Philosophies of Education

When I was given the assignment to write my educational philosophy I didn't know where to start. A philosophy of education incorporates so many different aspects of teaching that it is hard to know what to talk about first. You need to think about how students learn, what they should learn, learning environments, curriculum. This can be overwhelming when you start to think about it. Instead of writing a typical paper on my philosophy I decided to to a blog and use some different links to philosophy statements.

The first philosophy statement I found talks about the school system and how it shouldn't not be like a machine, where we put students in and expect results. We need to create a community and life long learners.

I think we need to keep in mind that each students is different and may not learn the same way as their peers. Teachers need to create environments that promote exploration and get students involved.

http://thereflectiveteacher.wordpress.com/2006/06/07/statement-of-educational-philosophy/

In a true community, the members of the group strive to work toward a greater goal, whatever that may be—to do together what is necessary for the betterment or sustainability of the community. Members of a community find success when they treat each other as equals; communities succeed because each member plays more than one role within the community, allowing for multiple modes of interaction and the sharing of knowledge and ability when needed. In this view, each member of the community is both a learner and teacher. Each member has an opportunity to share his/her strengths, as well as the opportunity to learn, whereas in the factory, the product, once produced, is likely to be unchangeable without being broken.

I believe that the most salient and rich learning experiences come from cooperative discovery and challenging subject matter. I see students as capable of much, much more than rote memorization and repetition. I see the role of the teacher as guide, not god. I believe that if we treat the school as a community (and follow through on that statement) we will create lifelong learners, cooperative workers, competent teachers, and critical thinkers willing to adapt to a changing world for the betterment of the larger community.

The next philosophy is from a sample educational philosophy page.
http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/ed416/sample.html

Sample #1
I like this part of the philosophy, this says what the ideal environment is to promote learning. I believe that we should try to create this (1) the teacher acting as a guide, (2) allowing the child's natural curiosity to direct his/her learning, and (3) promoting respect for all things and all people.

Sample #2
This sample really touches on all parts of education. It talks about the diverse learner and the environment. I like this philosophy and would say that it sounds like my own. The best is the last paragraph that talks about teachers as life long learners and how students have taught the teacher.

Let the children's laughter remind us how we used to be... Teaching is a lifelong learning process of learning about new philosophies and new strategies, learning from the parents and community, learning from colleagues, and especially learning from the children. Children have taught me to open my mind and my heart to the joys, the innocence, and the diversity of ideas in the world. Because of this, I will never forget how to smile with the new, cherish the old, and laugh with the children.

I like this last part of sample #2. This states that teachers are life long learners and we may not think of it but it is true. We are always learning from students.

On YouTube I found a video that states the main points of a philosophy statement.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGCTPQOxHVg


My philosophy:

I believe that children learn best when they are in a learning environment that promotes exploration and they are free to explore. Some of the ways are through seeing the objects or materials, hearing sounds, and touching objects or materials that are given to them. I also believe children should be taught using the senses: seeing, hearing and touching. This will give them a better understanding of the objects or materials and what they do.

Children should socialize with other children and adults. I believe this is very important in long lasting communication skills that they will develop through time. They can use each others ideas in dramatic play to emphasis or dramatize what is being acted out with words..

I believe that the role of the teacher is to guide the children to do what is correct and help them learn from their mistakes. I want to teach them positive communication skills so they can interact with adults and children. I also believe that we should do a variety of activities with the children that will address the children’s different learning abilities. I believe that all of these opportunities are provided by the teacher through support and guidance.

Student centered philosophy:
With a student centered philosophy the students take learning into their own hands. The teacher gives the students information and allows them to explore. I think this is an important part of teaching. With this type of approach the students are in a sense teaching themselves. They are learning how to learn. They are exploring new material and how it works or what it does or means. They are using different types of strategies to retain information. They may be reading, writing, exploring materials through hands on activities or maybe teaching each other. This leads to students taking in information in a way that fits them best. The teacher is always there to help and guide students if needed.

Readings:
Harry Brighouse On Education
Chapter 3: "...the central purpose of education is to promote human flourishing."
I believe an education can help you lead a flourishing life but it is not the sole purpose. A flourishing life can mean something different to everyone. To me a flourishing life is doing what you love and being happy with where you are in life. As a future educator I think we need to teach students how to teach themselves. They will always be learners. This learning can help them to do what they want with their life. They are teaching and leading themselves down the path they want and the flourishing life they desire to have. I believe teaching students to be life long learners will help them in their journey for a flourishing life.

Paideia Reader
Education and Its Purpose
"I never teach my pupils. I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn." ~Albert Einstein
This quote is like my philosophy of education. I believe we can only teach students so much before they eventually tune out. We need to provide students with conditions that encourage them to take learning into their own hands. Students are live long learners so it is important for them to have the skills to teach themselves.