Vivian Dorset Francis Teaching Philosophy Statement and Reflection Paper

I came to recognise from my Bachelors of Education Program that there are two
designations that we interchangeably used and both words describe the different aspects of what
is a teacher and an educator. Starr Sackstein agreed with Timmy Sullivan, a senior at
Burlington high school as he spoke at TedxYouth event, he expressed that A teacher is
someone who shows up for a teaching job every day and he or she knows the content and likely
teaching like a job. Whereas an educator is one of those people who goes farther than what is
expected. Further reading noted that good teachers can be called educators.

Hence, my teaching philosophy will be to create a professional balance of both an

influential educator and a proficient teacher for my students. Where, my students will receive a
rich scaffolding of my teaching and coaching skills, as I inculcate every aspect of their life, the
class learning goals and by extension every fragment of the syllabus.

My strategies will be to explicitly model, motivate, support, encourage and guide my

students with educational tools and instructions within a safe, secure and comfortable
environment. Guaranteeing that each child develops the pleasure of learning as I prepare them
for this ever changing technological world. Nevertheless, before this can take place within the
learning environment, I firstly need to take the time to understand each students strengths and
weaknesses, then structure methodologies and techniques so that each child can master skills,
attitudes, principles, behaviours and so on. Correspondingly, my obligations will be under no
circumstances leave the underachievers behind, but instead construct approaches for the
students growth and development.

According to a renowned social learning theorist by the name of Albert Bandura, whose
theory of learning suggests that People learn within a social context, and that learning is
facilitated through concepts such as modelling, observational learning and imitation. Bandura put
forward reciprocal determinism that holds the view that a persons behaviour, environment and
personal qualities all reciprocally influence each others. He also argued that Children learn
from observing others as well as from model behaviour, which are processes involving
attention, retention, reproduction and motivation.

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Vivian Dorset Francis Teaching Philosophy Statement and Reflection Paper
Intrinsically, in preparation of this portfolio I assiduously did a lot of self-reflection and I
remembered from my literacy face-2-face sessions, we did explicit modelling as to provide my
colleagues with a distinct understanding of the materials, concepts and skills. As such, the factors
that should most impact students learning will be to model efficiently and effectively with
creative approaches that will encourage and heighten a connection to what students already know
and new knowledge that will be imparted to them.

Nevertheless, expressing clear learning goals and objectives for students learning
outcomes are vitally important for me, in that my delivery of the appropriate content materials
i.e. for the classroom and technology-based learning, are integral. Since, most school libraries
does not have the hard-copy archives needed for exploration. Information technology has
become forcefully interwoven into ones personal lives for researches and inquiries and by
observation that is the number one reason the internet is used in most educational institutions.
Students have a wealth of information at their fingers tips. Therefore, its only fitting that
technology be firmly merged into ALL classrooms.

Assessing students learning can be done in so many different ways. For me, I understand
information best when I read or see it (visual learner) and concepts that works for me are: Video
presentations (YouTube)- allows me to view and learn different subject matters and topics at
innumerable levels from all over the world. Class discussion- I enjoyed working in small groups
jotting down notes and brainstorming to correct confusing information. Reflective Journals /
Portfolios- I can effectively convey all that I have learn during a given course. Quiz- shows my
progression. The on-line quizzes are fun because I can gauge and time my learning.

However, the above-mentioned are just some tools that have work amazingly for me.
Conversely, since I have commenced this program I have observed some powerful activities that
my lecturers, especially Mr. Ryan Ramcharan who actually modelled a game. For example he
manipulated a PowerPoint game similar to that of jeopardy and then had the class designed one
of their own. He observed and gave feedback, he also assessed our understanding and knowledge
based on pertinent information that he modelled.

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Vivian Dorset Francis Teaching Philosophy Statement and Reflection Paper
In my opinion good instructional modelling aids exceptional performance and by
extension remarkable outcomes to such an extent students quickly acquire skills, knowledge, and
understanding that positively develop proper ethos. A point to note, Albert Bandura believed
that Most human behaviours is learned observationally through modelling: from observing
others, one forms an idea of how new behaviours are performed, and on later occasions this
coded information serves as a guide for action. Like the old proverb states, "Tell me and I
forget, show me and I remember, involve me and I understand."

Categorically, we establish that powerful teaching and learning are a core part education.
As such, I will continue to encourage positive skills and behaviours as I develop my students to
learn an array of competencies such as, critical thinking, higher order thinking, problem solving,
individual learning, group brainstorming, ability to formulate questions and make connections as
I prepare them for the real-world.

As I reflect,

I can remember in recent years many classes of people had never heard the word
information technology before. Inversely, the youngest child today manoeuvres their own
leapfrog (leap-pad) devices. In fact, a large number of pre-schools are exposed to exciting
internet games and videos. Presently, technology are in every classroom and even more
stimulating, many schools are beginning outfitted with high-speed internet, smart televisions,
smart boards, overhead projectors, desktop computers with desk, laptops, printers, scanners and
other network equipment.

How would I /my students use technology? Firstly, I will start by manipulating
technology in its simplest form and since most young children like recording occurrences and
events in journals, I will use technology as a writing task for example, I will have students type,
an invitation letter to a friend, or a little more exhilarating a love poem. Then, from that writing
instruction, I will incorporate some keyboarding techniques plus demonstrate the setting-up of an
email address, discussing the different features of outlook mail. Added to that, I will introduced
them to different search engines; whereby they can now do their own probes and interrogations,
based on what is being thought at that given time.

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Vivian Dorset Francis Teaching Philosophy Statement and Reflection Paper
Given that, this digital era demands the proficiencies of being computer conversant. This
will mean that everyone including teachers, students, parents and guardians need to get tech
savvy. Since most schools resources are instantly available on-line and too correspondence are
done via emails, school or class blogs.

Researchers expressed that, computers has the ability to control students attention is
certain ways, and also their memories can be trained using a special computer game. For
example I use the dance central video game and that caused me to lost weight and stay fit. In
fact, some of these video games can really teach students the true value of real-life skills.

Personally speaking, I do not see any barriers for my school in which I will soon own and
operate. Moreover, if there are any barriers, I will overcome each technology barriers with my
purposeful foresight and relentless planning. Fittingly, this learning with technology course
have shown me the true essence of technology, for instance I recalled my lecturer Mr Ramcharan
stating that... Technology is added in almost every part of our lives. He went on by expressing
that we used technology unknowingly as we work, shop, socialize, play and most importantly in
teaching and learning.

Consequently, my vision will be to create an ultramodern school for my teachers and my

students with suitable resources. Thus, every month I will put monies towards my school
building vision, ensuring my school becomes the futuristic Centre for patrons of Port-of-Spain
and environs. It is clear, that we are living in an era of revolutionized technologies and for an
effective technological classroom to convey meaning, teachers, administrators, students, parents
and guardians (stakeholders) need to be technologically poised. As technology is quickly
changing the features of teaching and learning. For instance, the four pillars of the "F.L.I.P"
classroom, is the concept that is required to support effective flipped learning where the teacher's
role now becomes one of a guide to help develop instructional learning via on-line techniques.

However, it is understandable that technology is necessary in this ever changing world

and the teaching fraternity is expected to be realistically innovative as, the flipped classroom
propels forcefully into this digital era. Considering that businesses are now hiring persons who
are competent, reliable and computer literate, educational institutions and other entities need to
identified the true essence technology, and strategical increase the ethos of the workplace. For
that reason, there is a personal piece of me that would very much like to see technology

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Vivian Dorset Francis Teaching Philosophy Statement and Reflection Paper
throughout Trinidad and Tobago hospitals and other Governmental agencies that wilfully delay
matters for months to retrieve simple information.

Finally, I think that Government should create diverse technological avenues, such as,
pre-schoolers to outfit with leapfrog iPads, primary school students to be provided with laptops
upon entering standard 5, coupled with training parents and teachers to effectively manipulate
technology. This will allow stakeholders viz. parents, students, teachers and the community to
expand their technological involvement to real-world capacity and successfully meet criterions
of curriculums, learning and teaching outcomes for all who are actively involved.

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Vivian Dorset Francis Teaching Philosophy Statement and Reflection Paper

REFERENCES

Albert Bandura's Social Learning Theory Verywell Retrieved June 30, 2017 from
https://www.verywell.com/social-learning-theory.

J L, "Social Learning Theory (Bandura)," in Learning Theories, June 19, 2015. Retrieved June
30, 2017. From: https://www.learning-theories.com/social-learning-theory-bandura.html.

Brainy Quotes. Google Images. Retrieved June 29, 2017 from http://www.google.com.

Sackstein, S. & Sullivan T. TedxYouth Event. Teachers vs Educators: Which Are You? Work in
Progress. Retrieved June 27, 2017 from http://www. blog.edweek.org
teachers_vs_educators_which_ar.html.

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