Week 1: Educational Philosophy

My Educational Technology Philosophy

The ever-changing nature of education and technology make it necessary to grow as an educator and as a learner.  Educators tend to become stuck in their ways, not wanting to make change or incorporate new ideas and technologies.  In order to circumvent this attitude, educators should update their philosophy and make it a priority.

The goal of education is to create independent, creative, critical thinkers who strive to be lifelong learners.  The learner’s role in education is to seek knowledge and explore the new.  Learners must also be motivated and find their educational passion. The role of the teacher is to provide experiences in which learners can become involved in their own learning and create understanding.  Teachers must also create an educational foundation for learners to build upon.

As a librarian, my main objective is to instill a love of literature and reading in the learners I serve.  I believe that reading is the foundation for the majority of learning, and students who do not learn to love reading struggle throughout their educational careers. However, students who love to read struggle less and become independent high-order thinkers.  They seek knowledge independently.  I greatly value the time I have with my students, literature, teachers and the curriculum.  Every second learners have in the library is precious and should be filled with great literature and meaningful, real-world activities that address the curriculum standards.  Exposing teachers and students to wonderful literary opportunities opens doors to lifelong literacy.

As a librarian, my time with students is extremely limited.  However, the time I have with them can be used for many purposes.  When timed appropriately, many new lessons and technologies can be incorporated into the library visits.  I will expose students and teachers to wonderful literature that is focused on the curriculum at the time.  I create lessons that allow students to delve into the literature while creating their learning experience.  I incorporate technology so that students can learn new technological resources, see a model of the resources and use the technology on their own.  I create school-wide activities and lessons to supplement the brief periods I have with the students. Teachers can continue my work through Book of the Month and other activities.  I provide teachers the necessary books, materials and technologies so that students will have an extension of their library time in the classroom. 

I expect my students to be open minded and willing to learn.  I expect them to come to library knowing that they will work to the best of their ability.  My students will pay attention to the story, interact with and respond to the literature and complete tasks with appropriate effort. Teachers are expected to be flexible and open to exploring new ways of teaching.  Teachers should incorporate new technologies once they are exposed to them.  Teachers tend to become rigid and reluctant to try new experiences, especially concerning technology.  I expect the best out of myself as well.  I will be flexible and dynamic, learning new ways to teach and new resources to convey knowledge.  I will be open to new ideas and take time to explore new technologies.  I will take time to learn how to fully incorporate new technologies into lessons and daily library activities so that students will have new resources at their disposal.  I will not become lethargic or static towards technology or new ideas.  I will continue to learn so that I can model new ideas and technologies as a lifelong learner for my students. I will be the best version of myself that I can be in order to keep kids motivated and not turn them away from learning because of a poor attitude or harsh comments.

I will uphold these tenets.  This philosophy will be adapted as I grow as an educator. I will not become stagnant or stubborn and continue to grow, adapt and improve for the students and teachers that I serve.  These ideals and values will propel me into my future and keep me focused on the students.

Blogging

Blogging offers so many opportunities for educators.  Teachers can use blogs to create interactive sounding boards for students.  A blog can be created to discuss novels, assignments and lessons.  Students can work in groups on a blog.  Students need only log into the blog and begin working on their portion of the assignment for their group.  Teachers can post lessons for students on a blog.  If a student is absent or did not fully understand a lesson, they might refer to the blog in order to learn unclear content.  Teachers can also share ideas and trade activities and lessons through blogs.  The potential for blogs is only limited by the teachers’ imagination.  Currently, I do not believe that blogs (or any form of technology) are being used to their full potential.

November’s Question: If It’s on the Internet, Is It True?

Too often, teachers show students a brief overview of how to use technology.  They might teach students how to create a power point presentation or find a few research articles, but rarely teachers do not teach students how to fully understand the technology they are using.  How often does a student find a research article and cite it as found at www.google.com.  The child may not have been taught or may not have fully understood how to find and cite an article.  Kids might learn how to create a power point or a short video, but they might not be able to imagine what the application could beyond the current assignment. 

Too often, kids believe that because something is in writing, it must be true.  The internet has become the same for kids.  It’s online.  Someone posted it.  It must be true!  Kids must be taught the whole story.  They need to be interested in who posted the information? They should be taught to ask what type of site the information featured on.  If students are taught about evaluating sites and searching beyond the first hit, there will be fewer problems that stem from misunderstanding.    The student in November’s article would have benefited from going beyond the article.  Teachers must not only begin showing students the technology and applications available, they must take the time to teach the students all aspects of the technology including choosing the right application for the right purpose and evaluating your sources.

My Expectations for the Class

I expect to learn how to incorporate more Web2.0 applications (technology, if you will) into the daily workings of my library.  I realize that the face of the library is changing.  Librarians are even encouraged to call themselves Library Media Specialists rather than librarians.  The face of the library is changing, and I expect to find ways to grow and adapt with the library I am in.  Technology is key and is shaping the future of the library.  I intend to keep up with the times and help my students become the 21^st century learners that they can be.