This module has made me think
about my role as an instructional designer in the following ways....
I am new to the field of education. I have been a substitute teacher a
few times, and I have occasionally visited one of my children’s classrooms.
However, most of my experience in the classroom has been as a student. I have
seen very little other than teacher centered classrooms. There were occasional
projects, which I remember fondly, but they were few and far between.
My main goal in becoming a math teacher is to instill a love of math in
as many students as possible. I am a success story. I remember struggling with
math in the fifth grade. My mother and I would fight over my homework as she
tried to help me. Some time after that, it clicked for me. I came to view math
as a puzzle, something to solve. It was a challenge to me to figure out how it
all fit together. I hope I can share that with my future students.
I am very intrigued by Project Based Learning. The subject of
mathematics is often perceived by students as something dry and boring. I would
love to use projects to teach students that yes, math can relate to the world
they live in. I want to show them that it does not belong only in the
classroom, but that it is something they will use every day of their lives.
To address more practical matters, I want to acknowledge that the
school or system I teach in will have a curriculum I will need to follow. I
will probably need to use a combination of traditional teaching methods and
Project Based Learning. However, I am certain that by addressing those
standards when planning a project, I will be able to accomplish several things.
I will teach the students the required elements for the standards and
curriculum put in place in the school. They will learn how to work together, which
is a skill needed in most jobs in the real world. I believe that if I can give students
hands on experience in learning math rather than requiring them to merely
listen to me lecture day after day, they will gain an in depth understanding of
the subject that will hopefully stay with them throughout their lives.
I am excited to learn more about Project Based Learning, especially how
I can incorporate it in math classes.
