Portfolio.Present

=Raison D’etre =

In my research and reflection of the last two years I sought to place my teaching style and theory within the scope of modern education. Today, as always, there are goals which society feels are vital for students to reach – essential lessons that will hopefully ensure student success in life. Unlike past generations, however, these are now strict standards rather than general guidelines. Though these goals represent the current standard classroom curriculum, there is no standard pedagogy for teaching students. Teachers are free to teach these lessons as they see fit, and it is incumbent on us to think carefully about how we will accomplish that task.

It is a teacher’s duty to guide students to that goal. Though all students are capable of learning, each has their own way of learning. The teacher must have the wisdom to recognize the way for each student to succeed. The other duty of a teacher is to ensure that when they leave their care students are better thinkers than when they arrived. Though not as strictly prescribed, critical thinking skills are vital to student’s success in life. The teacher’s final duty is to ready students to use these skills in the networked public spaces that comprise 21st century society. Teachers do their students a grave disservice if they ignore the technology and media that saturate the world.

These three reflective research projects, along with other work done before my Master's program began, represent the formation of my current pedagogy. They are influenced by curriculum researchers of the past, my own experience as a student and teacher, and my understanding of where society stands today.

Curriculum Framework
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