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Amanda Weyhing EDU 131 February 12, 2012 Education: A Tool For A New Knowledge Based Society The concept of history revolves and exists around the idea of change. Societies are ever changing and going through various shifts. Changes and shifts occur to keep the societies moving, to allow for continuous development. An example of this is based in the 19th and 20th centuries in the United States. This time of the industrialization and modernization throughout the world lead to a primarily monetary based society. Money was what helped countries be the best, the more money one had meant more factories, more weapons and more power. Since this time a shift has occurred, now the push is not as much to create more, as it is to create better. Society is now what can be described as knowledge based. The key to success and power is intelligence. Without the knowledge and education countries could not develop and remain super powers. This caused a demand in American society, a demand for education, for knowledge, and for information. Out of this drive for education come teachers, those who choose to use their education to inspire and influence a new generation of doctors, lawyers, teachers, musicians, artists, and scientists. Now educators have to answer this demand. They have to use the tools that were given to them to inspire, to teach, and to lead society. An important Aspect for the Field of education is the idea of Social Constructivism, which says it is very important for students to be able to construct knowledge about different cultures and society as a whole (Kim, 2001). As a future educator I think about constantly how my experiences could

Weyhing 2 benefit my classroom. Educators have to be able to take their education and experiences and make them work as a tool for our classrooms. I have seen first hand in Scott County High School how a teachers experiences studying abroad can allow for a teacher to bring the culture they were part of into their classroom. By seeing how this was done in a 10th grade Social Studies classroom I have a clearer vision of how I can bring my study abroad experience of living in Spain into my classroom and give my students a clearer picture of the similarities and differences in the Spanish culture to our own culture. By reflecting on their education and experiences in life teachers can create a toolbox for their classroom. Each educator will have different tools in their toolbox based on their educational beliefs. In my tool box my experiences in Spain and with my own education are major tools that I will use everyday to help promote the ideas of Social Constructivism so that my students can develop their own knowledge and begin to use their experiences as a tool to help them succeed in society. One of my personal goals as a future educator is to show my students that success is and individualized idea. It is specific to each student and can only be judged by him or her. For me success is to influence my students and to give them the tool of an education in order to reach their gateway of success. I as a teacher want to take my knowledge and passion for Social Studies and teaching as whole to inspire my students. This idea is one of the outcomes discussed in the Georgetown College Conceptual Framework (CF) (2009). Outcome 1.1 describes how teachers need to demonstrate knowledge of the content in their specialty area in order to develop student knowledge and performance in those areas (p. 8). Inspiring students and passing knowledge to them is simple with students who want to learn and see success. For the students who do not see success in

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the classroom, inspiring them could be more difficult. In the book, Collaborative Teacher Leadership, Martin Krovetz and Gilberto Arriaza (2006) say that teachers can influence students to aim at continuous improvement and they can mobilize institutional and community resources (p.51). In my opinion this idea is calling for teachers to demonstrate different methods of teaching and learning. One way I have seen to do this is through interactive lessons. I observed at Royal Springs Middle School that my supervising teacher was constantly engaging the students fully in the lessons by making them apart of the lessons. She would do virtual field trips where the students would become tour guides, or have the students learn traditional dances of a country. This showed me that the students were enjoying learning. They were also seeing different methods of acquiring knowledge, which would enhance their self-efficacy and willingness to participate fully. Students will also benefit from using resources that are in their community and in the schools, such as museums, libraries, historical sites, and especially technology (CF, 2009, p.14). By using these methods to inspire students, I can in my classroom I can help my students build more tools for their success. Not only do teachers provide the inspiration and help create the tools for success but they also create a community. Inside the classroom teachers are responsible for meeting the needs of their students and providing a safe learning environment. In my classroom I hope to create a community of learners, or a place where all of my students can come together as a group to help each other in achieving group goals and also get help on an individual level from peers and the teacher. In order to define and establish my community of learners I will have to interact with and get to know my students on an individual and group level. According to the CF Goal One (2009) the Classroom

Weyhing 4 Climate, which is established by the teacher, should foster the ideas of: a) Communicates high expectations. b) Establishes a positive learning environment. c) Values and supports student diversity and addresses individual needs. d) Fosters mutual respect between teacher and students and among students (p 35). Another important aspect of creating an effective classroom culture or community of learners is to understand the theory of Multiple Intelligence presented by Howard Gardner in the 1980s. The entire theory is based on the goal to offer a pluralistic view of intelligence, promoting the notion there is more than one way to be smart (Christodoulou, 2009, para 5). In class my classmates and myself studied this theory indepth. We studied each of the 8 forms of intelligence and placed ourselves into certain categories of intelligence based on how we learn best. We then had to create lesson plans that were suited to our classmates and how they learn. This forced me out of my comfort zone. My classmates did not learn in the same ways I did. In order to create an effective lesson for them I had to think of ways for them to interact and see the information rather than hear the information. This taught me to embrace that all of my students will learn differently and that diversity in lessons and my methods is essential to their comfort and setting my classroom climate. Another one of my personal goals in creating a space where my students can learn and grow is embracing diversity. In the modern world it is essential that teachers promote diversity in the classroom. Especially in the United States, equality in society is stressed and students will have to be able to work with people of other religions, cultures, and

Weyhing races as employees. The CF (2009) says that teachers also need to establish an environment that promotes respect and concern for every individual within the learning community(p.13). As a future Social Studies teacher this idea is of utmost importance for me. Respect is another tool that I believe will prove invaluable to my students and myself. If my students learn about and see different aspects of other cultures they can learn to appreciate the differences and understand the differences that are in our society. This idea in the CF is also consistent with Social Constructivism. Social Constructivism according to Kim (2001) emphasizes the importance of culture and context in understanding what occurs in society and constructing knowledge based on this understanding(para.7). The theory also says that learning is a social process that is constructed through human interactions, activity, and is both culturally and socially constructed (Kim, 2001, para. 8). In my classroom I hope that my students can interact not only with each other but also with their pasts. I believe that they need to interact with their personal culture and the culture of their families to understand the cultures they came from. By also interacting with each other they are learning about each other and their specific cultures, and simultaneously are learning how to recognize and respect cultural difference and

work with others to succeed. The community of learners overall allows for the teacher to provide the students with more tools for their toolbox. I hope to add the ability to interact and work with others to reach common goals, despite cultural or other differences. A major tool that I have gained from Georgetown College is the idea of reflection and along with it the idea of growth. The idea of reflection is the focus of Goal Three of the CF (2009). In outcome 3.3 the CF states that a teacher must be able to not only

Weyhing 6 reflect on but be willing to receive feedback on and change her practices. This is something that in the past three years at Georgetown I have had to learn. I have learned how to look at the work I have done or a lesson I have taught and find places where I can grow. For example in the spring of 2013 I was in a classroom at the 9th grade school. This classroom was a unique experience for me because it was rather chaotic, unlike that other classrooms I had been in that were very structured and disciplined. In this classroom the first time I tried to lead a bell ringer I was meet with disrespect and 30 disengaged and off topic students who did not want to hear what I had to say. I was very upset by this and had to take a hard look at the approach I took in preparing to give a full lesson. I had to find a way to engage the students that they would enjoy and lead them to participate in the lesson. I also had to make it a point to show them that I deserved respect. I learned very quickly that I had to show this by giving them the respect they deserved in return. When it came time for my lesson I set out expectations for them and gave them a task that sparked their interest. They in turn did what I asked, I showed them that I thought they could accomplish the task at hand and set clear expectations. By reflecting on my first failed experience in this classroom I saw room to grow. Now as I reflect on everything I have learned in the past three years I see more room for improvement. I see that I have faced difficulties mainly in classroom management, but also in parent interactions. The idea of parent interaction is a focal point in the CF (2009). In outcome 1.6 it states that the teacher must collaborate with parents for support to develop student learning. As I read this I thought about how I have not had interactions with parents in the classroom I have been in yet. However, I know that this will be something I have to work on simply because I do not like upsetting

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people. I hope to be able to set up a system to keep parents involved in my classroom and grow in this area with more experience. Overall the tool or reflection is one that I am still building, however it has already proven to be very valuable in my experiences in the classroom. I hope to share this tool with my students so that they can gauge their own development as learners and members of society. If I can teach my students to reflect on their own experiences and find their strength and weaknesses I can hopefully get them to a point where they can grow and improve themselves to create a very powerful tool for success. Finally, the most important tool for success in my toolbox and one that I will share with my students is education. It is a very general tool that to me has proven invaluable to have. By providing my students with an education, it can allow them to succeed and grow in their lives. The student, according to his or her needs and interests, can apply the knowledge that comes from this tool. Fay Chung (2006) states, Education has the potential to bring about change in worldviews and in values (para.4). Throughout history the elite used education as a tool to better society and gain status. In modern times education is being used to better the understandings of other cultures and prepare students to become members of society. Education is no longer for the rich, or only men, or only white people, but it is open for all people. It is taught through the teacher and used by the student to fulfill the purposes of his or her life. Education is also a tool that is not only used in a specified field, but everywhere. For example, literacy and mathematics are used in the simple tasks of daily life, such as reading a food label, or calculating the total cost of a purchase. Education, in the past, has often been seen as a negative thing because people would be able to think freely and would no longer rely on

Weyhing 8 institutions such as the church or the government to learn (Bentley, 2011, p. 612). In this knowledge based society education is given to those who wish to have it. Governments are allowing people to develop their own ideas through education and use them in ways they see fit. Education is being utilized by the masses in order to achieve an individual view of success. By building this toolbox I have learned to appreciate my education and use it to my advantage to help others build their own. All of the tools that I have added to my toolbox will hopefully help my students learn to create a path for themselves to success. With this tool they can go into the world and leave their mark. Overall, those who choose to become teachers are inspiring and influencing their students through providing an education that can be used to reach each individuals path to success in life. Teachers are helping the students create this tool for themselves by providing them with all a place to learn and grow, people to help them succeed and the knowledge that they can achieve success for themselves.

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Reference Page Bentley, Jerry. (2011) Traditions and Encounters: a global perspective on the past. New York: NY, McGraw Hill. 612. Christodoulou, Joanna A. Applying Multiple Intelligences. School Administrator 66.2 (2009): 22-26. Retrieved Sept 6, 2013, from http://ehis.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=3&sid=dfb0a35f-09c2-47d9-9b20235f66dd336b%40sessionmgr112&hid=110&bdata=#db=eric&AN=EJ832329 Chung, Fay. (2002). Education: A Key to Power and a Tool for Change--A Practitioner's Perspective. Current Issues in Comparative Education, 2 (1). Retrieved from http://www.tc.columbia.edu/cice/Issues/02.01/PDFs/21chung.pdf Kim, B. (2001). Social Constructivism.. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved December 5, 2011, from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/ Krovetz, M. L., & Arriaza, G. (2006) Collaborative Teacher Leadership: how teachers can foster equitable schools. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. Georgetown College Department of Education. (2009). Conceptual Framework.