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Dr. Rickman has been  teaching for nearly 30 years.  He has taught, middle school, high school, and he currently teaches on the collegiate level. He is a professor of history and director of undergraduate studies (history).

Tamara:  Where do you think education is headed in the future?

Dr. Rickman:
"As to the future of education, I believe that there will be an ever-increasing use of technology in teaching, and this increased use of technology will have both positive and negative effects on the quality of education in the future.  On the positive side, teachers can much more easily access attention-grabbing materials such as short video clips as well as provide their students on-line reading materials that will be cheaper to the student than the traditional textbook.  On the negative side, in my close to 30 years of teaching, I have seen a clear decline in the reading comprehension abilities of my students which is caused in part by the dramatic increase in cell phone use as well as social media."

Tamara:  How has your own life experiences shaped your current philosophy regarding education?

Dr. Rickman:
As to the effect of my life experiences on my philosophy of education, I try to be a very personable teacher – in all my classes, I learn each student’s name early in the semester and I get to class early so that I can greet each student by name as they enter the classroom.  As a person, I have always valued clear expectations and a clear schedule from my professors, and I have modeled those aspects in my own teaching.  Right from the start of the term, all my students know how their grade will be determined as well as the dates for all the assignments that term.

Dr. Rickman feels that comprehension is on a decline because of the usage of technology in the classroom.
In the article,  Mobile Phones in the Classroom: Examining the Effects of Texting, Twitter, and Message Content on Student Learning, Kuznekoff conducts a small study where he identifies the negative effect technology has on student learning. Kuznekoff, is much like Dr. Rickman, he acknowledges the positives that technology bring to the classroom but he sees the negative effect it has on comprehension. Kuznekoff's findings show that college students who use their cell phones for social media and other things perform lower than students who refrain from these activities in class.  (Kuznekoff, 2015, pp. 344-365)

According to Lisa Scherff, technology does not have a great impact on reading comprehension. Technology has a greater impact on math, science, and even writing. (Scherff, 2018, pp. 63-65.

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Mrs. Lake is currently a 1st grade inclusion teacher. She also worked with level 2 Autism students. She has  3 years of  teaching experience.

1.    Where do they think education is headed in the future?
I think the education may be heading towards a competitive and destructive path due to the recent developments of data based compensation systems. The new compensation systems are expected to “reward” effective teachers but in actuality I think, it will deter a lot of good and effective teachers because not all schools and districts are providing the appropriate resources for their students to meet their needs. Education is beginning to slip into a one size fits all approach, and I don’t think that is the best.

2.    How have their own life
experiences shaped their current philosophy regarding education?
I have honestly always wanted to be a teacher, but over the years the most influential teachers to me were the ones that got to know me as a student and did everything they could to accommodate any needs I may have had at the moment to help aid in my educational success.

Ms. Lundy Kindergarten Inclusion Teacher with 4 years of experiences. Ms Lundy has had the pleasure of working with children of all diversities. According to Ms. Lundy  "the most rewarding part of her job is to watch her students grow and progress throughout the school year especially those who do not speak and understand english at first."

1.    Where do they think education is headed in the future?
In the future education will be making a shift to embrace and utilize technological innovations. Education will shift where students are required to integrate all subject area in their learning. Project-based learning will become the new focus in the future and students will no longer focus on math, reading, and writing isolation. They will learn through problem-solving and collaborate with peers.

2.    How have their own life experiences shaped their current philosophy regarding education?
My life experiences have shown me the best practices for teaching and learning has shaped my philosophy of instruction in many ways. Real life experiences are the best way to learn. To learn to develop a sense of how kids learn and the best way to teach them

My conclusion:
After conducting both interviews, it’s safe to say both teachers believe in real life experience shapes their philosophy of education. While Mrs. Lake believes that the future of education is heading towards one size fits all approach, and Ms. Lundy thinks that eventually, education will become more projects based. Although, both teachers had different, but similar views on education and how their philosophies were shaped its a known fact that education will change in what direction only the futures knows.
T.D.

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Ms Smith is going into her 5th year as an elementary school 3rd grade teacher in Rockdale County.

1. Where do they think education is headed in the future?

I think society is over simplifying everything, including character and producing mediocre, desensitized citizens. The rule makers expect more but provide less. Less time to teach, fewer materials, and resources but higher stakes for teachers. Educational technology will be the future. technology is growing more for the students and teachers in many different view points. Teachers are able to provide students with computerized programs that will monitor their achievements instead of teaching from textbooks which provided step by step curriculum knowledge.

2. How have their own life experiences shaped their current philosophy regarding education?

Experiences shape philosophy in stages. Young and single, I can save the world, everything and everyone is a priority. After about 5 years, the glass gets a little cleaner and you start to see some faults. Getting married, you start to set boundaries on your personal time and prioritize.  Then becoming a parent you develop a sensitivity or empathy. These experiences have changed and shaped my philosophy.

In conclusion Ms. Smith believes that while society is constantly dumbing down content and standards she believes technology is the new wave of educational achievement. She also feels that your philosophy as a teacher changes as your navigate through your career shaped by the values placed on one's life.

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Mrs. Sikes has been teaching for over 25 years. She has taught elementary, middle, and currently she teaches high school. Her educational philosophy has shaped the way that she engages and teaches her students for her entire teaching career. When asked where she see education heading in the future she made a few notable points.

1. Individualized Education
2. Technology
3. Alternative Testing
4. Project Based Learning

Sikes believes that we will see an increase in individualized education, including more one on one mentoring of students and discovering "personalized pathways" to help students achieve with their unique learning styles. Thomas P. Jandris, Ph.D, says that the future of education will involve what he refers to as "mass customization" where school districts provide education to the masses while "customizing" the learning experience of each student.  (Jandris, 2010 - 2013)

She also mentions that we will continue to see an increase in the amount of tools and technology in the classroom to facilitate student learning. Being someone who was not exposed to most modern technology during her education preparation, she embraces the change and sees it as an opportunity to adapt to more learning styles.

Alternative testing methods are something that she sees in the future of education. For the past 100 years, most testing has been the traditional question / answer format that we continue to see on standardized tests. A study performed at the University of British Columbia involved the implementation of "two-stage collaborative examinations" as a portion of physics exams administered. They saw an average increase in midterm marks by 3.3% and a 1.6% increase for final exam scores. 76% of the students interviewed made generally positive opinions regarding collaborative portions of exams (Rieger & Heiner, 2014)

Project-based learning is also something on the horizon of education according to Sikes. A study done at Brevard High School showed the positive results of PBL from teachers and students. Licht says that "In short, PBL is learning by doing, an idea championed by such education hard-hitters as Socrates and John Dewey." (Licht, 2014, pp. 49-51) Jennifer Williams, teacher and founder of the T.I.M.E science program at Brevard High says "Students gain a love for their work as they perfect it and present it to authentic audiences as a form of evaluation. They become more confident and mature." (Licht, 2014, pp. 49-51)

The next thing I asked Sikes was what her personal philosophy of education was. She responded with the simple wisdom of someone who has been teaching for over 25 years. She says her main intention has always been to do what's best for her students, which has changed over the years as technology and resources have changed. She does not see changes as negative, rather as increased opportunities to help facilitate student learning for all kinds of students. She says technology has allowed her to have more free time to spend working closely with students.

According to Sikes, some things in education never change. She says students are always looking for someone to guide them. They are always thirsting to learn (whether they know it or not) and they still laugh at corny teacher jokes. Sometimes, when she least expects it, a student will thank her for the impact she has made in her life, and this she says puts a smile on her face as she drives to work each morning.

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After interviewing teachers from several different backgrounds and years of experience, we found many commonalities and a few differences related to the future of education and their personal philosophies. Something we found common among every teacher was their comments on technology playing a large part in the future of education. For the most part, remarks were on the positive side, while Dr. Rickman also revealed some of the negative aspects too. It is safe to conclude that technology will play a key role in the future of education and whether or not it is beneficial or detrimental will depend on how the teacher utilizes it for the best. Another common find among the teachers was the increase of project based learning in the future. Mrs. Sikes and Ms. Lundy both agree that PBL will play an increasing role in education. Ms. Lake is afraid that education is "slipping into a one size fits all approach." Her statement is supported by Dr. Jandris, an educational innovator who compares the current education system to the assembly line. (Jandris, 2010 - 2013) Each of the teacher's philosophies provide a unique view into their beliefs about education. We found a very personal aspect to most of them, each showing their concern for the students they are teaching. Dr. Rickman still greets students by name as they walk through the door and Mrs. Sikes continues to "pat students on the back" or "tell a corny joke" to remind students of their care for them. Life experience also proves to be a fundamental contribution to each teachers philosophy. Ms. Smith mentions how her outlook began to change as her state in life changed from single to married to having children. This also is a reality that will affect us as we progress in our careers.

If we apply all of this useful information to our future as educators, we can learn from those who have gone before us. Using technology to our advantage and incorporating project based learning will prove to be essential in promoting student learning in the 21st century. Trying to remind students that we want what's best for them can be accomplished through small ways such as greeting them by name or encouraging them. Most importantly, we will keep in mind that our own philosophies and outlooks on education will change as we gain real-life experience in the classroom.

References
1. Hall, G. E. (2013). Introduction to teaching: making a difference in student learning (2nd ed.). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database.

2. Jandris, T. P. (2010 - 2013). The history of education: The education revolution [Video file]. Retrieved from Educational Impact website: https://www.educationalimpact.com/programs/programs/activity/HistEd_01b_01/

3. Kuznekoff, J. H., Munz, S., & Titsworth, S. (2015). Mobile Phones in the Classroom: Examining the Effects of Texting, Twitter, and Message Content on Student Learning. Communication Education, 64(3), 344-365. doi:10.1080/03634523.2015.1038727

4. Licht, M. (2014, October). Controlled chaos: Project-Based learning. The Education Digest, 80(2), 49-51. ProQuest Central.

5. Rieger, G. W., & Heiner, C. E. (2014, Mar / Apr). Examinations that support collaborative learning: The students' perspective. Journal of College Science Teaching, 43(4), 41-47. ProQuest Central.

6. Scherff, L. (2018). "Technology" in schools: Effective remedy or snake oil? Voices from the Middle, 25(4), 63-65. Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.contentproxy.phoenix.edu/docview/2039201513?accountid=134061