Karen A. Latimer
Who Am I?
For the 13 years before returning to school I was a stay-at-home parent to two boys and before that I was a software developer. In my years as a stay-at-home parent, would often volunteer at the schools my children attended and for the past 8 years I have been a leader with Scouts Canada. Returning to school was not a decision I took lightly. It would impact my family greatly. Being prepared and keeping organized have been key strategies to a successful return to academic life both in and out of the class.
For the 13 years before returning to school I was a stay-at-home parent to two boys and before that I was a software developer. In my years as a stay-at-home parent, would often volunteer at the schools my children attended and for the past 8 years I have been a leader with Scouts Canada. Returning to school was not a decision I took lightly. It would impact my family greatly. Being prepared and keeping organized have been key strategies to a successful return to academic life both in and out of the class.
Why teaching?
I spend a lot of time reflecting on what it was I wanted to do when I returned to the workforce. After my initial conversation with a student advisor at the faculty of Education I walked through University Centre. I watched the young faces remembering when I was one of them. Specifically, I remembered the moment I realized that in a 3rd year computer science class of approximately 120 students, I was one of 3 girls. Although things have improved, we can do better.
It was at that moment, I decided to enter the faculty of education, to encourage greater gender diversity in the field of Information Technology. Since that moment, I have found so many other reasons I want to become a teacher, not just in the field of computer science but through my love of mathematics and the sciences; although I can bring a unique perspective to a computer science class with practical and professional experience within the industry.
Teaching for me is more than just a career, more than a paycheque, a pension and 2 months paid vacation. To me, teaching is a higher calling. Our impact is no much greater than the 6 hours a day we interact with our students. We should be willing to change lives and change the world through the way we deliver our lessons and relate to our students.
I spend a lot of time reflecting on what it was I wanted to do when I returned to the workforce. After my initial conversation with a student advisor at the faculty of Education I walked through University Centre. I watched the young faces remembering when I was one of them. Specifically, I remembered the moment I realized that in a 3rd year computer science class of approximately 120 students, I was one of 3 girls. Although things have improved, we can do better.
It was at that moment, I decided to enter the faculty of education, to encourage greater gender diversity in the field of Information Technology. Since that moment, I have found so many other reasons I want to become a teacher, not just in the field of computer science but through my love of mathematics and the sciences; although I can bring a unique perspective to a computer science class with practical and professional experience within the industry.
Teaching for me is more than just a career, more than a paycheque, a pension and 2 months paid vacation. To me, teaching is a higher calling. Our impact is no much greater than the 6 hours a day we interact with our students. We should be willing to change lives and change the world through the way we deliver our lessons and relate to our students.
Education Philosophy
As a parent, I would always try to give my kids unique experiences – to create memories. This can also work in the classroom. By giving students experiences through projects, labs and other activities their learning becomes personal. In the computer science field projects are inherently built in to the foundations.
"Give a person a fish, feed them for a day, teach a person to fish you can feed them for life." This sums up my philosophy succinctly. By using Inquiry-Based learning or Project-Based learning we can appeal to students’ sense of curiosity and teaching them important problem solving skills and to think outside the box. I was able to experience some of this first hand when volunteering in a grade 9 class working with a group of girls wanting to build an Arduino robot. Assessing Inquiry-Based learning can prove challenging, but if you picture a science fair or STEM fair how do you evaluate the work? Has the student developed an appropriate hypothesis? Have multiple sources been used to give differing opinions? Can the student reflect on what they have learned? Can the student properly explain and defend their position or result? In a computer science classroom some may think that adding elements of inquiry would prove difficult, but since there is an element of creative thinking and a huge element of problem solving, it is an excellent environment for such a method.
Secondary to Inquiry-Based learning there are several elements I like to incorporate within a lesson and as part of the classroom in general; including elements of culture or “other ways of knowing” within a lesson and learning about both local and global cultures can give students a sense of being a part of a global community, become accepting of diversity in and out of the classroom and showing role models and historic figures outside the Eurocentric, male dominated norm. Again, in a technical subject one much be creative to implement. Creating assignments that incorporate culture could include different algorithms, games or folklore.
Within lessons I like to incorporate different types of resources and perspectives not only to connect with the tech savvy and media consuming youth of today but to keep things fresh and appeal to all senses. In the past I have used different types of multi-media including music, videos, photos, pop culture and social media. In addition, the use of different technologies can also provide communication with students and their parents in a way that is familiar and engage with students on their level.
As a parent, I would always try to give my kids unique experiences – to create memories. This can also work in the classroom. By giving students experiences through projects, labs and other activities their learning becomes personal. In the computer science field projects are inherently built in to the foundations.
"Give a person a fish, feed them for a day, teach a person to fish you can feed them for life." This sums up my philosophy succinctly. By using Inquiry-Based learning or Project-Based learning we can appeal to students’ sense of curiosity and teaching them important problem solving skills and to think outside the box. I was able to experience some of this first hand when volunteering in a grade 9 class working with a group of girls wanting to build an Arduino robot. Assessing Inquiry-Based learning can prove challenging, but if you picture a science fair or STEM fair how do you evaluate the work? Has the student developed an appropriate hypothesis? Have multiple sources been used to give differing opinions? Can the student reflect on what they have learned? Can the student properly explain and defend their position or result? In a computer science classroom some may think that adding elements of inquiry would prove difficult, but since there is an element of creative thinking and a huge element of problem solving, it is an excellent environment for such a method.
Secondary to Inquiry-Based learning there are several elements I like to incorporate within a lesson and as part of the classroom in general; including elements of culture or “other ways of knowing” within a lesson and learning about both local and global cultures can give students a sense of being a part of a global community, become accepting of diversity in and out of the classroom and showing role models and historic figures outside the Eurocentric, male dominated norm. Again, in a technical subject one much be creative to implement. Creating assignments that incorporate culture could include different algorithms, games or folklore.
Within lessons I like to incorporate different types of resources and perspectives not only to connect with the tech savvy and media consuming youth of today but to keep things fresh and appeal to all senses. In the past I have used different types of multi-media including music, videos, photos, pop culture and social media. In addition, the use of different technologies can also provide communication with students and their parents in a way that is familiar and engage with students on their level.