UPRH Core Dispositions

Diversity

Diversity is the world of differences of the human being.  It goes from the psychomotor or cognitive abilities of a person to their ethnicity, Values, culture, socio-economy and so much more.  Speaking respectively of Diversity in education, it is the uniqueness of a student inside and outside a classroom.  In order to be an English teacher, Diversity must be taken seriously into consideration, because understanding how to manage it can overcome some obstacles towards teaching and learning the language. Having the idea of the student’s background, their specific needs and ways of being will help a teacher acknowledge that Diversity exists. At the time of teaching a Language, the material used in a classroom has to be adjusted to the student’s interest.

For example, in a classroom in which students are Latinos of different countries, why not give readings, make research or create activities so they can know about each other’s cultures?  This will captivate their interest of learning about Diversity while using the foreign language. Enhancing students to learn is a completely difficult task itself, but its even more harder to teach students with special needs. I said “difficult” but not impossible. When you become a teacher your commitment with education is your prior principle. So If  you’re a good teacher you will overcome any hard work that others consider obstacles. Students with impediments are part of Diversity, they now a day count with so much technology that can be used to provide them with the education they deserve.

To mention an example, a technological device has been created for students with sight incapacity called “Braille Note”.  Braille Note is part of the Windows CE operating system that helps the students take notes, receive and send E-mails and it’s open to any teaching strategy.  To be a complete professional on the Educational campus, a teacher must respect genders, research about cultures, treat all ethnicities as equal, work with students individual needs and understand their behavior. Once an educator fulfills these entire tasks, it will mean that he/she understands diversity and that he/she is in the right vocation.

 

 

Creativity

“It is about constructing knowledge, not receiving”

“Its about thinking and analyzing, not accumulating and memorizing”

“Its about understanding and applying, not repeating back”

“Its about being active, not passive”

 

Constructivism values and respects the prior knowledge that exists inside the imaginary blackbox of the human brain. This teaching strategy uses prior knowledge as a foundation for building new knowledge. Its not about providing information, its about using what they learn in their daily lives. Students analyze in what ways they can use but also apply actively the new information they’ve encountered. Instead of leading, the teacher must guide to encourage them to think and learn more. Activities must be active, entertaining, adjusted to the students needs, but also adequate and balanced with the curriculum.  

 

Leadership

I interviewed the professor  Maritza Reyes on August 29 2012, to refresh my mind upon what  Leadership and  Social transformation really is. I  clear my mind towards all the misconceptions I could have at the time of understanding these two core values that generally speaking I understood. Maritza Reyes explained how she would recommend me as future teacher to create a teaching environment applying Leadership. I jumped into the conclusion that to create this type of environment a teacher must let the students explore what they want to explore, but also creating a balance between constructivism and the curriculum.

Teachers should create activities that can make the students react to situations in group. Not only by doing research but also by reading a material that they can relate to. This type of activity will enhance reading, critical thinking and communicative skills. Leadership takes place only when the teacher has a clear class organization. Interacting with each other can be a good class assessment and it does not have to limit the teacher to asses all of the students work.

The material has to vary to enhance open communication between the students among themselves and between the students and the teacher as well. To practice leadership it is important to let other colleges know who we are to count with their assistance if needed but also to show the same help disposition in return. A leader must always have open communication with the students to fulfill their individual needs. This will help create a positive and successful teaching environment. The most important commitment with leadership is to compromise with enhancing students to read, work and learn to improve their opportunities in the future.

 

 

Social transformation

Maritza also explained her point of view towards social transformation. I have always had clear what social transformation pretends to conquer in the population and how it pursues for the improvement of positive change of a community. But I believe it is not the same to talk about Social transformation from a far perspective than to actually facing the fact of creating it.

Education is the key for social transformation, this is why a teacher must dominate this core value to guarantee their most important contribution; change. The truth is that an ethical individual cannot be created by only being enhanced by education. The structure of values and culture of an individual begin at home during his childhood development. Educators can enhance transformation but not the specific formation of an integral individual.  In other words, students are mold their most important years of development at home. This is why teachers and parents have to have the same enforcement foundation upon creating a lifelong learning individual.

For example, If I promote as a teacher to teach a student that robbery is wrong and a parent teaches the student to rob at home, my work would only be valid inside my classroom. Schools must have action research workshops to reinforce principles for social transformation. The effectiveness of action research can be assessed with constant quantitative monitoring. Social transformation can be done if the intention of the teacher is clear and constantly developed. Understanding students diversity and background can help understand their reality and way of being to help them improve for their future.