Mock Interview Question: What is your philosophy on integrating technology in the classroom as it relates to student engagement, learning, and achievement in today’s classrooms? My hope with the use of technology in my classroom is to meet all of the individual needs of each student and to foster an environment of discovery. Each student is different and has different needs in the classroom. Being able to use technology with a 1:1 system will better equip me to meet the unique needs of all of my students. For example, if I have a student who learns most effectively through seeing visuals and a student who learns most effectively through auditory means, I can use technology to meet their individual needs. A specific scenario of how I would use technology to meet those two specific students’ needs is if I were to assign an in-class activity using vocabulary, I could use an application that shows the words and also says them. The student who learns best visually would be able to use the visual avenue to learn and the student who learns best with audio would be able to hear the word pronounced correctly and learn that way. I also hope to foster an environment of discovery through technology integration in my classroom. By using technology, students are able to be more independent with their learning. Students are able to go through whatever avenue they think will work best for them and utilize that for their learning. One way I could create this environment is to give my students a choice in their learning. For example, if I were to assign a project that requires making a short video on information we covered in class, I could provide several video making tools for them to choose from. In doing that, the students would be able to play around with the tool and learn how to use it.
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In chapter seven of The Innovator's Mindset the author, George Couros, develops a list of eight things to look for that create a positive and productive environment. The list includes allowing students to have a voice in the classroom and how to use that voice, allowing students to have choices in their learning, giving students time for reflection, creating opportunities for reflection, encouraging and nurturing critical thinking, teaching problem finding and problem solving, self-assessment, and connected learning. In my opinion, allowing students to have a choice in their learning and teaching problem finding and solving are the two most important factors in a healthy classroom environment. In my future classroom, I hope to provide my students a choice in their learning. What I mean by that is I do not want to tell my students exactly what they are going to do all the time. I don't think that is beneficial to them. Couros suggests that "providing choice allows students to build on strengths and interests to make learning relevant and fulfilling" (p.111). I plan to give my students choice in my classroom by giving them a variety of ways to take notes and a choice in what activities they do as individuals and as a class. For example, I want to give students the choice in how they take notes based on what will work best for their style of learning. For visual learners I will give them a worksheet that prompts them to take notes through drawing pictures with captions or drawing diagrams. For auditory learners I will let them have a fill-in-the-blank worksheet to take notes and hopefully record my lessons so that they can listen to them later. For kinesthetic learners I want to have things in the classroom that they can fidget with or gum that they can chew while they take notes. Another idea that Couros suggests to implement in the classroom is problem finding and problem solving. Couros writes that asking kids to find problems and then solve them gives them a sense of purpose (p.114). I want to teach my students how to find problems in their learning and then teach them how to find solutions to those problems. For example, if my students are confused with something in the lesson, I will ask them to find a friend and try to figure out what they are not understanding with each other before asking me. I want to do this because the solution to the problem is often right at their fingertips, and if they work with a classmate to figure the solution out, they will learn even better than they might have if I just give them the answer. Here's a great resource that talks about how each learning style prefers to take notes! 📝 https://www.oxfordlearning.com/note-taking-tips-for-every-learning-style/ Couros, George. The Innovator's Mindset. Dave Burgess Consulting: San Diego, 2015. “Relationships, relationships, relationships” is what George Couros continually pushes in chapter four of The Innovator’s Mindset. Building relationships with the innovator’s around you can ultimately be vital to the learning experience of your students. How can you build relationships with innovators in your district, school, and classroom? Couros suggests several different ways that this can be achieved. Relationships can be built in the teaching community through creating a culture of “yes.”
Creating a culture of “yes” does not mean that teachers and students are able to do whatever they want. When “no” is always the answer to innovation, teachers will not want to go out of their way to create new learning experiences in their classroom. Couros suggests that “squashing the ambitions of those who want to go above and beyond to try something new will ensure schools have only “pockets of innovation,” at best, and, at worst, no innovation” (p.72). The author also writes that teachers who are scolded for their innovation will get tired of asking for forgiveness and either take a new job or resign to the status quo (p.72). When teachers know that they are free to be creative and are supported, great things can happen in the classroom. Having a supportive environment and building relationships with the teachers in the school creates a safe place for teachers. Couros says that “it’s important to remember that saying yes allows us to find ways to make innovation happen” (p.73). I will leave you with this impeccable quote: “If we want meaningful change, we have to make a connection to the heart before we can make a connection to the mind. Spending time developing relationships and building trust is crucial to moving forward as a whole. Without culture, there is no culture of innovation. It all starts by creating an environment where people feel cared for, supported, and nurtured – the very things we know that impact learning for students in the classroom." (p.79) Couros, George. The Innovator's Mindset. Dave Burgess Consulting: San Diego, 2015. The Innovator’s Mindset written by George Couros encourages teachers and administrators to encourage their learners to be creative, take risks, be resilient, and to reflect on their learning. In chapter three specifically, Couros offers eight different characteristics that should define the teacher’s mindset. The eight characteristics are the following: empathy, problem finding/solving, risk-taking, networking, observation, creating, resilience, and finally, reflection. Couros suggests that if teachers try to embody these eight characteristics, they will be extremely successful in the classroom. Risk-taking and reflection stick out to me as the two most important characteristics. Throughout history, the way that students learn has changed dramatically. In order for these changes to occur, someone along the way had to step out of their comfort zone and take a risk. Risk-taking in the classroom as a teacher is vital for improving the way that students learn and digest information. Couros writes, “risk is necessary to ensure that we are meeting the needs of each unique student” (p.51). As a teacher, you certainly would not want to take risks at every moment in your classroom, but “an educator with an innovative mindset will find the balance between drawing on experience while maintaining a willingness to try something new” (p.51). In my future classroom, if I am able to successfully balance risk-taking instruction with what I am already comfortable with, hopefully my students will know that I will do whatever it takes for them to learn. The teachers I loved the most when I was in school were the teachers that were willing to try something new in order to help me learn. Couros’ principle of reflection relates directly to the principle of risk-taking. After taking a risk in the classroom and trying something new, as a teacher, you need to be able to reflect on what you have just done and consider what worked and what could be improved for next time. Couros suggests that teachers ask themselves these questions to reflect: “What worked? What didn’t? What would I change? What questions do [I] have moving forward?” (p.57). As teachers, if we reflect on our own teaching, we are able to find problems and brainstorm solutions to those problems. American philosopher John Dewey once said, “we do not learn from experience, we learn from reflecting on experience.” Reflecting on the risks that I take in my future classroom will hopefully show me where I fall short and where I succeeded in my teaching. Both of these principles truly support a growth mindset in the classroom. A growth mindset is understanding that you can and will learn, but may fail, and failing helps you to grow and take steps forward as a student. I think that the most important principles that the author suggests are risk-taking and reflection because they have the opportunity to truly help you to grow and develop in the classroom. With that in mind, I hope to be able to embody all eight of the principles that Couros advocates. Couros, George. The Innovator's Mindset. Dave Burgess Consulting: San Diego, 2015. |
AuthorMy name is Julia Bloom and I am currently a junior at Concordia University in Seward, Nebraska. I am studying to become a high school history and theology teacher. I am also working towards obtaining my Lutheran Teacher's Diploma which will allow me to be called to any Lutheran school in the country. Previous Posts |