My Philosophy of Education Project

Reflection


As an educator, it is important for me to reflect on my educational philosophy, determining if I am meeting my goals. This project was key in ascertaining my position. My main obstacles were my dysfunctional laptop and malfunctioning internet, but it taught me patience and forbearance, both very necessary traits of caring, compassionate educators! I enjoyed the creativity involved in fulfilling this assignment. Deciding which photos to include was difficult at times! My only regret is that I do not have a program which has multiple audio tracks, so my narration prohibited background music.

Continued here....

Assessment: "Orchestrating the Media Collage"

Overview

“Orchestrating the Media Collage” addresses the fundamentals of literacy, a term previously confined to one’s ability to read and write. Through the progression of time and the advancement of technology, literacy is no more relegated to the world of phonetics; in his essay, Dr. Ohler describes literacy as the “skills, expectations, and perspectives involved in living in a technological society.” He addresses integrating technological literacy into the classroom while discovering its usefulness in many varying applications.

Read the rest here!

Energy Conservation Project: Reflection

PREPARATION

I started preparing myself for my PowerPoint presentation the same way I do anything I have planned for classroom teaching: considering a Plan B. The community had requested that I present my study to them in our community hall on a Saturday afternoon. I was very aware that this was not a presentation I could just cancel at the last minute if a Chinook blew in, leaving us without electricity for a while. In case something went awry, I wanted to make sure I could go on with the presentation. I printed out a dozen black and white copies of my PowerPoint slides, stapling a copy of my spreadsheet to each sheaf. I printed a copy for myself and wrote my notes on it. I thought this would be useful to my presentation even if I could use the PowerPoint slides.

Read the rest here!

Energy Conservation Project: Boilers vs. Barrel Stoves

View my slideshow!

Collecting and Analyzing Data

After establishing that my project would entail researching gasification boilers as a better alternative to barrel stoves combined with other sources of heating, I begain to collect data. First, I started with my barrel stove. I discovered that it takes 22 cords to heat my house year round. That’s a lot of wood! According to AHS (Alternate Heating Systems), a gasification boiler would only use a third that amount while heating domestic water at the same time! I also took into account the time I spend stacking wood, converting my time into what it would cost me to hire help. Though I believe my estimate is conservative, it does provide a point of reference. Next, I recorded my propane water heating and electrical heating expenses. Moving on to the cost of the boiler, I found I had to do some “fieldwork.”  

Read the rest here!