My Educational Philosophy

My Educational Philosophy by Petra Strassberg

The Realist and Pragmatism philosophies of education concur with my philosophy of education. Education should be useful and practical as well as intellectually challenging. Personal growth is as important as solving the worlds problems. The Constructivism idea that students create their own world of learning is also part of my philosophy. The Existentialist idea of self-awareness and introspection is also incorporated into my philosophy. The Reconstructionist ideas of change for change sake are an idea I do not support. Change may be necessary but it should thought out and planned.

Technology is a tool to aid in the delivery of information to students. It also provides tools for students to demonstrate what they have learned. The content of a course, or any training, should be determined first and then the best way to deliver the information comes second. Technology and teaching are not too separate activities. They work together to deliver information and to demonstrate learning,

The purpose of education is to provide the individual with the tools needed to be a productive citizen and to continue learning throughout their life. These tools include problem solving, seeing the “Big Picture” of a situation, and understanding information as well as synthesizing and integrating this information in problem solving. The student’s role is to be open to new ideas and to give their best effort in obtaining and synthesizing information. The teacher’s role is to be a mentor and facilitator to the learner. Each student is unique. The teacher needs to nurture and encourage the student’s personal skills and talents.

The objectives of the teacher are to encourage and facilitate student learning, self-awareness, and formulation of a life philosophy. Imparting a love of learning and facilitating the student in pursuing their particular interest of study, whether math, science, music, or computers. The teacher aids the student in acquiring integrating and applying facts to real world situations.

Project oriented training is the approach I prefer. While projects may be more work for the teacher initially, the possible outcomes warrant the effort. Projects require the student to gain basic knowledge such as reading, writing, and math skills. The basic skills are used to acquire the information needed to complete a project. Projects need to be real life problems or issues and be done in a real world environment. For example, a project could be done to solve a communities litter problem in city parks.

The expectation of the student, colleagues, and myself is for a commitment to learn. The student needs to be actively involved in learning. The teacher facilitates and encourages the student, but the student must do the learning. Colleagues and parents need to encourage the student’s efforts in learning and support the teacher in their work with students.

Learning and teaching are group endeavors. The student is responsible for putting forth the effort to obtain, retain, and apply knowledge. The teacher is responsible for providing environments were learning could take place. The teacher is the facilitator, mentor, guide for the student. Colleagues and parents are an important support group for the teacher and the student. Technology place in this process is as a tool in the delivery and acquisition of knowledge. Technology is used when it is the best approach for delivering information. Technology is available to the student and teacher to share information and insight. Learning to use wikis, podcasts, and blogs will allow the teacher to better reach our digital natives. Web 2.0 applications are familiar to many students. Using Web 2.0 applications enhances teacher credibility with their students.