Знакомство с учителем: Джеймс Колсток

Добро пожаловать в «Знакомство с учителем» - сегмент блога CodeMonkey, где учителя со всего мира делятся своим опытом о том, что значит быть педагогом. Сегодняшний пост посвящен Джеймсу Колстоку, учителю информационных технологий 9–12 классов в онлайн-средней школе APS в государственных школах Авроры в Авроре, штат Колорадо.

“I worked in the IT field for nearly two decades, mostly as an Oracle Database Administrator, i.e., Oracle DBA.  In the latter years of my career, I started volunteering in schools and was shocked at the lack of career and technical education available to young people.  I could not understand why schools were not preparing students for the future; in particular, for the jobs of the future, e.g., those that involve Computer Science, Engineering, and the like.  I became a teacher because it has always been my instinct to become part of the solution, instead of just complaining about the problem.

I would consider myself a connected educator in the sense that I use educational technology, social networking, and the like to stay engaged and “plugged in” to the ever-changing world around me.  As the field of Education changes, I don’t want to miss out on valuable opportunities for my students or for my own professional development.  Staying connected allows me to provide my students with the most relevant, up-to-date, and engaging opportunities possible.

Working with young people hasn’t really changed my perspective, but it has reinforced some of my previously-held beliefs.  After all, how we teach, what we teach, and the resources we devote to that errand, says a lot about our collective values and beliefs as a society.  Now that I teach, I have a heightened appreciation for how one’s environment impacts what they ultimately become.  Furthermore, I have a better understanding for the power (and limitations) of the individual educator.

Для меня важно, чтобы мои ученики верили в то, что они могут делать великие дела, и что они регулярно вдохновляются на это.

When it comes to educational technology for your classroom, make decisions thoughtfully, carefully considering whether the tool (and what it teaches) is both age- and developmentally-appropriate.  Be a responsible steward of each educational dollar, balancing the cost and benefit as if you were spending your own money.

I believe it is important to keep standards and expectations high in the classroom and in schools overall.  Young people are just like the rest of us: they are amazingly resilient and respond well to a healthy challenge… “