bio



Who am I? My name is Julie and I am 24 years old. I am a student at The University of Akron in the College of Education. I am double majoring in Early Intervention Specialist and Intervention Specialist moderate-intensive. I currently work at a specialized school for children with many abilities! (hate the word disabilities..these children are capable of so much, so a word with a limitation really does not describe them) My hobbies include playing softball, running, playing basketball, being around kids, watching movies, shopping, and going to dirt track races. What am I passionate about? I truly like helping people. I like the feeling I get knowing that my job is purposeful. I do not want to be the kind of person that goes to work every day to bring home a paycheck. Yes, paychecks are necessary, but I am lucky enough to have found something that I enjoy doing and people will pay me for it. Working with children with challenged abilities has given me an appreciation for life that I never thought I would have. I often catch myself complaining and then l look at children I work with that have overcome obstacles larger than I could imagine and despite them, they have some of the most contagious smiles. (: . Philosophy of education?

 “__Education as a Decision Maker__”  As one of the greatest educators of all time states,” Do not train a child to learn by force or harshness; but direct them to it by what amuses their minds, so that you may be better able to discover with accuracy the peculiar bent of the genius of each.” Plato makes a bold statement that education is not to be forced but used as a tool to inspire people to learn. An educator can be an excellent teacher and thoroughly provide knowledge on a subject, but a truly magnificent educator is one that inspires people to go beyond the subject and pursue knowledge in all areas. An educator must be willing to take leadership and be able to make the decisions that are best for each specific student. As an educator, it is vital to continue to pursue knowledge and to use technology to his or her advantage. It is also essential to be diverse with an open mind and enthusiastic to try new approaches. Along with knowledge, technology, and diversity, it is also critical to include ethics while educating.

 Initially, knowledge is what educators rely on in order to teach. The concepts of education must be learned first by the educator in order to be transferred to the students. I believe that knowledge is a continuous chain. Every day there is something new to be absorbed and passed on to another. Educators must continue seeking new information to pass on to the students.

 I plan on using knowledge in the classroom very similarly to the way that I use knowledge now as a student and as an aide in a classroom. I plan on continuing to seek out knowledge from professors, teachers, parents, therapists, behavior specialists, and friends. On a daily basis, I attempt to get more information on developmental disorders to help understand the thought process of some of the students. I also seek advice from experienced workers on the best ways to deal with challenging behaviors and the distractions of learning. I believe that a lot of knowledge is gained through experience and experience comes with time. Fortunately, I have to opportunity to work in a school system and gain some experience prior to becoming an educator. Knowledge is endless and I plan on using my resources in order to better educate students in the future.

 Alongside knowledge, technology is also a critical factor in education. Technology has evolved into an educator’s best friend. The availability of knowledge through technology has allowed educators to access new information at their fingertips. Technology can help students communicate and process information. Being able to use technology is also an essential life skill that can be taught to students.

 I plan on using technology to the best of my ability to access new information in the classroom. Currently I use technology such as the internet to create academic curriculum for a student with autism. Technology is also used in providing interactive sites for the students in our classroom. The interactive academic sites allow the students to learn in an exciting and visually stimulating manner. In the school, many students use I pads and personal talking devices in order to help them communicate their needs and wants. Technology has incredibly given these students a voice and allowed them to be more independent. I plan on staying aware of the current technology and use it to benefit students according to their needs.

 Following knowledge and technology, diversity also plays a vital role in becoming an educator. Diversity is important to the teaching profession in order to reach academic goals, to provide sensitivity, and to modify curriculum. The students that an educator will meet will be diverse in races, ages, genders, disorders, ethnicities, and disabilities. As a professional, the understanding of the diverse circumstances should be researched in order to provide sensitivity to the students’ unique differences. Understanding diversity can also help and educator in providing structured curriculum to suit students specific individualized needs. In creating individualized curriculum, the students are often better able to reach the academic goals presented.

 Personally, I plan on taking the time to research more developmental disorders and physiatrist disorders in order to help understand the learning process of children with special needs. New disorders are coming about daily and information on older disorders is becoming more sophisticated. I will use diversity in the presentation of academic material considering students learn differently. Through technology, it has become more accessible to present material with auditory and visually stimulating aspects. I also believe that as a professional, it is important to be open minded to new and diverse ideas. I am a firm believer that although a teaching method may be effective, new diverse methods is also worth trying.

 Behind knowledge, technology, and diversity is the need for ethics in education. Ethics are the moral principles that govern a person’s behavior. Professional teachers should be instilled with morals and values that serve as a structure to a classroom. Educators should be value driven and passionate about others. They should put students’ needs first and lead a purely selfless approach to teaching.

 As a professional educator, I will use ethics as my guide to teaching. I always try to remember the concept of putting students’ needs first and treating them with the utmost level of respect. I believe that students should not be talked about in front of about themselves. Information regarding student needs should be private in order to respect confidentiality and the student’s pride. I also respect my ethics enough to know my duty to report things that I sense are unethical.

 In conclusion, an educator as decision maker is much more than just an educator. As a professional educator making decisions for the students’ best interest, the keys to success must be remembered and executed. They keys to success include knowledge, technology, diversity, and ethics.