CONSTRUCT…KNOWLEDGE

Image source: inthelearningage.com

I believe that humans are active creators of our own knowledge. We learn things based on observation and scientific study. We construct our own understanding and knowledge through our experiences and reflection. And that is the theory of Constructivism.

When we encounter certain things, we tend to remember what we had done before or previous ideas and knowledge we acquired, so we have the option to change it or disregard the new information. We ask questions, explore and assess what we know and what we don’t know. For instance, when we go in a certain place that we have no idea about it, we tend to reminiscence what we have seen and heard, we are very observant on the things around us and tried to find similarities and differences. This is what Piaget’s theory all about. Trying to acquired knowledge by our own thoughts and ideas.

In a classroom setting, our teachers ask us about our ideas and opinions and encourage us to answer more regarding our statement. This kind of teaching method is very evident in my law school years. My law professors constantly ask so many questions regarding my stand and opinion about specific cases. They never stopped until you get the right answer and encourage you to build more ideas, thoughts, opinions and judgment. Constructivist teachers use active techniques such as experiments and real-world problem solving to create more knowledge, reflect and talk about it. The teacher always make sure that his students understand the subject, support and facilitate in the activity and let them build their own knowledge (scaffolding).

What I really like about constructivist teachers is that they encourage students to reflect what they had learned from class. Well as what some of the psychologist says, students under a constructivist teacher become expert learner. Because students are not just depending on the teacher and the source of learning hence they give them so many alternatives and tools to keep learning. Students continuously reflect on their experiences acquired and they find new complex ideas that will increase their abilities and skills. I hope that teachers will use this strategy especially that K12 is already implemented. They need to encourage students to learn and reflect of their answers. In the future, I want to be the teacher who facilitates but a supportive one when my students cannot do their task alone. I love group works so perhaps its also one of my teaching strategies to be included.

WHY? (REFLECTIVE IN TEACHING)

Why? Why? Why? These “why” word is so powerful that even atomic bomb will have hard time to hit it. Sometimes we forgot to think “why” and just do the same routine. Why?

In teaching, we need to ask this magic word. WHY? Simple because we need to upgrade the way we perceive in teaching and our role as a teacher. I commend teachers who explore their own teaching through deep and critical reflection. WHY? It develops our behaviors, attitudes and awareness that can be helpful in their professional development as educators. Not only that, these teachers will definitely improve their teaching styles and techniques that they can provide to their students.   

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Its 9:30 in the evening, I am so tired and want to just relax. I hopped in my to bed, watching the empty clear white painted roof and thinking about the things I did for today. Whew! I know now, why I was so stress today, my employees got so many mistakes and complained from our clients. I did a lot of explanation and assisting them. It was tough day then. I get my pen and a memo pad. I jot down all the things that happened today and try to aligned things that can solve this problem. Yes! I deeply understand why it happened, I understand what is lacking. Therefore, I need a solution on this. Why? To improve the performance of the employees and give satisfaction to the clients. So everything is a win-win situation.

A simple reflection can make a big difference. Yes it is time consuming to write journal, self-reporting and other recordings of what happened yet you will engage yourself with analysis of your own report that will create a valuable tool for self improvement, evaluation and professional growth. In line with teaching, I believe that gathering experiences is not enough to achieve effectively in teaching. Moreover, that kind of teaching experience must integrate reflection. WHY? Because it is a powerful momentum for teacher development. Who knows… you might be the next big educator that will handle an entire school. I’ll you it’s not easy to handle 20 teachers, more than 500 students, 800 staffs and not to mention-parents who will keep bumping your principal door.

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I need to ponder the following abilities after I read the module:

• Ability to self-assess

This is very important as an initial teacher preparation. I need to reflect what I can do, can not do, and will do.

• Awareness of how one’s learns

I think it is important to take student’s feedback into consideration because this will help me improve on what I am doing and what will I do in the future.

• Developing lifelong learning skills

I know that I am not yet a license teacher but my principle in life is “do not stopped learning”. I know that learning about my profession more can enrich my practice and my principle in teaching.

• Influence of Belief and Self and Self-efficacy

I need to know what I believe about myself and others because this will ultimately control my behavior. I believe that being aware of my beliefs and know that these beliefs will greatly influence my behavior towards me and others.

I conclude that teachers are the most important players in student’s achievement; we hold the keys of our students’ future. Therefore a thoughtful skill of thinking can be seen as our road for success.

MAKE A DIFFERENCE, BE CREATIVE!

I agree that being creative in teaching is a must. Teacher should be flexible in dealing with their teaching strategy, no offense of traditional teaching, but perhaps with the kind of innovation and generation we have right now, it is time to make CHANGES!

I want to make a difference by voicing out my opinion regarding enhancing teacher’s creativity. My intention is not mock others but I want to help a genuinely satisfying and enjoyable teaching strategy.

Being creative is not just only your student’s attention but able to present material in a different ways, even LOVE can move in a mysterious ways, so as TEACHING. We need to encourage students to be creative, too. But how?

I have the following concepts that teacher should be creative.

1. Be the knowledgeable teacher.

Personally, I want a teacher who just not rely her discussion in the book. A teacher who knows a lot of things and relate it in a different manner, I find it amusing, thus students will also be motivated to learn more. I don’t ask teachers to know everything, even Albert Einstein doesn’t know who is Manilyn Monroe, but we should know our subject matter and know it deeply.

Curiosity of a lot of things is an important factor of becoming a creative teacher. Continuous learning never stops.

2. Learn from others.

It is important that we need to be open minded of the things that we need to develop and enhance. Okay, we know that talking and asking questions to other teachers will help a lot but how about reading blog sites, attend seminars and even enrolling in a 3 day seminar through online.

3. SHARE IT.

Isn’t it good that what you have learned should be shared with others? I think it will not make you a lesser person if you give at least half of what you have experienced and learned. I always remember that our parents know best. Why? The principle lies down is that they acquired knowledge through experienced that is why they are quite strict on us. Moving on, teachers should share as much as they can, not only for the students but also for their professional development.

4. BE CONFIDENT.

I know it’s hard to be creative. It needs commitment and passion. But trying something which is not complicated will be a great step such as being imaginative. I believe that all of us has potential to learn and improve our skills. Though it takes a lot of time and effort, but at least the big part of it is you’ve tried. Work on your self-esteem.

5. PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT.

Being creative in teaching takes a lot of guts. That is why practicing and experimenting something can lead a teacher into a different level of teaching. I believe that when you do something at first, you find it hard and strange but as time goes by, the teaching skill will improved and your instructional plan will be better in terms of creativity. Who knows, your principal might give this framework as a standard in your school curriculum.

Above all, give yourself time and don’t judge yourself harshly. Developing one’s creative thinking abilities, just like developing any other cognitive ability or skill, is not a straight and smooth progression but requires patience, dedication, and a passion for excellence.

MEMORIES IN 1990’S

When I was young, I love to play memory games. I usually played with siblings and neighbors but during that time only I and my younger sister got good scores. That’s when I realized that our brain is so complex to understand and not all people do have same type of cognitive skills.

THINK TO LEARN

Of course, when we think, we use our brain. There is underlying theory that views our thinking skills- COGNITIVE LEARNING THEORY. This basic concept explains the mental process that influenced the extrinsic and intrinsic factors that will lead us in acquiring learning. According to Jean Piaget, young kid’s cognitive skills expound naturally as maturity and exploration of environment exist. On the other hand, cognitive theory insists that the different processes concerning learning can be analyze through mental processing. Through effective cognitive process, acquisition of such learning is much easier and thus new information can be stored in our long term memory. Yet, if there is infectivity in cognitive process will be seen in having difficulties in acquiring knowledge and according to some research these could lead to lifetime difficulty.

Key assumptions are human behavior can be explained as a set of scientific processes. It is a series of responses to any external stimuli. There are three interrelated variables that cause learning. Our personal experience can concentrate with the behavior and its environmental factors. According to Bandura’s Social Cognitive learning theory, people are shaped by the interactions between their behaviors, thoughts and environmental events. Human behavior ends up being a product of learning which occurs through our experiences. Moreover, human insights and cognitive competencies and beliefs shall be modified by external factors such as our parents, friends, teachers, environment and even climate when there is person-environment interaction. Haven’t you noticed? When you are in a very hot place, there is tendency that you will feel easily irritated and cannot think properly. In case of person-behavior interaction, our cognitive process affects our behavior, thus, behavior can modify the person’s thinking. How about environment-behavior interaction? Well external factors can definitely change the way you portray your behavior. Therefore, it signifies that cognitive theory to be effective in learning shall have positive personal characteristics, supportive environment and appropriate behavior.

WHO WAS MY FIRST TEACHER?

My first teacher…well..I think…wait! I can’t remember her name and even her face. Okay, I am retrieving my memory now. Hold on! 5…4…3…2…1! Game over! I don’t know her name. But I can still remember the road wherein it is so rough because it is not yet cemented. There was a red steel gate and when I entered, it was a wide field wherein I used to run and play. The classroom was old and made of wood. There were only six students in the class. I had a morning class and then that’s it. I can’t even remember what I used to do inside the classroom. But I can still remember the see-saw that I used to play outside the classroom. (Headache!)

I want to retrieve more information about my childhood memories. (closing my eyes and deeply thinking about…) It was my BIRTHDAY! Yeah, I remember there was a huge cake, barbecues, ice cream, spaghetti… and it was put on the table. I remember I blew the cake together with my mother and then that’s it. This is amazing! Our brain is definitely amazing. It took me like 50 seconds to retrieve it. Wonderful, isn’t it? Or is it bad that it was not definite and specific memory. Well, the impact that it has on me proves that long term memory exist. Our brain delivers vast nephrons to decipher our information coming from short or long term memory.

AM I A COMPUTER?

How I wish. The processor and the smallest detail that I want to retrieve is important but it is hard for our brain to retrieve everything because there are a lot of factors that could affect it such as stress and fatigue, lack of exercise, nutrients, aging, low cognitive skill and etc. See? I am or We are not computer. We are not technically able to decipher in a minute all the information we have in the past or even in the future. Our cognitive skill is limited though it can improve. I believed that we need to exercise it through games such as memory games, scrabbles, card games and numbers and etc. We need to also take care our body, the moment that our brain is damage, which is what I can say, “dude, better luck next time” Kidding! Honestly, it’s true we need to be wear helmet and any protective head gear when our head is at stake. Our nervous system is very vital for our survival and cognitive status.

THE SILENCE OF EFFICIENCY

I always thought that teachers are like robots. They just want to follow their instructional and management plans. But as I read the module, I understand clearly that planning and assessment are very vital in teaching the students. Subject-knowledge is not only the key points to attend to but also the teachers should identify the objectives that can impact students through proper instruction. Teachers established a sense of purpose. It organized and keep them track while teaching. When the teacher plans very well, she is more prepared and confident during her class and flexible to any unexpected situations in the class.

Honestly speaking, after Teacher Roja gave feedback. It challenges me and realized that I need to think about my student since they are the recipients in the course. So when I plan my assignment 2, I definitely think the behavior, cognitive and the status of my student and what would be my teaching context. Deliver this plan effectively and assess learning outcomes.

I remember my biology teacher during high school; she wanted to show us a cadaver completely and visually explained about human anatomy. But the school did not allow her because part of it was missing (haha).  So because of lack of resources, our biology teacher gave us another alternative to explain the topic by drawing the entire system of the body. I just realized that school should be funded accordingly so as not the instructional plan and effort by the teacher is not forsaken. On a positive note, I commend my biology teacher because she considered all types of resources.

TWO STEPS FORWARD, THREE STEPS BACKWARD

Right now, as I am writing this journal, I am having hard time to pursue the instructional and classroom management plan. I was disappointed to myself a day ago but I want to be positive. There was a total revision of my plan because of the company won’t allow me to do online group class for class demonstration. I want to scream and freak out but I need to calm down because we need to be flexible and ready to challenge any unexpected struggles in our life.

This is exactly my 24^th hour awake due to planning and assessing my assignment. I am quite confused if I am doing this right because I have no any idea since I don’t have any experience.. Crossing my fingers that it is right.

I want to think like a teacher. I want to be an educator who seems to be nurturing and try to meet the goal not only my principles but most especially to the learners itself. Working with the instructional plan and classroom management had huge insights that put a whole bunch of different experiences and lessons into context.

It is important indeed for a teacher a to a “good planned”. Lesson plan helps the teacher maintain focus while under pressure. Of course, in a room wherein you have at least 30 adverse learners, with a short attention spans, and different levels when it comes to comprehension, lesson planning can definitely steer the momentum of the environment. Somehow I can describe it like a teacher is the driver, she will be the one to manipulate where to go, when to stop and how to drive smoothly with your passengers (students) with you.

I think lesson planning is a good way to reflect what will transpire and what will be changed if there are things that are not absolutely effective for the learners. If I will be an educator soon, I will plan my lesson or subjects because I believe it will do wonders not only for me but also for the students.

BANDURA SAID… MODELS AND MENTORS IN MY LIFE

Bandura… Bandura… Bandura… How many times I heard his name? Nah, couple of times. Since high-school I already heard about him. Not a politician. Not an actor or even a hero. He is just a simple guy who just postulated a great theory- the SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY.

Perhaps Bandura’s Theory, I can say is the most influential theory of learning and development. It tells us that people can learn new information by watching from others or what we called observational learning which is used to explain a wide variety of behaviors. Not only that, Bandura argues that if a person learned something, it does not mean it will result in a change of behavior.

BOBO DOLL

 

Bandura studies the behavior of the children after watching an adult hitting violently a doll. Children imitated what they saw and became aggressive as they played with the doll.

Nowadays, social media is vital for a transition of technology as well as giving information. That is why; children easily believe and imitate the actions of an adult. Strictly guidance by the parents is needed especially if the movie, tv programs and others are violent. Children cannot decipher yet what is right and wrong. They always think that everything an adult does is right.

HOW TO DEVELOP?

It was during my college years in nursing that I can relate this theory. Initially, we have nursing demonstration before having a duty in the hospital. We have to memorize all the steps and interventions as well as its rationale as we take the demonstration to our instructors. Fortunately, I always passed the demonstration. How did I do it?

• Observe the clinical instructors while they are doing the intervention. Being focus and attentive on their actions are important.
• Try to retain or memorize what you had learned during your observation.
• Now, you are ready to perform.
• Put some LOVE. Meaning you need to be motivated on what you are doing. In my case, I am always motivated to do my best every time I get good scores in my other nursing subjects.

WILL I?

I read a specific question in the module, Will I likely copy the behavior of someone totally unknown to me?  It depends.

When I was young, I used to observe adults because in our house, there are all adults. I try to understand what they were talking about. So they are using vulgar words, since I am still young I retained those words I heard from them. While I was playing with my childhood friends, I just blurted out vulgar words because I was angry. The mother of my friend got shocked and told my parents about it. Definitely, my mother got so angry and asked me where I got those words. Well, to clean my conscience… from uncles and aunties (evil laugh). And they had a wonderful time with the mouth of my mother. Basically, children at a young age are very observant, they think adults are perfect. So they want to change their behavior because they think it’s proper what they see and hear from adults. That is why, it is so important for adults to be careful especially in front of their kids.

Models and Mentors in My Life

My Models and Mentors
List the most important role models and mentors in your life. Then describe what their positive modeling and mentoring have meant to your development.

Role Models and Mentors	Their Contributions
My English Teacher during High school	She is the one who teaches me more about pronunciation. She taught me to read more novels, watch English movies and to join competition.
My Social Studies Teacher during High school	He taught me to become socially aware. He shared his inputs about communism and why it won’t work. The political structure of the Philippines.
My friend	He gives me ideas and insights about God and Catholicism. I learn how to read more about the history of religion, holocaust and the great wars brought by seculars, priests and kings before. I learned many things and change me a lot.

The Type of Role Model I Want to Be for My Students.

1.      Respectable one because my principle in life is that “Respect begets Respect”. I need to respect and be polite to my students. Simple as a piece of cake, I have to call them using their real names, using “Please” when I ask them to stand up or explain something and so forth. I believe that respecting each other is the initial character to build in a class or learning set up.

2.      I want to be a cool teacher in a sense that I want to be creative in presenting my ideas to the class. I believe that being too strict and authoritarian would lessen the interaction of the students. They feel subordinates; hence, they are not motivated and committed in the class.

3.      I want to show them that they can approach me with regards to their confusions and queries. It is important that as a teacher, I need to guide them in a possible way that I can be because I am responsible of their growth. I am their second mother. Though, I am emotional on this part, but I always stand for my students. I want to let them feel that a teacher can be their friend, mentor and advisor at the same time.

4.      I want also to be disciplinarian. Meaning, I have to talked to my students and let them realize that what they are doing is definitely wrong and unacceptable by law. I don’t want be sound moralist because I deal with diverse learners.

5.      I want to be an optimistic teacher. They need someone in the school to be their number one fan. Someone whom they can lean on. Definitely, as a teacher or adviser, I have to be the person who always encourage and believe them that they can do it despite of struggles in their homeworks, activities and events. How I Will Incorporate Models and Mentors in My Classroom? Applying technology in the class can help students learn more and I think to develop to be responsible in using it. Nowadays, students dwell much in using technology. I want to use this as an advantage in taking the course of learning. For example, teaching college students on how to do skin testing in a patient. Of course, as teacher you need to explain the objectives and give them proper overview why they need to do the task. After such, I will show them video clips to give them a visual guidance about our lesson and furthermore, I will do an actual demonstration. Based on Bandura’s concept, observation learning is one of the best methods to acquire learning. Of course, before the student’s do the demonstration, they should need to ask questions or clarification so as not to confuse during their demonstration and to avoid mistakes along the way. As a teacher, I have to guide them and assure them that they can do it and encourage them that learning new things are important. After the students are done, I need to tell those feedbacks and reinforcement. Why? It is important that students know their mistakes and as well as their excellent skill in doing the task. Who Will Be My Education Mentor? What Would My Ideal Education Mentor Be Like? Do you have someone in mind who might serve as an education mentor when you become a teacher? If so, describe the person. I think my history teacher. I commend him for being so open-minded. He knows what he is talking about in the class. He is also knowledgeable. He tends to create reality based in our lesson especially social, economic and political issues. He led the class in a different environment wherein he let the students interact each other through debates, group activities and reflection. What would your ideal education mentor be like? I want an educator who is very simple. Simple in a way that I can learn a lot of things on her. She doesn’t want her students to feel burden but instead gives us motivation and encouragement to learn more on the subject-matter.I want an educator whom I can trust because I don’t want to feel anxious everything I want to ask questions to him or her. I want my educator to be part of shaping my future, to be my friend and not my worst enemy.

DING DONG… THE BELL RANG FOR BEHAVIORISM THEORY

THE CHILD

          I am scared and I just want to run

          Deep in a place where I can hide and make fun.

          I wish I can see the sun and moon so bright

          But all I can have is this dark reel sight.

          But now, I am ready to face the world

          I am interested and know the truth

          I am gentle but yet so wild

          Teach me not to fail

          Motivate me for I am willing

          Guide me because I am a child.

                                                                                                                               -Elaine Medillo

I want to start my journal with a simple kind of poetry. It entails about a child who knows nothing about the environment, about the world that he sees. The things that he hears and feels are all new to him, thus he feels anxious. In reality, we are all like that (I assume) maybe because we still not yet able to know what will happen to us. We don’t know yet what kind of stimulus that will respond in the event that we do something.

Behaviorism tells us about the principle of stimulus-response. It has been discussed that all behavior caused by external stimuli or the so-called operant conditioning (Skinner). So in relation to the poem above, the child in the first paragraph doesn’t know anything- tabula rose. It is said that behaviorism is naturalistic, so the child is scared and wants to run away, knowing that he doesn’t understand the world around him. This means that the world is the ultimate reality and can be explained by natural laws. The feelings, thoughts and mood are the tenets of behaviorism do not determine what we do. Our behavior is the product of conditioning. Humans and animals are like robots wherein we do not act consciously but rather on the stimuli around us.

Take me back 20 years ago.

I remember when I was young; my mother gives me lollipop every time I will not pee on the bed. Funny it seems but I can relate this one with behaviorism. I feel happy each time I won’t pee on her bed sheet because I can receive my orange flavor lollipop (Php 1.00). I understand that they want my desired behavior which is not to pee on the bed sheet habitual. Unfortunately, not all the times I can’t pee on her favorite bed sheet, so in the event that I will do that, I remember I will not getting a lollipop for two consecutive days, therefore, negative reinforcement given by my parents motivated me to improve my toilet training.

Behaviorism learning theory is very evident in my childhood experience. It is discussed in the module that positive or negative reinforcement can increase the possibility of making the desired behavior outcome again. On the other hand, positive or negative punishment can decrease the said behavior to happen again. Behaviorism itself is a precursor to a cognitive learning especially for a child.

STRICT AND BOLD.

I know that our parents know best. They are very strict on me since I am the eldest. My younger siblings looked up on me. That is why; I have to be the role model. My behavior is set upon the standard of my parents which is to go home early, get good grades, be an honor student, to be kind and shows good manners especially to adults. Later on, when I went to high school, I became an activist. I loved to read communism and socialism books though still I am keeping my grades and follow the rules. Hence, my parents knew it and got really angry on me. At the end of the day, I have to follow my parents and got out from the organization. What was the real wrath? They will not let me go to the university if I still continue to join the mobilization and organization. I was freaking out to know that, definitely that was the real course of reward that I shall get. Of course, I have to choose my school life. Now, I am indeed happy that I followed my parent’s decision to continue and finished my schooling.

I just realized that Skinner is the best! Thanks Skinner I am a registered nurse now and trying to get another license.

 

MYSTERIOUS WAYS

 

In operant conditioning, the environment guides our behavior by providing cues about the probable outcome. For example, when initially interacting with an opposite sex person, I am usually observing of how a guy would responds. In fact, I look for signs that he is interested in me. There is a 360 degrees adjustment on my behavior such as being friendlier. I am a keen observer so I am trying to figure out what to do and say next. However, the modification of my behavior is not suitable for some reason. He got irritated. Boom! Left me nowhere. Sounds odd but its true. So I realized that I need to know warning signs. We can either avoid an environment entirely or change parts of it so that it is less likely to produce the unwanted behavior. The simplest rule is to “put myself in the right place at the right time.”

It amazed me again in studying Behaviorism Theory of Learning because I can relate it and learn from it. Though some people think it is like a pseudo science. However, what matters most is what you believe.

“Compare two people, one of whom has been crippled by an accident, the other by an early environmental history which makes him lazy and, when criticized, mean. Both cause great inconvenience to others, but one dies a martyr, the other a scoundrel.”
― B.F. Skinner, About Behaviorism

 

 

HAPPY TEACHER’S DAY! (A reflection of knowledge base of teaching)

Image source http://www.dgreetings.com

I still remember when our teacher let us memorized the anatomy of the body. Constant exams and tests, recitations and lectures regarding the anatomical functions of the body are so exhausting. However, as I learned the recent module, I definitely realized that I am so thankful to my professors way back in university for being so tough and for teaching me so many things. Now, that I am planning to teach, I have basic knowledge (I guess) in the event that I will be teaching nursing students in an institution. I can personally expand and able to explain based on my knowledge.

I have learned a lot of things this week with regards to knowledge and teaching as well as TPACK. I believe that subject knowledge has been disregarded. Why I say so? I want to raise an issue here not only for the readers but also for the educational system as a whole.

I had a teacher before wherein he taught Sociology. I was surprised of his ideas regarding black propagandas. Since I had a slight background with regards to Marxism, Leninism and communism, I raised my hand and asked him a question regarding the black propaganda happened during the arm revolution in Russia. I assumed that he did not know about it, yet he just proceed the discussion without clarifying my question and just told me to research on it. Isn’t it ironic? Or isn’t it annoying? What makes me annoy is that letting me research more rather than giving me an idea about the matter.  Well, this situation is not entirely new. I just went to Hongkong last week and I talked to a local Chinese. She told me in verbatim, “I hate my son’s teacher. He is supposed to teach Physical Education, but the principal let him teach History class. What a waste of money…”  Even in other countries, it is also an issue. The near absence of appropriate knowledge base would lead to criticisms. Maybe they want to think that a good teacher can teach anything under the sun. In extreme cases, since everything is so digital especially in the first world countries, let your Ipad do it for you. Just Google and click it. Voila! You have the information you are looking for.
Therefore, I suggest that schools need to put greater emphasis on teachers’ knowledge as a means of assessing their ability to teach a subject effectively.  Moreover, I think teacher should also take an exam related to the subject given as measure of their knowledge. I know that teachers don’t know everything. Hence, I agree that teachers need to develop and expand their subject/ knowledge base in order to be effective, interested and motivated teachers.

I believe on that teacher’s pedagogical knowledge is crucial to understand how students think about a subject and in identifying common misconception. In other words, to be an effective teacher, they should have a really good grasp of what they are trying to teach.

I had another teacher, she was my clinical instructor. I have a good memory on her because when she did her lectures, she always brought her laptop and projector. She discussed her lessons flawlessly and explained the lessons explicitly. She knew what was she talking about and motivated us and even inspired us to be a better nurse. As far as I recall, we all gave her 100% in her teaching evaluation. She is a wide reader. She explored aspects of the current course that broaden her understanding not only about the subject matter but also to the curriculum. Importantly, we, as a student developed an interest and enthusiasm to study her lesson. I precisely agree that reading makes us a better teacher, more confident, more interested and more aware of what students can not understand. Ultimately, through knowledge base in the hope of becoming an effective teacher can surely be attained if the teacher itself is willing to learn something.

Knowledge base has clearly related to teacher efficacy. Our government, education agency, school administrators should see a real improvement in the quality of teaching and engagement in the subjects they teach. Knowledge base with the use of TPACK (which is very useful nowadays) should be the center of how schools approach professional development on their teachers. It has to be a requirement and right for teachers and students to improve their understanding.

It reinforces the belief that teaching in a particular field is unique, and if you don’t know the field you can’t possibly know anything about how to teach it. Certainly the content—how knowledge of it advances, how it’s organized, what counts as evidence, for example—has implications for how it’s taught.