SOCIAL JUSTICE Definition To me, Social Justice means that the things that make us different should be irrelevant

in consideration to out educational opportunities. We may not be born with the same talents, intelligence, or wealth but each should strive to do the best we can for ourselves and for our society. Personal Experiences My personal experiences show how Ive trodden on both sides of this issue. The Courage to Question Assumptions is the story of how one of my high school teachers practiced Social Justice on me. She opened not only my eyes to unseen possibilities but, in the process, opened my mind to a world I barely knew existed. Sins of the Father deals with the struggle my two sons have experienced because of conditions beyond their control and how, as their father, I dont allow them to use these conditions as excuses for them not to give their best. With all three of us having been Boy Scouts, I believe to do our best is more than a catch phrase. Its a part of who we are. Despite 504 and other pro-active plans,

my wife and I still find it necessary to be continuous advocates for our boys to ensure they are not overlooked. Philosophical Ties I see Humanism in both experiences because, before we can strive for Self-Actualization, we have to have our lesser needs met. These, according to Maslow, are Physical Needs, a Safe Environment, the feeling of Love or Belonging, and Esteem. I also see Existentialism in the experiences because, once we are given the guidance and skills needed, we should be able to determine what is best for ourselves. Integrating these Philosophies as a Teacher As a teacher, I plan to integrate Humanism to enable my students to reach a point where they are able to make the best decisions for their own lives.

COLLABORATIVE LEARNING Definition To me, Collaborative Learning means that, no matter how brilliant you may be, you cannot look at a problem through someone elses eyes. It means that by actively working together we can achieve things that we could never achieve individually. When I was a freshman at Indiana University, I took a FORTRAN Programming class taught by Douglas Hoffstader. This was before he became the author of Goerte, Escher, & Bach: The Golden Braid. At the time none of us suspected the potential of his brilliance. We just thought it funny that his last name was the same as one of the characters on Hogans Heroes. But the one thing I did take away from the lectures was his idea of the gestalt. He explained to us that a gestalt was when the parts all came together to create something new that had to be experienced differently than its component parts. What Ive heard other people describe as the Ah Ha! moment, he called, having a gestalt and told us of the frustration of an impending gestalt when that one last piece hasnt fallen into place. This, to me, is the definition and process of Collaboration. Personal Experiences

My personal experiences are examples show what can be achieved through collaboration and what how the results can differ without collaboration. The Bloomington Playwrights Project Illustrates how, when people of different talents worked together, we could create a greater number, and higher quality, of theatrical works than by saving away on our own and, as a result, each of us became better at what we did. In The Art of Reproduction my high school Art teacher uses a very backdoor method to emphasize what the result can be when collaboration is discouraged. Philosophical Ties As with Social Justice, I can see Humanism in both experiences. In the first, we are encouraged to grow in a trusting atmosphere. In the second, our growth is stunted by the competitive atmosphere created I also see Progressivism present in both experiences. In he first, we are actively encouraged to improve our problem solving skills for the benefit of everyone involved. In he second, our separation from the others limited any real growth I our problem solving skills.

Integrating these Philosophies as a Teacher As a teacher, I see collaboration between teachers, students, staff, and the community as a way of getting my students to a place where they are comfortable using their problem solving skills.

ACADEMIC REFLECTION Definition To me, Academic Reflection means taking the time and effort to assess if, and how well, your students are learning. It is also having the courage to modify your well thought out plans if they prove to be ineffective. Personal Experiences My personal experiences illustrate how, regardless of how well I may have planned and enterprise, there is always something major that can be overlooked. In Learning from Houdini a forty-pound dog allows me to think, time and again, that I have outsmarted her, just to slip, once again, between my fingers. In The Cold, Hard Physics of Water I believe I have taken all the necessary steps to build a perfect rain barrel and, because of inadequate reflection, I got the chance to build it again the very next year. Philosophical Ties I see Epistemology as the major philosophy in Academic Reflection. We need to use all our senses, intuition,

and reasoning to determine how well our students are learning and to be willing to change our plans if they are not. Integrating these Philosophies as a Teacher As a teacher, I plan to give pre-assessments and exit tickets regularly to determine what the students already know and what theyve learned. I plan to record the results for future reference but not use them for determining grades. If done correctly, I believe, the students should have mastered the necessary skills by the time the quizzes and tests roll around. http://voicethread.com/share/2578370/