Hello Everyone! My name is Shalee Konojacki and this is my oh-so-fabulous ePortfolio which I have created for the EDU 210 class through the University of Alberta. I intend to use this portfolio as a platform for collecting, organizing and reflecting on the various media types that I will be exposed to through EDU 210. I am looking forward to exploring the uses of media and technology in the context of education.  

 

On a more personal note -- I presently hold a Bachelor of Music in Performance Piano and have been teaching piano for ten years both in my home studio as well as at the Alberta College Conservatory of Music. I consider myself first and foremost an educator -- teaching is my passion, music is my obsession. I have created a website for my home studio which gives a more music focused bio as well as other contact information that will give you a more well rounded picture of me! Click here to check it out! I love working with elementary aged students and would like to expand my teaching skills. Currently, I am in my first year of the After Degree program in Elementary Education.  

 

My current teaching credo is:

 

I believe that education is a process of instilling lifelong curiosity and satisfaction in creativity and discovery. I know that I’ve succeeded as a teacher when a student will apply what they have previously learned in a new situation. This is the key end benefit to education. Its not about students learning specific facts or any specific body of knowledge, its about the student finding meaning and worth in what they have experienced. The words of Jean Piaget encapsulate my philosophy of education: “. . . what is the goal of education? Are we forming children who are only capable of learning what is already known? Or should we try to develop creative and innovative minds, capable of discovery from the preschool age on, throughout life?”. My experiences as a music teacher has taught me that its not about notes and rhythms and all the intricacies of execution but the approach to problem solving and the appreciation of art that a student carries with them throughout their life.