Scott Moran-LTEC 6010- Week Eight Blog How did the identity sharing go? What did you learn about yourself?
This week, we were paired with a classmate in an online chat room and spent about 15 minutes discussing our identities as educators. I have participated in such a reflective activity before, but it was in written form. In any respect, I told my partner about how I started out teaching as I had been taught: I was lecturing and using worksheets. At that time, I did not know any better. I then described my growth over the years, specifically highlighting my decision to obtain a second master’s degree in Educational Technology from Boise State University in 2016 and a third master’s degree in Learning Design and Technology from Purdue in 2018. Both of these decisions were made because I no longer could stand teaching in the “same old ways”. As such, through those degrees, I learned about constructivism, and that has been the guiding force behind my teaching ever since.
Now, I find myself at a crossroads: I am still working in an environment that focuses on standardized testing but have come to believe in constructivism, PBL, and the like. It is because of this that I want to become a professor and help mold the next generation of teachers,
instructing them in ways to effectively use technology in the classroom and in constructivism. In this manner, it is my hope that they will see beyond simply “teaching to the test”.
In addition to sharing my experiences, my partner told me of her journey from
behavioristic teaching to teaching that is more in line with constructivism. She indicated that she found it difficult to implement constructivism because she works in an elementary school. I then told her about a PBL site that has pre-made units for all grade levels. Ultimately, she indicated
she would look into the site. In the end, it was nice sharing stories and learning more about one of my peers.
What will it mean in terms of overcoming your personal values as you seek to learn new things?
After having worked in education for twenty-five years, I have formed some strong opinions regarding what good teaching is and what bad teaching involves. I no longer see the value in teaching that only involves lecture and worksheets. In fact, I am embarrassed that I ever taught like that in the first place. I think back to those first few years of teaching and hope that those students learned something. At the least, I know they learned that there was someone out there who cared for them.
With regard to the views I have adopted related to constructivism and PBL, I know that I simply cannot ignore what I have learned and come to believe. As such, when I am seeking to learn new things, I will need to be aware of any personal biases I may have developed.
Moreover, I will need to keep an open mind when learning about issues that do not involve constructivism. The fact of the matter is that there are many ways to teach effectively, and I cannot dismiss teaching methodologies that are not consistent with constructivism just because I believe in it. A good educator knows that the more he learns, the more he has to learn.
How will that same identity contribute to helping you push theory and research?
Because I believe in the merits of constructivism and PBL, I think that my future research will be related to these issues in some manner. I already wrote a paper about why pre-service teachers do not seem to be trained to use technology in the classroom, including the lack of
training that professors have, the negative attitudes towards technology that some administrators have, and the professional development sessions that currently present teachers with “one-off” trainings (Becuwe, Roblin, Tondeur, Thys, Castelein, & Voogt, 2017, pp. 159-160; Hutchison & Woodward, 2018, p. 5; Uerz, D., Volman, M., & Kral, M. 2018, p.21;Taimalu & Luik, 2019, p. 103). In this paper, I suggested that the notion that pre-service teachers are not being trained to effectively use technology is unfair to them and to students. I also suggested that a systemic overhaul was necessary to change education in this country. I think this is an area of interest that may provide me with a focus for my dissertation.
Whatever the topic of my dissertation ends up being, I know that I will probably be using a mixed-method approach. I believe in the merits of qualitative research because I believe in “getting my hands dirty” and getting to know the subjects of studies. I also believe in the merits of quantitative research, for this allows for concrete evidence to support claims. In essence, most of the articles I have read (the ones by researchers I respect) have included mixed-methods research. I am smart enough to know that it may be a good idea to emulate them.
Where do you think one's identity really comes from?
I believe in the notion of Tabula Rasa. In other words, I believe that we all are born with “blank slates” that are “filled up” with information and experiences as we have them. To explain this concept further, Duschinsky (2012) writes the following:
Since men are born tabula rasa, both cognitively and morally, a rational man regards strangers as innocent until proven guilty, and grants them that initial good will in the name of their human potential. After that, he judges them according to the moral
character they have actualized. If he finds them guilty of major evils, his good will is replaced by contempt and moral con- demnation. (If one values human life, one cannot value its de- stroyers.) If he finds them to be virtuous, he grants them personal, individual value and appreciation, in proportion to their virtues. (p. 521)
With the aforementioned ideas in mind, it is my view that identity is formed based upon the experiences one has with his parents, his siblings, and his peers at a very young age. This initial notion of self is either enhanced with age and experience or challenged with age and experience. As such, a boy who is sexually abused as a child may “learn” that he is not “worth much,” a perspective that may color his outlook for years. In the same respect, a boy who does not have such a traumatic experience as a child but instead has loving parents and positivity infused into him will learn to look at life through a much different lens. In both cases, the boys in question will learn to judge others as compared to the standard of self that each has established. In truth, I know this because I was an abused little boy. For years, I trusted no one and viewed everyone as a threat. I look back at all the time I wasted, filled with anger and hatred, and I know that I must find ways to make sure my students know they are valued and that they feel secure. At least these have been two of my goals since I started teaching high school students.
How much of an impact does it have on teaching and learning? Why?
These notions of “who we are” that are formed at a young age have a tremendous impact on teaching and learning. In my case, because I felt worthless, while I made good grades, I never appreciated them. I also never really learned anything-I just did what I had to do to make a certain grade. I was in my 40s before I learned to appreciate myself. I do everything I can to
keep my students from harboring negative self images. Admittedly, this can be challenging, for they often come from pretty rough areas and have learned to build walls as a defense mechanism. The number of times I have given speeches about letting go of the past and making one’s own way in the world are too numerous to count. I continue to try to “stick up” for my students today, for, as I have stated, I know that many of them have had traumatic experiences themselves.
What examples can you give of identify impact on teaching and learning? Explain with specific detail.
Because of my constructivist views and my experiences, I have made it my mission to transform my teaching into a methodology that focuses on allowing students to make meaning for themselves. I have created PBL units that I have sold to the state, and my students have worked through them. In particular, one PBL unit was just completed by my students. It involved a myriad of experiences, including researching candidates for president in 2020, debating peers based upon which candidate should be elected, creating storyboards and scripts for podcasts, and including fake news in podcasts to see if others would believe them. In each case, students brought their own experiences to the classroom, socially constructed new knowledge, and synthesized what they knew with new learning.
In closing, while it is sometimes difficult to put these ideas down on paper, I know that reflecting on my views of education and teaching keeps me grounded. It also helps me to remember why I decided to start working in education so many years ago: I do it for the kids.
References
Becuwe, H., Roblin, N. P., Tondeur, J., Thys, J., Castelein, E., & Voogt, J. (2017). Conditions for the successful implementation of teacher educator design teams for ICT integration: A Delphi study. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology. doi:10.14742/ajet.2789
Duschinsky, Robert. “Tabula Rasa and Human Nature.” Philosophy, vol. 87, no. 4, 2012, pp. 509–529., doi:10.1017/s0031819112000393.
Hutchison, A., & Woodward, L. (2018). Examining the technology integration planning cycle model of professional development to support teachers' instructional practices. Teachers College Record,120, 1-44. Retrieved July 3, 2019.
Taimalu, M., & Luik, P. (2019). The impact of beliefs and knowledge on the integration of technology among teacher educators: A path analysis. Teaching and Teacher Education,79, 101-110. doi:10.1016/j.tate.2018.12.012
Uerz, D., Volman, M., & Kral, M. (2018). “Teacher educators competences in fostering student teachers’ proficiency in teaching and learning with technology: An overview of relevant research literature.” Teaching and Teacher Education, vol. 70, 2018, pp. 12–23.,
