Michaela's Learning/Teaching Philosophy FALL 2024 by Rachel Watson

Teaching Philosophy: Week 1

2024-09-09 00:07:55 UTC

I believe it is a teacher's duty to ensure that students are equipped with tools, a supportive environment, ample low-stakes chances to fail testing knowledge recall before high-stakes testing, and the opportunity to explore knowledge beyond the covered topics. In this way, students are able to not only learn the basics of the topic required for the course at hand but also are incentivized to continue growing their knowledge within the larger scope of the field. While certain aspects of the subjects being taught are essential for all those taking the class to master, further exploration into the subjective hand or related studies in general wonder should not be stifled.

While teachers are charged with ensuring students have access to ample materials that may suit a plethora of learning styles, it is the duty of the student to ensure they are giving adequate effort and time to mastering the materials and exploring the topic. Giving access to group learning environments as well as independent learning models, allows for students to have charge in their learning environment while also optimizing their learning outcomes. Learning-centered teaching is the focus of my teaching philosophy.

9/9

2024-09-23 22:42:09 UTC

It’s amazing to see how many different learning modalities there are particularly when they are displayed all together. Some of them like the double entry journal and experiential learning modalities are thing I have used in my own life for a long time however, it’s good to know the terminology is associated with the study habits. It’s also good to know that many of the classes I’m taking are utilizing multiple methods from this list which is probably why I’m enjoying them so much. While most of these methods have been incredibly helpful in my learning journey, I have had some of the methods be a very negative experience for me in the past. I personally have an incredibly hard time with flipped classroom approaches but I’m excited to learn more about them so maybe they are not only a tool a feel comfortable using for instruction in the future, but also an approach I feel more comfortable with for myself in the future.

9/16

2024-09-23 22:42:43 UTC

The class structure during this weeks instruction was by far my favorite thus far. I couldn’t help but feel that the material that we were going over in this classroom was much more humanized when it was presented in a dialogue fashion, and discussed from multiple perspectives. I feel like this method also inspires teamwork in a way that traditional group assignments don’t always succeed in because it made multiple individuals push towards a solution based conversation that incorporated everybody’s thoughts and perspectives. I also think one of the other strengths of this type of set up was that hard topics were more approachable and knowledge that wasn’t necessarily a part of the curriculum was able to be incorporated because of everybody’s freedom to contribute. The emphasis on growth mindset and avoidance of fixed mindset thinking also seemed like good practice that can apply to a multitude of factors in life. Overall, I think I would like to this type of method into my practicum approaches in the future.

9/23

2024-09-23 23:56:54 UTC

Today's class brought up something really important that I often feel is left to the student to deal with individually which is their internal state. While learning facilitators may not be able to remedy or aid in every situation I think it's important that we at the very least recognize what some of the students might be coming to class with on their minds as well as what that might mean for their learning. This is also important when we look at things like age and cultural background. This makes me think about the importance of the classroom environment even more than I have in the past. If a classroom is consistently a stressful or even threatening place, learning is not going to be facilitated. Likewise, if the classroom is a safe space that has ample modalities within it, learning is more likely to happen in a way that can be sustained. I think it's important to keep in mind that what modality might be beneficial to some people for learning, might be ineffective for others so it's important to allow for options.

9/30

2024-10-01 00:02:15 UTC

It seems as if people in different social settings (ie. more or fewer people) have different learning needs and that different methods may be more or less effective. Another aspect that seemed like it might be particularly impactful is the demographics of the student population. Aspects like age, socioeconomic status, physical or mental divergence, presence of dependents, and level of "survivalist" mentality, just to name a few could also be potential contributors to learning needs. For example, someone might under good conditions succeed more in a lecture-based model but under the duress of having to work long hours and be subjected to the stressors of poverty, might need a more engaging learning model to be able to retain anything at all. This also makes me wonder what sort of modalities are the healthiest for students. Like do students learn better overall under a flipped classroom setting but suffer a lower life expectancy or elevated rates of chronic disease due to increased stress or vice versa? It just makes me wonder if there are physical impacts of the different learning modalities besides just altered learning pathways or retention and which one should be prioritized if there is a difference? It also makes me wonder if some modalities are healing. If there is someone who is recovering from some form of chronic burn-out for example, are there forms of learning that can be therapeutic? I feel like this lesson might have more questions than answers for me.

10/7

2024-10-09 21:04:37 UTC

I have always enjoyed online classes for their lack of restrictions and malleability, but I felt synchronous classes were harder to engage with. After seeing the methods in practice for this class, I have a much higher opinion of online synchronous courses. I felt even more engaged due to the virtual whiteboard activities and the constant hands-on nature of the class than I do for in-person classes. That being said, I think it is a great option for students but wonder how reliant this level of online engagement is on small class sizes, and having all students using the online platform together. As far as the Backward Design concept, I think this is a brilliant way to make sure the focus of class design remains on the desired outcomes. Throughout this semester, I have been pulled in a lot of different directions when thinking about class design which is a good thing. However, being excited to implement a new method and just adding it in without consideration as to how it may impact the final result is a danger. (At least for someone like me with an ADHD mind.) This approach also has made the idea of planning a class much less daunting with a clear process and overall, a more fun process to think about.

10/21 (Goals)

2024-10-22 00:03:18 UTC

This class was a good call-back class that tied what we have previously been learning into real-world applications. It also made the concept clearer to have our class set up in the style that we were learning. The pollev question was particularly helpful as it gave us a chance to make mistakes but be walked through what the correct answer was and why that was a more correct answer. I think this class made a really good point about bringing two other answers that incorporated things we have learned in the past but maybe that aren't fully incorporating a full plan which would ensure student success more fully. That being said, I do think this exercise has made me aware of some areas in which I would need more practice if I were to create a class. Some examples of where I need more practice (even just mentally) are ensuring that student activities are in alignment with class outcome requirements or test questions as well as making sure that students can check in regularly and get questions answered. While testing might be a requirement for some areas of teaching, I think I want to focus more on assignments that will test and build skill that students would likely use regularly in their careers.

10/28 (Goals)

2024-10-29 00:02:38 UTC

To what extent does anatomy SI attendance impact exam scores in UW anatomy classes?

Attendance would be taken at each SI session, and those records would be cross-analyzed with the scores of each exam in the anatomy class to see if there were any trends. Students would also be given a short survey after each SI session asking what aspects of the SI were the most helpful, 3 things they know, 2 questions they have, and 1 thing they want to know more about. I believe the answers to these questions could give a lot of data for qualitative analysis.

I would expect that, on average, the more SI a student attends, the higher their exam grades would be. It would be unexpected to see lower exam scores with higher SI attendance.

To present our findings we could present for the department and perhaps at undergrad research day.

11/4

2024-11-05 01:09:34 UTC

Something that stood out to me in the lecture today was the focus on the importance of the choice of modality in demonstrating understanding and learning. As someone who is neurodivergent and from a background that is underrepresented in higher education, I feel like this is fairly rare in STEM courses I have taken. The few classes that do ensure access to multiple modalities have been much more effective for learning and demonstrating knowledge. The case study brought up some really good points about how TAs and instructors can better facilitate not only learning but also a better environment for learning. The case study activity today actually made me feel really seen and a student. This type of response from instructors and TA's is pretty common but is often not looked at as a problem. I have often been the student who has not been credited and worked in groups that didn't put forth much effort. Due to this, I often have a hard time bringing myself to want to participate in any type of group work. Today, like the other time we have met in this class, I have felt very included. I don't feel bad or intimidated to ask for things like clarification or deeper understanding and I feel like the class provides a very healthy environment for group collaboration. This is also one of the few classes online where I feel engaged in the lesson even from zoom. Overall, I think this further solidifies to me that if the goal is teaching, there are modifications to teaching modalities and knowledge testing that can include anyone. However, I do feel a bit sad knowing that these options exist and that the knowledge about effective teaching is available but that I still have classes that refuse to use any of these methods. I feel grateful that I am learning all of this so I can better teach others, but also sad that I am not able to learn very often myself in these types of environments.

11/11 (Check-in/ Overview)

meddy20 — 2024-11-12 00:54:15 UTC

Do you include your underlying values (your why)?
I am very sparing with outright speaking to values. When thinking about why this, I believe it stems from the indoctrinated ideology that "emotional" or "humanities-based" mentalities like ethics need to be kept separate from science-based work. While I don't agree with this stance, it is something that has left an impact on me that I will need to be mindful of. I want integrity, diversity, mutual respect, and support to be key aspects that guide my teaching.
Does your philosophy include your learning outcomes in terms of course content, skills, attitudes, values, and personal growth (your what)?
I need to be more specific but I do speak to the goal of engaging with and truly understanding the material in an applicable way multiple times. With some more clearly defined outcomes, I will have a stronger piece in this area. I do think I have mentioned goals or desired outcomes to some extent in almost every post.
Do you describe your pedagogy/active learning modalities (your how)?
I describe them but I need to be better about describing how I came up with them and what/who influenced them.
Do you describe the principles and techniques of assessment? Is there a discussion of how assessment data can then be used to improve your course/student learning?
I bring up principles and techniques a lot but I need to be better about clearly defining how I will use this in my methodology and in designing lessons/assessments.
Do you discuss your areas for improvement?
I do bring up areas of improvement but I think the majority of how I originally thought about learning has been overhauled to the extent that I needed my mentality to be overhauled. This is reflected in the continual tone of growth throughout my padlets in how I am connecting being a learner with effective teaching methods and options. I don't want this to sound bad though because while I have had to make a lot of changes in my mentality through this class, I have also accepted that constant growth is a good thing and that stagnation does not mean that it's perfect in the realm of learning and teaching.

11/18

meddy20 — 2024-11-19 01:06:09 UTC

Going through the Kolbs Cycle was intuitive and seemed like a very natural way of learning to me. This activity related to Columbia's principles by giving room for the students to reflect, choose their focus, and personally tailor the entirety of the experience to what and how they wanted to develop curiosity and a learning plan. This made for an environment that not only made the student (me) feel valued but also made me feel like my experiences and my choices were valued. When developing a plan to grade the assignment, I agree with the statement made in class that giving clarity about the graded expectation is integral. Rather than going over a graded quiz type of knowledge check, I would want to do a completion point-based assignment or a reflective assignment to see what aspects of the material have or have not become more clear from the participation of the activity. This way I can also make sure that I am checking in with the needs of the students and formulating a plan going forward that works best for them.

12/2

meddy20 — 2024-12-03 00:57:45 UTC

American exceptionalism and hyper-individuality meet highly competitive people in a culture like ours leading to the common occurrence of people viewing themselves as highly gritty and others as less gritty. We tend in American society to give very little grace for people's circumstances and humanity however when we think about overcoming our hurdles in life we see them as triumphs. I sometimes think this is by design to continue the trend of the privileged staying privileged and those who are not better be exceptional. This mindset is one of my least favorite things about academia and it makes me wonder how many amazing ideas have been stunted because of systemic systems like this. That being said, I have a love-hate relationship with my grit. I think it is a toxic trait of mine but it is also the reason I am here today. On the downside, I know I will give up my health, my safety, and even sometimes my relationships to succeed. I also feel as if I am obligated to take every opportunity I am offered and excel. However, this has helped me succeed in high-stakes environments. An example of this is, that due to a technicality, if I drop a class, get a low grade, or go part-time I lose all of my financial aid (Not because I have a lot GPA or a high fail rate either). As a full Pell recipient, this means sudden death to my college career. Even under these circumstances, I managed to work 60-80 hour work weeks, remain a full-time student, undergo personal medical hardship, and take care of multiple family members who were dealing with severe medical hardships themselves. Without the amount of grit I have, to be honest, I'm not sure I would be here right now so I am grateful even with what it has cost me. Overall, I think like most things in life, grit, and a growth mindset are things that are great in moderation. When things become extreme, I would argue that it's rarely a good thing but I also understand sometimes desperate times call for extreme measures.