I created this blog for a couple of reasons.
At the beginning of my career, I told myself that I would change careers once I got comfortable teaching the same material in the same manner over and over again, year after year. I did not want to become someone who was marking time, waiting for retirement or fading slowly away. My students deserve better . . . and so do I. Fortunately, that scenario has not come to pass.
Although I have been a teacher, mostly at the secondary level, for over twenty years, I find that I still have new techniques to learn, new material to explore, new students to motivate. I am also particularly excited by the advent of the world wide web and the incredible opportunities social media sites like YouTube have created. I created this blog as a way of keeping track of my thoughts -- and sharing them with you -- as I continue to evolve as a life-long learner and educator.
Just a couple of years ago, I began a doctoral program in education at the University of San Francisco. As a professional, I found sitting on the other side of the desk after so many years one of the best moves I could have made. My teaching is invigorated. I have taken my twenty-plus years of teaching experience and brought that perspective to my doctoral studies. As a result, those classes have become wonderful opportunities to reflect upon past teaching practices and improve upon any future instruction. The instructors in my program, as well as my fellow doctoral students, are incredible individuals. They have helped me return new and exciting ideas to my own classroom as well as stretched me as a human being.
One of those new ideas is FerranteMath. Last year, I created FerranteMath on my own YouTube channel so students and their parents could see firsthand, online lessons generated by me and my students for different problems and concepts covered in my Algebra classes. At the same time, I have discovered a whole new world of user-generated content that is insightful, motivating, and renewing. I wish I would have had this resource growing up! Check it out.
http://www.youtube.com/ferrantemath
The other reason for creating this blog is to share on occasion, different personal reflections and essays on various topics in education. I am well aware that education is a life-long process and, as such, ideas can evolve and change over time. I would like to share that journey with you.
I hope you enjoy the site.
