What is Learning?...Revisited

After our class discussion, viewing and reading the teaching philosophies of my classmates, and some utilization of outside resources I have come to realize several areas of my own teaching philosophy could be modified.

I still feel that my goals for myself and my students are applicable. However, I would state that although learning can be fostered through outside activities it is ultimately the students decision to be successful and understand the material that they are presented. Students that want to be successful have to take the initiative to learn the topics. It is my job as an instructor to provide the students with the necessary materials and outside assistance (office hours) to help them be successful.

Secondly, I would consider finding other methods of measuring students success, other than just quizzes. Being a person who is a horrible test taker I understand that it is nice to have other opportunities to gain points in a class. Therefore, I will consider other methods of assessment to help students that may struggle on exams and such.

Overall, I feel like all of us (students) have similar ideas in our individual philosophies. Whether it is  wanting our students to be successful, assessment tools used in the classroom, as well as the overall understanding that our students gain from our classes. I have gained very valuable information from reading other students philosophies. My classmates reflections have made me rethink my own teaching strategies and goals for my students.

Teaching Philosophy Reflections

After reading Delci, Jim, and Margot’s teaching philosophies there were several aspects of my own teaching philosophy that I would revisit.

Delci stated the importance of being prepared and ready for class, the idea that students will be more willing to learn if the instructor is prepared and ready for class, instead of all over the place. Delci also mentioned admitting when you don’t know something. This relates to the idea that one never stops learning.

Jim also focused on making learning fun and exciting. The use of humor in the classroom tends to keep the attention of the students and break the monotony of the classroom structure. He also emphasized the utilization of hands-on experiences. Hands-on experiences help to facilitate learning and the application of “classroom” material to real world examples is the best way to foster future agricultural ambassadors.

Margo focused on the development of the student. She noted the importance of open-mindedness, desire, and awareness of the students. I thought is was interesting how she wanted every student to think of her class as more than a class that they needed to pass their major. She emphasized the idea of being able to use and conceptualize ideas taken from the classroom out into their everyday life. She was extremely concerned with the success of her students and their futures.

After reading my peers teaching philosophies there are several ideas that I would consider incorporating into my own philosophy. First, I would incorporate the idea of admitting when I do not know something right off hand. This is a perfectly normal situation in any class and can lead to someone feeling slightly embarrassed. Either way I feel that this can be a learning experience, not only for the student, but for the instructor as well. Secondly, the idea of incorporating humor into the classroom is another idea to think about. Making the class more humorous and exciting will increase the chances of the students paying more attention and being more engaged. Finally, I would also incorporate Margot’s ideas of awareness and desire of the students to learn. The futures of the students and their ability to use the knowledge learned in the classroom to outside situations is fundamental to fostering strong agricultural ambassadors.

What is Learning?

What is Learning?

Learning is something that never ends. Learning involves using your general basis of knowledge, expanding on those ideas (which may be outside the box), relating them to other areas of knowledge that was previously acquired, and then formulating those ideas into one’s own understanding and opinions. Learning in today’s classrooms has developed into short-term memorization or cramming. Cramming ultimately leads students to understanding the material just enough to get a decent grade on an exam and then as soon as they walk out of the exam they forget it. This cycle leads to them needing to “relearn” the same ideas in higher-level classes.

It is my belief, that in order for students to truly show that they understand a concept they should be able to explain it to someone else. The ability to explain a concept to another person shows that the knowledge, understanding, and related information are understood.  If there happens to be confusion during these times of explanation, we can then attempt to find out where the defaults are in their thought process or the information in which they were provided.

Learning is about being able to utilize general information in part with the “big-picture” ideas to think critically about a topic while using clear strong evidence to back up your answers/beliefs. The ability to listen and communicate to all types of people allows for strong agricultural ambassadors.

Initial Teaching Philosophy

Initial Teaching Philosophy 

Krista Wellnitz 

January 17, 2012

Critical Thinking!  

It is my belief that learning should be fun, exciting, and challenging all at the same time. To me learning can be thought of as a new challenge. When you push students to think outside the box, and look at the real-world issues that are directly related to a specific discipline, greater understanding of that disciple happens. In agriculture, it is necessary as an instructor of young students to give them direct insight through the use of: real life examples, and through expressing the global importance of agriculture. The ability of students to advocate the agricultural discipline through the use of effective communication can increase the overall understanding of the day-to-day scenarios. This understanding can then be used to convey insight to those that may not have a strong agricultural background. Overall, it is important for students to come to class with an open-mind. An open-mind can facilitate increased understanding as a whole. Students learn to conceptualize and think critically about many different aspects. Being able to think critically allows for a deeper understanding of many different topics.

My Goals!

My goals as an instructor in the field of agriculture include: 1) Helping the students to understand the importance of agriculture around the world. 2) Allowing them to make their own informed decisions about the discipline. 3) To aid them in effectively communicating their beliefs and understanding of agriculture in a respectful and understanding manner.

Actions Taken to Reach my Goals!

In order to meet my goals as an instructor it is important to foster the student’s education. I feel that the enthusiasm of the professor, their overall knowledge and passion for the class, and the ability to relate to many different types of learning styles can help to facilitate learning in the classroom.  As an instructor it is my job to let the students know that I care about them, and that their education is important to me. In order to do this, I engage the students in their learning.  I do this by encouraging students to actively participate in hands-on laboratories, allowing them to ask questions without feeling intimidated by others in the class. I will use my own personal agricultural experiences to give them insight to different aspects of agriculture. I will also be available to help them one on one outside of class, taking the time to know their names, and using real world examples related to concepts and topics related to classroom discussion.

Learning Never Ends!  

Learning is more than coming to class, regurgitating the notes that were written on your paper, and passing a test! Learning is about being able to think critically about a topic while using clear strong evidence to back up your answers/beliefs, as well as being able to listen to others who may not always agree. The ability to listen and communicate to all types of people allows for strong agricultural ambassadors.

"Practice"

One thing that I found interesting about the reading is the ways in which they suggest that teachers decrease the issue of gender bias, through the use of he/she interchangeably as well as using examples that are relevant to many different types of backgrounds and cultures without bias.