When you throw a pebble in the water, it will create a ripple of waves. ”While it may seem small, the ripple effects of small things is extraordinary” -Matt Bevin.
I am very honored to be nominated for a teaching excellence award from Mercy College. I am so grateful for the guidance from my professor and other staff members that assisted me along this new career journey.
My goal as a teacher to make a positive impact on my students for years to come. My teaching philosophy is for students not to fear technology, but to embrace it. I want my students to remember that a computer is a useful tool when used properly not only for this course but to further their own education and future careers.
I have learned so many new things in regards to interactive teaching and how to engage students in wanting to know more about technology. I discovered that my students make me want to be a better teacher.
The job of a teacher is not easy, as it takes great dedication in weekly lesson planning and lots of patience when communicating with college students. Each student is different, they learn at their own pace, and in various ways. Keeping the class on a course is a challenge as well.
While the online use of MyITLabs provides application learning for students to learn how to use Microsoft Windows and Office, I find other classroom activities can also assist in the training process.
One way is by incorporating the collaboration of small groups as this builds critical thinking skills when discussing various questions about not just the history of computers, but the future of them. We also cover the ethical problems that exist or could arise due to computers.
Another fun way to engage students in studying innovative technology is by playing a digital game or two of Jeopardy, which aids in reviewing for their midterm and final exams.
Each semester I take my classes on a tour to see the latest computer hardware that Mercy College has on the Dobbs Ferry campus. It is important for students to know about the equipment such as virtual reality and 3D printing, as they can use it during their educational years and in their field of study after they graduate.
Last semester, I arranged for guest speakers from the IBM Thomas Watson Research Center to share their expert knowledge about IBM’s Watson supercomputer and how IBM expanded the rise of the Internet with my classes.
These are just some of the ways that I use to be interactive with my students, so they can explore the Fundamentals of Computers and effectively become confident computer users.
I get great joy working with a diverse set of students throughout the semester. Most of all, I actually like reading their term research papers and see their powerpoint presentations. As a teacher, I am like, ’Wow’ they actually learned something interesting about digital technology and gain useful computer skills during the process of completing their project.
While my time teaching is short, it is my hope that by throwing a small pebble in the water that I am making waves for future generations of well-educated students.
Again, I ”Thank You” Mercy College for the opportunity to teach, as I look forward to impacting more students to thrive at using computer technology.
Sandra Wisor 