Week 7: Educational Philosophy Revised

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 adhering to the philosophy 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. It is not only the students who need to be willing to learn; educators must be willing to become life-long learners as well in order to keep up with the world of education and the new ways our children learn.

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, the 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. Use of technology and innovative technological applications can also help foster a love of literature and learning.  I am also responsible for finding new uses for technology that will create interest and excitement about literature and the library.

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 library visits.  I will expose students and teachers to wonderful literature that is focused on the current curriculum.  I will create lessons that allow students to delve into the literature while creating their learning experience.  I must realize that library time cannot be strictly for literature, but must also be an opportunity for students to explore technological applications.  Therefore, I will incorporate technology so that students can learn new technological resources, see a model of the resources and use the technology on their own.  I will create school-wide activities, podcasts and lessons to supplement the brief periods I have with the students. Teachers can continue my work through my wikis, blogs, podcasts and other activities.  I will 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.  This cycle of teacher stagnation will be broken on my campus.  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; instead I promise to be dynamic: to 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.