To be fairly honest, I have never really thought about the details that go into teaching a class before this year. I always just assumed that teachers showed up and taught a subject. I never thought about the goals that teachers had and the amount of planning that went into that class. Yet, as we have delved into the education sector of digital media literacy in the last couple of weeks, I have began noticing the material that my professors bring to class and imagine them preparing for that lecture days before. I have started to imagine my political science professor rehearsing his seemingly non-stop hour-long lectures. It’s almost artful.

Teaching at the Middlebury Union Middle School forced me to reflect on America’s current education dilemma.

Mrs. SantaMaria’s class was very exemplary of the modern American educational experience. It has clearly made strives as far as the introduction of technology goes (providing students with netbooks), but still has some flaws that alienate students from the full experience. The path to creating a more successful education system in America is making early pathways for students who seem disinterested in learning. Primary education teachers need to create more engaging material from a young age in order to develop a mindset in which students of all backgrounds are able to enjoy school. I believe that we have the resources to pull this off. We simply need to be able to create a structure that effectively funds and incentivizes education programs with a multitude of entry points. Overall, the experience was exciting and made me reflect on my primary educational experience greatly.

– Murph