My Educational Philosophy

By Lynn Burleigh, M.S.

Because the workplace today uses employees from all over the world who collaborate via telephone, email, Skype, and other means, I believe that it is important for students to learn basic social skills.  Collaboration with other cultures, compromise amongst learning groups, dealing with deadlines, and communicating via many different technologies are the many skills needed in today’s global workplace.

Today’s students are different in the way they learn.  Everyday new information explodes from the fingertips of a cell phone, ipad. computer, or television screen.  Instant gratification in communication is all around us.  With hand held devices carrying all the world’s information, at the press of a button, it is important to guide our students in the correct use of gathering and sharing this information.

As a Business and Technology teacher it is my responsibility to teach my students the rights and the wrongs associated with digital communication.  I believe that how and where they find their facts is just as important as the facts themselves.  For this reason, I am dedicated to providing authentic tasks in my classroom that simulate real world settings.

I use mixed methods of Constructivism and Pragmatism as my teaching style.  Students are exposed to lesson plans that have been developed according to research in the philosophy, psychology, and sociology of education.  I use methods that have been proven to work.  I believe that classroom management is not an issue in my class because students are focused on real world problems and the solution provides an intrinsic reward of accomplishment.  Students take control of their learning by deciding how they want to share what they have learned.  They may want to make a video depicting a topic; research and design a documentary about someone or their business; construct a step-by-step PowerPoint slideshow, showing a procedure they learned; create an animation of how a procedure is performed; or start a blog or wiki and maintain a discussion or opinion about some interesting subject. 

In class, students are informating; collaborating as a team and sharing learned knowledge with others.  For every problem they solve or project they complete, I believe the real gratification of learning comes when their new knowledge is shared.  For this reason, I provide an environment that emphasizes group knowledge that can be constructed and changed into more meaningful context, and then published or produced for sharing with others.  I believe that by sharing knowledge learned, students really use thoughtful reflection about what they have learned and how best to share that information.  

My classroom is very flexible in that each student may be working on a different task in varied software programs.  Students have one-to-one computer use with industry standard software and web 2.0 tools to choose from.  I believe that because the tools are available to the students, they are naturally motivated to explore and learn using those tools.  Because each child is different, learning styles vary and options must be available for creating the finished product.  I find that allowing both group work and individual work allows students to find and share their strengths.   

Throughout each year, I require reflection and feedback from my students.  We explore what projects they enjoyed, which ones didn’t work, any lessons that were confusing, and deadlines that were too long or too short.  I compile their reflections and review their feedback and make changes accordingly.  Each year I change my lessons to incorporate new technologies that will enhance the learning process, engage student learning, and expand communications to others.