Why do I do what I do?
My primary motivation is that I am always striving to find a better way, some might call that an innovative spirit. And once I have found a better way, I am no longer the same person, I am transformed and I must share that transformation with others. I somehow feel that I would be derelict in duty not to.
This is the whole reason why I read so many blogs, watch TED talks, listen to podcasts in a never-ending quest for better ways.This is the whole reason why I want to provide educational technology tools for my students, because they are all different, I can’t live with just giving them a hammer for everything. This is the reason for personalized learning, because all my learners are different, and I can’t live with simply one size fits all, that simply perpetuates inequity. This is the whole reason for giving my learners opportunities to create, discover, collaborate and communicate because they are all different and they need to network to discover the power of the many.
I once heard a story of a very proficient painter. He could not understand why he had to take any painting classes for his fine arts major. He was asked, “Have you ever asked an original question that you didn’t come up with yourself?” That is why it is so important that we collaborate and network, otherwise how do we prevent ourselves from potentially blocking our own ideas. Or perhaps our ideas may need augmenting or we didn’t look at a problem from a different perspective.
Do you share in these beliefs? Why or why not?
To paraphrase Maya Angelou, “If you know better, than you must do better.”
The following quote sums up so many of my beliefs:
“There is no substitute for a teacher who designs authentic, participatory, and relevant learning experiences for her unique population of students. The role of the teacher is to inspire learning and develop skills and mindsets of learners. A teacher, as designer and facilitator, should continually evolve with resources, experiences, and the support of a community. It is becoming increasingly clear that we don’t necessarily need to transform the role of teachers, rather create a culture that inspires and empowers teachers to innovate in the pursuit of providing optimal learning experiences for their students.” – Katie Martin, director of professional learning at the University of San Diego Mobile Technology Learning Center
