The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. But education which stops with efficiency may prove the greatest menace to society. The most dangerous criminal may be the man gifted with reason but no morals. … We must remember that intelligence is not enough. Intelligence plus character — that is the goal of true education”
— Martin Luther King Jr., speech at Morehouse College, 1948.
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“Wisdom begins with wonder” — Socrates.
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“The purpose of education is not to just get a grade, but to gain knowledge, unlock your imagination, and be a well-rounded individual who can speak intelligently on any and all topics. Be that person not because you can, but because you want to”
–– my own thoughts on the subject
As a first-generation, international and a non-traditional student, now instructor, I aspire to challenge my students to engage with higher learning by relentlessly questioning the information they consume and get exposed to through various mass communication forms.
One of my first and main goals as an educator is to motivate my students to come into the (virtual) classroom with a desire to learn and engage. Infusing my online courses with materials and assessments that are timely and relevant is an effective way to garner that desire, regardless of my students’ ages, abilities, cultures, ethnicities, gender identities, languages, religions, and sexual orientations. My courses often feature hands-on learning approaches and require the use of various digital tools and applications. For example, I often utilize web or blog platforms to engage my students in online content creation in place of traditional paper assignments. These open-ended assignments stimulate critical thought development, creative expression, and spirited research, all while helping my students carve out a visually appealing and professional online presence in the form of their own, usually first, digital portfolio. Most of my students seem to greatly appreciate and enjoy working online, as based on several years of evaluation data, and this approach to assignments has been one of the most highly praised components of my courses.
When my students are engrossed by information and tasks they can relate to, they are also more willing to engage, and engagement is my second main goal. Creating a lively discussion on a timely topic, for example, can empower students to become leaders, it can help them open up and feel heard, it can help them build connections with others. Effectively engaging also helps build a solid community, which is my third, and just as important goal. To achieve this, I engage my students with group projects, which can further enhance their abilities to collaborate in the virtual world all while gaining a variety of diverse perspectives from their peers.
Some of my students are often afraid to engage in open dialogues and express their opinions, which is why my next goal is to strongly encourage discussions on media-related representation, diversity, and equity topics. I have observed that such discussions, both in person and online, foster a highly inclusive environment that allows students to open-up to one another and to learn from each other.
While I strongly believe that motivation, engagement, community, and diversity are key in an (online) academic environment, education is much more than just taking a required class and earning a grade. As a former first generation and international student, I encourage heart-to-heart conversations with my students about the joys of learning and the opportunities higher education has to offer by giving examples with my own educational journey. I do so with the full intent to encourage my students to go beyond the minimum and to even pursue graduate level degrees as the latter is not just a luxury, but also a necessity in today’s highly competitive professional environment.
As an educator and a life-long learner myself, I know I will also continue to grow, evolve and adapt my methods in the classroom to keep up with both my students and with modern technologies. Evaluating student feedback and criticism as well as being open to new practices, doing experiments, observing, and immersing myself in the subject matter are and will continue to be valuable approaches to my own teaching and professional development too.
