Statement of Teaching Philosophy

 

BACKGROUND

Philosophy is the unity of theory and practice. The role of an instructor is one of accountability and equilibrium. Instructors are responsible to the students, the institution, the discipline, society, stakeholders, as well as accrediting or governing factions. They are responsible for the planned, enacted, and experienced curriculum. They act as a liaison to student services including advisement, matriculation, finance, and career services. They represent knowledge, courage, diplomacy, passion, and goodwill. It is the ethical role of the instructor to manage all these components for the benefit of all common good.

THEORY

Psychological theories of teaching and learning have a vital role in the classroom. Utilizing cognitive and social theories is vital to instructional design. The instructor must objectively incorporate diverse methods in the classroom.

Under no limitation, these psychological theories include:

• Andragogy and pedagogy (Knowles & Piaget)
• Learner needs (Kolb’s experiential learning)
• Learner styles (Gardner multiple intelligences)
• Personality types (Myer’s-Brigg’s)
• Cognitive processing (Bloom’s taxonomy)
• Developmental psychology (Levinson)
• Participative learning & dissemination (Dewey)

PRACTICE

Instructors must demonstrate expertise on all professional levels. Methods to teaching require valid purposes. Experienced instructors provide structure in the curriculum. Accountabilities include instructional design in agreement with Common Core State Standard Initiatives (CCSSI), Kentucky Core Academic Standards (KCAS), National Educational Technology Standards (NETS), Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS), and other professionalized organizations.

Approaches

Syllabi contain goals and objectives that describe the activity, behavior, conditions, and terms (Tyler linear-rational). Components of the curriculum benefit when processed in collaboration with professional colleagues (Walker). Appreciative critique from instructors, peers, and the individual has profound effects on classroom learning (Eisner). Students require knowledge construction and discovery (Piaget), have a capacity for change (Knowles), and should reflect on the interactive experience of the curriculum (Vogotsky). Instructors must include installments of individual attention (mentoring), collaboration (partnering), immersion, inclusion, and special accommodations.

Structure

Curricula are indispensable. Course contracts communicate responsibilities agreed between the instructor and student. They define expectations and desired outcomes. Grading is the accumulation of all learning activities. Each learning activity must have a unique grading rubric that assesses through calculation. Student performance assessments and portfolios indicate the evidence of learning. Reflection and evaluation provide reference, report data, and opportunity.

Content

Subject. Research allows instructors to develop expertise. Research includes literature review and emerging events. Attendance in professional conventions creates socio-political networks connecting professionals with students and academia. These elements are imperative reiterative endeavors of instructors.

Society. Community and commerce demand programs embedded with authentic experiences. This appropriates trusted exchanges and develops citizenship. Standardization and testing provide structure. However, the true anticipation is that each generation will embrace knowledge, equality, utility, and civility.

Students. Instructors have a profound effect on the performance and change within pupils. Learned knowledge transfers into society, disseminates in culture, and diffuses through history. It is as equally important to develop attitude and ability, as is knowledge. Gaining insight from theory, as educators, we capitalize on experiential learning, multiple intelligence's, learner styles, personality types, developmental psychology, and social development. Contextual learning requires a diverse assortment of academic opportunities and collaborative activities. This provides a complete immersion and inclusion for every learner type. Literacy presents subject-specific results. Offering benefits to exceptional learners and the opportunity to coach others evens classroom deficiencies.

Technology. In the 21st Century, technology advances so rapidly it blurs the mind. It has promising benefits to learners who can instantaneously gain insight or discuss topics on a global scale. Although education embraces technology, it is often ambiguous as to how it should affect learning. State and federal standards mandate integrated technology within instructional designs. Technology allows users to create, connect, reproduce, and contemplate material. The context of technology raises ethical concerns of access, identity, equality, and utility. Universal are elements of Digital Citizenship, especially of Internet etiquette (Netiquette). Lesson planning must indoctrinate Internet technologies to both enhance and structure curriculum. Certain curricula rely strictly on expertise in computer technology. Others clearly benefit when students can asynchronously access course content, or add a valued voice to topic debates.

Leadership. It is inherent that the instructor’s role is that of leadership. Leadership arrayed onto a continuum by and between active, authoritive, participative, or passive traits orients tasks and relationships. The instructor is a figure of authority vested with rights and privileges that should not injure the sanctity of civilization. Instead, instructors as leaders should address the unity of purpose, lead by good example, instill leadership within those peers, and guard against the perils of incrimination. While delegating responsibility and resolving conflict, instructors must demonstrate a profusion of expert intelligence, caveats to ignorance, humility, commitment, confidence to persevere, and a vision of optimism.

EXPERTISE

Teaching. Through the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences, I have acquired many attributes validated through practices including but not limited to:

• Educational psychology
• Academic standards
• Curriculum design
• Program planning
• Assessment, evaluation, and reflection
• Teacher leadership and accountability
• Online learning integration and classroom technology
• Organizational structures, accreditation, budgeting, and fund raising
• Learner development, academic affairs, and student services

Technical Studies. As my credentials describe, my training has been heavily involved in multiple forms of modern technology included but not limited to:

• Architectural materials, structures, schedules, cost estimation, and Building Information Modeling (BIM)
• Soil mechanics, topographical mapping, site planning, and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
• Civil, municipal, and environmental design
• Property management and renovations
• Best practices, code enforcement, tort law, ethics in technology
• Electrical and electronic circuits
• Logic programming for Computer Numeric Control (CNC), motor control, instrumentation, and robotics
• Mechanical design, geometric tolerances, modeling, and specification
• Systems design, analysis, and operations
• Production planning and Total Quality Management (TQM)
• Material science/strength of materials, Failure Effect Mode Analysis (FEMA), and destructive/non-destructive testing
• Industrial statistics, logistics, and business management
• Rapid prototyping, reverse engineering, emerging technologies, and product life cycling.
• Research design and hypothesis testing

COMMITTMENT

Education is a journey that defeats presumptions, eliminates discrimination, enlightens the senses, facilitates knowledge, encourages curiosity, and sustains wellbeing. Every individual has to challenge his or her limitations to achieve success. A curriculum is an empty canvas without students. With the proper approach and methods, instructors reinforce civilization through students. My philosophy is greater than codification; it is a vow to further these techniques.

My philosophy is a pledge. In common language, the oath is that I:

• Pass the torch of knowledge;
• Treat each student as an open canvas capable of creating an opus;
• Dignify and defend the institution on every extent;
• Cultivate positive associations with members of the community;
• Demonstrate professionalism, kindness, and enrichment;
• Remain ardently persistent, diplomatic, and receptive in my profession

 

There is freedom in the servitude of teaching. Teachers must always be compassionately passionate. There are instances that our human traits are as equal a role as our training. Through education, future generations transform society and facilitate citizenship. I hope that this philosophy offers hope.

 

Sincerely,

Edmund Richard Martelli