Reflection Number Three

Reading the passage, Frames, Paradigms and Paradigm Shifts, allowed me to not only gain insight on what a paradigm is but how it is a concept that is applicable and vital to pre-professional educators. As defined by the passage, The Paradigm Shift, a paradigm is sort of skeleton for ones thoughts. It is a method used to understand and give explanation to particular elements of what people title as reality. Though this paradigm is one that sets the foundation for how people view the world, it can be changed; through the process of a paradigm shifting. A paradigm shift is when new information and new experiences cause an individual to change their previous perspective of particular elements. It is when you take what you have learned and add it to what you already know to form a new notion on the matter. Both a paradigm and paradigm shifting, are concepts that can be found ubiquitously, however a prime location where these concepts thrive are in schools; for with the advancement of their knowledge base, children are always changing their viewpoints on previous conceptions.

Prior to reading this passage, I did not have a good understanding of what paradigms and paradigms shifts were. Upon my conclusion of the passage it became evident to me that they it is important to have the ability to identify my own paradigm and the shifts that it has made throughout the years. Of the many I have experienced, the one that continues to outshine the rest is the one that I experienced when I moved from Pennsylvania to South Florida. As a result to where I lived in the North, I was unaware that there were so many different types of cultures. The diversity was very little in my town and I always thought that the world was the same. It was not until I moved to South Florida that I realized just how many different cultures could be found in the United States. It was then I realized that my conceptions of the world and how society functioned was different. I came from an area where everybody knew everybody and people were always aware of what was happening in everybody lives. When I moved to Florida it was then I saw that the real world is not like my old town. I learned that there are many instances where you will live in an area and will not know everyone and all that is occurring in their lives. It wasn’t until I moved to Florida that I truly learned what it meant to be culturally diverse and through my experiences since I have learned that my previous conception of such a term was incorrect for it was only based from my knowledge of my small hometown.

Aside from having the ability to identify my own shifts throughout the years, but it is vital that I, as a pre-professional educator, experience such changes. Being that this country is culturally diverse, there will be many instances, as a teacher that I come across and work through different experiences. By having an open mind and a constant drive to learn new things, it is important that I be able to shift old standpoints ; for this will allow not only me to grow as a person but it will allow me to connect with various types of people and most importantly students.