Philosophy Statement
The concept of progressivism was introduced as early as 1875, but it was not until the 1920’s that this movement became more widely known. Credit for the success of progressivism is given to John Dewey, founder of the Laboratory School at the University of Chicago. Dewey began this educational movement of encouraging schools to abandon the essentialist curriculum of the traditional disciplines, and, instead navigate toward a curriculum centered on the experiences, interests, and abilities of the student.
The foundation of progressivism lies within the concept of individuality; students are encouraged to be creative, articulate their own ideas, value individual differences, and develop social virtues. It is pertinent that individuals are capable of interacting with others to form a successful society. Progress and change are fundamentals of progressivism, and society is a changing entity that always needs to be kept up with. Their classrooms are “student-centered” and even though they learn from textbooks, their focus is on learning through experience and hands-on activities. Active participation is key; students participate in field trips, cooperative learning, and group activities. Progressivists feel that student’s learning is increased and more meaningful when engaged in activities that have meaning to them. Jerome Bruner’s approach, discovery learning, asserts that students must be active in the learning process to learn. The teacher presents the students with examples and the students discover the principles for themselves instead of relying on the teacher’s explanations. A similarly related instructional method of Bruner’s is guided discovery, a method in which the...
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...tuations in order to engage the student’s interest. I will assist my students in developing new insights and connecting them with their prior learning. Ideas will be presented as broad concepts and then broken down into smaller parts.
Progressivism and constructivism are two views of learning that my beliefs coincide with. Both are student centered and share the goal of guiding students that will become intelligent, social individuals capable of solving complex situations while still respecting other’s perspectives. Both views realize that education itself is an enriching process of ongoing, continual growth. I realize that an effective teacher must know how to discover her student’s individual needs and differences to determine the appropriate teaching methods to use. Classroom learning is a reciprocal process between students and teachers.
At the core of the stop and frisk policy as utilized by the New York Police Department is racial profiling. Racial profiling has a significant and often controversial place in the history of policing in the United States. Racial profiling can be loosely defined as the use of race as a key determinant in law enforcement decisions to stop, interrogate, and/or detain citizens (Weitzer & Tuch, 2002). Laws in the United States have helped to procure and ensure race based decisions in law enforcement. Historically, the Supreme Court has handed down decisions which increase the scope of discretion of a law enforcement officer. For example, traffic stops can be used to look for evidence even though the officer has not observed any criminal violation (Harris, 2003). Proponent's for racial profiling reason that racial profiling is a crime fighting tool that does treat racial/ethnic groups as potential criminal suspects based on the assumption that by doing so increases the chances of catching criminals (Harris, 2003). Also, it is important to note, law enforcement officers only need reasonable suspicion to stop and frisk, probable cause is not required as in other circumstances (Harris, 2003). It is because of this assumption that the New York Police Department’s stop and frisk policy is still a relevant issue.
The teacher will then introduce the purpose of a main idea and supporting details to the class through a series of examples and present the students with an organizer to arrange their ideas. The teacher will then ask students to engage in think-pair-share, so that they can organize their main ideas and their supporting details.
Waks, L. (2013). John Dewey and the Challenge of Progressive Education. International Journal of Progressive Education. [Online] 9 (1), 73-83. Available from: http://www.tandfonline.com.atlas.worc.ac.uk/doi/pdf/10.1080/03004279.2013.819618 [Accessed 6 December 2013].
One of the first and most common problems most, if not all international students face when they first arrive in the UK for study is culture shock. culture shock is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary(2014) as the feeling of disorientation experienced by someone when they are suddenly subjected to an unfamiliar culture, way of life, or set of attitudes. When students first move to the UK they observe and experience several things for the first time and it tends to overwhelm them. New international students often find themselves feeling powerless and unimportant which often forces them into self-isolation(Bailey, 2005). The culture shock also tends to result in the students being unable to make friends in their new community because they are unsure of what is customary and regarded in good light (Bailey, 2005).
In the first chapter, Dewey draws attention to a conflict in educational theory, between traditional and progressive education. He conceives of traditional education as a system that has that encourages student attitudes of ‘docility, receptivity, and obedience’ (Dewey, p. 3). He considers the task given educators in traditional education to communicate knowledge and skills, and enforce rules of conduct for the next generation. He considers progressive education a system that critiques traditional education for imposing controls and limiting active participation by students in developing subject matter. Progressive education gives learners ‘growth’, freedom of expression and activity. Dewey sees the strengths of progressive education contributing helpfully to an experience of education (p. 20).
Constructivism represents a paradigm shift form education based on cognitive theories. This concept assumes that learners construct their own knowledge on the basis of interaction with their environment. (Gagnon & Collay, 200?) The role of the teacher as a constructor of the learning experience to ensure authentic curriculum and assessment which is responsive to the skills, needs and experiences of the learner, within established curriculum framework and with the reference to the achievement of literacy, numeracy, retention and attainment of outcomes. Krause, Bochner and Duchesne (p.157) comment that “as learners interact with their environment, they link information learned through experience to previous knowledge, and so construct new understandings and knowledge.” Constructivism then inturn encourages Teachers and Learning Managers to recognise the value of prior knowledge and experiences that each child brings with them into the classroom, and help them (the students) build on their understandings of the world by providing appropriate learning experience plans.
Going to study in a new country can be a stressful experience, from learning the culture norms to new foods. Culture shock is common with international students. Culture shock can include, meeting new people, language barriers, social behaviors, and a sense of community. A students comfortability with the culture of their new home can determine their learning experience. It can be an emotional rollercoaster, being so far away from family and friends. American culture is difficult to understand. International students find Americans to be confusing. Social norms vary depending on the part of the country a person is in.
A branch of progressivism is logic and it is one that the students will come to know by the progressivist ideal that what is learned in the classroom has relevance to the real world. Progressivists believe that education should mirror life. Education often uses past experiences to gain more knowledge, much like life. Therefore, e...
It is a constant truth that technology is growing rapidly and it is opening up many opportunities for students as well as teachers. Through the use of the internet information that would take scholars months to acquire out and interpret can be found in less than a minute though a Google search and not only is the information their, but in many cases the information that you wanted is shown in bolded so it can even be found quicker.
The first and most important of the three formal educational philosophies that have been major influences on the formation of my own philosophy is progressivism. Progressivism is based on the belief that people learn best from what they consider to be relevant to their every day lives. In other words, students learn best from personal experience, hands-on experiments, and from interacting in groups with those around them. However, for these small groups to be entirely effective, they must be chosen at random; basing the groups on race, gender, sexuality, or social background will defeat their main purpose.
There are methods that are considered very different than constructivism that are used in the classroom. One of the approaches is the traditional approach where the teacher teaches the information to the student, and the student does not contribute as much or convey the prior knowledge of the material during instruction (Airasian & Walsh, 1997). It has been said that traditional teaching can segregate students, especially ones with special needs, in the classroom (Bloom; Perlmutter& Burrell, 1999). In other words, traditional instruction is a more teacher-centered approach that uses rote, fact based learning. The teachers create the values, behaviors, and beliefs for the students. The teacher is in charge of the classroom, where they have rewards and consequences, and the students work mostly by themselves (this is very different that the constructivist classroom, which will be explained) (Windschitl, 1999).
“Education is a social process; education is growth; education is not preparation for life but is life itself.” John Dewey describes and supports progressivism, an education philosophy that I professionally identify with. Progressivism is a student centered philosophy that focuses on experiences, opportunities, and values that enhance a student 's learning and life. The role of the teacher is to act primarily as a facilitator of learning, they encourage and guide students to explore and promote individual development. As a future educator I believe it is important to involve students and allow them to take responsibility for their own learning and achieving their goals. The role of the student is to discover, engage, and express themselves.
Constructivism is a method that says students learn by building their schema by adding to their prior knowledge by the use of scaffolding (Rhinehart Neas). Because the students are basically teaching themselves new information, the teacher is there mainly for support and guidance for the students.
The future of our nation rests greatly on how we educate our children. The children of today will soon be the driving force of tomorrow. In order to properly prepare our future citizens of society, we must provide them with an education that teaches them not only the basics of reading, writing, and arithmetic, but also social skills and critical thinking. Progressivism offers this approach of educating the “whole child.” This student-centered approach to learning applies learning in a social manner and allows students to apply what they are learning to real life. This type of learning is much more meaningful than rote learning. Curriculum and assessment are based on the child and their level of interest and ability, and instruction is varied to adjust to different learning styles. Children learn by doing, and progressivism believes in incorporating a hands-on approach to learning. The teacher in the progressive classroom is not a dictator but more of a mentor and guide to the student. She takes the children into consideration in everything she does and allows them to offer their input. The progressivist teacher also facilitates social interaction among the students and groups them together for projects so that they may learn how to work cooperatively. Progressivism is the key to a more educated, better-rounded society.
My philosophy of education is a combination of essentialism and progressivism . I feel that knowledge can be learned from a textbook, but I also want my students to use other means of knowledge. I fell in certain times, I should be the center of the classroom and other times, the students should be the center. Education is about the students and I am there to guide them through their journey. I think it's important to let children learn by exploring. By doing this, they choose what information is important and should be retained. When it comes to learning, students should always be in the center. The teachers are only there to mentor and improve upon a child's skills. In my mind progressivism with a mix of essentialism is the best philosophy for me to follow.