Active Learner
Attending college was an expectation that was set at an early age, not only by my parents, but by the schools I attended. So, when I graduated high school, I knew my next endeavor was college. As an 18 year old high school graduate, I was convinced that my college education would equipt me with the necessary skills to become a professional in a specific field of study. Simple, or so I thought. As I reflect back, I realize that I wasn't prepared to be intrigued and captivated by the content taught and explored in my major specific courses, as well as the general education curriculum. I wasn't prepared to be challenged, morally and academically, by the content, my professors, and my peers. Entering into college, I wasn't prepared for an experience that would change the way I viewed the world or those around me. Although I wasn't prepared entering into my college experience, I can confidently say that my Loras College education, through rigorous courses and application of content to real-world experiences, has prepared me for my future career. Not only has Loras provided me with the skills needed to become a successful teacher, they have instilled within me the desire and passion to be a life-long learner.
My journey to becoming a teacher and a life-long learner began with three core classes needed in order to apply for the Education Program: Development Psychology, Foundations of Education, and Foundations of Special Education. Developmental Psychology helped me understand the milestones of children’s development and the psychological reason behind their actions. For example, we learned about Piaget’s theory of cognitive development and how it affects student’s performance in the classroom. We studied the affects of divorce on children, and even got to raise our own child through a simulation. Concurrently, I was enrolled in Foundations of Education and Special Education where I studied the history of education, learned about the laws associated with field of education, and started to formulate my own teaching philosophy. These core classes laid the foundation that I built upon for the remainder of my college career.
After creating a solid foundation of educational principles and theories, I enrolled in classes that required active learning. The remainder of my education classes all contained a volunteering, tutoring, or observing component. One active learning experience, in particular, came from my Multicultural Education class. During this class, Dr. Welsh engaged us in conversations about a variety of cultures, showing us how a student’s culture influences who they are as a person. Knowing this information about a student helps me, as a teacher, to understand the whole student. As a result, it helps me create lesson plans that are culturally relevant and engaging. The beauty of diversity was emphasized during this class.
In order to experience the beauty of diversity, a volunteer experience was required. It was necessary that I volunteered at a place that had a culture different than my own, so I chose to volunteer serving meals at a local church, St. Patrick’s. This experience allowed me to engage in dialogue with people from cultures we were learning about in class, such as people from a variety of social statuses and ethnic backgrounds. It was an opportunity to link what I was learning in class to a real-world situation.
Later on in the class, I helped create a PSA or informational video about a topic that correlated with the class content. My group members and I chose to concentrate our video on integrating what we studied in class with our volunteer experience. We focused on access to resources, a topic we thought was an area of need in the community. We created a video that highlights affordable housing programs, clothing, and food available to people of lower SES in Dubuque community. This project is a snapshot of some of the active learning that took place while I was at Loras. The creation of this video took collaboration between peers, a well-thought out plan, and input from members outside of the Loras community. It took conscious effort and a lot of time to connect what we were learning in Multicultural Education to our local community, however, the knowledge I gained about the availability of resources in the Dubuque community will be beneficial as I enter the teaching profession.
From the experience mentioned previously, along with the active learning that took place in a variety of other classes, I developed awareness for the field of education all around me. So much that I began to see the world through the lens of education. I started to see how education was engrained in people’s every day lives, whether consciously or subconsciously. The truest example of this came from my cluster.
My cluster, The Reformation and Christ and Culture, focused on the evolution of Catholicism into different sects and the impact the diversification of religion had on the culture of the time period. During cluster, I studied 1st Century Palestine all the way through 21st Century America. Through this study, I expanded my understanding of the impact specific events and people have on a culture, and the effect this culture has on the people in return. I was able to build upon the knowledge I acquired in my Multicultural Education class and apply it to a different content area. Particularly, I was able to connect the importance of culturally relevant teaching in education to religion. In education, lessons have to be culturally relevant and engaging so that students see value in what they are learning and are able to connect it to their everyday lives, and the same is true for religious sermons. In order for Church goers to be excited about faith and the message that the pastor or priest preaches, they must find a connection between their life and the message. The message must be relevant to their life and engaging. All the key components of an education lesson plan must also be present in a engaging religious message. Being able to make this connection between my field of study and another area of study, which at first I thought was unrelated, was powerful. It allowed me to experience how important the field of education is, not only in schools, but other aspect of life, as well.
Being a future educator is a big responsibility. Luckily, my liberal arts education from Loras as prepared me for the future by implementing a curriculum that requires students to become active learners. My college experience has led me see the value in participating in activities and projects that are relatable outside the classroom. I have witnessed the value in bringing learning to life first hand and recognize that it is critical to help students see the interconnectedness between each subject area. It is my goal to take this new gained knowledge that Loras helped me acquire and instill it in my students by creating learning experiences that are engaging and culturally relevant. It is my hope that they become active and life-long learners through these experiences, just as I did.
My journey to becoming a teacher and a life-long learner began with three core classes needed in order to apply for the Education Program: Development Psychology, Foundations of Education, and Foundations of Special Education. Developmental Psychology helped me understand the milestones of children’s development and the psychological reason behind their actions. For example, we learned about Piaget’s theory of cognitive development and how it affects student’s performance in the classroom. We studied the affects of divorce on children, and even got to raise our own child through a simulation. Concurrently, I was enrolled in Foundations of Education and Special Education where I studied the history of education, learned about the laws associated with field of education, and started to formulate my own teaching philosophy. These core classes laid the foundation that I built upon for the remainder of my college career.
After creating a solid foundation of educational principles and theories, I enrolled in classes that required active learning. The remainder of my education classes all contained a volunteering, tutoring, or observing component. One active learning experience, in particular, came from my Multicultural Education class. During this class, Dr. Welsh engaged us in conversations about a variety of cultures, showing us how a student’s culture influences who they are as a person. Knowing this information about a student helps me, as a teacher, to understand the whole student. As a result, it helps me create lesson plans that are culturally relevant and engaging. The beauty of diversity was emphasized during this class.
In order to experience the beauty of diversity, a volunteer experience was required. It was necessary that I volunteered at a place that had a culture different than my own, so I chose to volunteer serving meals at a local church, St. Patrick’s. This experience allowed me to engage in dialogue with people from cultures we were learning about in class, such as people from a variety of social statuses and ethnic backgrounds. It was an opportunity to link what I was learning in class to a real-world situation.
Later on in the class, I helped create a PSA or informational video about a topic that correlated with the class content. My group members and I chose to concentrate our video on integrating what we studied in class with our volunteer experience. We focused on access to resources, a topic we thought was an area of need in the community. We created a video that highlights affordable housing programs, clothing, and food available to people of lower SES in Dubuque community. This project is a snapshot of some of the active learning that took place while I was at Loras. The creation of this video took collaboration between peers, a well-thought out plan, and input from members outside of the Loras community. It took conscious effort and a lot of time to connect what we were learning in Multicultural Education to our local community, however, the knowledge I gained about the availability of resources in the Dubuque community will be beneficial as I enter the teaching profession.
From the experience mentioned previously, along with the active learning that took place in a variety of other classes, I developed awareness for the field of education all around me. So much that I began to see the world through the lens of education. I started to see how education was engrained in people’s every day lives, whether consciously or subconsciously. The truest example of this came from my cluster.
My cluster, The Reformation and Christ and Culture, focused on the evolution of Catholicism into different sects and the impact the diversification of religion had on the culture of the time period. During cluster, I studied 1st Century Palestine all the way through 21st Century America. Through this study, I expanded my understanding of the impact specific events and people have on a culture, and the effect this culture has on the people in return. I was able to build upon the knowledge I acquired in my Multicultural Education class and apply it to a different content area. Particularly, I was able to connect the importance of culturally relevant teaching in education to religion. In education, lessons have to be culturally relevant and engaging so that students see value in what they are learning and are able to connect it to their everyday lives, and the same is true for religious sermons. In order for Church goers to be excited about faith and the message that the pastor or priest preaches, they must find a connection between their life and the message. The message must be relevant to their life and engaging. All the key components of an education lesson plan must also be present in a engaging religious message. Being able to make this connection between my field of study and another area of study, which at first I thought was unrelated, was powerful. It allowed me to experience how important the field of education is, not only in schools, but other aspect of life, as well.
Being a future educator is a big responsibility. Luckily, my liberal arts education from Loras as prepared me for the future by implementing a curriculum that requires students to become active learners. My college experience has led me see the value in participating in activities and projects that are relatable outside the classroom. I have witnessed the value in bringing learning to life first hand and recognize that it is critical to help students see the interconnectedness between each subject area. It is my goal to take this new gained knowledge that Loras helped me acquire and instill it in my students by creating learning experiences that are engaging and culturally relevant. It is my hope that they become active and life-long learners through these experiences, just as I did.
This video is the PSA that I collaborated with my peers to create during my Multicultural Education class.
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A copy of my cluster paper, connecting both the Reformation and Christ and Culture to the field of education. The part highlighted in yellow specifically mentions the connection.
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