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Open Pedagogy Master Class Blogs

A compilation of blogs from participants in the Open Pedagogy Master Class cohorts.

Writer. Academic librarian. Information connoisseur.

Some ideas have to grow. Some ideas just have to be dumped into the lake.

My hope for the future of education is democratizing of opportunities for all–through access, affordability,  individualized pathways, collaborative work on real-world problems, content creation, ownership of determining knowledge relevance and self-determination, and new technologies that will afford differently-abled persons to actualize their best life.

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Open Pedagogy Master Class Blog - Neeta Primo

Reflective Journal: Entry #1
Examining Beliefs

What are your hopes for education, particularly for higher education?
This is a tough question for me . . . there is so much that I wish for education. My hope is knowledge would be accessible, inclusive, and attainable by all. I hope that high education provides students with the ability to innovate, to manage conflict, to work in teams, and to be generous of spirit. As I write this, I wonder if that is really my hope for society in general.
What vision do you work toward when you design your daily professional practices in and out of the classroom?
In a former position, I created a series of leadership development courses and we discussed “Finding Your Why” by Simon Sinek. The basic concept is is not about what we do or how we do it, but what drives us is why we do something. Based on this concept, I came up with my Why-statement: To teach, to empower, to connect others so they can build something great together. While I have refined this statement over time, it guides both my professional and personal life. If the work I am doing is fulfilling my why, then I feel good, satisfied, and complete. If not, I then wonder why I’m taking the time and effort for it.

How do you see the roles of the learner and the teacher?
In my teaching, I see the roles of learner and teacher similar to coach and player. The teacher, with the content knowledge and experience, is a coach - providing a plan, offering advice, and giving encouragement when needed. They are there for the students’s failures and successes. The student is the player. They are the one putting in the effort for learning, practicing, asking for help, taking feedback and building upon it, and pushing towards the win. They lean on their teacher for guidance and support, but it is their game to play.
What challenges do your students face in their learning environments, and how does your pedagogy address them?
Teaching at a community college means that student bring a lot of stress and outside concerns to the classroom. They struggle with life issues such as having enough food, money to pay for gas, finding appropriate child care, caring for an ill relative, etc. There are a few who have school as the top priority, but there are many others who struggle to make it all work. In response to this, my teaching philosophy has really been about active learning - including the students as a partner on the learning journey. I have also become much more flexible over time - finding creative ways for students to meet the learning goals despite their obstacles at home.

Coordinator of Instructional Design and Online Learning