First Philosophy (revised)

Looking back at my first draft of my first philosophy at the beginning of this blog, I can see that a lot has changed.  Professor Meadows suggested that the 5th year graduate students would probably have some significant changes in their thoughts on teaching, and I have certainly fallen into that category.  I have come to understand just how important technology is in the classroom.  I see that it's not just important to have because it is available, but it literally shapes and drives learning for the upcoming generations.  Kids are constantly learning, and using technology daily and naturally that was not as common when I was a child.  The internet has created a world of inquiry based learning.  We cannot expect children to come to school and want to pay attention to lecture after lecture and take notes the way we did when we were in school.  (Honestly, I don't think many kids wanted to do that when I was in school either!)  We must understand and react to the fact that kids learn differently today than they did 5 years ago.  They have phones that can connect to the internet, they have computers at home, they have laptops, they are "plugged in."  That knowledge of and desire to use technology must be incorporated into the classroom and kids will be excited to learn.

Going along with that realization, I have also come to better understand differentiated learning, and how technology and differentiated learning often go hand in hand.  If a student is quick to finish assignments, there should be perhaps some supplemental activities planned out on the internet using inquiry-based learning techniques.  Differentiated learning takes into account different learning styles and not only does a child with a particular learning style get to thrive and succeed, he is exposed to other learning styles, making him more of a full-brained thinker and a better critical thinker.  We as teachers should provide options for our students and give them the opportunity to learn in the best environment possible, which means we should not expect all students to learn the same way or have the same needs.

I know my philosophy is not completely matured, but I do feel like I have come a long way since the beginning of the semester.  I look forward to my continued experiences and observations and how they will contribute to my philosophy of teaching.

Practicum Final Reflection

Over the past semester, I have been visiting and observing at a local suburban middle school.  As a future Art teacher, I was paired with the one Art teacher at this middle school.  My fellow Art Ed students had to organize our time with her so that we did not overwhelm her.  Other students in our class had their own teacher because there are more than one English teacher, History teacher, etc.  It's difficult to expect more than one Art teacher anywhere you go, so as the Art teacher at any particular school, you must meet the needs of all the students and make yourself available to all the other teachers.

One of my best experiences observing at this middle school was the day that the Art teacher and a couple of her advanced students visited a Language Arts class.  This English class had been working on writing haiku and we were there to show them how to paint in a traditional Japanese style, using bamboo brushes and India ink.  The Art teacher provided a "scroll" which was essentially a long segment of thick butcher paper, and the English students wrote their poems on the scroll with sharpie and used the bamboo brushes and India ink to paint tree limbs and cheery blossoms and bamboo.

It was great to see a cross-curriculum activity in action and to see the success of it.  As I mentioned before, the Art teacher must be able to make herself available to other teachers.  This helps remind the administration that Art is an important subject and it does help kids develop certain thinking skills and ways to express themselves and grow as learners.

Lesson Plan Final Reflection

This was not my first experience writing lesson plans.  Last semester I took "Methods in Teaching Art" and we wrote lesson plans all semester long.  This was, however, the first time I have been shown the Secondary Ed. Lesson Plan official format.  We were given a basic outline of what we should include, but it was not this precise.  I do enjoy writing lesson plans.  Some areas I labor over more than others.  For instance, writing a planned beginning and a planned ending is sometimes difficult.  I'm sure the more I learn about Education, the more naturally these ideas will come.  I suppose I am also used to teachers simply saying "All right class, take out your book and turn to page 132" or something like that.

I have a feeling that that sort of beginning to a class might carry similar weight to a strictly lecture class.  Kids need more connections to themselves and their lives when learning material.  They need their imaginations to be tapped into and their interests captured.  This is not to say that past generations have not needed that kind of relationship to their learning, but the internet and smart phones provide interest at a click of a button.  We as teachers have to keep those things in mind when teaching.  The old ways are just not going to cut it any more.

4Mat Final Reflection

Now that I've learned about the ins and outs of 4Mat, and had experience brainstorming ideas for concepts, contexts, activities, and simply the way the 4Mat wheel should be organized, I find that I like the ideas I have come up with.  I like that 4Mat includes all the different learning styles and differentiates instruction naturally.  Not only do all the learning types get covered by the 4Mat system, but everyone is experiencing and exposed to all the different learning types, which I believe will make children better at critical thinking skills and becoming "full-brained."

One of my biggest complaints about school when I was in high school was that my teachers primarily lectured.  I am a 4 learning type, so lecture is something that I do not always respond well to.  I am a more hands on learner.  I like to be given a task and try out different methods of problem solving before I settle on a solution.  I learn by doing.  The 4Mat system opens up a lot of options for alternatives to lecture, which I think is great.  The more and more kids are exposed to and comfortable with technology at home and at school, the less they will be able to pay attention to lecture.  The 4Mat system is a great way to start that transition.