Mapping the Journey – Seeing the big picture.

Mapping the Journey – Seeing the big picture.
What's motivating you to take this trip?
As the teacher in the reading Adam Kinory shifted his teaching methodology towards implementing technology and inquiry based learning, there was a shift in the students’ appreciation for learning. I’m motivated to take this journey because teaching is something I’ve always had a desire for and I have dabbled in instruction on several occasions during the course of my career both in the community and for employers. The learners of today are motivated by technology and it is a tool that’s second nature to them. Incorporating technology into teaching methodologies allows the students to apply the tools they use leisurely to learn utilizing unlimited resources. It allows them to apply the tools of technology in real life situations to resolve problems through a somewhat self directed learning approach. As a person who has been employed in the I.T industry for almost 10 years, it’s amazing to see the advances that education has taken regarding using technology in learning and education and all of the web 2.0 tools just takes everything to a phenomenal level.
What's prompting you to consider new approaches for teaching and learning?
A methodology that only uses frontal teaching is bound in this technological age. A teacher is destined for failure if this is the only approach to conveying information to the student. I’m quite sure that the average attention span has decrease for individuals due to all of the readily available technology. In order to be effective and efficient at teaching I must consider new approaches to teaching and learning with a technology focused approach. In addition to technology, collaboration and team building very important in the classroom because it what is done in the real world. Group and team dynamics learning to work together to resolve issues that affect the whole team. So it is important for me to integrate collaboration and team-building with my peers as well as in the classroom for students. Inquiry based learning is translates into research and project management in the workforce. The same principals are used to accomplish goals and objectives for the individuals involved. I believe that the information shared through identifying additional resources will help gain additional insight and review evaluated experiences of those teachers who share what works well and what doesn’t work well.
Imagine your most desirable fellow travelers. What do you have in common?
Well all of us are on a journey seeking the destination to the educational frontier. We are all challenged with identifying and implementation methodologies to improve education. We look to those who are ahead of us to help lead and guide us as we travel along the way. We are also innovators, looking for new ways of doing thing to improve the educational process and system.
I have not had any hand on project-based learning from the aspect of teacher, however from the aspect of learner it was one of the most valuable experiences ever. The experience was on where I was part of a group who needed to design a database for an organization. The project consisted of a project manager and team members, who had to apply the approach of project-based learning of identifying the problem and developing a solution. The most important part of the learning experience included group dynamics, communication, and leadership. Applying those basic principles to use technology to resolve the problem helped to make it a success.