Personal+Philosophy

‘To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe’. (Anatole France, no date provided).
==Our philosophy of teaching underlies everything that we aim to accomplish, it guides our planning and actions, dictates what we consider important and guides our inner motivations. On this page I share my personal philosophy of learning and outline how the integration of Web based learning becomes a vehicle through which to outwork this and potentially transform education as we know it.==

==I believe that students need to be guided and facilitated in their understanding and interact with the notion of how learning occurs. They should be provided with opportunities to collaborate, discuss and articulate their learning, be challenged in their thinking and be provided with opportunities for multiple interaction and expressions of knowledge acquisition. Additionally a classroom environment that is founded on respect and diversity is crucial in developing life long skills and attitudes that reflect a changing society. ICT has the potential to support community interaction beyond the classroom. ICT is an essential life skill (Ministry of Education, 2006) and relates directly to the key competencies of the New Zealand curriculum.==

==This consideration of the learner is underpinned by a constructivist view of how learning occurs. Students bring with them their own complex set of experiences, backgrounds and aptitudes, through which they construct their own unique version of knowledge (Roblyer, 2006; Jonassen, 2003). This is why the role of the teacher as the facilitator of learning not the distributor of knowledge is key. The use of the web in this instance is hugely beneficial as it enables students to work through web quests and problem based tasks in an independent yet scaffolded way in which the teacher uses questioning skills to facilitate learning. ‘Technology will truly become a tool for learning when teachers actively take on the role of facilitator’ (Sulla, 1999 pg 4). This gives opportunities for self paced learning and independent motivation (Roblyer, 2006). Technology assists in putting the ‘learner at the centre of the education system’ (Ministry of Education, 2006 p6).==

==A constructivist learning approach is also indicated by opportunities for students to cooperate and collaborate. Working with others and seeking out help is a natural function of being human (Rate, 2002). Students learn from articulation and as they become involved in sharing skills and knowledge their learning is both constructed and consolidated. ‘Constructing meaning comes from interaction with others to explain, defend, discuss, and assess our ideas and challenge, question, and comprehend the ideas of others’ (Sherman & Kurshan, 2005, p12). Students have opportunities through the use of technological modes of representation such as the read/write web (Richardson 2006) to interact and ‘socially negotiate a common understanding of the task and the methods they will use to accomplish it’ (Jonassen, 2003 ch1 pg 9).==

==This social negotiation requires a level of high order thinking that I believe is imperative to prepare students for the 21st century. ‘Learning is thinking skills’ (Jonassen, 2003). Thinking is also presented as a key competency in the New Zealand Curriculum (Ministry of Education, 2006). The Internet has opened doors to a wide range of information and through exposure to this, students develop the critical thinking skills to evaluate and assimilate this information. Blooms revised taxonomy (Atherton, 2005) indicates the importance of students having opportunities to analyse and evaluate, make judgements and share opinions. E-learning gives these opportunities and also provides a forum within which students can express and connect ideas, engage with concepts and translate them to different contexts. Jonassen (2003) calls this conceptual change and I believe that having the opportunity to develop this ability of transfering knowledge is an important part of learning.==

==Another aspect of my personal philosophy is the importance of catering to different types of learning styles. Technology is an excellent tool for motivating students with all types of learning preferences and ensuring that different strengths are catered to. Many students find technology-based materials more motivating and less threatening (Robyler, 2006). ‘Different students learn best by using different media. By recognizing and understanding different learning styles such as spatial, verbal, kinesthetic, or musical, a teacher can bring different students capabilities to full potential’ (Agnew, Kellerman & Meyer, 1996, p10).==

==Through web-based tasks a whole new dimension can be added to learning as students not only engage in visual, audio and kinesthetic experiences but additionally can respond according to areas of strength. Gardener postulates that ways that students can be ‘smart’ are music, body/kinesthetic, nature, linguistic (words), logic, visual spatial and intra and inter personal. Using web-based resources such as u-tube, kidvid story boarding tools, real life simulations, blogs, wiki and many more, provide opportunities to develop these strengths and provide multiple pathways for learning and response. This will invoke a feeling of success for all students.==

==In relation to musical intelligence and in terms of my role as a music educator digital technologies have the potential to reinvent how we create, distribute and share music (Dillon, 2005). Research (Edwards, 2005) and my own experience shows that the integration of ICT and web-based technologies such as u-tube serves to enthuse and motivate students in this area. Using multimedia facilities such as Glogster has the capacity to support links between the visual and sound arts. Additionally e-learning allows different spaces and places for creating and sharing arts-making processes and provides opportunities to share and collaborate beyond the walls of the classroom (Dunmill & Arslanagic, 2006).==

==This idea of linking to a world beyond the classroom aids students to understand and appreciate diversity and develop an attitude of respect for all. Our knowledge and beliefs about the world are influenced by our community and its beliefs and values’ (Jonassen, 2003 pg 5). This connection to a wider world also creates opportunities for authentic learning contexts that go beyond the classroom. In this way parental and community participation is encouraged and involvement is built beyond the classroom which improves the quality of learning (Ministry of Education, 2006).==

==Finally it is clear that ICT is a significant factor in the developing of the key competencies of the New Zealand Curriculum. As well as thinking, already mentioned, e-Learning can contribute to the development of all of the competencies as they are applied within the context of ICT. The key competencies are crucial capabilities developed over time and are ‘ shaped by interactions with people, places, ideas and things. Students need to be challenged to develop their competencies in contexts that are increasingly wide ranging and complex’ (Ministry of Education, 2006). The web certainly delivers this context, this opportunity for interaction and engagement.==

==Therefore ‘to accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe’. (Anatole France, no date provided). I believe that ICT has the potential to transform education. As teachers act as facilitators and center experiences around the strengths and interests of the learner. As, through collaboration, cooperation and community participation, life long skills and key competencies are developed. As new technologies are utilised in order for students to evaluate, synthesize and express in a way not previously possible. Then we will be preparing our children for the 21st Century.==