Week 1 - reflections

Reflective blog #1

My teaching philosophy - I didn’t know I even had one; all I knew was that I wanted to teach school, high school math and science.  So reading about other philosophies, remembering my teachers, discussing past teachers with my kids, just made me realize that I have definite thoughts about what I want for my classroom.  I can see where my techniques are going to have to be very fluid in order to keep up with the changing scenery of the classroom, but my philosophy about teaching will remain the same. 

Blogging - I used to just think I lived in a bubble, now I know I do.  Referring to the article by Stephen Downes, I had no idea stuff like this was happening but I think it’s great!  I’m a little new to blogs even though my daughter-in-law in NYC uses blogger to keep us updated on our little NY’er grandchild with pictures and comments about him growing up (we also use Skype so we can see and hear him).  The current technology, which includes blogging, FB, texting, Skype, etc… is a language that comes very natural to kids, but it’s very new to us grow-ups.  I think we have not yet met our potential for blogging or other uses of the web for that very reason – It’s not our language.  We are new to it, we are not used to it, but we’d better get on board because the train is leaving regardless.  I see great uses for Skype in the classroom.

November’s article - I thought point 1 was cute, but we’ve been here before with television.  Years ago it was deemed that because we saw it on TV. then it must be true.  We know that is not so and the same thing goes with the internet.  Anyone can write anything they want and just because it’s there, does not mean it’s correct.  Proper discernment is required.  I mean how often do you get emails about this or that, and then you check it out on snopes and it turns out to be all lies?  And why didn’t those think of that before forwarding?  We must not ever forget that proper discernment is required especially because it’s the internet.   Really though, the point that stuck out most to me was #6 – Collegiality.  “This is not about technology.  It’s about understanding the impact of technology on how students learn.”  We all have our place as educators and that is on a team.  We collectively have these students for a specified amount of time.  Let’s work together to accomplish something good.  Training the students along with the teachers and then along with all the other teachers, and giving them new ways to do things is actually about forging new relationships between the students and the educators.  I must never forget that I have something to offer them, but they (the students) also have something they can teach me.