1. My Philisophy of Education
Every teacher has an individual philosophy of education, and there are many
philosophies of education that one can choose to adopt. Some educators may believe that
students should only be taught core subjects, and others believe that students should choose
what to study. According to the philosophy of education quiz, my philosophy of education is
Humanism.
My experiences in school
. When I was in school, the teachers demonstrated a blend of Perrenialism and Social
Reconstruction philosophies. Also, the school was increasing the use of technology in the
classroom. For example, when I was in elementary school, students were only allowed to use
a computer for 1 hour once a week. When I was in high school, most of the teachers
assigned projects that required internet research. I also observed that the most effective
teachers were enthusiastic about the subject they were teaching. The best teachers also
used effective teaching techniques, and they were also enthusiastic about interacting with the
students.
My Understading of Issues in Education
Some of the biggest issues in education are basing teacher salaries on student
performance, standardized testing, the controversy over the Common Core Curriculum, the
STEM curriculum, technology, unschooling, and the politicization of education. I think that
teachers should be given bonuses or rewards if their students progress academically, but I
think schools should be careful with this idea. If teachers salaries are linked to student's test
scores, then I think that there will be many more cheating scandals.
Standardized testing is another major issue in education. I don't think standardized
tests are beneficial, so I think they should be eliminated from education. Another
controversial issue in education is the Common Core curriculum. Many of the teachers I have
2. spoken to hate the Common Core curriculum. The teacher say that this curriculum “dumbs
down” content in every subject. I support the STEM curriculum. I think that there will be even
more technology in the future, so a curriculum that focuses on science, technology,
engineering, and math will be very beneficial for all students.
Technology is another factor in modern education. Some teachers are reluctant to use
technology, but I think other teachers may over rely on technology. For example, the teacher I
interviewed said she loves using technology, and she encourages other teachers to use
technology in their classrooms. However, she said that some of the teachers didn't know how
to use computers, and they needed help playing a YouTube video. Conversely, some of my
friends have told me that their teachers tried to use technology to do their jobs. One girl said
that instead of giving lectures or assignments, their teachers would ask them to play
educational games in a computer lab every day.
Unschooling is a new concept in education. According to unschooling.com,
unschooling is “ is a method of homeschooling that puts the desire, drive, motive and
responsibility for life – this thing we call learning, or education – in the hands of the learner.
Unschooling is what defines a life lived on one’s own terms, whether you’re a child, a teen
or an adult. Unschooling children are supported to pursue, or self direct, the myriad of
things that are of interest to them, eat foods they enjoy and in quantities that are satisfying,
sleep and rest according to their individual needs, choose friends of all ages or none at
all,engage in the world in unique and powerful and self directed ways”. Supporters of
unschooling believe that children should be allowed to choose which topics they want to
study.
Modern education also suffers from political interference. In The Atlantic, P.L. Thomas
3. writes:
“As government policy and practice, bureaucracy is
unavoidable, of course. But the central flaw in the need for
structure and hierarchy is that politics prefers leadership
characteristics above expertise. No politician can possibly have
the expertise and experience needed in all the many areas a
leader must address (notably in roles such as governor and
president). But during the "accountability era" in education of the
past three decades, the direct role of governors and presidents as
related to education has increased dramatically--often with
education as a central plank in their campaigns.
One distinct flaw in that development has been a trickle-down
effect reaching from presidents and governors to state
superintendents of education and school board chairs and
members: people who have no or very little experience or
expertise as educators or scholars attain leadership positions
responsible for forming and implementing education policy”
(Thomas, 2012).
My Philosophy of Education
My philosophy of education is Humanism. I think that students should enjoy learning,
and I hope they will realize that a great education can help them reach their potential. I also
like elements of the Progressive philosophy of education and the Social Re-constructionist
philosophy of education. In the Progressive philosophy of education, students are
4. encouraged to experiment with new ideas. The Progressive philosophy of education also
seems to support hands on learning, and the students can immerse themselves into their
favorite subjects. I also like the fact that Progressive seems to be more student centered.
The Social Reconstruction philosophy of education encourages students to think about social
issues and to think of ways to address the problems in society. I think it's a great idea to
teach students to be involved in society, and I also think that they should be encouraged to
find solutions to problems. I also think that a hybrid of student centered and subject centered
teaching would be the best method of education for all students. I think students need more
self discipline, and I also think that students should be encouraged to take ownership of their
education. Hopefully, I will be able to increase my students' motivation to learn. School
should only be the beginning of someone's education, so hopefully some of my future
students will become lifelong learners. I would also like to pass my love of reading onto my
future students.
