As an educator, I strive to pass on knowledge to students using methods that are fun, informative, and equitable. My priority is to structure lessons so that they reach students of all learning styles. Experiential learning is a practice that fosters these goals. Creating lessons that encourage students to think critically, ask questions, and explore answers for themselves will engage students, and ingrain knowledge more than merely memorizing content.
Students should be asked questions that encourage them to think about topics from a variety of perspectives. This practice will push students to have a more holistic understanding of a topic and teach the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion. For example, when designing a curriculum that introduces 5th grade students to ecosystems, I chose to center the lesson around the Native people of the Willamette Valley: the Kalapuya. Using resources written by Indigenous Peoples, the lessons I designed reflected the key themes from these authors. When teaching I try to incorporate the voices of perspectives that are not traditionally represented such as women, People of Color, and Indigenous groups. Hearing these stories help children grow into informed global citizens.
Adapting to student needs is an important part of my teaching process. I choose to incorporate different learning styles so that the material is accessible to all students. For example, when designing a lesson about the Chinuk Wawa language, I had students practice vocabulary interactively using an educational app developed by The Confederated Tribes of the Grande Ronde. Then, students incorporated the words that they learned into a short illustrated story, and shared their creations with each other. This half hour lesson utilizes auditory, visual, solitary, and social styles of learning.
In any lesson, teachers should center focus on the needs of their students. If students are asked to inquire about things for themselves, and problem solve through challenges they will develop critical thinking skills that can be applied to many aspects of life. Providing opportunities for students to have hands-on experiences that teach a diverse set of perspectives and utilize as many learning styles as possible is my ultimate goal as an educator.
Students should be asked questions that encourage them to think about topics from a variety of perspectives. This practice will push students to have a more holistic understanding of a topic and teach the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion. For example, when designing a curriculum that introduces 5th grade students to ecosystems, I chose to center the lesson around the Native people of the Willamette Valley: the Kalapuya. Using resources written by Indigenous Peoples, the lessons I designed reflected the key themes from these authors. When teaching I try to incorporate the voices of perspectives that are not traditionally represented such as women, People of Color, and Indigenous groups. Hearing these stories help children grow into informed global citizens.
Adapting to student needs is an important part of my teaching process. I choose to incorporate different learning styles so that the material is accessible to all students. For example, when designing a lesson about the Chinuk Wawa language, I had students practice vocabulary interactively using an educational app developed by The Confederated Tribes of the Grande Ronde. Then, students incorporated the words that they learned into a short illustrated story, and shared their creations with each other. This half hour lesson utilizes auditory, visual, solitary, and social styles of learning.
In any lesson, teachers should center focus on the needs of their students. If students are asked to inquire about things for themselves, and problem solve through challenges they will develop critical thinking skills that can be applied to many aspects of life. Providing opportunities for students to have hands-on experiences that teach a diverse set of perspectives and utilize as many learning styles as possible is my ultimate goal as an educator.