My Goals and Beliefs

Teaching Philosophy

I believe one of the greatest accomplishments we can have in our lifetime is to positively affect the life of another. As educators, we are given the perfect environment to accomplish just that, positively affect the lives of our students. As such, it is my goal to present the opportunity to be a positive influence on my students' lives. I realize it is impossible to make an impact on all of my students, but the opportunity to impact just one is worth the extra effort it takes.

I believe all of the learning theories I have studied can have their place in education. Perhaps by combining them we may get the best results. I feel for this reason, I lean toward the constructivist principles in my teaching. Being one of the newer learning theories, constructivism allows the combining of a few of the aspects of previous theories, such as behaviorism and cognitivism.

In constructivism, the learner is making sense of the world around them. The learner actively imposes organization and meaning on their environment and constructs knowledge in the process. Then, the learner must test their personal understanding against the personal understanding of others. Through this social interaction, knowledge is gained. This leads me to what I feel is an educators most important tool and role, interaction with the student. One day I wish to teach at a distance. I will follow constructivist principles and ideas as described above when I design my course. However the one tool, as a technology person, that can be overlooked is communication. I believe a student cannot only learn from social interaction, but they can also be motivated by it. One of the concepts I continuously hear about distance education is the removal of the student from the instructor. I don’t believe this has to be the case. Through personal interaction I feel I can create an environment where each student feels like they are an extremely important part of the classroom, motivating them to succeed. This I feel is my responsibility as an educator: provide each student with a safe place to learn where they can discover and grow in their knowledge by working together with their classmates and myself; a place where the possibilities to grow and develop are seemingly endless.

Statement of Goals

Introduction
"The indispensable first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: decide what you want."
-Ben Stein

Ben Stein’s quote offers good advice on how people should go about attaining the desires they have for their lives. The statement is more than just advice for me, but it begins to paint a picture of who I am and how I live my life. When asked to tell you who I am, I could tell you that I grew up on a farm in southwestern Pennsylvania where I learned the value of hard work and dedication. I could say I am a first generation college student who is now finishing up his Master’s degree in Instructional Technology. I could list my struggles, obstacles, and their corresponding success stories. I have many awards, achievements, and publications that can attest to the quality of work I can do. These words would really just be the results of who I am. They are a product of my character, but do not do justice to who I have become.

About Me
Who I really am is too complex to describe on paper; however, if you begin with Ben Stein’s quote, you can start to see one of the forces that have driven me to become who I am today. Years ago I made a choice of whom I wanted to be and what I wanted to do with my life. Now at the time I may not have had an exact path I wanted to travel, but I knew the destination. I had set my sights on a goal, and this goal was my focus. As Scott Reed said, “This one step – choosing a goal and sticking to it – changes everything.” For me, this goal did just that.

My goal stems from my belief of our role in society. I believe everyone should use their gifts to contribute in a positive manner to the world in which they live. As I matured as a man and in my education, I began discovering my gifts and passions. During my undergrad years, (2001-2004, The Pennsylvania State University), I discovered a passion for computers and their uses as I received my B.S. in Information Sciences and Technology. I began wondering how I could use technology to help people. During these years I realized one of the greatest contributors to our society was a role I was beginning to discover enjoyment from, the role of an educator. Educators do more than just feed information to their students, they change our lives and mold our character. In this role I can combine my passions of people, computers, and contributing to society. I have found what I wanted out of life, and my sight has been set on this goal.

My goal has led me to work on my Master’s in Instructional Technology. Ever since my first day of classes I knew this is the area where I belong. I have a great curiosity for the topics and research in this field. The possibilities Instructional Technology possess are endless and the positive contribution it can make immeasurable. It is an ever-changing field trying to make the delivery of instruction as effective as possible. The Master’s program I enrolled in was offered exclusively online which has given me the opportunity to experience some of the current practices firsthand. Knowing I desire to be an educator allowed me to look at all the information I was given and compare it with its application. My technological background and this firsthand experience have given me a unique view of Instructional Technology and the application of its practices in today’s classroom.

Ph.D. Why? What for? Professional Goals
My experiences and education have left me with many ideas and questions about using technology for education. I think distance education is a field full of new technology that is changing the way we think about and look at education. It is my desire to discover how to make computer-based education more effective and appealing to students. I think this is a vast resource that is becoming an option for more people and we need to be prepared to offer them the education they deserve. I want to be a part of the efforts to make computer-based education the best experience it can be.

Institutions of higher learner are responsible for paving the way of the future of education. I desire to be a part of such an institution and assist them in this enormous responsibility. I aspire to attain my Ph.D. so I can work with an institution and make a difference in the future of education. The possibilities of computer-based instruction are ever growing with the technology. I want to use my knowledge and future degrees to make an impact on how education is presented. I think technology presents education with a monstrous opportunity to help people change who they are and make our world a better place. I believe I can make an impact in education in this way; by using my experience and knowledge to benefit computer-based instruction by making it more effective and beneficial to the student.

 

• Search

• Other Links

  • MSN
  • CNN
  • CSS Templates

• News & Updates

  • July 16th

    Faith's Birthday

  • July 8th

    My Birthday

  • May 27th - June 4th

    Honeymoon

  • May 26th

    Wedding