Kate Ropchan's
ePortfolio
My voyage to Master of Educational Technology
Captain
A good captain provides a vision of where the boat is going, makes sure that systems will get the boat to its destination, and is an effective leader to the crew. Just as every boat has a captain, every learning team has a teacher. What makes a teacher effective in his or her context? A good teacher, like a good coach "motivates learners, analyzes their performances, provides feedback and advice on the performances and how to learn about how to perform, and provokes reflection on and articulation of what was learned” (Jonassen, 1999, p. 232). Additionally, a good teacher enjoys working with learners, has sufficient knowledge of their subject domain, conveys enthusiasm for the subject and the learning process, and has "a set of learning activities at their disposal by which to orchestrate, motivate, and assess effective learning” (Anderson, 2008, p. 290). Each teacher is unique, so what works for one teacher may not be as effective for another. Even though I have been teaching for nine years now, I am still evolving as an educator and figuring out what works best for myself and my students.
In this section, I will draw upon what I learned about effective instructors in ETEC 565A, citing the International Society for Technology in Education's (2008) "Standards for Teachers" and Chickering and Gamson’s (1987) "Seven principles for good practice in undergraduate education".
Artifact: Digital Age Teaching Professionals Discussion Post
At the beginning of ETEC 565A, I was challenged to consider my own teaching practice as I examined the International Society for Technology in Education's (ISTE, 2008) standards for teachers. I chose to include this artifact in my ePortfolio because it articulates many of the characteristics of effective teaching that are central to my pedagogical beliefs. Since taking ETEC 565A, I have periodically looked back at these standards to analyze what I am doing effectively as a digital-age teacher and how I can improve. It is helpful to have a set of principles to reflect on in order to maintain my goal of being the best 21st century educator that I am capable of.
Artifact: Seven Principles for Good Practice Discussion Post
Another artifact that identifies my core teaching beliefs is Chickering and Gamson's (1987) "Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education". Chickering and Gamson (1987) emphasize characteristics for good educational practice that apply to my own secondary classes, as well as undergraduate education. These principles once again provide me with a framework to reflect upon as I consider what is working well for me as an educator and ways that I can improve my teaching practice.
