Running Head: MY PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION 1

My Philosophy of Education

Griselda Alvarado

California State University Dominguez Hills

04/13/17
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My Philosophy of Education

During the course of my studies at California State University Dominguez Hills, I have

gained much more than education of content. The exposure to a diverse campus allowed me to

learn from the experiences of others and gave me the opportunity to share my own. An

abundance of peer interactions has enhanced my leadership and cooperative skills. It is with such

interactions that we, the student body, find common believes, morals, and goals for education.

Our love and dedication for teaching unites us while challenging us to find common ground in

opposing viewpoints. As an educator, my goal is to provide these experiences, and more, for my

students.

The Purpose of Education

The purpose of education in our society has been a constant competition. Students

compete to get into the most prestigious schools, the best grade point average, and ultimately the

best paying career opportunity. However, education should be the complete opposite. It should be

a tool that brings intellectuals and professionals together to cooperate to resolve problems.

Additionally, the purpose of education in our society has been a weeding process where the

students who advance are those who follow the rules, accept and absorb the information given,

and can test well. The rest are weeded out and forgotten without consideration for their

individual abilities and potential. Testing is so heavily weighted that education has become a

product rather than a process. Students should be given the opportunity to learn how to solve

problems as a process without the pressure of a final score. As educators, we should strive to

help each child reach their personal maximum potential. Making connections from content to

real life can help spark interest in students because the information that they are learning is

relevant to their own experience as individuals.

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In order to reach my goals as an educator and enhance the purpose of education, I will

follow the progressive education approach. Progressivism aligns with my beliefs because it

focuses on the whole child at an individual level. It takes into considerations other aspects that

may affect and/or benefit the childs academic performance. Progressive education places a lot of

emphasis on problem solving and decision making skills (Maititproject n.d.). These skills are

reflected on group cooperation and are real world transferable skills that can be applied beyond

the classroom setting. Progressivism also focuses on modeling a democratic and pluralistic

society where the students have a voice. The students are directly involved in the education

process because learning is rooted in their questions. (Maititproject n.d.). Students engage in

what they consider interesting, relevant, and important to them within the curriculum. John

Dewey described the importance of including students in the learning process:

Making the individual a sharer or partner in the associated activity so that he feels its

success as his success, its failure as his failure, is the completing step. As soon as he is

possessed by the emotional attitude of the group, he will be alert to recognize the special

ends at which it aims and the means employed to secure success. (p. 28)

This mode of teaching takes into consideration the students ideas and desires as oppose to

teaching them as a habit that relies on the approval of the teacher and other adults.

The Teachers Role

In order to provide an optimal learning environment, the teacher must provide a safe

place where students questions and ideas are respected. This will help encourage group

participation. Every student in the classroom should feel it is safe to approach the teacher if they

are experiencing difficulties or issues. In the classroom, the teacher must plan lessons that guide

students through inquiry. In this environment, the teacher is a facilitator that makes sure students
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are on task while guiding the lesson with content that sparks learning and questions that

challenge thinking without giving away the answers.

In my classroom, I plan to engage students in an abundance of group work. They will be

able to distribute responsibilities how they wish as long as they work together towards a common

goal. The majority of activities will be hands on to provide active learning because children

learn best from each other. I will group students with different academic levels together in order

to maximize learning and collaboration. Additionally, I will scaffold and make sure the students

have the ability to understand the material individually or as a group. This type of teaching and

learning is best supported by Lev Vygotskys social constructivism theory, as stated by Cohen

and Gelbrich that:

shared, social construction of knowledge, believing that the particular social and cultural

context and the interactions of novices with more expert thinkers (usually adult) facilitate

or scaffold the learning process. The teacher mediates between the new material to be

learned and the learner's level of readiness, supporting the child's growth through his or

her zone of proximal development. (Cognitivism/Constructivism section, para. 3)

Teachers Responsibilities

Teachers have immense responsibilities in the classroom, school, and society. In the

classroom, a teachers primary focus should be to provide a functional positive learning

environment while meeting set standards. As educators, we must be prepared to provide quality-

learning experience beginning our first year teaching because it accounts for a childs entire

school year. Reflecting on teaching strategies and pursuing higher education are necessary to

ensure quality education. It is the educators responsibility to seek help and resources to

guarantee the aforementioned. A teachers responsibility to the school is to collaborate with

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colleagues and administration to improve learning environment. Additionally, according to the

progressive education model, a teacher is responsible of educating a childs physical, emotional,

and social needs (Maititproject n.d.). This entails appropriating time to discuss social issues,

within learning context, to clarify concerns. Also teachers are responsible for modeling the

classroom in a way that is representative of the real world in order to prepare students to

become positive active members of our democratic society.

Teachers responsibilities correlate and rely on each other. They form a cycle where the

classroom represents society and society represents what people learn in the classroom. The

Progressivism philosophy of education will guide me in meeting my responsibilities. It may be

difficult to put into practice some learning theories, but some change is necessary. There is

always room for growth. As a student, I have learned that the best teachers never stop being

students.
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References

Cohen, L. & Gelbrich, J. (1999). Module One: History and Philosophy of Education. Retrieved

from Oregon State University, School of Education website:

http//www.oregonstate.edu/instruct/ed416/module1.html#tasks

Dewey, J. (2009). Democracy and Education : An Introduction to the Philosophy of Education.

Waiheke Island: The Floating Press.

Maititproject. (n.d.). Historical Timeline of Educational Technology [Supplemental Material].

Progressivism at a Glance. Retrieved from http://www.timetoaster.com