ImagineIT Final Update
Throughout the process of designing, implementing, and improving my ImagineIT project, I have recognized the importance of constant reflection. This includes personally reflecting on my progress as well as obtaining feedback from students and peers. Reflection has enabled me to continue to broaden my own perspective on teaching and learning and communicate my knowledge and ideas more effectively to my students and to other teachers. Learning never stops and it is important to recognize this as an adult and to model this to students.
My teaching focus is slowly shifting from content-knowledge to skill-development. The content can vary, within reason, but the skills must be introduced, modeled, practiced, and refined. And this process must be done over and over throughout the year, with different content being used as the vehicle with which to learn these skills. When preparing for a school year, a unit, or a lesson, determining the skills that will be used must come first. The content is secondary. This is because of the wide variety of careers that a student can choose after high school. They may never need to know the products that form when a acid is mixed with a base, but when a lesson is created well, they can learn this and how to think through a complex problem while collaborating with peers and carrying out an experiment safely in a classroom. The three latter skills can translate and be used in almost any career.
Finally, I have found (additional) evidence that change is a slow, continuous process. The changes I hope to make within my curricula of physics and chemistry will not happen in one, two, or even three years. Convincing others of the importance of these adjustments will take even longer. I have found that it is hard to get others to see the bigger picture because of the way we were all trained as teachers. We all were told to focus on content and content-driven standards and trying to get colleagues to push skill development can be an uphill battle. I feel we need to worry less about getting through the chapters in the textbook and more about the intellectual, social, and emotional growth of every student.
Throughout the process of designing, implementing, and improving my ImagineIT project, I have recognized the importance of constant reflection. This includes personally reflecting on my progress as well as obtaining feedback from students and peers. Reflection has enabled me to continue to broaden my own perspective on teaching and learning and communicate my knowledge and ideas more effectively to my students and to other teachers. Learning never stops and it is important to recognize this as an adult and to model this to students.
My teaching focus is slowly shifting from content-knowledge to skill-development. The content can vary, within reason, but the skills must be introduced, modeled, practiced, and refined. And this process must be done over and over throughout the year, with different content being used as the vehicle with which to learn these skills. When preparing for a school year, a unit, or a lesson, determining the skills that will be used must come first. The content is secondary. This is because of the wide variety of careers that a student can choose after high school. They may never need to know the products that form when a acid is mixed with a base, but when a lesson is created well, they can learn this and how to think through a complex problem while collaborating with peers and carrying out an experiment safely in a classroom. The three latter skills can translate and be used in almost any career.
Finally, I have found (additional) evidence that change is a slow, continuous process. The changes I hope to make within my curricula of physics and chemistry will not happen in one, two, or even three years. Convincing others of the importance of these adjustments will take even longer. I have found that it is hard to get others to see the bigger picture because of the way we were all trained as teachers. We all were told to focus on content and content-driven standards and trying to get colleagues to push skill development can be an uphill battle. I feel we need to worry less about getting through the chapters in the textbook and more about the intellectual, social, and emotional growth of every student.