Module 1 Reflection

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.