Educational Philosophy

I have been a special education teacher at the East Hampton Middle School for the past eight years. My educational philosophy is based on constructivist views. The constructivist model asserts that students learn best when they are allowed the opportunity to construct their own knowledge. My work with special education students has helped to reinforce this belief. Students need to be allowed to work hands-on with material they are expected to comprehend. They need to be given an opportunity to dissect the material they are expected to learn, question it, and come up with their own ideas and/or interpretations. One way I promote constructivist learning in my classroom is through the use of Literature Circles. Within Literature Circles, students discuss the material they are reading, expressing their understanding and the relevance of the literature to their own lives. In doing so, students share their knowledge and help each other in the learning process.

Technology Use In The Classroom

I believe that technology is a way for teachers to "break down" the walls of their classroom and allow students the opportunity to work hands-on with materials. For example, after my students read a novel I had them create brochures for the book using the Publisher program. The students showed their understanding of the novel by including information about the plot, setting, characters, conflict, etc. This project also allowed students to be creative because they could include colorful images and borders. I learned a lot about my students' comprehension of the book from this project. Since both the students and I prefered doing this activity rather than just taking a test on the material, I will continue to use projects like these in the years to come. In the past, I used to think that technology made the classroom more complicated, however I have learned that with proper planning technology can really enhance the classroom experience.