Explanation
In this section I have highlighted some of the main sources of my educational philosophies including some of my personal mentors, a select TED talk, and select literature we reviewed in this course.
Personal Mentors
Pedagogy in the Science Classroom: Ms. Bobbi Jo Kenyon
I started working with Ms. Kenyon during the fall semester of 2011 as a teacher's assistant in her freshman-level biology courses at Ottawa Hills High School (Grand Rapids, MI). Since taking me under her wing I have learned a great deal about how to create a classroom that makes students feel safe, welcomed, and enthusiastic.
Conflict Resolution: Mr. Craig Gray
I began taking Krav Maga classes from Mr. Gray in the summer of 2011 and since then have also had the pleasure of attending one of his PeaceWalker workshops. The workshop focused on developing skills in verbal de-escalation, leadership, and supporting the universal value of life. His guidance has provided me with numerous tools that will become invaluable in creating a safe and welcoming classroom.
Science in the Field: Dr. Bob Hollister
During the spring of 2007 I began working as a research assistant for Dr. Hollister in Grand Valley State University's Arctic Ecology Program. I spent three of the next four summers collecting data at field sites in northern Alaska as a part of an international project examining climate change's impacts on arctic plants. In 2009 he took me on as a graduate student in GVSU's MS program, and is currently guiding me through the process of completing my thesis. I'm greatly indebted to him for teaching me to think like a scientist and for his excellent mentor-ship throughout the years. I have no doubt the emphasis he placed on clear communication and academic rigor in science will be to the benefit of my future science students.
I started working with Ms. Kenyon during the fall semester of 2011 as a teacher's assistant in her freshman-level biology courses at Ottawa Hills High School (Grand Rapids, MI). Since taking me under her wing I have learned a great deal about how to create a classroom that makes students feel safe, welcomed, and enthusiastic.
Conflict Resolution: Mr. Craig Gray
I began taking Krav Maga classes from Mr. Gray in the summer of 2011 and since then have also had the pleasure of attending one of his PeaceWalker workshops. The workshop focused on developing skills in verbal de-escalation, leadership, and supporting the universal value of life. His guidance has provided me with numerous tools that will become invaluable in creating a safe and welcoming classroom.
Science in the Field: Dr. Bob Hollister
During the spring of 2007 I began working as a research assistant for Dr. Hollister in Grand Valley State University's Arctic Ecology Program. I spent three of the next four summers collecting data at field sites in northern Alaska as a part of an international project examining climate change's impacts on arctic plants. In 2009 he took me on as a graduate student in GVSU's MS program, and is currently guiding me through the process of completing my thesis. I'm greatly indebted to him for teaching me to think like a scientist and for his excellent mentor-ship throughout the years. I have no doubt the emphasis he placed on clear communication and academic rigor in science will be to the benefit of my future science students.
Select Literature
Cambourne, B (1995) Toward an educationally relevant theory of literacy learning: Twenty years of inquiry. The Reading Teacher. 49(3), 182-190.
Throughout this course we utilized the framework proposed by Cambourne to question how we could create a classroom where all necessary conditions are met in order to allow students to maximize their learning potentials. I firmly believe this process has better prepared me to do so in my own classroom.
Hardin, CJ (2011). Effective Classroom Management. Pearson Education Inc. Boston, MA.
This book clearly outlined the benefits, drawbacks, and suggested implementation techniques for a wide variety of classroom techniques. Through guided readings and class discussions I was able to asses multiple management styles and develop ways several of them could be employed to the benefit of my students.
Kulczewski, P (2005). Vygotsky and the Three Bears. Teaching Children Mathematics. The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, Inc.
This article is a succinct reminder of the importance of scaffolding and offers a creative example in the context of an elementary school math class. As I ascribe to a social constructivistic theory of education I believe it's important to keep scaffolding in mind while devising lessons.
Trei, L (2007) New study yields instructive results on how mindset affects learning. Stanford Report.
In this article the author discusses findings of a study which revealed that when people were taught specific strategies for tackling cognitive tasks, they could actually "become smarter". Moreover, the researchers found that when subjects had the belief that they could do so, it often drastically changed the outcome of interventions. I believe this work has profound implications on the way I will interact with my students in that I now know I cannot assign an intelligence level to any individual in my classroom, but instead must instill in them a belief that they can always grow.
Wong HK, Wong RT (2009). The First Days of School. Harry K Wong Publications, Inc. Mountain View, CA.
In The First Days of School the authors offer several practical examples of teachers giving ownership of the classroom to their students and highlight the importance of the first days of school in fostering a classroom environment conducive to learning. Guided readings and class discussions of this work have clarified ways I can employ such techniques in my own classroom.
Throughout this course we utilized the framework proposed by Cambourne to question how we could create a classroom where all necessary conditions are met in order to allow students to maximize their learning potentials. I firmly believe this process has better prepared me to do so in my own classroom.
Hardin, CJ (2011). Effective Classroom Management. Pearson Education Inc. Boston, MA.
This book clearly outlined the benefits, drawbacks, and suggested implementation techniques for a wide variety of classroom techniques. Through guided readings and class discussions I was able to asses multiple management styles and develop ways several of them could be employed to the benefit of my students.
Kulczewski, P (2005). Vygotsky and the Three Bears. Teaching Children Mathematics. The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, Inc.
This article is a succinct reminder of the importance of scaffolding and offers a creative example in the context of an elementary school math class. As I ascribe to a social constructivistic theory of education I believe it's important to keep scaffolding in mind while devising lessons.
Trei, L (2007) New study yields instructive results on how mindset affects learning. Stanford Report.
In this article the author discusses findings of a study which revealed that when people were taught specific strategies for tackling cognitive tasks, they could actually "become smarter". Moreover, the researchers found that when subjects had the belief that they could do so, it often drastically changed the outcome of interventions. I believe this work has profound implications on the way I will interact with my students in that I now know I cannot assign an intelligence level to any individual in my classroom, but instead must instill in them a belief that they can always grow.
Wong HK, Wong RT (2009). The First Days of School. Harry K Wong Publications, Inc. Mountain View, CA.
In The First Days of School the authors offer several practical examples of teachers giving ownership of the classroom to their students and highlight the importance of the first days of school in fostering a classroom environment conducive to learning. Guided readings and class discussions of this work have clarified ways I can employ such techniques in my own classroom.