Agent of Positive Change
Nelson Mandela stated that “Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world”. Since childhood, I have had a passion for learning. Playing school with stuffed animals and dolls was the excitement of the day. The echoes of chalk on a small standing board, given as a Christmas gift, have been transformed into a reality as a rewarding career. After six years as a classroom educator, there is no other preference for me. The days sometimes seem long and the students are not always motivated; however, there are those few moments when the I see the lightbulb turn on or the fire ignite in a student’s face as they become engaged in the lesson. The hard work to connect the content to the real world has …show more content…
Students are stressed with the stack of high stakes testing they are administered each year. Teachers are overwhelmed at the pressure to raise student scores. This is problematic because the ability for students to become fully engaged in a lesson lessens as teachers focus on cramming information in the restricted timeframe for the sake of being “prepared” for the assessment. The domino effect is a classroom filled with students who do not have the opportunity to become invested in their learning, cannot make real connections with the material and lose motivation because they believe school is all about testing. A potential answer to this problem is deep investigation into the connection between the curriculum, instruction and assessment. Veteran teachers have the most at stake, especially those who have been getting the desired state results from their teaching method. However, those results may not be what is needed to capture student learning at its best. Often, the classroom consist of item-teaching rather than curriculum teaching. In item-teaching the teacher is focused on the specifics items known to be on the test and teaches to that. On the contrary, with curriculum teaching, the teacher concentrates on a specific body of content knowledge or skill set represented on the test (Popham, 2010). With the proper professional development, classroom teachers can receive the assistance they need to sculpt …show more content…
Additionally, I want to become an integral part of technology curriculum development in science K-12 education. Change comes with learning. It is often an uncomfortable task; yet, is needed for growth. The fear of the being different or encountering something unfamiliar leaves individuals continuing in their own cycle of comfort, which may not be effective to maintain productivity in society. Furthering my education will provide me with tools needed to initiate change in the classroom and community. The community depends on teachers to educate the youth and prepare them for their lifelong journey in the real world. It cannot be without accurate knowledge and proper
Nelson Mandela stated that “Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world”. Since childhood, I have had a passion for learning. Playing school with stuffed animals and dolls was the excitement of the day. The echoes of chalk on a small standing board, given as a Christmas gift, have been transformed into a reality as a rewarding career. After six years as a classroom educator, there is no other preference for me. The days sometimes seem long and the students are not always motivated; however, there are those few moments when the I see the lightbulb turn on or the fire ignite in a student’s face as they become engaged in the lesson. The hard work to connect the content to the real world has …show more content…
Students are stressed with the stack of high stakes testing they are administered each year. Teachers are overwhelmed at the pressure to raise student scores. This is problematic because the ability for students to become fully engaged in a lesson lessens as teachers focus on cramming information in the restricted timeframe for the sake of being “prepared” for the assessment. The domino effect is a classroom filled with students who do not have the opportunity to become invested in their learning, cannot make real connections with the material and lose motivation because they believe school is all about testing. A potential answer to this problem is deep investigation into the connection between the curriculum, instruction and assessment. Veteran teachers have the most at stake, especially those who have been getting the desired state results from their teaching method. However, those results may not be what is needed to capture student learning at its best. Often, the classroom consist of item-teaching rather than curriculum teaching. In item-teaching the teacher is focused on the specifics items known to be on the test and teaches to that. On the contrary, with curriculum teaching, the teacher concentrates on a specific body of content knowledge or skill set represented on the test (Popham, 2010). With the proper professional development, classroom teachers can receive the assistance they need to sculpt …show more content…
Additionally, I want to become an integral part of technology curriculum development in science K-12 education. Change comes with learning. It is often an uncomfortable task; yet, is needed for growth. The fear of the being different or encountering something unfamiliar leaves individuals continuing in their own cycle of comfort, which may not be effective to maintain productivity in society. Furthering my education will provide me with tools needed to initiate change in the classroom and community. The community depends on teachers to educate the youth and prepare them for their lifelong journey in the real world. It cannot be without accurate knowledge and proper