Teaching Philosophy
There is a huge gap in technology education in America. Computer courses are still considered electives in high schools while in other countries these are part of required curriculums. The number of developers other countries are producing are surpassing our current rate. Being in the tech industry for a decade, almost every project I was on was under staffed. The companies I worked for were always trying to find qualified people to fill key positions and struggled to do so. This is also an industry of great turn over as projects and people often change. Since the skills are in such high demand, it is easy for people to get lured away. This creates an unhealthy pressure on many
projects. While developers are usually compensated well, the whole process can lead to burn out. My drive is to help lessen this gap and provide high quality technology education to as many people I can reach.
As I reflect on my own teaching philosophy a few key goals emerge:
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Bring my own passion for learning and technology to students. This includes staying passionate through exploration and tinkering.
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Respect the diverse talents and experiences of students.
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Encourage inclusion and cooperation among students.
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Communicate clear expectations.
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Encourage active learning and engaging project work.
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Create feedback loop. Quick and responsive feedback for students. Fast application of feedback received from students.
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Promote equity. Bringing tech skills to any one I can reach and each learning session as equitable as possible.
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Emphasize learning through doing and maker methodologies.
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Find best tools and methods for creating unique learning experiences
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Make it better. There is always a better way, a better idea, a better lesson, a better format.
As I gain more teaching experience I will be periodically revisiting these goals and adjusting as necessary. My plan is to build this portfolio of building blocks into a complimentary teaching tool created with these goals in mind.
A Reflection on Equity and Diversity