Dayanara Martinez
Educational Philosophy
“Without
words, without writing, and without books there would be no history; there
would be no concept of humanity.”
– Herman Hesse, Siddhartha
My role as a teacher remains clear
to this day: empowering students by first measuring their academic needs with
their socio-economic wants, and then facilitating curriculum guidelines and
tasks in a manner best suited for them; all in the spirit of fostering intellectual
curiosity without perpetuating the fear and stress that comes with a learning
environment affected by standardization and quantification.
Academic rigor can only be
established and propagated when a student is permitted to learn in varied
settings, addressing numerous multiple intelligences at a given moment. By
introducing digital tools and resources into my teaching, I can personalize the
students’ learning and provide them with the opportunity to assess their own
progress. Incorporating technology into today’s classroom will allow students
to be prepared for the way the world is evolving. Exposing students to a
variety of digital tool and resources will provide them with the skills to be
able to think critically and effectively so as to be successful problem solvers
in my class, in other subjects, as well as out of the classroom.
The
‘scientific method’ is my main teaching strategy in getting students actively
involved in organizing new information, making legitimate and logical claims,
while emphasizing the importance of using and properly citing evidence. Doing research is a major component of the
scientific process. It involves finding
sources of information, communicating with other scientists, comparing to
previously published research, and creating tools for gathering and organizing
results. Here, technology is key; being
skilled in internet research can make the work of a scientist easier, therefore
it is important to expose the students to all of the online journals and
publications that can be accessed to aid in their investigation.
I
believe that the classroom is an essential extension of students’ lives, second
only to their home, and being so, should be a haven in which students can
express their own identity. Nowadays,
students express themselves using social media sites, so why not bring those
sites into the classroom and give the students ownership of their own learning.
However, it is important to educate the students in the appropriate etiquette
and responsible behavior in digital social interactions. Thus, the classroom
environment is marked by respect, calmness, and the freedom to express opinions
without retribution.
As
a teacher of English Language Learners (ELLs), my immediate pedagogical aim is
to improve upon writing and reading levels, using the many techniques at my
disposal. The use of digital tools becomes an integral part of my methodologies. Visual aids are essential in order to provide the students with a representation of the concepts I am trying to teach them; short video clips, digital demonstrations, and virtual labs are tools that I rely on everyday. Therefore, it is imperative that I become well educated and skilled in the variety of tools that I can choose from to enhance my students learning process.
Technology is important, in fact is key in today's world, thus integrating it into my teaching provides the students with practice and exposure to the many resources and tools, but it also improves their knowledge using fun and interesting methods. Technology addresses the diverse needs of the students, it can enhance their creativity and the way they express themselves.
