Teaching

Teaching Philosophy

As a former elementary school teacher, I experienced firsthand the benefits of actively engaging students in learning activities. My fourth and fifth-graders ranged in ability and came from a variety of backgrounds. However, one thing remained constant- the traditional teacher-centered approach had little impact on their learning. I gradually got more accustomed to relinquishing some control of the classroom and allowed my students to explore and engage in more open-ended, student-directed activities. The result was students who were more motivated and more interested in learning.

As a teacher, I do my best to provide students with opportunities to engage in activities that are meaningful and relevant to them. These could include activities that build from students' prior knowledge and experiences, connect to the real-world or allow students to take ownership of their learning. As a teacher, I see my role as a facilitator of learning, providing tasks and supporting my students by modeling and asking questions.

Here at the University of Georgia , I have co-taught with Dr. Julie Moore two courses in our Technology Integration Program. This fall (Fall 2005) I am co-teaching Technology-Enhanced Learning Environments, a synchronous online course. This course prepares students to design and implement a technology-rich unit in their classroom. During the Spring 2004 semester, I co-taught the subsequent course, Designing Technology-Enhanced Learning Environments (Collaborative Planning) . That course prepares students to collaborate and co-design a technology-rich unit that a colleague in their school will implement.

I have also had the opportunity to co-teach Introduction to Technology for Teachers , our undergraduate preservice technology course. The course focuses on teaching students how to use tools such as Inspiration, web page publishing software and Microsoft Office, but also includes activities to get them to think about how technology can be integrated into the grade level that they plan to teach.

In Mathematics Education, I served as a teacher assistant for Dr. Denise Mewborn for the course, Mathematics Concepts for Elementary Teachers . The course addressed how to teach the concepts of geometry, probability and measurement in the elementary grades.