Goals and Philosophy
Teaching Philosophy | Professional Goals
My Philosophy of Learning and Teaching
"I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think." ~ Socrates
"The revolution of Socrates is to change education from the transmission of culture, to the development of self-reliance. If you want to function at the highest effectiveness as a teacher, then it is not enough to teach a subject to a student. Your goal must always be to teach the learner to be a teacher. Then the student is functioning at his highest relationship to the content, and to himself." ~ Jensen, Brad. "Education is not broken." DEOS
"Education is not the filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire." ~ William Butler Yeats
I believe that learning is a life-long pursuit, one to be actively engaged in. I believe that learners construct their own knowledge through interaction with resources and dialogue with peers. I am not here to push information into students. I am here to point them in the right direction, to encourage them, and to guide them to places that will help them discover meaning for themselves. I believe I have as much to learn from my students as they do from me.
Teaching is a calling, not just a job. It's a way of life, a way of looking at things, a way of relating to the people around you. It's who I am and what I do. It's what makes me constantly strive to do better and to reach farther. Teaching gives me powerful mentoring opportunities and the chance to make a positive impact on the lives of my students. Sometimes being a teacher or being a mentor means showing someone that there are options and doors they can open. To me, that is the most important role of a teacher – opening doors, showing options, engaging in dialogue, widening horizons. It’s not about transmitting knowledge to our students. It’s about showing them the power of ideas.
For an insight into why I teach the way I do, you can read a letter I sent to a mentor of mine... and his response back to me. He made all the difference in the world, and I hope that someday, I can do the same.
Professional Goals 2007-08
Student Activities
- Students Intrigued by Technology, faculty advisor
- University campus tour
- Facilitation of a learning community that brings together students from all campus sites (IWV, KRV, Edwards, ESCC, CCOnline) with alumni, professionals in related fields, and community members.
Curriculum Development
- Minor revisions to CIS degree (add math, update electives)
- Participation in Online Faculty Training Certificate updating
- Collaborate with other departments (media arts, engineering, science, math)
department/Campus Service
- VTEA grant proposal
- Participation in Academic Senate activities
- California Educational Technology Collaborative campus ambassador
- Facilitate Moodle training class/mentor faculty
Educational Research Interests
- Robotics as a catalyst that blends academic and social learning theory in a way that fosters an energetic, self-motivated community of learners. (LEGO Robotics)
- Metaverse environments as an innovate learning space where students are able to not only chat but where they can create their own learning experiences and construct their own knowledge in collaboration with others. (Second Life)
- The impact of social networking on teaching and learning. (MySpace, Facebook)
- Technology Resource Team
- District Distance Education Task Force
- Online Teaching Ad Hoc Committee
Community and professional services
- Meet with CSCI advisory board (Fall)
- Meet with Tech Prep committee (Spring)
- Participate in high school College Day on campus (Spring)
- SSUSD Career Technical Education Advisory Board
- Participate in Virtual High School Project with SSUSD
- Participate in Project Lead the Way grant
- Participate in Expanding Your Horizons event
- Conference presentation and professional organization speaking opportunities
Personal
- Get better at documenting all of this!!
- Eat three regular meals a day
- Sleep more.
[2006-2007]
[2005-2006]
[2004-2005]
[2003-2004]
