My Philosophy of Education: Part 2

Part one of my philosophy of education focused on the importance of character development and the ethical standard.  In this part I will reflect on how we learn and what we can do to make education more effective.

The prezi below is a visual representation of this blog...

My Philosophy of Education on Prezi

Everything I believe about education is filtered through my Judeo-Christian world and life view.  

“Great gifts mean great responsibilities; greater gifts, greater responsibilities!”  This is taken from Luke 12: 48 in a vernacular translation of the Bible called ”The Message”.  (Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson)

I believe this verse applies to educators… and that we cannot take our responsibility lightly.

A couple educators that have influenced my ideas on education are Vygotsky and Piaget.  I was exposed to their ideas first when I studied for my TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language) certificate course more than 20 years ago.  I studied their theories again while studying for my Masters in Education degree 5 years ago… and then again this past year in my Bachelors of Education studies at Brock University.  I believe their theories, though differing significantly, offer insight into how we learn.  Piaget’s construction of knowledge through the use of schemas gives a viable explanation to how we learn.  I am, however, particularly partial to Vygotsky and the idea of learning in a social environment.  The ideas of Zone of Proximal Development and scaffolding fit well into a classroom environment.  Much of the teaching process involves a gradual release of responsibility as students apply new learning.

From these two theorists, I will move on to Marzano’s 9 which is a list of nine teaching strategies that, through research, have shown to reap the best learning results.  It is interesting to note that these strategies fit in well with both Piaget’s and Vygotsky’s theories on how we learn.   I have numbered these nine strategies in order of effectiveness.  The number one strategy, recognizing similarities and differences, applies well to Piaget’s idea of schema and how we adjust our schema as we learn new information.  I have also used this teaching approach effectively in a social environment when groups create venn diagrams or T-charts.

Understanding theories on how we learn and methods on how to teach still leaves a gap in effectively reaching students in our classrooms.  In our commitment to student learning, we must engage our students.  How?  Recognize student learning styles, cultural backgrounds, and world views.  Gardiner’s theory on multiple intelligences can help to identify and plan for lessons that appeal to and incorporate students’ diverse interests.  Understanding and sharing the cultural backgrounds and world views of our students can foster a caring community in the classroom. 

How we view our world is intimately connected to the technology around us.  Teaching students how to use technology in a responsible and meaningful way needs to be part of our education philosophy.  Web 2.0 tools such as blogs, podcasts and wikis are powerful teaching tools in the classroom.  Teach students how to take advantage of what is available on line. 

This is only a taste of what I would like to present as my philosophy of education… highlights of an ongoing learning experience.  I’m sure there will be adjustments to my ideas as I continue to grow in the great responsibility I have as an educator.