Student-Centered Philosophies

A classroom based on students can be less static or organized, less concerned about past teaching methods and drilling = academics, and more oriented on preparing students in an ever-changing environment for learning. Usually, students and teachers discuss together what to learn, and how to better accomplish this.

1. Philosophy of Education

2. Your philosophy of education is what you believe about education and the way children learn.” - Roberson

3. What, exactly, are E ducation P hilosophies?

4. According to Thelma Roberson (2000), most prospective teachers confuse their beliefs with the ideas of teaching. Education philosophies , then, are not what you want to do in class to aid learning, but why you do them and how they work .

5. Students proposed to use cooperative learning techniques in their classroom. WHY??? *Is cooperative learning a true philosophy or is it something you do in the classroom because of your belief about the way children learn?”

6. Philosophies need to translate ideas into action – if you want to use certain techniques, then you need to understand how they are effective in the classroom to create that portion of your education philosophy.

7. ⦿ Philosophies of Education have travelled down a tree of branches. ⦿ The first four support branches of philosophy are: Idealist school Realist school Pragmatist school Existential schools of thought

8. ⦿ Idealis m - fo c uses on a s u b j ec t - ma t t e r curriculum emphasizing the great ideas of the culture. You must ponder ideas to make them whole. ⦿ R ealis m - A sub j e c t- ma t te r cur r icul u m stressing objective knowledge and values. Reality is objective, meaning everyone should obtain the same results regardless of what he does or how he consider concepts.

9. ⦿ P e r en n ialis m - Fo c use s on h u ma n c o ncerns that have caused concern for centuries, revealed through 'great works‘. ⦿ Essentialism - Rooted partially in Idealism, as well - Emphasizes skills and subjects that demonstrate the cultural heritage and contribute to society.

10. ⦿ P ragmatism - Instructio n i s o r ga n ize d ar o u n d problem-solving following the steps of the scientific method - emphasizes the need to act on concepts by testing them. ⦿ P r o gressivism - Instructio n features pr o blem solving and group activities - The instructor acts as a facilitator as opposed to a leader.

11. ⦿ Social Reconstructionism - Instruction that focuses on significant social and economic problems in an effort to solve them. ⦿ Existentialism - Classroom dialogue stimulates awareness - each person creates an awareness gleaned from discussion and encourages deep personal reflection on his or her convictions

12. TEACHER-CENTERED PHILOSOPHIES

13. ⦿ Essentialists believe that there is a universal pool of knowledge needed by all students. The fundamentals of teaching are the basis of the curriculum: math, science, history, foreign language, and English Vocational classes are not seen as a necessary part of educational training.

14. ⦿ Classro o m s ar e f o rmal, tea c he r- c e ntere d, and students are passive learners. ⦿ Evaluations ar e pred o mina t el y through testing, and there are few, if any, projects or portfolios. ⦿ These instructors easily accept the No Child Left-Behind Act because test scores are the main form of evaluation.

15. Perennialists are instructors who feel that the knowledge that has been passed through the ages should be continued as the basis of the curriculum, like the classic works of Plato and Einstein.

16. ⦿ Perennialists base their teachings on reason, logic, and analytical thought. Only information that stood the test o f time is relevant. They do not illicit student input. ⦿ The classe s mos t likely t o b e c o ns i der e d under this approach would be history, science, math, and religion classes

17. STUDENT-CENTERED PHILOSOPHIES

18. ⦿ This is a student-centered form of instruction where students follow the scientific method of questioning and searching for the answer. ⦿ Evaluations include projects and portfolios. ⦿ Current events are used to keep students interested in the required subject matter.

19. ⦿ Studen t s ar e activ e lea r ner s a s o ppose d to passive learners. ⦿ The tea c he r i s a fa c ilitato r rather th an the center of the educational process. Student input is encouraged, and students are asked to find their interpretation of the answer.

20. ⦿ This st u den t- c e nt e r e d p h ilosop h y s t rives to instill a desire to make the world a better place. ⦿ It places a focus on controversial world issues and uses current events as a springboard for the thinking process.

21. ⦿ These st u dent s ar e ta ught th e impo r ta n c e o f working together to bring about change. ⦿ These teache r s i n c o rp o rate wha t is happening in the world with what they are learning in the classroom.

22. ⦿ Also a st u den t - c e nt e r e d ph i los o ph y , th is educational method is based on the idea that the students should be presented with choices about the learning process. ⦿ The stu d en t i s engage d i n al l aspect s of learning and works together with the teacher and her peers to develop a curriculum and evaluation system that allows for individual interests and abilities

23. Thanks!