It is my goal to teach as a community college instructor. This portfolio details my achievements, knowledge, and skills in adult education. I believe that my diverse academic background, including areas that I specialize in such as communications, contributes to my abilities and qualifications to teach as a community college instructor. With over fifty-one credit hours in communications studies, I am prepared to teach a communications course. My teaching philosophy explains my outlook on teaching and interacting with a diverse student population, including those who attend an institution such as a community college. By reading my resume, I detail that as a full-time student, I have the experience related to an understanding of teaching and communications. I am also prepared to teach courses though distance learning, teaching online in order to expand the educational opportunities of students at a community college or other educational institute. I have the ability to teach in-person courses, and due to my experience with technology I would be a good candidate to teach online and manage an online learning environment. In addition to this, I am open to teaching a hybrid course for a community college, where learning would take place both in-person and online.
The section of my portfolio on Understanding Adult Students demonstrates my knowledge of understanding how to interact and communicate with a diverse student population. I believe these are skills that a community college would value, as I am prepared to interact with students of various cultures and backgrounds. I place high value on understanding each student on an individual level, and learning of what does and does not work for each student. I seek for all students to learn and to make progress. Through my research, I have developed an understanding of working with students who have special needs. Depending on where I am needed based on employment, I feel that my background in diversity and communications is a benefit in allowing me to be compatible in working with a variety of students at a community college. I understand that everyone has their own goals and reasons for taking courses, whether these goals are professional or personal. I feel that I would be a great candidate to teach a diverse student population, and that I would work with students on an individual basis, in order to make sure that learner differences do not hinder a student's progress. I seek for all students to have equal opportunities in learning and in reaching their own professional and personal goals.
My knowledge in teaching methods is also important, and I feel that a community college would find my knowledge and understanding to be satisfying. I place high value and importance on self-directed learning, and this may be applied to any subject area. Information related to self-directed learning and teaching is located in the Methods for Student Success area of my portfolio. This section also details my experience with distance learning technology, specifically presenting new and innovative ways for students to learn material. Creating a learning contract and an Icebreaker is also a part of my knowledge. Most of all, I think that in distance learning technology, that my understanding of using software such as PowerPoint, Pinnacle Studio, and other technology such as webcasts is of benefit. I feel that my knowledge in these areas would be valuable in teaching a course online for a community college, so that students will have a variety of formats to use and to learn from. Additional examples of my work in communications may be found in the Communication Experience section of my portfolio.
Having an understanding of community colleges is also important and I believe it adds to my ability to know the mission statement of these educational institutions overall. In my section on Adult Education Reflection, I detail my analysis of community colleges. I realize the importance of these educational institutions in providing the courses and programs for adults who seek to acquire skills for a job, in order to have better employment opportunities. Community colleges provide educational opportunities for adults to acquire education and skills for working that would not have been available to students with only a high school diploma. Some individuals also choose to begin a Bachelor’s Degree at a community college, and they later continue their education at a four year university. In my document detailing my educational agency visit, I explain my findings on Columbus State Community College, located in Ohio. Columbus State is one of the educational institutions that I would like to seek employment with.
The Instructional Design section of my portfolio showcases my work on developing a program related to communications. This would be of value to a community college, in that it shows that I have the knowledge to develop a distance learning course. My program that I designed on Public Speaking and Overcoming Anxiety is still in progress for development, and it is designed as an introduction to public speaking course. Therefore, I feel that my knowledge in understanding students, teaching methods, communications, and instructional design has prepared me to become a community college instructor.
The section of my portfolio on Understanding Adult Students demonstrates my knowledge of understanding how to interact and communicate with a diverse student population. I believe these are skills that a community college would value, as I am prepared to interact with students of various cultures and backgrounds. I place high value on understanding each student on an individual level, and learning of what does and does not work for each student. I seek for all students to learn and to make progress. Through my research, I have developed an understanding of working with students who have special needs. Depending on where I am needed based on employment, I feel that my background in diversity and communications is a benefit in allowing me to be compatible in working with a variety of students at a community college. I understand that everyone has their own goals and reasons for taking courses, whether these goals are professional or personal. I feel that I would be a great candidate to teach a diverse student population, and that I would work with students on an individual basis, in order to make sure that learner differences do not hinder a student's progress. I seek for all students to have equal opportunities in learning and in reaching their own professional and personal goals.
My knowledge in teaching methods is also important, and I feel that a community college would find my knowledge and understanding to be satisfying. I place high value and importance on self-directed learning, and this may be applied to any subject area. Information related to self-directed learning and teaching is located in the Methods for Student Success area of my portfolio. This section also details my experience with distance learning technology, specifically presenting new and innovative ways for students to learn material. Creating a learning contract and an Icebreaker is also a part of my knowledge. Most of all, I think that in distance learning technology, that my understanding of using software such as PowerPoint, Pinnacle Studio, and other technology such as webcasts is of benefit. I feel that my knowledge in these areas would be valuable in teaching a course online for a community college, so that students will have a variety of formats to use and to learn from. Additional examples of my work in communications may be found in the Communication Experience section of my portfolio.
Having an understanding of community colleges is also important and I believe it adds to my ability to know the mission statement of these educational institutions overall. In my section on Adult Education Reflection, I detail my analysis of community colleges. I realize the importance of these educational institutions in providing the courses and programs for adults who seek to acquire skills for a job, in order to have better employment opportunities. Community colleges provide educational opportunities for adults to acquire education and skills for working that would not have been available to students with only a high school diploma. Some individuals also choose to begin a Bachelor’s Degree at a community college, and they later continue their education at a four year university. In my document detailing my educational agency visit, I explain my findings on Columbus State Community College, located in Ohio. Columbus State is one of the educational institutions that I would like to seek employment with.
The Instructional Design section of my portfolio showcases my work on developing a program related to communications. This would be of value to a community college, in that it shows that I have the knowledge to develop a distance learning course. My program that I designed on Public Speaking and Overcoming Anxiety is still in progress for development, and it is designed as an introduction to public speaking course. Therefore, I feel that my knowledge in understanding students, teaching methods, communications, and instructional design has prepared me to become a community college instructor.