Teaching Philosophy - Revision history

Admin: /* Why */

2015-08-14T23:10:40Z

Why

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	(Community College)		(Community College)

	I have seen, more times than I can count, golden opportunities to spark an interest in groups underrepresented in STEM education, or in groups of kids who haven't yet decided what they want to be when they grow up, who don't yet know what is possible in their lives. And, heartbreakingly, I have seen nearly as many opportunities badly fumbled and completely blown, often by people who take for granted that a spark of interest and a connection to the topic has already happened. (Think of a scientist standing in front of a giant Tesla coil, lecturing a group of kindergartners on Ohm's Law instead of just turning the damn thing on!)		I have seen, more times than I can count, golden opportunities to spark an interest in groups underrepresented in STEM education, or in groups of kids who haven't yet decided what they want to be when they grow up, who don't yet know what is possible in their lives. The person standing in front of that group has the potential to launch each and every one of them on a trajectory toward science and engineering. And, heartbreakingly, I have seen nearly as many opportunities badly fumbled and completely blown, often by people who take for granted that a spark of interest and a connection to the topic has already happened. (Think of a scientist standing in front of a giant Tesla coil, lecturing a group of kindergartners on Ohm's Law instead of just turning the damn thing on!)

	Solving the problem of lack of diversity in STEM fields isn't complicated - it just requires gentler introductions and an appeal to more universal methods of learning and thinking, like appealing to intuition and the visual part of the brain. I am passionate about sparking people's interest in STEM fields, and I want to do my part to solve this problem!		Solving the problem of lack of diversity in STEM fields isn't complicated - it just requires gentler introductions and an appeal to more universal methods of learning and thinking, like appealing to intuition and the visual part of the brain. I am passionate about sparking people's interest in STEM fields, and I want to do my part to solve this problem!

Admin: /* Why */

2015-08-14T23:08:56Z

Why

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	==Why==		==Why==

			(Community College)

	I have seen, more times than I can count, golden opportunities to spark an interest in groups underrepresented in STEM education, or in groups of kids who haven't yet decided what they want to be when they grow up, who don't yet know what is possible in their lives. And, heartbreakingly, I have seen nearly as many opportunities badly fumbled and completely blown, often by people who take for granted that a spark of interest and a connection to the topic has already happened. (Think of a scientist standing in front of a giant Tesla coil, lecturing a group of kindergartners on Ohm's Law instead of just turning the damn thing on!)		I have seen, more times than I can count, golden opportunities to spark an interest in groups underrepresented in STEM education, or in groups of kids who haven't yet decided what they want to be when they grow up, who don't yet know what is possible in their lives. And, heartbreakingly, I have seen nearly as many opportunities badly fumbled and completely blown, often by people who take for granted that a spark of interest and a connection to the topic has already happened. (Think of a scientist standing in front of a giant Tesla coil, lecturing a group of kindergartners on Ohm's Law instead of just turning the damn thing on!)

Admin at 23:04, 14 August 2015

2015-08-14T23:04:04Z

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 To what end - what are your objectives as a teacher? foster critical thinking, facilitate acquisition of life-long learning skills, prepare students to function effectively in information economy, develop problem-solving skills, your role in orienting students toward discipline, where your responsibilities end and their responsibilities begin
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 Why teaching?
 =Draft=
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 ==To What Degree==
-How do you gauge success in teaching STEM subjects?
+Measuring the true effectiveness of a teaching approach can require a lot of data - enough to see the long-term effects of a teaching approach. But information about the short-term effects of a teaching approach can be just as useful. I ask for feedback frequently and incorporate it into a continual improvement of my teaching process. I ensure that issues are addressed early on. Every classroom and every group of students is different, and requires a tailored approach - and teaching students using the same canned lecture materials year after year won't do anything to lower barriers around STEM or draw in non-traditional students. Feedback is a critical part of how I teach.
 ==Why==
+=Notes Outline=
 Philosophy of teaching

Admin: /* To What Degree */

2015-08-14T22:40:29Z

To What Degree

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	==To What Degree==		==To What Degree==

			How do you gauge success in teaching STEM subjects?

	==Why==		==Why==

Admin at 21:32, 14 August 2015

2015-08-14T21:32:55Z

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	For students to absorb a subject, for them to internalize it, requires that it become more than simply a set of definitions, facts, information, and equations. The subject matter must come alive and capture the learner's attention. There are many, many ways for that to happen (it might be a graph that makes concepts "click," or tying an abstract concept into baking, or changing the parameters on a computer program), but students often lead into new fields with intuitive and visual thinking, so that they can build up their mental models and navigate unfamiliar topics. Appealing to these types of thinking when introducing new STEM topics appeals to a wide array of students with a range of learning styles.		For students to absorb a subject, for them to internalize it, requires that it become more than simply a set of definitions, facts, information, and equations. The subject matter must come alive and capture the learner's attention. There are many, many ways for that to happen (it might be a graph that makes concepts "click," or tying an abstract concept into baking, or changing the parameters on a computer program), but students often lead into new fields with intuitive and visual thinking, so that they can build up their mental models and navigate unfamiliar topics. Appealing to these types of thinking when introducing new STEM topics appeals to a wide array of students with a range of learning styles.

	Mental models are the fundamental building bricks of engineering. ~~Therefore, the~~ aim ~~in all~~ of ~~this~~ is to develop students' abilities to build and improve their own mental models		Mental models are the fundamental building bricks of engineering. The aim of appealing to intuition and visual thinking is to develop students' abilities to build and improve their own mental models. Having an intuitive understanding of quadrature is a far more useful skill than memorizing the coefficients for Simpson's Rule. As mentioned above, there are many different ways for the subject matter to come alive. This means that instructors should use many different media for instruction - including, most importantly, facilitating discussion among students, to give them a chance to explain the concepts themselves.

			No STEM education is complete without learning programming. But it isn't just because any job in STEM will require programming skills. It's because programming gives students a chance to run very complicated thought experiments: to implement assumptions, and explore the consequences. This provides a versatile and powerful tool to develop intuition for just about anything. I think of programming as the roll of duct tape you can use to fix any mental model.

			==To What Degree==



			==Why==




	=Notes=		=Notes=

Admin: /* By What Means */

2015-08-14T19:14:53Z

By What Means

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	Mental models are the fundamental building bricks of engineering. Therefore, the aim in all of this is to develop students' abilities to build and improve their own mental models		Mental models are the fundamental building bricks of engineering. Therefore, the aim in all of this is to develop students' abilities to build and improve their own mental models



	Different learners are captivated by different things (although setting something on fire is pretty universal, as far as attention-getters go). Some people might see a 3D graph of an abstract quantity, and suddenly a bunch of concepts will click into place. Other people might need to tie in the concepts to a real phenomenon. Some might finally "get it" when they see a single key equation. It might take several hours of tinkering with a simple computer program, or several months of information soaking in over time.

	~~Everyone's approach is different.~~






	=Notes=		=Notes=

Admin at 19:14, 14 August 2015

2015-08-14T19:14:38Z

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 To what end - foster critical thinking, facilitate acquisition of life-long learning skills, prepare students to function effectively in information economy, develop problem-solving skills, your role in orienting students toward discipline, where your responsibilities end and their responsibilities begin
 By what means - methods, learning theory, cognitive development, mental models, resources, methods, kinds of classes
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 I have come to understand something, over the years, as a visual learner in an engineering field. I have learned the importance of diverse perspectives in the learning process. I have been witness to many students' struggles in engineering fields (and experienced them as a student myself), and I can tell you that many of the struggles in engineering education boil down to problems of perspective. This can take different forms: a student might expect problems within a certain context, and be given problems in a totally different one. A teacher might use highly technical jargon that the student doesn't understand. The primary medium of communication used by a teacher might be a chalkboard, written words, and spoken words, while the primary medium of learning of a student might be visual, concrete, and hands-on.

Admin at 18:09, 14 August 2015

2015-08-14T18:09:55Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:09, 14 August 2015
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			To what end - foster critical thinking, facilitate acquisition of life-long learning skills, prepare students to function effectively in information economy, develop problem-solving skills, your role in orienting students toward discipline, where your responsibilities end and their responsibilities begin

			By what means - methods, learning theory, cognitive development, mental models, resources, methods, kinds of classes








	I have come to understand something, over the years, as a visual learner in an engineering field. I have learned the importance of diverse perspectives in the learning process. I have been witness to many students' struggles in engineering fields (and experienced them as a student myself), and I can tell you that many of the struggles in engineering education boil down to problems of perspective. This can take different forms: a student might expect problems within a certain context, and be given problems in a totally different one. A teacher might use highly technical jargon that the student doesn't understand. The primary medium of communication used by a teacher might be a chalkboard, written words, and spoken words, while the primary medium of learning of a student might be visual, concrete, and hands-on.		I have come to understand something, over the years, as a visual learner in an engineering field. I have learned the importance of diverse perspectives in the learning process. I have been witness to many students' struggles in engineering fields (and experienced them as a student myself), and I can tell you that many of the struggles in engineering education boil down to problems of perspective. This can take different forms: a student might expect problems within a certain context, and be given problems in a totally different one. A teacher might use highly technical jargon that the student doesn't understand. The primary medium of communication used by a teacher might be a chalkboard, written words, and spoken words, while the primary medium of learning of a student might be visual, concrete, and hands-on.

Admin at 17:41, 14 August 2015

2015-08-14T17:41:56Z

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			I have come to understand something, over the years, as a visual learner in an engineering field. I have learned the importance of diverse perspectives in the learning process. I have been witness to many students' struggles in engineering fields (and experienced them as a student myself), and I can tell you that many of the struggles in engineering education boil down to problems of perspective. This can take different forms: a student might expect problems within a certain context, and be given problems in a totally different one. A teacher might use highly technical jargon that the student doesn't understand. The primary medium of communication used by a teacher might be a chalkboard, written words, and spoken words, while the primary medium of learning of a student might be visual, concrete, and hands-on.

			Unfortunately, the perspective problem has a negative feedback component

			Often, a student is not given the proper context for a problem, or does not have enough of their perspectives in common with a. This can take different forms - the teacher might use highly technical jargon that the student doesn't understand

			, the teacher uses highly technical jargon the student doesn't understand, the primary communication mediums are chalkboards, written words, and spoken words, all unappealing to an intuitive or visual thinker, all making the transfer of knowledge difficult.





			With over a decade of experience as a student, teacher, and professional in an engineering field, I can tell you exactly why STEM fields are suffering from a lack of diversity.

			It has a lot to do with perspective

			I've witnessed the struggles of many students in engineering fields. My own entry into the field was no cakewalk - I've also experienced them myself. The origin of so many of these struggles is a mismatch of teaching and learning styles.

			Many of these struggles boil down to perspective.

	Having spent nearly two decades as a student, teacher, and professional in a technical engineering field, I can tell you exactly why STEM fields are suffering from a lack of diversity. And the problem boils down to perspective.		Having spent nearly two decades as a student, teacher, and professional in a technical engineering field, I can tell you exactly why STEM fields are suffering from a lack of diversity. And the problem boils down to perspective.

Admin at 16:19, 14 August 2015

2015-08-14T16:19:25Z

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			Having spent nearly two decades as a student, teacher, and professional in a technical engineering field, I can tell you exactly why STEM fields are suffering from a lack of diversity. And the problem boils down to perspective.

			part of the process of becoming an expert in a subject is to absorb the language that surrounds that subject. Often, it is deep technical jargon that makes no sense to the uninitiated. As a person's expertise becomes deeper, it becomes more difficult to articulate and communicate mental models without the use of technical jargon.

			This leaves students who do not speak the same language without a way to reason through the subject. The dissonance between instructor and student




	Negative feedback loop of context deeper into field, losing contact with everyone else		Negative feedback loop of context deeper into field, losing contact with everyone else