Uncovering Who I am as an Educator

  Dr. Wesch is an anthropologist who offers a heartwarming story of what he believes learning is. Ultimately, as he describes in his Ted Talk , he wants to offer his students the opportunities to develop what it takes for them to get through the “dark nights of the soul” in their life. I was profoundly moved by his frustration with the status quo in the college atmosphere of teaching and learning and used the opportunity to learn what people really were wanting answers to that were being ignored. I connect with the three questions that came out of his research and relate to this in my own classroom teaching and learning experience. I believe my 7th graders are more invested if they can connect with what we are learning and begin to wonder and access answers and possibilities to, Who am I, as part of our learning and exploring together. I often feel that math as a subject matter provides so much opportunity to dig deep into ourselves and decide how we will show up when life gets har...

I really enjoyed the divergent views presented in the works of Boyd and Prensky as I now begin to assimilate my own ideas on the topic of digital literacy and its purpose in education. Strictly from a historical perspective, I do not appreciate the language that Prensky uses of “digital native” and “digital immigrant” as this terminology comes loaded with so many cultural subtexts that should not be applied here as we unpack teaching and learning in the digital age. I do value the purpose of examining the similarities and differences of the learners and teachers in the classroom setting in the context of age and technology and how this affects our work and purpose together. It is noteworthy and unacceptable to have students feel that they need to “power down” to enter any classroom and I find value in Prensky’s uncovering and examination of how the “digital natives” and “digital immigrants” are inherently different. This is foundational to my work as an educator because it is allowin...

 I am a seventh grade math teacher at a rural, middle class, coastal Connecticut 7-12 school. I have just completed the second year of teaching this grade level and while these years have been challenging due to COVID-19 restrictions, I have really enjoyed this age group over the high school students I have taught previously. I am currently in the ASTL graduate program at RIC and hope to graduate next May. I am passionate about knowing my students and connecting with them as I believe teaching and learning is a side effect of a strong human connection. I value their authenticity and hope my students find a connection to themselves, their thoughts, feelings and expressions during our time together in the classroom. I am exploring ways to facilitate their curiosity and develop their ability to problem solve as they move through education, in their personal lives, in their friendships and families and in the communities they live.