Sunday, November 17, 2013
Friday, November 8, 2013
"The Quality of Student Learning Outcomes is Directly Dependent on the Quality of the Teacher?” : My Claim
The
quality of student learning outcomes is directly dependent on the quality of
the teacher. For me, this is true. Being an excellent teacher involves adhering
to the codes of ethics of teachers because it is the mandate of being a
professional teacher. To provide excellent student learning outcomes, a teacher
must know the strengths and weaknesses of his/her students, use appropriate
instructional materials to deal with multiple intelligences and must address
the needs of the students to attain a higher level of education. If adversities
happen during the instruction period, the teachers know the measures to do in
order to continue effectively and efficiently the teaching procedure. He/She
must be resourceful and must use alternatives if the intended means of
instruction is not available or feasible. An educator must also know and
understand the background of the students that influences their performance in
school.
But, in this present time when there are
a lot of problems and intervening factors that affect education, the outcome of
education is not 100% quality. With those personal/societal/environmental problems
and factors in mind, teachers are greatly affected by it and eventually cannot
practice their profession to its perfection in which leads to another problem
on the human resource management.
Quality Teaching: A Personal Outlook
For me, quality teaching is having excellent learning
outcomes of student not only focus on academic but in attitudes and values
developed as well. If my students are doing well, therefore I can say that I’m executing
good teaching.
I haven’t been teaching yet but based on my past
experiences as a catechist in the church and a volunteer for a local summer
reading program, I wanted to give my students something that can help them appreciate
the beauty of life and to survive it as well. I wanted to give significant
insights that have impact on their lives and will lead them to a brighter
future. For me, there is a significant difference between teaching for the
benefits and teaching for the students. Teaching is more that the salary you
receive. Teaching is what the outcome is. I wanted my students to be
professionals someday and to be a good contributor to the society. I always
encourage them to be best that they can be, to study hard and to do everything
to have education all for the glory of the Almighty God.
Importance of Ethics Nowadays: Being a Graduate Student in Notre Dame of Marbel University (NDMU)
Ethics
nowadays are certainly important. As people tend to be immoral, there’s the
time it is really important! Inhumane acts are here and there. Without ethics nowadays, this Earth will be a
living hell.
Being a MAED student in NDMU, we are directed to have family
spirit (to be collaborative and cooperative with our colleagues and build a
strong bond with them); to be Marian (we must embody faith and simplicity of
Mama Mary in all our deeds); love of work (we must love our work to have high
level performance and avoid being a copy cat); preference for the least
favoured (be generous and compassionate to the less fortunate); to have a
quality education (to learn, to know, to be competent, to live together, to
grow as a person); integrity of creation
(love of nature); and cultural sensitivity (openness and respect to other
cultures). These are NDMU’s core values from the Graduate school Manual 2011
that each student must imbibe. I have a high regard in the teaching and learning
experiences in NDMU. It was all worthwhile though we only got short time. I
learned so much because our professors are ethically upright. Because of that, I want to imitate them, be like them. They always
remind us to put integrity in our works and avoid plagiarism.
Peace Education in the K-12 Curriculum Considering the Moral Theory of Kohlberg
K-
12 curriculum tends to have graduates that are holistically trained and
developed. In this sense, they advocate peace education as an aspect of their
curriculum. Peace education is the study of both the causes and consequences of
war and peace; transmission of knowledge about and skills to achieve and
maintain peace, and the obstacles that stand in the way (Hirao, 1987; Reardon,1988). Peace education tackles about the
whole process and aspects of attaining peace from conflicts. In Kohlberg’s
individual moral developmental stages (1976), stage one is identification of
bad acts and those are against the law, as prohibited by external punishments.
To teach this to students is to be interactive with the use of dialogue. A
teacher may use the Socratic Method or the question and answer method. It can
also be imparted through watching film strips and videos. Stage two is the
establishment of right and wrong. It can be taught same as in stage one. You
can also do role playing in this. Stage three is the good girl/good boy stage
when they reflect concerns for the opinions of others. This will take
discussions about given scenarios. Stage four is concern for social order. Laws
are seen as agreed upon duties that should be followed for the social good. In
this stage, deliberations and critical learning will take place as laws are
present. Stage five recognizes differing but equal moral values, holding certain
principles as non relative in the interest of fulfilling a kind of social good.
This will also take deliberations and critical learning and observation. Also,
teaching this age peace education will take gamut of understanding other
cultures thus learning other cultures’ norms and beliefs is essential. Stage
six embraces a set of universal and self chosen ethics. The law is based on
such ethics and should therefore be followed. Teach children to be a law
abiding citizen. All the said approaches in teaching peace education can be
appropriately applied in this stage especially the discussions, film viewing
and cultural exposures such as fieldtrips and cultural exhibits. This is all
for the critical learning of the students so they know what is all about peace
and conflict; that they will choose peace over conflicts.
How Teachers Become Instrumental in Making Students Imbibe Values, Morals and Ethics in Their Day-to-day Routine.
Education renders a prime service to the society. With trainings
and just preparations, it delivers satisfaction in every life it touches
through experiences. Educational experiences presumably promote the
intellectual openness, flexibility, and breadth of perspective essential for
self-direction values (Schooler, 1983).
As people in the academe, teachers expose and propagate needed knowledge as
well as values that children will need to survive their lives’ everyday
struggle.
Teachers’ basic but tedious job is to disseminate education to our
children. They tend to facilitate learning in many ways. They encourage
children to go to school as it is the prime factor to elevate lives to a more
beautiful experience. Moreover, teachers
are instruments of education to lead children to a better life. What they offer
in school are experiences that students will eventually use in the future. It
will mold them to face challenges that will be present in their lives. Above
all these, teachers must be ethical.
Educators must be ethical in every single thing they do in school
and also in their own houses. Apart from student’s parents, teachers are also
the role models that they imitate. In order to be a good role model, teachers
must know and do the right and just deeds mandated by their job and the Higher
Order. According to Hill IV and Zinsmeister, some basic ethical codes are (1)
ethical teachers should have disciplinary competence or they must be expert on
what they teach; (2) teach effectively through effective pedagogy. In other
words, teachers must use appropriate instructional strategies to certain group
of students or he/she must use varieties of instructional materials to accommodate
multiple intelligences; (3) ethical teachers must provide balanced content and
free inquiry or he/she must give concepts/perspectives that will encourage
students to use their mind critically in different points of view; (4) Must
respect students. not only students will respect the teachers but also the
teachers do vice versa; (5) ethical teachers foster academic integrity, must
promote honesty and no plagiarism rule; (6) use objective and fair assessment
so that students are treated equally and be given fair grades; (7) ethical
teachers must protect their student’s confidentially. They also tend to do a
job like of a priest. They keep in secret things that he/she and his/her
students tackle regarding their education; and (8) they also have professionally
appropriate relationships with their students. They must have a business-like
relationship though they cater personal problems too with their students. All
in all, teachers must be proactive, have professional development and promote
transformational leadership in their schools. Most of all, they should have a
high regard to our Maker, that they give all the glory to Him in all their
deeds and tasks.
By these codes of conduct of teachers, children will adhere and
copy what they see and observe teachers do. In the future, these children will
give and become a good contribution to the society.
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