Educational Philosophy Essay

EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY
AUDREY SOMAN
MIAMI DADE COLLEGE


Abstract


This essay will describe my personal educational philosophy that I believe in. This information I used will be based on the survey I took in Professor Mcnair EDF 1005 class. It was an outline survey that contained 0ver one hundred questions. All questions relates to school and teaching. Subjects were to be indicated by agreement or disagreement on the questions. The questions range from five to one. A number five indicates I strongly agree. A four indicates I agree. A three indicates I neither agree nor disagree. A number two indicates I disagree and a number one indicates I strongly disagree. The responses are then interpreted and finally tallied. Each column contains an educational philosophy. There are five educational philosophies that corresponded to the survey. They are Essentialism, Perennialism, Progressivism, Social Reconstructivism and Existentialism. By using this survey it will be a guide. This survey help individuals have a better understanding on educational philosophy (Teachers, School, and Society).





Educational philosophy is methods that are used in conjunction with how things will be carried out, in this case education. Philosophy of education covers how children learn, the role education plays in the lives of children and the method of information being imparted to the children. Education philosophy also covers helping children develop the skills needed to think for themselves and teaching children to learn about morals and values. The concept of education is tied together with educational philosophy. It describe who will be the authority figure and the research used in education (Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Philosophy of Education Online).
I got to take the Educational Philosophy Survey. I score highest in Essentialism and Progressivism. What I believe is that school is important and vital as Essentialism. On the other hand Essentialism believes that subjects should be taught with dynamics and with a method to teaching (http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/ed416/PP3.html). Subjects should be core and include areas such as mathematics, reading and writing (http://www.helium.com/items/424989-the-five-key-educational-philosophies). The teacher’s role is to instill respect for authority (Teachers, School, and Society).
The teacher’s role is to teach subjects that will involve training, knowledge and understanding. Teachers and administrator determine the curriculum in Essentialism and most of the emphasis is placed on the teacher. In Essentialism testing is very important; they believe that when students leave school they would know how to master real life situations. Reason being is that a student should not advance to another level until they first master that level. Essentialism believes that children should be taught how to be loyal to their country. It also believes that developing of character is important. (http://www.msubillings.edu/COEFaculty/Hobbs/Perspectives.htm). This type of Philosophy is teacher centered and not much focus is placed on elective subjects (Teachers, Schools and Society).
I also believe in Progressivism. I believe the needs of the student are important and each person is an individual and unique and as a teacher one should focus on that uniqueness. On the other hand Progressivism believes that education should be based on principals. They believe that students learn best when placed in real life situations and interaction is important (http://www.helium.com/items/424989-the-five-key-educational-philosophies?page=3). They believe that children love to explorer. They believe that this exploration similar to a scientist is what produces learning for the real world. Teachers conduct reading drills that focuses on the needs of the individual student (Teacher, School and Society).
They believe children learn by hands on experiences. On the other hand Progressivism believes that teachers help students create meaningful ideas to questions and create strategies to answer those questions. The only way to find out if that answer is correct is to conduct a test (http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/ed416/PP3.html). If the answer can be used in the real world then it is worthy. In this philosophy children work in small group type settings. Freedom to move and talk is permitted in progressivism. The teacher is actively involved in this classroom by walking around and offering assistance. Other students are engaged in conversation and interaction with the teacher. In Progressivism testing is not a priority. Student’s intellectual abilities are challenged in Progressivism. This is a child centered philosophy. Improving youths for society is vital in Progressivism.
Teacher and students work together to create a curriculum that will work best (Teacher, School and Society) and (http://www.msubillings.edu/COEFaculty/Hobbs/Perspectives.htm).
These are my educational philosophies that I believe in. On one hand in Essentialism the teacher is the focus of the learning process and determining how to deliver that knowledge. On the other hand in Progressivism the student is the focus and what the student determines is important and vital.












References
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Philosophy of Education Online Educational philosophy is methods that are used in conjunction with how things will be carried out, in this case education (Para 1 sent 1-5 pg 1).
http://www.helium.com/items/424989-the-five-key-educational-philosophies Subjects should be core and include areas such as mathematics, reading and writing (Para 2 sent 4 pg 3). They believe that students learn best when placed in real life situations and interaction is important (Para 4 sent 4 pg 4).

http://www.msubillings.edu/COEFaculty/Hobbs/Perspectives.htm The teacher’s role is to teach subjects that will involve training, knowledge and understanding (Para 3 sent 1-5 pg 3-4). Teacher and students work together to create a curriculum that will work best (Para5 sent 4-10 pg 5-6). http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/ed416/PP3.html On the other hand Essentialism believes that subjects should be taught with dynamics and with a method to teaching (Para 2 sent 3 pg 3). The only way to find out if that answer is correct is to conduct a test (Para 5 sent 3 pg 4).
Teachers, Schools and Society This survey help individuals have a better understanding on educational philosophy most of the entire essay and the abstract is based on this reference. This type of Philosophy is teacher centered and not much focus is placed on elective subjects (Para 3 sent 6 pg 4). The teacher is actively involved in this classroom by walking around and offering assistance (Para 5 sent 4-9 pg 4-5).








Your Educational Philosophy
adapted by J. McNair (2004)
Each of us as teachers has a set of beliefs about how people learn and should be taught. What you teach, how you teach it, and the expectations you have for students will be influenced by this philosophy.

Instructions: Read each of the following statements about the nature of education. As you read each statement, determine if it truly reflects your own beliefs about teaching and learning. Decide the extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement. Use the following scale to indicate your response.
Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree
5 4 3 2 1
1.

I believe in the” traditional" or "Back to the Basics" approach to education
2.
I believe that the school is a microcosm of society.
3.
I believe that there is no universal reality, only what individual perceives it to be
4.
I believe that a general, liberal humanities education is essential in order to shape the rational mind.
5.
I believe that schools should take the lead to reconstruct society.
6.
I believe that human beings are shaped entirely by their external environment.
7.
I believe concept development and deep understanding are the goals of learning rather than behaviors and skills.
8.
I believe that the mind is the central element of reality.
9.
I believe that students should be provided with a real-world curriculum with an emphasis on problem-solving.
10.
I believe that education is aimed at development of the whole person.
11.
I believe that the purpose of education is to prepare the student for adult life.
12.
I believe that students should be taught ways to deal with major crises.
13.
I believe that behavior modification can be used to shape learning.
14.
I believe the knowledge is not acquired; it is constructed i.e. built up by trial and error on prior learning and discoveries.
15.
I believe that knowing requires the ability to observe and measure the physical world accurately.
16.
I believe that classrooms should be designed for experiential learning (e.g., labs, art rooms, woodshops, and kitchens).
17.
I believe subject matter is less important than developing a positive self-concept, self-knowledge, self responsibility.
18.
I believe that learning the "three Rs" (e.g., reading, writing, and math) should be a primary goal of education.
19.
I believe that man's purpose is to transform his world and the school should be the place where s/he learns to do this.
20.
I believe that learning consists of assimilating the objective reality of the physical world.
21.
I believe that teachers are coordinators, facilitators, resource advisors, tutors or coaches.
22.
I believe education should instill in students the "essentials" of academic knowledge and character development.
23.
I believe that students learn from each other, so schools should emphasize cooperative group learning experiences.
24.
I believe that students should have great latitude in choosing subject matter.
25.
I believe that a teacher-centered curriculum is the best curriculum.
26.
I believe that through dialogue with others, people can gradually perceive personal and social reality as well as the contradictions in it.
27.
I believe that teachers are responsible for engineering the instructional setting, providing reinforcement, and individualizing the teaching-learning process as needed.
28.
I believe that the teacher’s role is to introduce new ideas or cultural tools where necessary and to provide the support and guidance for students to make sense of these for themselves.
29.
I believe that that there is a core body of knowledge, including both classical and contemporary disciplines that all people need to have in order to function productively in society.
30.
I believe that schools should constantly broaden their curricula, making education more relevant to the needs and interests of students.
31.
I believe the student must find out who they are before they can work with others.
32.
I believe that the great ideas of the western world as found in its great literature are a repository of knowledge and wisdom, a tradition of culture which must initiate each generation.
33.
I believe that the breakdown of traditional distinctions between knowledge disciplines, as well as between high and popular culture, is an important step in educating people.
34.
I believe that if you alter a person's environment, you will alter his or her thoughts, feelings, and behavior.
35.
I believe that learning is an active process in which learners construct new ideas or concepts based upon their current/past knowledge.
36.
I believe that schools should not try to radically reshape society.
37.
I believe that students should be taught that the physical universe as real and fundamental.
38.
I believe that teachers should allow students to ask their own questions, do their own investigations, and come to their own conclusions.
39.
I believe that most of the great ideas that have lasted over centuries are as relevant today as when they were first conceived.
40.
I believe the schools should be seen as a resource for the larger community.
41.
I believe that learning is a measurable change in behavior.
42.
I believe learning requires self-regulation and the building of conceptual structures through reflection and abstraction.
43.
I believe that schools should transmit the traditional moral values and intellectual knowledge that students need to become model citizens
44.
I believe that learners are problem solvers who naturally develop by exploring questions of interest to them.
45.
I believe that we possess free will to shape our innermost nature.
46.
I believe that the development of the intellect is the sole purpose of education.
47.
I believe that teachers and members of the community become co-owners of the school and in doing so collectively determine what is taught, how the school is organized, and what role the school might play in the affairs of the community and neighborhood agencies.
48.
I believe that there is no such thing as free will.
49.
I believe knowledge construction is a process of solving problems.
50.
I believe that teachers should instill in students such traditional American virtues as respect for authority, perseverance, fidelity to duty, consideration for others, and practicality.
51.
I believe that students should be taught that that the one constant truth about the universe is the existence of change.
52.
I believe that individuals are responsible for determining for themselves what is "true" or "false," "right" or "wrong," "beautiful" or "ugly."
53.
I believe that that the best way to develop one’s intellect is through rigorously studying the enduring truths of humankind contained in the classics of Western culture.
54.
I believe that the school can be used as a strategic site for addressing social problems and helping students understand what it means to exercise rights and responsibilities.
55.
I believe that positive, not negative reinforcement is the preferred approach to modifying behavior.
56.
I believe that the learner's beliefs, attitudes, and mental model are crucial factors in learning.
57.
I believe that instruction in natural science is more important than non-scientific disciplines such as philosophy or comparative religion.
58.
I believe that students should be taught that as we alter our relationship with our environment, we ourselves are made different by the experience.
59.
I believe there exists no universal form of human nature; each of us has the free will to develop as we see fit.
60.
I believe that education should strive to develop our capacity to reason.
61.
I believe that schools should foster public values and not merely advance excessive individuals, competitiveness, and intellectual consumerism."
62.
I believe that if you use positive reinforcement whenever students perform a desired behavior, they will learn to perform the behavior on their own.
63.
I believe that authentic experience helps the learner construct new knowledge and understanding.
64.
I believe that basic academic skills and knowledge be taught to all students.
65.
I believe that students should be taught the principles of democracy and freedom espoused in America.
66.
I believe that subject matter takes second place to helping the students understand and appreciate themselves as unique individuals who accept complete responsibility for their thoughts, feelings, and actions.
67.
I believe that students' interests or experiences should not dictate what teachers teach.
68.
I believe that the existing systems of schooling must give teachers more power to control their own work conditions and to implement educational decisions and strategies.
69.
I believe that the only reality is the physical world that we discern through careful, scientific observation.
70.
I believe that the context in which learning takes place is important.
71.
I believe that the worth of any knowledge is measured by how much an individual needs that knowledge to become a productive member of society.
72.
I believe that no knowledge is privileged over another and that the knowledge of the most value is the knowledge that the learner wants to know own preferred way.
73.
I believe that the teacher's role is to help students define their own essence by exposing them to various paths they may take in life and creating an environment in which they may freely choose their own preferred way.
74.
I believe that good teaching consists of whatever tried and true methods believed to be most conducive to disciplining the students' minds.
75.
I believe that school buildings should be limited in size to permit teachers and others to provide a sense of democratic community for themselves and their students.
76.
I believe that people and other animals act only in response to internally or externally generated physical stimuli.
77.
I believe that dialogue and other cooperative activities promote learning.
78.
I believe that such traditional disciplines as math, natural science, history, foreign language, and literature form the foundation of a good curriculum
79.
I believe that book learning is no substitute for actually doing things.
80.
I believe that since feeling is not divorced from reason in decision making, we must insist on the education of the whole person, not just the mind.
81.
I believe that since all human beings possess the same essential nature -- We are all rational animals -- there should be a universal curriculum rooted in the great ideas of the western world.
82.
I believe that schools should provide teachers an opportunity to exercise power over the conditions of their work.
83.
I believe human nature is neither good nor bad, but merely the product of one's environment.
84.
I believe that the learner selects and transforms information, constructs hypotheses, and makes decisions, relying on a cognitive structure to do so.
85.
I believe that vocational, life-adjustment, or other courses with "watered down" academic content. Are unnecessary “frills” and should not have a place in a good curriculum.
86.
I believe that knowledge is acquired and expanded as we apply our previous experiences to solving new, meaningful problems.
87.
I believe students should be afforded great latitude in their choice of subject matter.
88.
I believe that all human beings possess the same essential nature: We are all rational animals.
89.
I believe that teachers should not lose their connection to the neighborhoods they are intended to serve.
90.
I believe that it is not human nature but defective environments that are responsible for harmful things that people do to themselves and others.
91.
I believe that cognitive structure (i.e., schema, mental models) provides meaning and organization to experiences and allows the individual to "go beyond the information given.
92.
I believe that primary school students should receive instruction in skills such as writing, reading, measurement, and computers.
93.
I believe that education is a reconstruction of experience, an opportunity to apply previous experiences in new ways.
94.
I believe a good curriculum offers students a wide variety of options from which to choose.
95.
I believe that allowing students to take vocational or life-adjustment courses denies them the opportunity to fully develop their rational powers.
96.
I believe that teachers should construct curricula that draw upon the cultural resources that students bring with them to the school.
97.
I believe that all school time and energy should be focused on the desired learning.
98.
I believe that the task of the instructor is to translate information to be learned into a format appropriate to the learner's current state of understanding.
99.
I believe that even while learning art and music, students must be required to master a body of information and basic techniques, gradually moving from less to more complex skills and detailed knowledge.
100.
I believe that people learn best from what they consider most relevant to their lives. As such a school’s curriculum should place at its center the experiences, interests, and abilities of students.
101.
I believe that the humanities should be given tremendous emphasis in the curriculum.
102.
I believe that universal spiritual forms--such as those posited by Plato or by theological philosophers--are as real as the material world we interact with each day.
103.
I believe that teachers must be able to critically analyze the ideologies, values, and interests that inform their role as teachers and the cultural politics they promote in the classroom.
104.
I believe the role of teachers is to interpret meaning and events for the student.
105.
I believe instruction must be concerned with the experiences and contexts that make the student willing and able to learn (readiness).
106.
I believe that only by mastering the required material for their grade level should students be promoted to the next higher grade.
107.
I believe that in addition to reading textbooks, the students must learn by doing.
108.
I believe that students can learn from vicarious experiences that will help unleash their own creativity and self-expression.
109.
I believe that the study of philosophy is a crucial part of the curriculum.
110.
I believe that all teacher actions and behaviors presuppose some notion of what it means to be a citizen and a future society and to the degree that schools are actively engaged in the production of discourses that provide others with a sense of identity, community, and possibility; they must be responsible and reflective about their actions.
111.
I believe that moral standards ought to be derived from the scientific observation of human behavior.
112.
I believe that the teacher should try and encourage students to discover principles by themselves.
113.
I believe that teachers and administrators should decide what is most important for students to learn.
114.
I believe that students should be encouraged to interact with one another and to develop social virtues such as cooperation and tolerance for different points of view.
115.
I believe that focusing upon the actions of historical individuals, each of whom provides possible models for the students' own behavior and character.
116.
I believe that students should be taught about the processes by which scientific truths have been discovered.
117.
I believe that teachers and students must be able to analyze their relationship with the larger society in order to critically apprehend themselves as social agents capable of recognizing how they might be complicit with forms of oppression and human suffering.
118.
I believe that learners can gain the same understanding from teacher directed instruction.
119.
I believe learning must start with the issues around which students are actively trying to construct meaning.
120.
I believe that achievement test scores are valid and necessary means for evaluating progress.
121.
I believe that teachers should expose students to many new scientific, technological, and social developments because progress and change are fundamental.
122.
I believe vocational education is useful as a means of teaching students about themselves and their potential than of earning a livelihood.
123.
I believe that students should not be taught information that may soon be obsolete or found to be incorrect because of future scientific and technological findings.
124.
I believe that teachers and students must have a language of possibility, one that allows them to think in terms of the not yet, to speak the unrepresentable, and to imagine social relations outside of the existing configuration of power.
125.
I believe that teachers should be specific about what students are expected to learn, and they communicate these expectations clearly to their pupils.
126.
I believe learning is a search for meaning.
127.
I believe that students should be taught to be "culturally literate," that is, to possess a working knowledge about the people, events, ideas, and institutions that have shaped American society.
128.
I believe students be exposed to a more democratic curriculum that recognizes accomplishments of women and minorities as well as white males.
129.
I believe that individual creativity and imagination should be encouraged rather than mimicking and imitating established models.
130.
I believe that schools should spend more time teaching about concepts and explaining how these concepts are meaningful to students.
131.
I believe the student must be able to understand how power works productively through the poetics of imagination, that is, they must be able to distinguish between reality as a fact and existences a possibility.
132.
I believe that student success should be rewarded; failure should not be accepted.
133.
I believe meaning requires understanding wholes as well as parts. And parts must be understood in the context of wholes. Therefore, the learning process focuses on primary concepts, not isolated facts.
134.
I believe that when students leave school, they should possess not only basic skills and an extensive body of knowledge, but also disciplined, practical minds, capable of applying schoolhouse.
135.
I believe that student should attempt to solve in the classroom problems that are similar to those they will encounter outside of the schoolhouse.
136.
I believe that learning happens best when it is self-paced, self directed, and includes a great deal of individual contact with the teacher, who relates to each student openly and honestly.
137.
I believe that rather than relying on textbooks and lectures to communicate ideas, greater emphasis should be placed on teacher-guided seminars, where students and teachers engage in Socratic dialogues, or mutual inquiry sessions, to develop an enhanced understanding of history's most timeless concepts.
138.
I believe that we must educate teachers and students to think critically, locate themselves in their own histories, and exercise moral and public responsibility in their role as engaged critics and transformative intellectuals.
139.
I believe that the teacher is the authority in the classroom.
140.
I believe the purpose of learning is for an individual to construct his or her own meaning, not just memorize the "right" answers and regurgitate someone else's meaning.



Your Results

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Constructivism 82
Essentialism 84
Progressivism 86
Existentialism 81
Perennialism 66
Reconstruction/Critical Theory 77
Behaviorism/Objectivism 61