My Philosophy of Education
My philosophy of education mostly takes a Progressive approach as I agree with most of the Progressive views on education. Although Progressive programs vary throughout America and the world, most Progressive schools and hence my classroom, ascribe to the following principles:
· A flexible curriculum that is influenced by students’ interests
· Teachers act as facilitators of learning who guide students in using varied activities to learn
· Teachers use many different materials which give opportunity for individual and group work
· Teachers support learning by discovery
· Programs frequently use community resources and service-learning projects.
Most Progressive education programs accomplish the above goals through the following methods:
The Progressive approach to teaching is also consistent with the Constructivist views of learning. I am a strong believer that students learn best when they are actively involved in their own learning by being given the opportunity to build upon their knowledge using past experiences as well as new opportunities to explore real-life examples. I believe that by being actively involved in their own learning, students' minds are highly engaged, their cognitive processes are in full operation and students will learn better, have a greater understanding of what they are being taught, and hence retention and transfer to new new situations is improved.
Technology in education helps us to accomplish these goals. We can utilize technology in a way that learners are able to learn with elements that they can relate to at the pace that suits them. Technology makes it possible for us to repeat tasks that would otherwise be more costly or even cost prohibitive and dangerous. With simulations technology our students have the opportunity to explore thousands realistic situations to learn about the results of their actions, drill and practice exercises enable our students to repeat tasks hundreds of times a little additional cost. Further, technology is the language which most net geners speak. If we wish to hold the attention of our students we must speak their language. Technology has been proven to grab learners' attention and engage their minds more than anything else today and we have to utilize technology in our classrooms in order to prepare our students for tomorrow. Technology software is designed in such a way as to enable the student-centered approach that the Progressivists spoke of and enables a shift in education from a curriculum-centered approach to a student-centered one. Students with disabilities are much more empowered when we utilize appropriate technology as well and all our students are more able to learn the topics in which they are interested, in ways that are more suitable to their learning style.
References
Progressive Education - Philosophical Foundations, Pedagogical Progressivism, Administrative Progressivism, Life- Adjustment Progressivism
Retrieved November 12, 2009 from
http://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/2336/Progressive-Education.html
O’Neil, H. F. & Perez, R. S. (2003). Technology applications in education: A learning view. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence
Erlbaum Associates.
Kelly, M. Integrating technology into the classroom
Retrieved January 14, 2010 from http://712educators.about.com/cs/technology/a/integratetech.htm
· A flexible curriculum that is influenced by students’ interests
· Teachers act as facilitators of learning who guide students in using varied activities to learn
· Teachers use many different materials which give opportunity for individual and group work
· Teachers support learning by discovery
· Programs frequently use community resources and service-learning projects.
Most Progressive education programs accomplish the above goals through the following methods:
- Students learn by doing hands-on projects, in other words there is a focus on experiential learning.
- The curriculum is integrated and focuses on the themes to show how subjects are related.
- Problem solving and developing critical thinking skills is emphasized.
- There is also an emphasis on group work and developing social skills.
- The goals of learning are real understanding and action or application instead of rote knowledge.
- Learning projects are collaborative and cooperative.
- Education aims at instilling social responsibility and teaching democracy.
- There is an orientation toward community service and service learning projects in the daily curriculum
- Subject content is chosen by thinking ahead to question what skills will be relevant in future society.
- Varied learning resources are employed instead of textbooks.
- There is a focus on promoting life-long learning and importance of social skills.
- A child’s performance is assessed by evaluating the child’s projects and productions.
The Progressive approach to teaching is also consistent with the Constructivist views of learning. I am a strong believer that students learn best when they are actively involved in their own learning by being given the opportunity to build upon their knowledge using past experiences as well as new opportunities to explore real-life examples. I believe that by being actively involved in their own learning, students' minds are highly engaged, their cognitive processes are in full operation and students will learn better, have a greater understanding of what they are being taught, and hence retention and transfer to new new situations is improved.
Technology in education helps us to accomplish these goals. We can utilize technology in a way that learners are able to learn with elements that they can relate to at the pace that suits them. Technology makes it possible for us to repeat tasks that would otherwise be more costly or even cost prohibitive and dangerous. With simulations technology our students have the opportunity to explore thousands realistic situations to learn about the results of their actions, drill and practice exercises enable our students to repeat tasks hundreds of times a little additional cost. Further, technology is the language which most net geners speak. If we wish to hold the attention of our students we must speak their language. Technology has been proven to grab learners' attention and engage their minds more than anything else today and we have to utilize technology in our classrooms in order to prepare our students for tomorrow. Technology software is designed in such a way as to enable the student-centered approach that the Progressivists spoke of and enables a shift in education from a curriculum-centered approach to a student-centered one. Students with disabilities are much more empowered when we utilize appropriate technology as well and all our students are more able to learn the topics in which they are interested, in ways that are more suitable to their learning style.
References
Progressive Education - Philosophical Foundations, Pedagogical Progressivism, Administrative Progressivism, Life- Adjustment Progressivism
Retrieved November 12, 2009 from
http://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/2336/Progressive-Education.html
O’Neil, H. F. & Perez, R. S. (2003). Technology applications in education: A learning view. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence
Erlbaum Associates.
Kelly, M. Integrating technology into the classroom
Retrieved January 14, 2010 from http://712educators.about.com/cs/technology/a/integratetech.htm
