My teaching, research, and service activities are shaped by three common and related aims of my scholarship: 1. Explore technologies, electronic portfolios and teacher performance assessment that help both students and teachers, 2. Examine handheld devices with innovative educational framework to meet new wave of technologies, and 3. Involve a collaborative partnership of university, community agencies and organizations, and residents to achieve the first two aims. The incorporation of these aims into all levels of my scholarship (research, teaching, service) provides cohesiveness to my work, which enables me to be more efficient, effective, and productive. 

More and more K–12 school teachers are using handheld technologies in classrooms. The mobile nature of handheld technologies is often seen as an integral characteristic in facilitating both collaborative learning and flexible learning arrangements. Since both portable electronic devices and concepts about the learning environment are rapidly evolving, teachers need to be aware of technologies and classroom arrangements that can help improve student performance and classroom experiences.

The framework for professional development begins with an individual student electronic portfolio maintained for the collection of materials from courses and field experiences with elements of their learning linked to approved performance standards. The second stage is the selection of key documents and evidence of best teaching practices to create a portfolio to present a comprehensive depiction of academic preparation, performance, pedagogy, and practice to faculty and assessors. The third and final stage of the process is an evolving repository of self-selected professional items for career use as the student transfers from the campus setting to the world of work.

With the advent and integration of modern technology, there has been a dramatic change in both students’ and teachers’ lives. Technology informs both students and teachers as they communicate, collaborate, and engage with everyday school activities. This engagement demands that instructors make decisions when guiding students on how to access the vast amount of information available via the internet. Because the Internet has and continues to open a new ground for information gathering and sharing, it is vital that instructors understand that there is credible information and incredible information. Society no longer depends on one source for information which allows us to question authorities, administrators, doctors, judges, journalists or professors with the click of a button. While having a nearly unlimited access to knowledge, we must become critical thinkers and consumers when deciphering between good and bad information. As a result, my teaching philosophy is to help students become critical thinkers in all the classes I have the privilege to teach. Most notably, I employ techniques that encourage the learner to think about the information they are consuming when I teach social informatics and electronic portfolio production. To facilitate the process of encouraging learners to become critical thinkers, several things must occur and I will outline them in the following paragraphs.

A large part of teaching is figuring out how people learn best. I believe that each student is a unique individual who needs a stimulating atmosphere in which to grow intellectually and socially. It is my desire as an educator to help students meet their full potential. To achieve this, I follow a three-step approach. First, I study the theoretical implication of social foundations of education in relation to social informatics and learning and then develop an electronic portfolios framework to underpin the proposition. Second, in the absence of suitable social informatics learning environments, I develop a social informatics platform to support the electronic portfolios framework. Finally, I apply the theoretical framework and platform in a real-world context.

The rest of my teaching philosophy commences with related theory, namely social foundations   of education and social informatics learning through social collaboration forms and presentation of an electronic portfolios framework. It then presents the developed platform as an enabling means of theoretical work and their application in a university course. When I integrate technological tools in the classroom, students interact with real data and solve open-ended problems. Integrating technology in this manner places much of responsibility for negotiating meaning in the hands of the students. This student-centered approach allows students to start with what they know and builds their own understanding. The integration of content, pedagogy, and instructional technology when constructing knowledge promotes a rich and engaging learning environment for students.

With the rapid changes in technology, as an instructor, I welcome the possibility of developing process-oriented ways of teaching and evaluation in keeping with the multifaceted nature of culture and society. With ever expanding use of networked computers that provide access to the internet, I have opportunities and challenges for creating better instructional material to teach social informatics and electronic portfolios and making more effective use of these materials than was previously possible. One of the fascinating aspects of education is that technological advances have enhanced the potential of collaborative learning and peer-learning, where learners can become active participants and co-producers of knowledge. This provides students the opportunity for additional horizontal educational structures and contexts. 

A key component in the social informatics and electronic portfolios is keeping the students motivated. My teaching style brings passion, social elements, and technology into the classroom to increase learning motivation. Teaching technology in the classroom and electronic portfolios enable me to draw upon my own social foundations of education and personal experience as I teach my students to effectively communicate with me through different media tools and gain an appreciation for rapidly evolving technologies. 

My objective as an instructor is to motivate my students to a level of independence where they develop a desire to go beyond course requirements and think for themselves. To reach this end, I outline in the course syllabus things that involve interactions, collaborations, and engagements. I consider classroom innovations that permit dialogue and foster a degree of student input into curricula and grading criteria. I encourage students to think about the class as a community.  In all social foundations and technology classes, I have students spend a fair amount of time in smaller groups in which they not only talk and think together but write together. This approach demonstrates the application of theoretical concepts and bridges the gap between theory and practice. I believe that the cultural-technological approach to teaching social foundations of education keep students interested and motivated, and nurtures students’ critical thinking.

Students today learn and live in a world characterized by dramatic cultural, economic, social and educational differences. Individual circumstances depend largely on where a person is born and raised. This complex cultural situation in which students are struggling to find direction in their lives or simply to survive, to improve their future aspiration, and to develop their identities has been given different names. Some call it the information or informational age, while others prefer the term techno-culture or techno-capitalism, or simply globalization, referring to the dialectic process in which the global and the local exist.

In closing, I want to reiterate my desire to contribute to the long-term upward trajectory in the department of Teaching and Learning through my research, teaching, and service. I believe my competency, desire, and willingness to engage a myriad of technology-related issues through the professional domains align with the qualifications articulated in the UI College of Education.

As a professor, my service to the community and faculty role encompasses a wide range of responsibilities and contributions. Here are some key areas where I have had positive impact:

Teaching and mentoring: My primary role as a professor I provide high-quality education to students. By designing engaging and effective content, employing innovative teaching methods, and fostering a supportive learning environment, help students develop their knowledge, critical thinking skills, and professional capabilities. Additionally, mentoring students and providing guidance in their academic and career paths which is invaluable in their personal and professional growth.

Research and scholarship: Engaging in research and scholarly activities is vital to advancing knowledge in my field and contributing to academic discourse. By conducting rigorous research, publishing scholarly articles, and presenting at conferences, I contribute to the body of knowledge and inspire other scholars and students. Collaborating with colleagues on research projects and seeking external funding which enhances my research impact.

Service to the institution: Serving UI through committee work, participation in departmental activities, and administrative roles is an essential part of being a professor. This involvement helps shape policies, contribute to decision-making processes, and support the overall functioning of the institution. By actively engaging in service roles, I help create a positive and effective academic community.

Community engagement and outreach: Extending my expertise and knowledge beyond the academic setting allows me to make a meaningful impact on the broader community. This involves collaborating with local organizations, providing expertise, and consulting services, conducting workshops or training programs, and engaging in public speaking events. By sharing my expertise with the community, I contribute to the betterment of society and foster positive relationships between the academic institution and the broader public.

Professional development and continuous learning: As a professor, it is important to stay updated with the latest developments in my field and continually enhance my teaching and research skills. Attending conferences, workshops, and seminars, pursuing further education, and actively engaging in professional associations to improve my effectiveness as an educator and researcher.