My Pedagogical Creed
"Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn."
- Benjamin Franklin (1705-1790)
"Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn."
- Benjamin Franklin (1705-1790)
The Educator:
I believe in the educator as a guide. I believe the educator needs to believe in the value, role and importance of open inquiry. The educator is responsible for encouraging discovery, introducing "desirable difficulties", promoting the making of mistakes, and supporting every learner in their journey.
I believe in the educator as a guide. I believe the educator needs to believe in the value, role and importance of open inquiry. The educator is responsible for encouraging discovery, introducing "desirable difficulties", promoting the making of mistakes, and supporting every learner in their journey.
Equity & Inclusion:
I believe that every learner is worth my effort. I believe that it should be the goal of the educator to build and develop the autonomy, purpose, and mastery of each and every individual learners. I believe that education is not a neutral process and that social justice, equity, and inclusion should be part of the overall learning fabric. I believe that educators cannot, and should not, prepare learners for a world of potential oppression by oppressing them. I believe in the idea that all learners, irrespective of their race, color, religion, or creed, have the right to be treated with dignity and fairness. I believe that the educator should strive to empower the voice and the choice of the learner. I believe the educator needs to acknowledge the role that poverty, trauma, and abuse have in the life of the learner.
I believe that every learner is worth my effort. I believe that it should be the goal of the educator to build and develop the autonomy, purpose, and mastery of each and every individual learners. I believe that education is not a neutral process and that social justice, equity, and inclusion should be part of the overall learning fabric. I believe that educators cannot, and should not, prepare learners for a world of potential oppression by oppressing them. I believe in the idea that all learners, irrespective of their race, color, religion, or creed, have the right to be treated with dignity and fairness. I believe that the educator should strive to empower the voice and the choice of the learner. I believe the educator needs to acknowledge the role that poverty, trauma, and abuse have in the life of the learner.
Grades:
I believe that education should be based on an infinite loop of inquiry, discovery and feedback, not the dead end of a grade. I believe in formative and qualitative feedback, authentic assessment and evaluation over quantitative measures. I believe that grades discourage inquisitive risk taking, undermine the learner-educator and learner-learner relationship and serve as the proverbial carrot that hangs from the stick. I believe that grades are the underwriter of cheating, shallow thought and inquiry, lack of interest in real learning, and the seeking out of simple tasks. I believe that grades, grading and sorting based on performance are the antithesis of the "growth mindset". I believe that grades are the creator of illusions when it comes to predicting future outcomes. I believe that grades serve as the assassin of intrinsic motivation. I believe that grades provide the learner with little to no authentic or useful feedback on how they actually performed. I believe that grades are a false flag when used to measure the amount of true and real learning taking place. I believe grades teach the learner to strive for the grade and not to strive for learning.
I believe that education should be based on an infinite loop of inquiry, discovery and feedback, not the dead end of a grade. I believe in formative and qualitative feedback, authentic assessment and evaluation over quantitative measures. I believe that grades discourage inquisitive risk taking, undermine the learner-educator and learner-learner relationship and serve as the proverbial carrot that hangs from the stick. I believe that grades are the underwriter of cheating, shallow thought and inquiry, lack of interest in real learning, and the seeking out of simple tasks. I believe that grades, grading and sorting based on performance are the antithesis of the "growth mindset". I believe that grades are the creator of illusions when it comes to predicting future outcomes. I believe that grades serve as the assassin of intrinsic motivation. I believe that grades provide the learner with little to no authentic or useful feedback on how they actually performed. I believe that grades are a false flag when used to measure the amount of true and real learning taking place. I believe grades teach the learner to strive for the grade and not to strive for learning.
Pedagogy:
I believe that pedagogy is deeply personal and idiosyncratic. I believe that education is about inquiry, exploration, and discovery of the curriculum and not the covering of the curriculum. I believe in active learning as opposed to passive learning. I believe that the use of lectures as a primary means of educating learners will poison the mind of the learner just as much and as quickly as the educator. I believe that the longer educators spend reading slide decks to their learners, the less that educator is needed. I believe in open and engaging discussions where I am talking with the learner as opposed to talking at them. I also believe in this inverse relationship between learner and educator when it comes to the educator speaking: the longer they are together the less the educator should be speaking. I believe in the partnership of learning alongside and with the learner. I believe in the inverse relationship between how much learning is formal compared to the amount of actual learning taking place. I believe it is the right and duty of the educator to challenge the value of the curriculum. I believe in the Technological, Pedagogical, and Content Knowledge (TPACK), Project/Problem-Based Learning (PBL), Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL), and SCALE-UP frameworks. I believe in the flipped classroom, peer-education, and active learning. I believe in the evolution of learner "emergent outcomes" as opposed to predetermined outcomes. I believe in empowering the learner to make corrections and revisions as part of their learning journey.
I believe that pedagogy is deeply personal and idiosyncratic. I believe that education is about inquiry, exploration, and discovery of the curriculum and not the covering of the curriculum. I believe in active learning as opposed to passive learning. I believe that the use of lectures as a primary means of educating learners will poison the mind of the learner just as much and as quickly as the educator. I believe that the longer educators spend reading slide decks to their learners, the less that educator is needed. I believe in open and engaging discussions where I am talking with the learner as opposed to talking at them. I also believe in this inverse relationship between learner and educator when it comes to the educator speaking: the longer they are together the less the educator should be speaking. I believe in the partnership of learning alongside and with the learner. I believe in the inverse relationship between how much learning is formal compared to the amount of actual learning taking place. I believe it is the right and duty of the educator to challenge the value of the curriculum. I believe in the Technological, Pedagogical, and Content Knowledge (TPACK), Project/Problem-Based Learning (PBL), Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL), and SCALE-UP frameworks. I believe in the flipped classroom, peer-education, and active learning. I believe in the evolution of learner "emergent outcomes" as opposed to predetermined outcomes. I believe in empowering the learner to make corrections and revisions as part of their learning journey.
Header image downloaded from unsplash.com