Learning Manifesto
I have been working in the field of education as a teacher for the past 5 years. Throughout my career, my main goal has been to provide my students with enriching and authentic learning experiences that allow them to grow and be successful in all areas of their lives. I am a firm believer that implementing play/project based learning along with technology resources can take our students education further than we ever thought possible. Through pursuing my masters in Educational Technology and Leadership I hope to continue growing and understanding the technology needs within various school districts and communities to help better serve our students. I hope to one day hold a Public Relations and Communications position for a school district. The following is an excerpt of my personal learning manifesto thus far. Please check it out!
My Passion
My passion in life has always been getting the opportunity to work with kids. Teaching has allowed me to combine my love for working with kids, building valuable relationships, and implementing technology. After a frustrating experience I had in 8th-grade math class, and seeing the positive impact my teacher had on me, becoming a teacher had always been my biggest goal. My philosophy is that students strive for greatness and have the opportunity to be successful in a welcoming, comfortable, and safe environment. Rita Pierson, a lifelong professional educator, once said that "Every child deserves a champion, an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection, and insists they become the best they can be." My passion is what drives my "why?". I love working with kids while watching them grow and accomplish goals they never thought possible. My goal is to be a champion for every student who walks into my classroom. My hope is to give them a safe space where they can leave life's worries behind, even if just for a minute. Building those vital relationships with students has impacted my life more than I ever thought possible. In my classroom, instilling the importance of an all-inclusive environment, creating lifelong learners, and making real-life connections, all while implementing technology, are my ambitions as an educator.
Digital Learning and Leading
Digital learning can significantly impact students' learning and be used as stepping stones to greater things. Some emerging issues related to digital learning and leading have come to light more now that we are dealing with the current situation in our world. We are currently teaching during the Pandemic of COVID-19. Due to this pandemic, over 100,000 schools have had to close, and over 45 million students have been affected. Many schools have recently had the opportunity to transition to distance learning.
In many cases, districts have been fortunate enough to run strictly on an online learning basis. Unfortunately, students who do not have the same advantages are not lucky enough to reap the same benefits. According to 2017 data from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), 3.1 million households (14.1%) with school-aged children have no wired broadband connection at home. Though some of these families most likely have a wireless subscription, these data plans are not sufficient for extended online learning. I currently work in a low socioeconomic school district where this exact situation has impacted our students. The majority of my students do not have access to essential internet services to be successful. My district recently implemented 1 to 1 devices within the last few years. This option is great when students are at school and can use the resources, but outside of school, some of my students do not have the same connectivity options as others. This has been a concern with the upcoming school year to ensure that all students have the same opportunity at my school and district level but also at the state, national, and global levels as well.
Enhancing Education
Education is a significant part of our society. Nelson Mandala once said, "Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world." I often beg the question, are we rightfully preparing our students for the world when we, as a society, struggle to meets students where they are? We cannot adequately serve our students when we think that all students learn the same way. I believe that students need to have the opportunity to have a voice and be in charge of their learning. I think that teachers need to learn to move away from the traditional lecture-style instruction and more into the facilitator role where students can guide their own authentic learning experiences. Maria Montessori, an education philosopher, once said that "The greatest sign of success for a teacher... is to be able to say, 'The children are now working as if I did not exist.'" I believe that you must get comfortable with being uncomfortable in order to grow.
I am a firm believer of implementing play-based or project-based learning and that it can be used to ensure that we are better at meeting students' academic needs. Play-based learning also has cognitive, physical, social, and emotional benefits. Through play or projects, I think that children are more engaged and focused on the task because they are offered the opportunity to make more meaningful connections to the task to gain a deeper understanding of what they were learning. I believe that a classroom environment should ultimately be created to engage students' minds, meet their sensory needs, and offer practice with the academic content. This style of learning allows me, the teacher, to do the job we all wish and hope we can do: facilitate deeper discussions, offer exploration through hands-on learning, engage in critical thinking and problem-solving, by molding our students into the people we wish to see in our society.
My Core Beliefs
Some of my core beliefs that apply to my experience with digital learning and its impact include implementing a growth mindset by taking risks and learning from my mistakes, accepting accountability by being accountable and responsible for the outcome of my actions. Lastly, balancing vision and execution by being able to articulate a vision while having the ability to encourage others to work with me in carrying out that vision. I hope to impact my organization by being dedicated to improving public education as a whole. With a background in digital learning and administration, my goal is to hold a Public Relations and Communications position for a school district.
In the position, I would help ensure that a school district is building relationships with all stakeholders and is providing a method for vital communications with the community. With the way society is going with technology continually evolving, a school district needs a professional PR person to develop and execute its various communication plans. According to new research, (Getting Started | National School Public Relations Association, n.d.), "Educational public relations programs assist in understanding public attitudes, identifying and helping form policies and procedures in the public interest, and carrying on involvement and information activities that earn public understanding and support." I am looking forward to seeing where my career takes me and the impact I can have on public education in the future.
References
Arrow, J. (2019, April 11). How to Use Play for Learning. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/article/how-use-play-learning
Fishbane, L. (2020, June 17). As classes move online during COVID-19, what are disconnected students to do? Brookings. https://www.brookings.edu/blog/the-avenue/2020/03/20/as-classes-move-online-during-covid-19-what-are-disconnected-students-to-do/
Getting Started | National School Public Relations Association. (n.d.). National School Public Relations Association. Retrieved July 31, 2020, from https://www.nspra.org/getting_started
Who Was Maria Montessori? (n.d.). American Montessori Society. Retrieved July 31, 2020, from https://amshq.org/About-Montessori/History-of-Montessori/Who-Was-Maria-Montessori