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4/29/24 After Class: Learning and Teaching Philosophy 

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4/29/24 After Class: Learning and Teaching Philosophy 

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It is easy to judge people based on appearance, social status, or wealth. Many people assume that someone who is wealthy was likely “given” his wealth through privilege or opportunities and not through grit. Grit is also not something that is quickly seen. Grit is a journey and not necessarily a destination so it may be hard to recognize grit in others vs experiencing it in ourselves. Grit also looks different for different individuals. What one person recognizes as grit may not meet that criteria for another person. This can lead to people believing that others are not gritty because their definition of grit may be different on how they apply it to themselves. Basing someone’s potential on measurable outcomes such as test scores and IQ scores could lead to exclusion of many individuals who may not excel in those areas, but are no less likely to be successful through hard work and perseverance. Grit is the ability to pick oneself up from failure and continue on. When looking at inclusive teaching, one needs to keep in mind that not everyone will learn things the same way. It is important to include diverse methods for teaching a subject and to be open to non-traditional methods of teaching. Many kids may see failure as a destination and not just part of the journey. Kids need to know that anyone who is successful has likely had many failures along the way. Instilling grit in students is challenging in a world where immediate outcomes are often the norm. Understanding that success does not happen overnight for anyone and that anyone can be successful by remaining focused on their goal.

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4/15/24 After Class: Learning and Teaching Philosophy 

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4/15/24 After Class: Learning and Teaching Philosophy 

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The feeling of going through Kolb’s Cycle was interesting. With rain, I’m usually just walking in the rain, but not focused on how the rain makes me feel or what senses I experience while being out in the rain. Seldom does one take the time to reflect on an experience during the experience. Most people reflect on an experience after the fact, when memories and senses will be less vivid and cause the abstract to not be as accurate. Reflecting on the experience during the activity allowed me to be more self-aware of the emotions I felt about rain and how those emotions affected me physically and mentally (a sense of relaxation, peace, and coolness).

The Columbia’s Principles that are exemplified in this activity are Principles 1, 3, and 4. Columbia’s Principle 1 instructs teachers to create a classroom environment that values individual experiences, identities, and backgrounds. By allowing the students to pick their own object to reflect on, the instructor is not making the students all focus on the same object, but is creating a more meaningful and diverse experience because the students can reflect on an object that is meaningful to them, not the teacher. This creates a more diverse conversation for the participants when sharing their experience with their classroom partner. Principle 3 focuses on recognizing diversity and acknowledging barriers to inclusion. Again, by allowing students to pick an object to reflect on, this selects course content that is diverse for each student, as diverse as the objects inside and outside of the room. It also works to reduce barriers to inclusion, since students can again choose their own objects to reflect on and not a single object that may not have any connection or meaning for them. This activity also encourages creativity and looking at objects from a diverse perspective. Principle 4 addresses accessibility. All students are able to equally assess any of the objects in their surroundings. The course instructions also allow for multiple ways for students to experience the objects (ie smell, feel, emotion) so students are allowed to experience the object through multiple pathways, not just one.

In grading this activity, it would be important to reflect on the purpose of the activity and acknowledge that everyone’s perspective and responses are going to be different. There is not just one right answer. This brings in Principle 5, which reflects on one’s beliefs about teaching. Grading this activity based on completion, but not on particular responses would reduce pressure on students. The grade would not be based on a standardized structure which can create restrictions that could erect barriers for some students and reduce inclusivity.

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4/1/24 After Class: Learning/Teaching Philosophy 

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4/1/24 After Class: Learning/Teaching Philosophy 

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I think most people have experienced someone else getting credit for their work or idea. Like physical theft, intellectual theft can lead to the same emotions of anger and frustration. This case study is no different and leaves the reader feeling angry toward Joe, who should have spoken up when Adam gave credit to him in error. The study also sheds light on how stereotypes can cause leaders, in this case Adam, to single out one person on the team as being superior over the others. Part of being a good team is ensuring everyone on the team feels important and that they belong. Joe was more concerned with keeping his image as the leader than he was about giving credit to other team members. He also believed that without his input, everyone else on the team would fail due to his perception of their abilities. Even though this scenario was in an academic setting, this type of dynamics is seen across many group settings such as work and volunteer situations. Fortunately, inclusion and diversity has made people aware of the barriers that stereotyping can cause for many individuals and has led to changes in how we interact with each other. I did feel included today in talking with my group.

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3/25/24 After Class: Learning and Teaching Philosophy 

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3/25/24 After Class: Learning and Teaching Philosophy 

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1. What is causing students to do better in the spring semester of 2024 compared to the spring semester of 2023 in LIFE 2022 (Animal Biology)?

2.  How do student demographics affect overall grade outcomes in Animal Biology class at the University of Wyoming?

3. Collect data looking at the demographics of students in Animal Biology from the spring semester of 2023 and compare it to the spring semester of 2024. Demographics can include gender, age, prior STEM credit hours, grade level, and attendance. Compare learning materials and activities completed in class, and analyze the difference in grades between the two semesters.

4. Expected results: more class engagement

5. Unexpected results: no difference in class engagement or  less class engagement

6. Write a paper explaining your research and share findings with teachers.

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3/18/24 After Class: Learning/Teaching Philosophy 

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3/18/24 After Class: Learning/Teaching Philosophy 

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Learning is benefited by the learner being connected to the learning activity and that the activity is taught on multiple levels. An adverse scenario for students is a class that is overwhelming or it is hard to determine the purpose (and thus outcome) of the learning material. Without an emotional connection to the learning, many students will struggle to grasp the material. By building on an experience or creating an experience, students can have a platform on which to expand their learning. For example, students don’t just start off learning calculus. They start with basic math working up to algebra, geometry, trig, and then eventually move on to calculus. Keeping with the theme of calculus, it is also important to understand how a subject relates to real life. Many people don’t often use calculus in day-to-day activities which makes it hard to comprehend why calculus is important, but engineering students apply calculus to real-life problems to understand the importance of calculus in their career choice. By applying calculus to real-life problems, engineers are able to construct and design projects that would not be possible without the application of calculus. Another important aspect of learning is demonstrating or providing examples from which the students can practice and solve on their own. Practice problems allow students to take what they have learned and apply it on their own. It can also show where learning gaps may exist and allow follow-up with the teacher to fill in the gaps. As students progress with learning, they should be able to perform tasks with less help from the instructor. Applying their knowledge allows students to see the connectivity of what they have learned to an outcome. It is important to try to make learning interesting for students which may lead teachers to try to think of novel ways to engage students and enhance learning. As with most subjects, teaching is not a stagnant topic and new approaches and innovations are always being explored on how to successfully teach and have students learn more effectively. Being open-minded to different approaches to teaching is important to incorporate into any philosophy on teaching.

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3/4/24 After Class: Learning/Teaching Philosophy 

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3/4/24 After Class: Learning/Teaching Philosophy 

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The backward design model in teaching focuses on learning outcomes using evaluation and assessment. One of the most interesting concepts of the video was that feedback is the most important part of the learning process, but feedback is limited if the student does not have a second chance to correct or improve their process. When one thinks about how feedback improves one’s learning, many examples come to mind. Sports team practices are all about feedback and improving performance as are many other skills that involve repetition and practice. Many jobs provide “on the job training” in which an individual completes tasks and adjusts performance based on feedback. Many employees may seek feedback if they are passed over for a promotion or an interview doesn’t get them the job they want. This feedback is only important though if the employee is looking for that second chance to try for a promotion at a later time.

Another interesting point is the distinction between evaluation and assessment. Where evaluation focuses on the students individually, the assessment of the learning could also help teachers reflect on their own teaching styles and evaluate how this style may be adjusted to meet the needs of the students. Students learn in a variety of ways and providing a diversity in learning techniques is the best way to include all students in the activities as some students learn better one way and others another. By setting clear goals, students understand what the purpose of the activity is. Many times as a student I have wondered what the purpose of an activity was and what I was supposed to know at the end of the activity. By knowing the goal, students can be engaged in an activity as they are able to focus on the objective. Without learning goals, many times students just believe that the goal is to “get an A”, but they may lose sight in actually learning the material and instead memorize it long enough to take the test. This results in poor retention of the material.

What I would want to incorporate in my teaching philosophy is the importance of feedback and how that importance is only relevant if students are able to re-attempt a test or assignment. Learning is not linear but is often a cycle of repeating and improving utilizing similar activities. This cycle also includes assessment of learning material which may need to be adjusted based on student learning evaluations and feedback.

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The learning today helped inform my growing and learning philosophy by understanding the importance of active learning and how it benefits students academically. Implementing a double-entry journal can be a great way to have people pick out excerpts or synopses in articles and then analyze why they picked these out and why they think they could hold some meaning. It is important to focus on student learning and what best works for students. Many factors can affect student learning and adapting a multimodal approach to teaching takes into account the diversity of individual student backgrounds and includes students who may not succeed under a traditional lecture teaching structure.

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There is an emotional aspect behind learning something and remembering it. You won't always remember what is said but you will remember how it made you feel. Cortisol affects learning and retaining memory since higher cortisol can negatively affect the hippocampus over a long period of time. Emotions and stress can negatively impact learning so providing an environment that is positive and reduces stress would be a good tool to incorporate in teaching. Exercise improves learning and cognitive function, but some college students may struggle to maintain an exercise routine due to heavy course load in college. Understanding that everyone’s brain processes information differently and that one learning style may not work for every student is important. Allowing students to explore and understand a subject from different perspectives is important in a teaching and learning environment.

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2/5/24 After Class: Learning/teaching philosophy

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2/5/24 After Class: Learning/teaching philosophy

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One of the most important pieces of communication is feeling free to share your ideas without judgment or criticism. It is important to create an environment where students are allowed to share their ideas in a way that encourages diverse points of view. Also, allowing students to pick the time they want to share, not forcing them to share ideas when they are not ready. Individuals communicate in different ways and by discovering and encouraging diverse ways to express your ideas, students can create avenues for everyone to participate. Non-traditional communication environments should be explored to provide equity for those who may experience barriers to traditional environments to provide equity and inclusion for all participants.

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1/29/24 After Class: Learning/teaching Philosophy 

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1/29/24 After Class: Learning/teaching Philosophy 

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To foster a fully inclusive classroom we must consider adding a ZOOM option. This allows students who may have trouble with a health issue or travel problems to engage with me and/or the class that is onsite. With greater freedom in the learning environment also comes great responsibility. Teaching style matters because the way we deliver information has a tremendous influence on how a student processes the important parts of a lecture or lab. By recognizing that everyone learns differently, I aim to implement various forms of learning such as hands-on activities, readings, and powerpoint lectures. By combining these techniques, my goal is to create a holistic learning environment that includes all learning styles.

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1/29/24 Before Class: Learning/Teaching Philosophy 

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1/29/24 Before Class: Learning/Teaching Philosophy 

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My learning and teaching philosophy is to foster a peer-to-student relationship and to become a reliable and safe space for students to come ask questions and bring up any concerns. Treating students as equals instead of underlings is the key to building a relationship with your students. College students are all adults and it is important to acknowledge their maturity as high school graduates. Discussions are centered on individual questions and care is taken to ensure the answers are understood by all participants. High value is placed on how the students receive feedback and answers.