James I Davis
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Background
I entered teaching at the beginning of the 2007-08 school year through the Chicago Teaching Fellows after more than 20 years in the computer industry. My experience in the industry ranged from training and consulting to software development and team management. My deep desire to close the achievement gap led me to my career change. I understand the critical importance of technology skills to today's students and tomorrow's leaders. I also have a firsthand appreciation of the power of technology to facilitate collaboration, enhance learning, and expand the possibilities of expression. My Lead Technology Teacher position provides an excellent opportunity for me to connect my technology experience with teaching to address the achievement gap in new ways.
My educational philosophy I believe that everyone can learn. We are human beings. Because we are human beings, we have a brain. Except is rare cases, because we have a brain we can think. Because we can think, we can learn, we can figure things out, we can create. And because we can do these things, we are all capable of doing great things. I believe that education is both a right and a responsibility. As part of the community, our children have a right to be educated. But with education also comes the responsibility to give back to the community. We have the responsibility to take our learning and make our communities and our planet better places. While every child can learn, I also understand that each child is unique. Each child has his or her own way of learning. As an educator, it is my responsibility to help that child be successful in the classroom. Learning should be a joy. I believe that technology has a place in the classroom, but it should never be more than a tool. Technology should help the student learn, period. And so it is important to recognize where it has a proper place, and where it doesn't. It must never be an end in itself, and certainly never get in the way of learning. Technology is not a magic bullet that will solve all of the problems in our schools. It can, however, be a powerful tool to help children learn and think, to learn important new skills, and to help them express themselves in creative new ways.
Position:
Lead Technology Teacher
Contact:
Send email
Classes:
8th Grade - Algebra
Files:
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