfth Edition.
Snowman, McCown, Biehler.
Scaling Up Success
Chris Dede, James P. Honan, Laurence C. Peters
1 comment:
I agree deeply Miguel that education is the most important activity that prepares people for life. My students have been presenting in class about who their hero is and some questions about their hero. I found it interesting that many of my boys chose football players. After the students did their presentations, I pointed out that most of these "hero" football players went to college and graduated with good grades. I tried to explain to the students that just because your athletically talented, doesn't mean it's ok to not do well in school. I gave them examples of football players who have gotten hurt and can't play anymore. Because these players didn't go to school or further their education, they had nothing left to do that paid well. One football player retired and starting writing children's books.
I like the idea too that students are to think and ask questions in a classroom. From little on up, we have always learned to ask our parents if we didn't know anything. Why stop when we're young? We still all have plenty of questions that have not yet been answered.
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