Personal Philosophy of Education Describe the Resulting

Personal Philosophy of Education

Describe the resulting curriculum planning process.

My philosophy as a realist / experimentalist (leaning more towards experimentalist) is that students need to critically examine historical events in context (why did certain important events happen and was the result what was expected?); they need to understand (although they don't have to agree with) contemporary social values (some of which are not rational) and how to reconcile their future place in society; and in the process they should be able to mark moments of important personal growth and learn to solve problems, both academic problems and personal problems, if possible. As an experimentalist instructor that believes in creating original curriculum to deal with the rapidly changing world, I also believe that my original curriculum should be updated contemporarily. The difference between a school's standard (and sometimes out-of-date) curriculum in social studies and my own creative class work -- based on recent contemporary events that fall into the social studies category (for example, why was the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington an important social statement) -- should be vast, and yet the principles of how American society has been formed are also included in the curriculum.

TWO: Determine the critical questions my curriculum must answer and the essential elements that must be present in your school for adhering to your philosophy.

Questions my curriculum must answer: a) Why are we in school? b) What should students in the future know about today's society and what is important for today's students to know about the past? c) Why is it important to value ethnic diversity in society and what are the scholarly advantages to be challenged by diversity in the process of learning?

THREE: My philosophy vis-a-vis my school's mission statement.

My philosophy dovetails perfectly with the mission statement of my school; I believe in championing diversity, in emphasizing good citizenship through the development of emotional and social values that carry students into their next life phase, whether it is education or a career. I also believe in making school relevant to what students see and wonder about outside the brick and motor buildings of educational institutions.

Responding to Items based on my beliefs: Ideal teachers are constant questioners (4); schools exist for societal improvement (2); teaching should center around the inquiry technique (3); demonstration and recitation are essential components for learning (3); students should be permitted to determine their own rules (1); reality is spiritual and rational (2); curriculum should be based on the laws of natural science (4); the teacher should be a strong authority figure in the classroom (3); the student is a receiver of knowledge (4); ideal teachers interpret knowledge (3); lecture / discussion is the most effective teaching technique (2); institutions should seek avenues toward self-improvement through an orderly process (3); schools are obligated to teach moral truths (4); school programs should focus on social problems and issues (4); institutions exist to preserve and strengthen spiritual and social values (2); subjective opinion reveals truth (1); teachers are seen as facilitators of learning (4); schools should be educational smorgasbords (1); memorization is the key to process skills (1); reality consists of objects (1); schools exist to foster the intellectual process (3); schools foster an orderly means for change (3); there are essential skills everyone must learn (5); teaching by subject area is the most effective approach (3); students should play an active part in program design and evaluation (2); a functioning member of society follows rules of conduct (4); reality is rational (1); schools should reflect the society they serve (3); the teacher should set an example for the students (5); the most effective learning does not take place in a highly structured, strictly disciplined environment (3); the curriculum should be based on unchanging spiritual truths (1); the most effective learning is non-structured (2); truth is a constant expressed through ideas (2); drill and factual knowledge are important components of any learning environment (3); societal consensus determines morality (2); knowledge is gained primarily through the senses (2); there are essential pieces of knowledge that everyone should know (5); the school exists to facilitate self-awareness (2); change is an ever present process (5); and truths are best taught through the inquiry process (4).