PHILOSOPHY 1

Philosophy of Education

Sarah J. Koonce

University of St. Mary

PHILOSOPHY 2

Philosophy of Education

The over the last two years the USM MAT program has taught me about how to conduct

Action Research, think reflectively, and become an educational leader. At the beginning of the

program I learned about how to conduct Action Research in my classroom. This met the first

GPO which states that; candidates draw from their knowledge of education theory and research

to undergird the formal and informal education processes that impact P-12 students learning and

the learning environment. I completed the National Institutes of Health training course in,

Protecting Human Research Participants. This met the third GPO which states that; candidates

critically reflect on ethical and moral implications of actions as they relate to all learners.

Each class guided me to think about what I needed to work on in my class focusing on

specific topics. I learned to study the curriculum and standards, then think about the best way to

meet the needs of all of the students in my class. This met the second and fourth GPOs which

state; candidates apply their knowledge of curriculum content and design to support learners

construction of knowledge and candidates demonstrate knowledge of diverse learners, including

all forms of exceptionality, and create instructional opportunities that meet the needs of all

learners. I learned how to differentiate instruction and better incorporate technology into the

classroom. This met the fifth GPO which states; candidates implement appropriate instructional

models, strategies, and technologies to enhance learning of all students. I studied our

standardized assessments and learned how to use the results to better guide my classroom

instruction. This meets the sixth GPO which states; candidates utilize measurements and

evaluation accurately and systematically to monitor and promote learning.

PHILOSOPHY 3

The area that I grew most professionally as a result of my coursework is in the area of

leadership. This program has helped me to become more confident about researching best

practices and sharing them with many different people at the school. I share information with

students, parents, co-workers, and the school principal. I am more comfortable creating

presentations that are full of research to present at our school staff meetings as well as a state

wide conference. I am able to talk to my principal about issues that come up and brainstorm best

practices to implement. In the fall our school will implement PLCs weekly during our regularly

scheduled hours so that all teachers will have the opportunity to collaborate during their contract

hours. I mentored and coached this year and am set to mentor another teacher in the fall. I feel

like this is just the beginning. In the future I know that I will need to continue to learn and grow

to be a leader in my field. This meets the seventh GPO which state; candidates apply quality

principles of leadership, including skills of effective communication, collaboration, and

motivation to shape change and improve the learning community.

I am most surprised that the more that I learn, the more that I realize there is to learn. I feel

that throughout my time in this program I have just begun to learn about how to be a leader,

incorporate technology, differentiate, design curriculum, use 21st century skills, meet the needs of

diverse learners, and develop assessments. I am excited to continue to incorporate everything

that I have learned in this program in my every day teaching practices. I want to continue to

develop as a leader in the school. I have enjoyed learning with students around the country who

seem passionate about being teachers and learning to best meet the needs of all of the students at

their school. Every class that I have taken in this program has met the eighth GPO which states;

candidates demonstrate the ability to be reflective practitioners by identifying a problem,

examining research, advocating a plan, and measuring and evaluating outcomes.