Educational+Philosophy

Home | Resume | Coaching Resume | Letters of Recommendations | Educational Philosophy | Coaching Philosophy | Photos ** Educational Philosophy ** ** Matthew Barton ** //“My contention is that creativity now is as important in education as literacy, and we should treat it with the same status.”// //-Sir Ken Robinson// In an increasingly complex and dynamic world, the challenge of an educator is in providing the skills necessary for a student to be successful in a world that changes as rapidly as their Facebook status. As the sources from which students find information become more myriad and diverse the focus on literacy in all its forms is vitally essential for educators to teach. We are replacing the textbook with e-readers, libraries with databases, and physical classrooms with on-line learning connecting to other students across the globe. Teacher must recognize and adapt to the technological advances present in today’s schools.

//“The future belongs to a very different kind of person with a very different kind of mind – creators and empathizers, pattern recognizers and meaning makers.”// //-Daniel Pink// The changes in education provide exciting opportunities for teachers to make connections with our students in amazing and wonderful ways. The wealth of information available to teachers equals that which confronts our students. This information is a rich resource that can add exponentially to our classroom curriculum. Educators must become learners in almost the same way we are expecting our students to become. Teachers will grow by embracing the 21st century skills that require collaboration across disciplines, connections between schools, and critical thinking with a global perspective.

//“You haven’t taught if they haven’t learned”// //-John Wooden// How we recognize intelligence has shifted monumentally in the past decade. The most successful schools are those that see “intelligence” in the varied and multiple forms that are the students we teach. Increasingly, societies understand that to confront the issues present today solutions must be found through creative thought that transcends our traditional educational systems. Recognizing that within each student there are gifts and talents is the challenge of today’s teacher. Differentiation and flexibility provide us the chance to see the individual possibilities within each child. To do so ensures that learning and growth is a right provided to everyone.