On the first day in 401, I got to hear everybody's reasoning for why they planned to become educators. It was great to hear a lot of earnest responses and challenge myself to flesh out my own motivation for heading down this path. There was a variety of motives mentioned, but at the core of everybody's response was what I believe to be a genuine desire to make the world a better place. I know there are teachers out there who do not really care about their students, but what I see in my peers right now is genuine. Going through this program is a lot of work for a hard job that won't make anybody rich. That is to say the extrensic motivators are not huge. For the record I think teachers make a fine wage.
My goal in this class is to increase my understanding of HOW students learn best. I want to gain real world knowledge that people have learned from experience and become knowledgeable on some theories of teaching so I may choose which ones to best implement when I begin teaching. I also hope to build some friendships with students I will be working with in the next year.
I wish to explore more deeply the principles and theories we were introduced to in 210, seeing how they play out in real world circumstances-in the classroom.
My biggest concern right now, and from it many questions spawn, is the future of creativity in the classroom. I think inspiring creativity is extremely important, especially because it is our most important resource for the economy of this country- it is what sets us apart from China and other great world competitors.
Here is a TED talk from a great thinker in education, Sir Ken Robinson speaking on creativity. It is well worth the time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG9CE55wbtY
I'm following. See you next week!
ReplyDeleteSir Ken Robinson is great! Great resource!
ReplyDeleteI'm following!
ReplyDeleteI thought your take on creativity in the classroom was a great point! I know how important it is to let young children express their creativity but I've never stopped to think about how we could inspire creativity in the classroom with older students.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed Sir Ken Robinson's thoughts on creativity. Specifically, I found it interesting that he believes schools "squander" children's talents and creativity. In Dan Pink's TED talk, "The Puzzle of Motivation," he also hints at this idea that extrinsic motivators, often incorporated in schools, crush creativity. Thanks for sharing!
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