Mr. Roboto Comes to the Classroom...Almost
Even before I went in to the field of education, I placed a high value on learning. Not just because I saw the power and benefits which came from knowledge, but also the opportunities, gratification and motivations which accompanied it as well. Now, at what could be the end of my formal education, I am faced with a dilemma of sorts- Do I continue on with courses, or take a sabbatical from formal learning institutions? I really love school (that is one of the reasons I became a teacher). The smells, sounds and feel of a school are invigorating to me and add to my daily experiences. I am torn on whether I will continue on and earn a PhD or not, but one thing I am quite certain about...In some way, shape or form, I will truly continue to learn every hour of every day of my life. Either formally or not, I simply can not envision myself not getting value and knowledge from this world of ours. The major way I envision my learning happening will deal with technology and computers and their incorporation in to the classroom.
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My professional goals all include the ability to be very dynamic in my teaching and level-of-skill...I plan on growing as a teacher. Teaching is similar to other professional positions such as Medical Doctor and Lawyer, in that it is a practice. We as teachers never achieve perfection in what we do, and I accept and welcome this challenging aspect of the job. To be sure I stay on the "cutting edge" of the educational world, there are many things I plan on doing which are either formal or more informal in nature, but all of them seem to include the use of technology and new forms of information sharing. It would be irresponsible for an educator to ignore or downplay the role which technology is playing in forming our world. As a part of my own learning efforts, I wish to stay abreast of what is available to us as teachers so that I can use these new advances in my classroom.
The use of computers, networking (social or otherwise), collaborative programs and apps, and other advances yet-to-be-seen will play a large role in my teaching. In terms of being a life-long learner, I want to be able to adapt and change, as well as, use advances in technology to my advantage; I can not see myself being competent at this without pursuing knowledge as it develops. The avenues I see myself using to continue my education in technological regards would be the various Professional Development opportunities offered within and without of my own district, and searching out and gaining training through formal workshops. Although I am considering moving towards a PhD, I am not certain of this, and so currently, see most of my future training as more informal in nature. That is to say, not in a classroom setting or from an institution such as a university or college. But just as is our profession, the world changes, and we can never clearly foresee the future and what it might hold for us. |
What is happening to our world? Do we face being so interconnected to our technology that we are unable to live without it? Ask any high school student to hand over their phone, and you will find out just how dependent we are becoming as a society on our technology...we are almost addicted to some aspects of our social- media-infused lives. In the end though, it will be a job description for any teacher to deal with the quickly advancing levels of digital interaction between students and computers. We have to integrate these new ideas and devices in to our class, and I can see myself adapting and using these changes to my advantage. Being able to move with the world as it changes is important in our profession, and part of my future training will be to see how to do just that. Media is changing the way we teach, the attitude or our students and how they learn, and the level of engagement we must attain in order to be effective. To this extent, I see myself changing and evolving into a different type of teacher. One whom is able to find new, creative ways in which to use the latest techno-gadgetry to motivate and engage students- this is what I aspire to be.
To achieve this level of flexibility and be that dynamic, I can only see myself as a continuous learner. Always searching out and learning about what is coming next, how to use what is here, and ways to combine the two whenever possible. My training here at MSU has done much to forward this level of dynamism. Whether from incorporating technologies into the courses I took, or employing this same technology in my own classroom, my MAED has allowed me to see just how invaluable using online resources and computers can be. I now see myself as more than competent in the arena of utilizing and teaching with web pages and other internet-linked sources. So how do I envision myself in the future? I can see myself learning from any and all avenues which present themselves: formal; informal; technological; traditional; or anything other. At the end of my journey, I wish to be a teacher whom has the ability to use any and all means available to him in order to teach in a way that catches the attention of, enlightens, and guides students. I wish to be a leader in the way that I can show others just how learning can look if one employs all means available to him, shares it with those around him and never becomes satisfied with the status quo. When I worked for Pizza Hut as a General Manager, my District Manager, Brett Ruff, said to me "Rick, if the only reason you have for doing something is 'that's the way we've always done it,' then there is a better way." That saying works just as well in education as it did in pizza. Brett was very smart; I hope I can be just as smart as he was and continue to learn, adapt and modify what I do. I don't want us to become robots and teach only using the "latest and greatest," but incorporating technology into our classrooms, and always learning as we go will serve everyone well. |