Purpose:
This activity is designed to help students think and reflect about their
personal philosophy of teaching and learning. Students will reflect
on what the experiences are that affect their philosophy and will be
encouraged to make connections between their own beliefs and research
in educational psychology.
Objectives:
- Develop a personal philosophy of teaching and learning
- Develop an understanding of how a personal philosophy of teaching
and learning affects future teaching
- Make connections between personal beliefs and class content
Student Project:
Identify and articulate your personal theory of learning and teaching!
Your personal theory should be the culmination of (1) your own experience
as a student, (2) your insights from field experiences, and (3) the
content and activities introduced in this course. This theory paper
should be developed as an ongoing process during the semester. You should
arrange with your instructor so he/she will look at your outline and
rough drafts mid-semester. At the end of the semester, your instructor
will assess your paper according to the following rubrics:
Rubric:
| | A lot | None |
| Reflects on personal beliefs regarding
the teaching-learning process | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Articulates how personal beliefs
would shape future classroom teaching | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Connects personal beliefs to experiences
in classroom situations | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Connects personal beliefs to class
content | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Overall flow of the paper | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
Assessment:
What were the strengths and weaknesses of your paper according to the
rubrics above?
Variation:
- Conduct a peer conference on drafts of your personal philosophy
paper.
- Form small group publishing teams of three to six members. Publish
your theory papers as a group in a format like a journal or teacher
magazine with a journal title, table of contents, journal purpose,
review guidelines, etc.
