My Educational Philosophy essay

Abstract

The paper discusses educational philosophy. At first it is focused on the defining the notion of education and different approaches to it as well as its role. Than its basic purposes are analyzed. On the basis of purposes of education the methods, values and organization of the process of learning education are discussed. Finally, the role of a teacher is analyzed.

Introduction

Education is a very important domain for all humans and to a great extent it is due to education human race evaluated so rapidly and successfully. Naturally there are different views on education and it is a mistake to state that education is an unchangeable process that developed according to one theory or approach.

It is also necessary to say that nowadays the role of education have become even more important than ever before because the progress of science and technologies is so significant that contemporary people have to acquire so much information as never before and educational process has become a permanent process because practically every person that do not want to degrade needs to be educated.

Personally I think that the role of education is often underestimated and traditional attitude to it has to be changed. It means that it is necessary to change our traditional attitude to the notion of education itself, to schools, universities and other educational establishments as social institutes, to teaching process, to classroom management, to teachers and to students as well.

In terms of this paper all these changes would be discussed and analyzed but the main point of the paper is to develop the new philosophy of education that would be applicable in the current situation and in the nearest future.
The notion of education

Starting any researching work, it is always extremely important to develop clear and understandable ideas, which are supported by both theoretical and practical facts, but often it turns to be very difficult to fulfill this task. One of the reasons is the lack of understanding of the subject of discussion, in our case it is the notion of education.

Traditionally, many theories concerning education were developed and consequently various views on the notion of education existed. In fact it is really difficult to singe out a universal definition for such a notion because it is a very complicated phenomenon and there is no common view on this notion.

Unfortunately sometimes education is treated in very simplified terms when it is analyzed only from the point of view of teaching and learning or acquisition or transmitting knowledge. The other extreme view on education is the sophistication of this notion when too many ideas are combined so that it is practically impossible to come to some common conclusion that would be quite comprehensible and easy to apply to practice.

In my opinion the true is somewhere in between these two extremes. It means that the interpretation of education as a scientific and philosophical notion should not be to simplified nor too sophisticated. By the way it is extremely important to underline that education is a philosophical notion as well. I would even say that philosophy lies in the basis of education since as a rule the definition of education significantly depends on the philosophical point of view from which this notion is analyzed.

As for me I would hardly stick to any philosophical movement in defining the notion of education, on the contrary I would rather used a combination of it in order to single out a kind of universal notion of education and it is necessary to take into consideration different aspects of the process of education from the point of view of all its participants. At this respect it should be pointed out that education may be viewed from the viewpoint of educators and those who are educated. Consequently it should be said that the goal of education may differ as well, for instance for educators one of the main goals of education is to teach and bring up the educated while for the latter the main goal is to acquire knowledge.

Taking into consideration the positions and interests of both educators and educated, it is possible to define education as a two-sided process of acquisition and transmitting the knowledge and experience of previous generations, development of new skills and abilities in the process of learning and up-bringing. It means that education it is not simply a knowledge-based process but it also deals with the development of skills and abilities to use this knowledge in practical life and what is probably more important it is also a source of up-bringing a personality.

Also it is worth noting that it is not only students, who are educated, are influenced by this process but teachers, who educates, are also under certain impact because in the current situation the education is not a time-limited process but on the contrary it is the process that lasts as long as life endures.
Purposes of education

The reason why nowadays education is a permanently lasting process is the change in the human lifestyle, which basically results from the technological and scientific leap that has been made within last century. In fact nowadays we observe the transformation of the society from industrial into post-industrial society, or information society. The latter is characterized by an unparalleled role knowledge and information start to play. Nowadays physical abilities and skills are less important than they were even a couple of decades ago, while knowledge is of paramount importance. It is knowledge that provides a person with great perspectives in future. In such a situation the access to education is also extremely important and the goal of the contemporary education in democratic countries should be the development of really equal opportunities to receive equal education for all participants of the process.

However the problem is that knowledge is very specific because different people can acquire different amount of information and what is particularly important not all people possessing knowledge can really produce new knowledge. Consequently, such a situation may lead to the transformation of the whole society on the basis of their educational level and ability to produce knowledge. Even nowadays it is well known that people with higher education have much higher salaries compared to unskilled or semi-skilled workers. At first glance it seems to be quite logical, while on the other hand it is a bit unfair because children whose parents have higher education have much more opportunities to receive higher education and have wider knowledge than those whose parents are unskilled or semi-skilled workers.

In such a situation the main task of education is not simply to provide students with some set of knowledge but also with equal opportunities to receive better education. Furthermore, it should be underlined that education has to be changed in a way that students could acquire knowledge or find information they need independently without bounding to any educational establishment.

In fact this ideas is not new and unique. If we have a look back in history of pedagogic we will find the teaching of Socrates who considered education as the basis of the life and who stated that “the unexamined life is not worth living” (Rosen 1991, p.211). Socrates’ philosophic views promote the idea that education is the process in which the individual must routinely question the very roots of self-knowledge. It means that to know the world a person has to know himself and the ways he can get this knowledge. The goal of such a process of education is the creation of independent individual who is able to have his/her own point of view, which may differ significantly from the general line.

Furthermore, it is also important to realize that the real goal of education is not knowledge alone but the achievement of a combination of physical, spiritual and intellectual excellence. Probably it sounds a bit idealistic but still this is the purpose to strive for. Nonetheless, basic skills remain of paramount importance. Consequently despite the development of some humanistic ideals students still should be well prepared practically for further life that is impossible if they do not have a number of basic skills.

Anyway, we should not forget that education has a variety of goals each of them are important and it is very difficult to distinguish the most significant one. The more goals a student achieves the more new he faces because the process of education, as it has already been mentioned is not limited by some age or timeline, it’s a lifelong process the ultimate goal of which is to produce individuals who strives for excellence for themselves, for their peers, and their community. The latter fact is particularly important since an individual cannot develop without community which willingly or not influences the development of a personality, along with family and peers.

Finally, speaking about the purposes of education, it should be said that within the process of education students should develop the higher ideals of life and take those ideas into the larger community and in such a way through improvement of self will be transformed into the improvement of the whole community, naturally on the condition that the process of education never stops and skills once acquired will continue to progress.
The teaching methods

Naturally any educational purpose cannot be achieved if there are no appropriate methods that can really contribute to its achievement. In other words when the purposes of education are clear it is necessary to dwell upon the ways and methods of their achievement.

Before discussing the organizational aspect of the process of education I would like to discuss in details the basic methods that could be applied to achieve the purposes of education mentioned above.

First of all it should be said that what should be in the focus of attention of educators is a student. In the past it was traditional when students were treated as subjects of the process of education and the attitude to them was corresponding. It means that what they were expected to do was acquire knowledge and information they were taught without any individual differentiation. Obviously in the present moment it is impossible to continue to treat students like that. Consequently it is necessary to perceive students as active participants of the process of education and transform them from subjects into objects of education. It is particularly important in the modern permanently changing and progressing world when scientific and technological progress makes it practically impossible to provide students with sufficient knowledge only within the school-university education period.

Nowadays it is of paramount importance to teach students to find information independently, consequently the methods used in education should be oriented on the development of such skills of searching and finding information that students may need. In this context education rather carries the character of recommendations than informative character.

Thus, it is possible to presuppose that the methods corresponding to these demands may be quite effective, for instance problem solving method. In my opinion this method should be used in the process of education in order to develop the modes of individual and independent thinking and acting among students since they face the problem and they attempt to solve it. By the way group work is highly recommended in such approach because working in groups students firstly can find the correct solution of the problem sooner than working individually, secondly they are taught to work in a team that make them feel as a part of their small community that in perspective may lead to the development of the unity with a larger community.

The latter is particularly important because community plays a significant role in the development of an individual. It should not say again that to a great extent an individual is a product of the community he/she lives in because it is not only the family or friends that shape a person’s character but the community as well, the social surrounding that transcend its values to every individual within it. On the other hand, the role of individual in the community should not be underestimated neither because each individual can make his/her own contribution into cultural, scientific, social development of the community. This is why the methods which are based on the use of community influence may be also widely used, for instance it may be some free time activities which aims at some socially valuable experience such as help to old people, or to those who are alone, etc. It may be the communication with outstanding representatives of the community as well, for instance a writer, or a sportsman, etc. Their experience being directly transmitted to students can significantly contribute to the progress of each individual showing that being some positive actions are socially appreciated, at least within the community.

Also it is important to develop students independent and critical reasoning that can be done with the of lecture-discussions methods which provides students with an opportunity not simply to acquire some information but critically evaluate it and discuss within a class, including not only peers but a teacher as well.

Finally, it is important that the methods used were thought provoking, made them reflect and critically evaluate the actuality. At this respect project methods can be widely applied that would provide students with the necessity to work and evaluate a definite problem or event that may be recent or even from ancient history that is not so important as the ways the students would execute their projects and work on them.

By the way it is also important to remember that education should come along with upbringing, it means that students should not simply develop their projects, for instance, but they have to learn a lesson from them in both dimensions practical and spiritual.

Teaching values

It is also worth noting that in order to develop a moral person it is necessary that students learn universal, human, democratic values and this is exactly what contemporary education should be focused on. In fact it is a real problem that cannot be solved immediately, the problem of the values that are really positive since often the values that are thought as worth developing can be a decades or to later be perceived as negative. The reason is that education is very dependant. It depends on socio-political and economic situation in the country as well as it depends on local culture and traditions. As a result it is possible to state that in a way education is the product of a combination of factors such as socio-political, economic and cultural that domain in the society.

On the other hand, education is a very powerful tool in overcoming disadvantages of the current situation in the society since it may really establish new set of values that may replace set of values existing in the society. But it can be done only in a democratic society in which education is also democratically oriented and where democratic values are in the focus of teaching.

Furthermore in the process of education knowledge itself should not be the primary value since without a student its useless. Consequently it is a student that is the primary concern of educators, especially student’s abilities to learn and think independently.

It is obvious that the most effectiveness of education would be achieved only on the condition if students were taught essential set of values that is universally acceptable and did not contradict to the moral and cultural traditions existing in the society.
The organization of curriculum

Along with defining educational purposes and finding the methods of their achievements, it is necessary to have a well-organized educational program of actions, i.e. curriculum. Basically, the organization of curriculum is a prerogative of educational establishments and their internal regulations. Nonetheless, it should be pointed out that several rules that should be applied in different educational establishments might be worked out in order to achieve the purposes of education, which have already been mentioned in this paper.

Traditionally, when we speak about curriculum we single out three basic components, they are: individual needs, classroom diversity and classroom management. All these elements are equally important for successful curriculum but it worth noting that individual approach to each student should prevail in any curriculum and the students needs should be put on the first place, though at the same time the role of other students should not be devaluated as well as the role of community.

Speaking in details about each element of curriculum, I would start with individual needs. It is obvious that each student is an individual, a personality with his/her own needs and demands as well as with his/her own abilities and skills acquired at the definite moment. Consequently, when we define individual needs of students we have to take into consideration such important factors as their age, their experience, the skills acquired, their social surrounding, including the analysis of the situation within their families and their peers, their academic successes. It is not by chance that the academic successes are put at the end of the list of the factors defining individual needs of students.

Unfortunately in many educational establishments academic success is the key factor defining students’ abilities and skills but it is a very subjective notion and without information about other factors that influences the personality of a student it is impossible to make a definite conclusion jugging only by academic achievements. What is meant here is the fact that a school, for instance, has to gather wider information about students and taking different factors mentioned above into consideration while assessing his progress both academic and personal. It is not a secret that some students that are flunked out of schools are potentially gifted the problem is that teachers and school administration simply do not want to take into consideration individual needs of students. For instance, some students due to their psychological characteristics needs more time to acquire information that the rest of the class can acquire faster. In such a situation a teacher has provide the student with sufficient time to acquire the information or to fulfill the task. Practically the same may be said about other factors such as social surrounding, educational level, age, etc.

As for classroom diversity, it should be said that it is also one of the key conditions of curriculum success. Basically classroom diversity implies a wide range of activities and tasks that students have to fulfill which would make the process of learning more diverse and interesting but still it is necessary to remember that the formation and development of students’ skills should be the primary concern but not their interests only. In fact it is even possible to develop some interests, which could be really useful in the learning process. For instance, it may be different hands on assignments, etc.

Furthermore, classroom diversity should lead to the break of everyday routine that would make learning more effective since knowledge would be acquired easier if students are not bothering with drilling but on the contrary every time they face some new activity or task to fulfill. Such approach provides higher interests from the part of students and makes the work of a teacher easier.

Especially effective seems to be community involvement that helps to provide positive models for students. Consequently it is very helpful to use assignments, which tie students in community relations and provides students with opportunities to understand that knowledge are really necessary for further success. Among such activities may be named communication with successful representatives of the community or socially appreciated activities.

Finally, a few words should be said about classroom management. It is also very important point since class management is an indicator of the degree to which a teacher can really control the class. At the same time students have to feel relax and free enough in order not to be more natural and communicate easier. At this respect different class activities may be very helpful especially free flow classroom movement. Anyway, there is no place for totalitarian relations in the classroom management, the personality of a student, his/her individual needs have to be taken into consideration.
The role of a teacher

Strangely enough but often when we speak about education and the ways of its improvement we basically speak about students but we practically forget other participants of the process, teachers. It is an obvious mistake because teachers play not less important role than personalities of students, their needs, abilities, skills, etc. Without teachers and their contribution to the development of education any changes in educational system or curriculum are impossible. This is why it should be underlined that teachers are responsible for the effectiveness of the process of education and curriculum.

So, the personality of a teacher is of a paramount importance. In my opinion a good teacher should not be a dictator that lectures his/her students regardless their individuality. On the contrary, a teacher should base his work on individual approach to each student and knowledge of individual needs of students. In fact he should be a facilitator of learning adopting the material for each student. It is also important that a teacher could provide his/her students with the possibility to acquire knowledge and develop skills, teach them think critically and apply their knowledge in real practical life. Otherwise the learning process will be useless, if students, which possess good academic basis, cannot practically realize their knowledge and skills.

At the same time we should not forget that the teacher should continue his education as well as his/her students. It is necessary that teacher continued his/her progress in order not to stop his/her development, otherwise the teacher would gradually degrade and the methods that he/she uses would be out of date.

Furthermore, it is important that the teacher not simply used effective methods, and interesting class activities. A good teacher has also to encourage the students to learn more, he/she has to be supportive, build foundation of students knowledge, skills and experience, guide his/her students. When these conditions are fulfilled then it is possible to speak about effective and successful work of a teacher.
Conclusion
Thus, taking into consideration all above mentioned, it is possible to conclude that education, being a very complicated phenomenon, has to progress and adapt to the current conditions. Education should be democratic, humanistic, provides students with practical knowledge and skills and abilities to realize them in practical life. But firstly the purposes of education have to be defined and only after that it is possible to speak about methods that can be applied, classroom activities and classroom management, curriculum at large and finally, this process has to be based on an individual approach to each student. Naturally in such a situation a teacher should correspond to such demands and progress along with his/her students.