Teaching Philosophy

  My objective as a teacher for students to understand what they are learning, why it is important to learn,  and be able to demonstrate what they have learned; to  critically think and complete exercises independent of the instructor.  

    The teaching methods I use in the technology class are lecture, demonstration and at the end of the class, I place a challenge question on the board and open it to discussion. I incorporate Blackboard as a course supplement to communicate with the student and a depository where they  get announcements, lecture notes and attachments.  

  The assessment used to measure our students' learning progress is an end-of-the semester assessment tool supplied by the publisher.

  The reward of teaching is when the student has that AHA moment.  That is when the student understands why technology is important and how to apply it to their everyday lives and at work.  The student feels challenged and walks out of the class knowing they learned something new and useful.

  My student population is diverse inclusive of the working poor, the unemployed, the young, and the retiree; ethnically, the students cross every continent, from Africa, Asia and Europe.  In the end, the outcome is the most important factor.  Did the student learn more than when they first walked in?

Responsibilities

  My most recent assignments required several responsibilities in my role as adjunct technology instructor.  Some responsibilities are expected, such as start class on time, take attendance, communicate the course goals and expectations to the student, and explain the grading scale. Beyond that I work towards student retention.  My Spring 2007 Access class had 100% retention (8 students).  Ways that I retain a high percentage of students are  clarify  goals, expectations and grading.  I also email and call students who miss more than two classes without informing me.

  I write the syllabus, course schedules and lesson plans.  Often, I rewrite the publisher's courseware to fit the class needs.

  On the first day of school, I engage the student in several activities:  Icebreaker.  The students turn to a nearby partner and tell two lies and one truth.  Another activity is have the students exchange email addresses and practice sending and receiving email. Additionally, I have the students take a Probing Quiz to test their email or computer knowledge.

Professional Development

Listed below are two professional development seminars I recently attended,

• Faculty Summer Institute, Teaching and Learning with Technology 2007; University of Illinois

• TIE Technology in Education Day 2007; Harold Washington College