Bethany Ponte's Teaching Portfolio

My EdTech Teaching Philosophy

Technology is an advancement that has revolutionized college teaching when implemented correctly. As technology continues to advance, colleges will continue to implement new methods to improve learning and understanding for students. Students need to use technology as another piece of their curriculum – technology will certainly be used during their career, and it is our responsibility to help train them. Technology is a vast resource that is being used in academics; students can connect with experts and other students worldwide, VR and simulation software allows for practice surgeries without need for a patient, learning management systems allow for ease of grading and discussion in classes, and it can provide students with various modalities to learn information. However, it is important to note that just because a piece of technology is new or popular, it does not mean it is the right fit for all teaching practices.

Two of my main philosophies regarding technology in the classroom is that it should be free to students and be used only when needed. I have been in a few classes that require expensive clickers to answer questions and for attendance. Instead, free methods, such as the use of Canvas or in class interactions could instead be used. I do not believe that it is right for students to pay for software that is not necessary to understand the material and be successful in the course. It may be the case however, that a paid program is far superior to a free program and therefore that could be used at the digression of the professor – again the emphasis is on justifying the need for a paid program rather than using it just because it must be paid.

I plan to use technology in the STEM field to help students learn at their own pace, understand the material using different modalities, and to get students feedback and insight on their learning progress.  I appreciate that many online programs allow for students to learn at their own pace, receive more help if they need it, and try multiple questions. I want to utilize other materials such as videos, audio, and online tutorials to allow students to have different ways of looking at the same information. I also want to include supplemental material on many related topics that would showcase researchers or industry leaders to inspire more curiosity about the topic. Finally, as a student myself, I have found that many digital programs has allowed for immediate feedback rather than waiting for physical feedback to ensure that I am understanding the material. Using online programs for grading and feedback will allow for me evaluate the student’s progress in the course as quickly as possible and provide methods on improvement.

While I find many merits about the positives of using technology, I have reservations about using it too much in my classroom. Compared to a class where I only took handwritten notes, when allowed a device to take notes, I easily got more distracted by looking at other things online or just writing the notes verbatim. Many people use their devices to look engaged when they really aren’t. I want to ensure that as I explain material for the class not verbatim from the slides but instead encourage discussion and additional information that would require students not only to attend class but to pay attention to be prepared for assessments.
Regardless of the amount of technology used, it is up to the teacher to still convey the information and only use technology as a tool to help the students learn and retain the information they are meant to learn. I believe that technology will continue to be used in higher education, and it is our responsibility to leverage it to its full potential. I do not feel that technology is helpful if it is convenient but not thought out and useful for the student. Technology shouldn’t be used just because it is cool or expected – sometimes non-technology ways are just better. I want to use online programs to make it easy for students to have materials for class and efficiently get feedback. However, I will use a hybrid of technology and traditional methods – in class demonstrations, handwritten/drawn assignments, in person exams, online homework, supplemental online content and online discussions to convey information thoroughly and to the best of my ability.