Personal Educational Philosophy - Longo

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Western Governors University *

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D307

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Arts Humanities

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Jan 9, 2024

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docx

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Uploaded by CommodoreSteelHerring34

Julia Longo EDU307 Personal Educational Philosophy As a teacher, my goal is to create an environment where students are in charge of their own learning, are able to think critically, and are constantly teaching and learning from their peers. Since all students do not learn the same way, it is my belief that it is important to allow children the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of a subject by presenting it in a variety of different ways through activities and experiences. The role of the teacher should be to guide students rather than directly instruct the content that we are aiming to teach. Through the cooperative learning theory “each member is responsible not only for learning what is taught but also for helping his or her teammates learn, so the group becomes a supportive learning environment” (Barron, 2008). Developmentally appropriate practices for preschool-aged students involves the inclusion of activities that foster their social-emotional learning and communication skills. The collaborative learning theory promotes students to work and interact in small groups where they are encouraged to communicate and collaborate with their peers. According to WonderTree, “encouraging group activities in classrooms not only increases motivation and engagement but also helps children to develop their social skills. Children learn to understand different perspectives, and this can promote positive social relations among peers. It can also encourage students who are shy to engage in activities, which can help their oral communication skills” (2021). Since these students learn through mostly through play, they gain the opportunity to interact and collaborate with students of different cultures, socioeconomic statuses, family dynamics, and those with varying personal experiences. Exposure to these rich experiences and opportunities to think critically and use their peers as resources makes for more empathetic and well-rounded students in the long run. According to Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development, students in grade 5 (10 years of age) face the task of industry versus inferiority. As they begin to compare themselves to their peers, they either develop a sense of pride in their accomplishments or feel as if they do not measure up. In a collaborative learning environment, students use one another as resources and work together to develop their knowledge and strengthen their ability to master the process of learning rather than mastering the content itself. This can help students face industry versus inferiority by referring to Lev Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development. “Here, learners rely on one another to accomplish tasks that they otherwise wouldn’t be able to complete individually. Collaborative learning is key for developing critical

Julia Longo EDU307 thinking skills, with it suggested that students retain more information when working in groups” (Collaborative Learning Theory, 2020). Collaborative learning also aids to address learning barriers in children. A particular learning barrier that is addressed is those with behavioral disorders. “Behavioral disorders become apparent when the student displays a repetitive and impact persistent pattern of behavior that results in the significant disruption of other students” (Science for students with disabilities: Behavioral disorders, 2019). Since these students often struggle with whole group activities and forming relationships, a collaborative learning model will give these children the opportunity to learn in smaller group settings, access to learning in many different ways, and chances to interact and collaborate with their peers by sharing their own experiences and forming meaningful connections. Another learning barrier that can be addressed by collaborative learning is a lack of social skills. Social skills help students interact with their peers and teachers successfully. Students who lack in this area may normally avoid interacting and feel isolated. Since the collaborative learning model encourages and requires social interactions with peers and uses one another as resources, students will have ample opportunities to interact and learn proper social skills to improve their interactions with others. Using the selected collaborative learning theory would help me meet the learning needs of students who learn best socially. Social learners thrive by engaging in the learning process through groups and interactions with others. Social learning is beneficial not only to those who learn best this way, but also to the peers that they interact with. Since social learners flourish through interaction and collaboration, “social learning may also encourage students to explore other individuals’ preferred learning styles. Everyone engages in each of the learning styles, just in various degrees. Social learners can initiate these conversations and help other students understand how they can collaborate to create successful ideas and quality products” (Benitez, 2013).

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