Technology surrounds our current society. It is my philosophy that since technology is only going to continue to advance, it is my responsibility as an educator to teach students how to navigate through these tools and utilize them in a positive and progressive manner. I have always had a positive outlook towards technology, but it wasn’t until the Master of Science in Educational Technology program that I realized the level of learning to which technology can take us.
Education within the technology world has given students and teachers the opportunity to work with curriculum in multi-faceted formats. Some of these include taking virtual tours of famous and historic attractions, video conferencing with students from around the world, or simply personalizing their education to work around their schedules. I started teaching technology education to middle schoolers two years ago and wasn’t expecting the changes that my classwork would instill in me. Taking what looked to be a mundane curriculum and applying what I learned in the MSET program made for a more engaging and relevant learning experience for my students.
When students believe they can learn, their efforts reflect those curiosities. With this, students also put in extra time and energy ultimately leading to higher level of achievement. It is this growth mindset philosophy that I use to work toward creating effective and culturally relevant curriculum and motivate students to engage with the material.
This growth mindset leads right into the concept of FAIL which stands for First Attempt in Learning. I push this concept to get students to step out of their comfort zones. This includes trying new experiments even if there aren’t specific steps to follow and showcasing the projects that have been done to their classmates and peers within the school. By using this full circle philosophy in my classroom, I am working to create a growth mindset environment.