Vision of Practice
I took the EDSN 682 course to get a general idea of what it’s like to be a teacher. As a class, we watched recordings of the classes and then created our lessons and films to share. The course has a total of 12 modules. It was our responsibility to examine our teachings, write about students with impairments, and include interactive tactics in our lessons.
Pre-Kindergarten lessons have been developed by me, and I have expertise in teaching in the early grades. They aren’t like the majority of students, either. They have certain requirements and abilities. As a teacher, it’s critical to recognize that we’re often the first people these students have contact with outside of their immediate family and close friends.
Because I was able to put what I learned in this course into practice to better serve my students, it has helped me further my career as a curriculum developer and implementer. My lessons are centered on our current Common Core Standards, and I prepared and structured them specifically to fit the needs of my kids and the norm. Learned in this course is the importance of providing different opportunities for students to understand and express their thoughts on the material being taught in class, which in turn helps the instructor increase their students’ comprehension. I’m now able to teach in a variety of ways, including whole-class instruction, group work, one-on-one focus groups, and lessons focused on play.
Students in my class get several rewards as a result of using an active learning strategy in the classroom. This is the greatest way to guarantee that each student’s preferred style of learning is addressed. They had a great time participating in the activities that I prepared and implemented. During small-group discussions, they felt more at ease in this environment, which boosted their morale. My pupils were more engaged in my classes as a result of this.
It’s an important element of helping children learn and grow, but this area also provides numerous possibilities for adults to grow personally and emotionally. As a teacher, we’ll learn how to be better leaders and more considerate people.
Teachers are responsible for creating a learning environment in their institutions. The progress and development of our kids are of utmost importance to us. The teaching and learning process should involve the function of facilitator, monitoring, correcting, and guiding during presentations.
In addition to the utilization of real-life experiential learning exercises, the course taught me about the need for individual classroom differentiation and the importance of accommodating students with diverse learning styles.
Seeing the world from their perspective encourages youngsters to think about their well-being. They get a sense of accomplishment and more faith as a result of this. Classroom and non-classroom-based activities that encourage students to actively participate in their learning, rely on their own experiences and actively enhance their understanding are all part of experiential learning. Experiential learning, on the other hand, refers to learning that takes place in a real-world context where students gain and apply information, skills, and emotions (Kolb A.Y. 2005). Every learning event has the potential to include experiential learning. When I attended a session, the teacher used the subject of Autumn to develop instructional writing in a creative and participatory manner by preparing cookies. As part of a math lesson, pupils had to answer a word problem using real-life scenarios. In one of the courses, students learned to have empathy for the plight of the homeless.
There was a strong emphasis on manipulatives and play-based learning in all of the courses. Early reading and numeracy skills are developed in tandem with social, emotional, physical, and creative abilities when children learn via play (Marbina, Church & Tayler, 2011)
When students are required to apply their knowledge to real-world situations, make active judgments, and concentrate on the implications or effects of their actions and decisions, they do better.
Preschoolers have an innate desire to learn via reading, discovery, and experimentation. Children’s natural curiosity is piqued by something they don’t know, so they’re eager to learn more. When done correctly, a child’s natural curiosity for learning at school and home may be harnessed to its full potential.
Despite their seeming curiosity, young children’s minds and bodies are deeply engaged. They are also unable to focus on subjects in which they have limited knowledge. For this reason, instructors of experiential learners must provide them with projects that are both learner-centered and hands-on to assist them to handle the real-world challenges they face daily (Gunstone R.F. 2000). (Wurdinger 2010).
Collaborative learning was another method that was present in the classes observed. Various educational techniques including a shared intellectual effort by students or students and instructors together are referred to as “collaborative learning” by Barbara et al. (1992).
It may be a fun and rewarding way to study and interact with your peers. It has a significant impact on the development of social and communication skills in youngsters. Students’ passion and dedication are bolstered, and their social skills are sharpened as a result, when the group and peer work is emphasized throughout the class. When children are exposed to other points of view, they develop more positive relationships with their classmates. It helps pupils learn to work together as a team and recognize their differences.
Collaborative learning puts students at the center of the learning process and gives them a sense of agency throughout the course of it.
Differentiation and adjustments for all sorts of students were also stressed throughout the course. Pupils’ skills, experience, and involvement in a classroom are closely monitored by the instructor to determine acceptable learning methods for all students. The teacher’s greatest grasp of what works best for a student at a particular moment is shown via differentiated lessons.
As teachers plan their classes for their students, they must take into account their students’ ethnic backgrounds as well as their socio-economic experiences and the rate at which they study (Struyven, Coubergs, Gheyssens, & Engels, 2015). Instructors must be able to adapt teaching and activities to meet the needs of a diverse range of pupils, both in terms of academic ability and personal traits, to effectively cope with these disparities.
Everyone can learn if they have the necessary resources and tools available to them. As far as I’m concerned, education has the power to transform the world. I want to be a teacher who is a part of this transformation. Investing in children is one of my life ambitions. I want to inspire them to believe in themselves and their abilities so that they may take on the world. When a kid is an adult, he/she will take what he/she has learned in school and disseminate it across the globe. I want to be a teacher for this same reason.
Reference:
Gunstone, R. F. (2000). Constructivism and learning research in science education. In Philips, D. C. (Eds.), Constructivism in education: Opinions and second opinions on controversial issues. (pp. 254-281). Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Press.
Kolb, D. (1984) Experiential learning. Experience as the source of learning and Development (Englewood CliÚ s, NJ: Prentice-Hall).
Struyven, K., Coubergs, C., Gheyssens, Es., & Engels, N. (2015). Ieders Leer-kracht. Binnenklasdifferentiatie in de praktijk. Leuven: Uitgeverij Acco.
Wurdinger, S. D., & Carlson, J. A. (2010). Teaching for experiential learning: Five approaches that work. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Education
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