My Teaching Philosophy
My teaching philosophy is an ever evolving outlook as to how I hope to affect those that I am working with in the field of information literacy instruction. As I reflect on my experiences in working with undergraduate students thus far, I have found that my priorities
are:
· to engage the students with the information that I am presenting;
· to prompt their curiosity within the subject matter and to encourage them to investigate more fully on their own;
· to provide relevant examples which will clearly demonstrate for the students the skills that I have identified as the outcome of the instruction;
· to provide these skills in a context that all of my students can relate to and apply;
· and to teach skills that they will be able to use for life, not just in their academic endeavors.
To accomplish this I believe in making the information that I am teaching simple, without dumbing it down. I want it to be clear and easy to understand, while still demonstrating that there is a greater world available for information searching than just Google.
I attempt to impart on my students, however briefly I may have them for
instruction, an understanding of what it means to evaluate information in this
information rich society. The ability to evaluate and think critically about information that is consumed is a skill that will benefit anyone who can develop it, and yet has not been the
focus of much education. By focusing on this skill, and then branching out to specific skills for different uses, students develop more fully and are able to translate what they learn in
the library to other aspects of their lives.
Every student brings to the table different life experiences and levels of maturity and motivation in learning. Awareness of these disparities allows me to be flexible in my teaching, and adjust lessons on the spot as needed. Assessing, using
real life situations, how students have learned these skills is necessary not only in measuring outcomes, but also in developing and fine tuning my instructional lessons.
Reflection on these experiences is a key component of my growth, as it allows me to
evaluate what has worked and where I can improve for the next time.
I believe strongly in seeking out connections with my colleagues within
this field, and in continuing my education so that I can provide my best to
those I come in contact with. I hope that through their interactions with me, patrons and students find a lifelong love for the library and develop a thirst for knowledge that will
empower them in the future.
are:
· to engage the students with the information that I am presenting;
· to prompt their curiosity within the subject matter and to encourage them to investigate more fully on their own;
· to provide relevant examples which will clearly demonstrate for the students the skills that I have identified as the outcome of the instruction;
· to provide these skills in a context that all of my students can relate to and apply;
· and to teach skills that they will be able to use for life, not just in their academic endeavors.
To accomplish this I believe in making the information that I am teaching simple, without dumbing it down. I want it to be clear and easy to understand, while still demonstrating that there is a greater world available for information searching than just Google.
I attempt to impart on my students, however briefly I may have them for
instruction, an understanding of what it means to evaluate information in this
information rich society. The ability to evaluate and think critically about information that is consumed is a skill that will benefit anyone who can develop it, and yet has not been the
focus of much education. By focusing on this skill, and then branching out to specific skills for different uses, students develop more fully and are able to translate what they learn in
the library to other aspects of their lives.
Every student brings to the table different life experiences and levels of maturity and motivation in learning. Awareness of these disparities allows me to be flexible in my teaching, and adjust lessons on the spot as needed. Assessing, using
real life situations, how students have learned these skills is necessary not only in measuring outcomes, but also in developing and fine tuning my instructional lessons.
Reflection on these experiences is a key component of my growth, as it allows me to
evaluate what has worked and where I can improve for the next time.
I believe strongly in seeking out connections with my colleagues within
this field, and in continuing my education so that I can provide my best to
those I come in contact with. I hope that through their interactions with me, patrons and students find a lifelong love for the library and develop a thirst for knowledge that will
empower them in the future.