An exemplary education should aim to equip students with the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in a digital and progressive world. I believe that an eclectic array of learning environments, both traditional and digital, along with a balanced variety of teaching models can and will provide students with the modern, essential skills needed to succeed. As an educator, it is my responsibility to survey the needs of each class as well as each individual child to ensure the logical implementation of pedagogical approaches and environments.
I believe in providing a blended learning environment for all children. Not all students thrive in a digital world just as not all students thrive in a traditional classroom setting. An ideal balance of both not only provides exposure but allows students to determine which environment works best for them as well as allows them to develop the ability to function in their lesser preferred environment.
Additionally, I believe it is critical that students be afforded the opportunity to utilize Choice Theory, developed by William Glasser, in tandem with Project Based Learning. I have discovered that students find relevancy with content when they are given the opportunity to research and present it individually or in a group. Forcing students to learn content in a homogeneous manner limits their ability to dig deeper and discover answers to their questions. Therefore, it is imperative that we as educators offer choices and variety.
Children are not created in a mold and thus no child is exactly like another. It is critical that we use technology, learning environments and pedagogy to guide students rather than prescribe to students. In doing so, we create students who can seek information, solve problems and become life-long learners.
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