Philip,
Great, and to be able to create that hunger for knowledge and a desire for lifelong learning would a wonderful trait for all of us to possess.
Barry Westling
For me, the goal of educating students is to fuel the fire of learning that is in all of us (human condition). Not only do I want the student to gain specific skills in the chosen career while in my classes, I want them to fall in love with learning and be able to be a "student" for the rest of thier lives.
Nichole,
Great response. I think this spells out clearly what our role and mission in educating our students is all about.
Barry Westling
The goal of educating students is to teach them how to learn and to prepare them to have the proper skills to succeed in the work force. They need to understand that they will not have all of the knowledge and skills they need when they start their new job but they should have the resources to learn how to find their answers.
Billy,
Great. The "why" of something is as meaningful as the "how" in many cases. In truth, both are important for success in the workplace. Understanding the why often includes critical thinking, and having that attribute will sustain an individual for a lifetime.
Barry Westling
My goal is to give students a good foundation of the skills they will need to know and utilize in the field. I try to teach them not only what they're doing, but why, so they can use problem solving skills to figure out problems they will encounter as they work on various projects. It's one thing to know what buttons to click on, but it's another thing to know why you're clicking on that particular button or menu, what that does, and what you can do in case that particular technique doesn't work for your project.
Leslie,
An old adage states "knowing where to find information is as helpful as possessing the information". To some degree, I think this idea is helpful in an information-oriented society such as we all must survive in these days. That said, knowing how to sort, sift, and evaluate information, and do it efficiently and effectively will determine (in part), if we have been successful in educating our students.
Barry Westling
I teach Information Literacy to students and the goal of educating students is for them to gain and develop a knowledge base on the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information.
Katherine,
I have a personal sentiment that goes, "I know I have taught when my student know they have learned". Although simple and obvious, it's deeper for me because I try not to go too far without checking for understanding as I progress through a lesson. Obtaining the skills, knowledge, behavior, professionalism, and becoming critical thinkers are my measure of learning.
Barry Westling
I feel the goal should be when a student is done in my course he could repeat to me what he learned that he is now using. I love the "aha" moments for myself when a student can use the info I gave them back to me in another lesson. When I teach a pharmacology course and students find out they need math I hear the groans etc. But I tell them you need to be positive and be open to what I am going to teach you and give it a chance. I have students who grasp this idea and tell me they actually enjoyed the math and wanted more. Some have become peer mentors in the skills labs using my techniques.
Thats's my goal of educating.
Ann marie,
Yes, and I consider that preparation to include skills, knowledge, behavior, and professionalism consistent with the work setting. When students become critical thinkers, we've now added a skill that will help them both in work and at home.
Barry Westling
The goal of educating students is to prepear them for the real work world.
Christopher ,
Good thoughts. I believe passion is an internal driver and can only come from self realization of the value of something. It is truly an accomplishment when a student is impassioned in their job, especially by the efforts of a caring instructor and or institution.
Barry Westling
The goal is to help develope a strong foundation and a mastery of basic skills that will allow for those students to succeed in the work place. Also to provide the student with the knowledge necessary to pass at the state level. Most importantly the passion for field ties everything together.
Jennifer,
Yes, of course we want our students to be successful. Therefore they need the skills, knowledge, and professional behavior required for success on the job. If we could achieve that for each student, that'd be a tremendous accomplishment.
Barry Westling
The goal of educating students is to not only present information in a clear manner, but to be able to have the student relate and retain the information. From this the student will be able to apply the information used to become more proficient in their chosen career as well as more knowledgable in general. This ultimately increases the success level of that student.
Christopher,
Good analogy. We want our graduates to have the skills and knowledge for successfulness on the job. If we can contribute to students being better citizens in general, that's just an added bonus.
Barry Westling
Cheryl,
First priority is good worker skills and knowledge. A secondary priority is professionalism and thinking skills that help them continue to grow and be a success at work and in life.
Barry Westling
Paul,
Great. If we can get students to be critical thinkers, we will have achievced a skill that will last them a lifetime, enabling them to be effective at home, at work, and in life.
Barry Westling
I would think the goal of education is to enable the learner, Empowerment is the goal. Education is like adding tools to a carpenter, so the carpenter can better craft the lumber of their life and career.
