Perennialism, Progressivism PDF

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Major Research Paper and Analysis on teacher-centered educational philosophy of Perennialism...

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Philosophy of Education University of Colorado Colorado Springs

Introduction:

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During the overall class of CURR 4800 a lot of topics have been covered which have helped me learn about the Philosophy of education. My paper will talk about the three learning theories, in depth position papers , role of public education in US society and the reason why I want to be a teacher. Learning Theories : The three learning theories Starting with Perennialism, it is a theory that advocates teacher centered classrooms. It aims to sharpen students intellectual powers and enhance their moral qualities. Perennialists organize their schools around books. They recommend that students learn directly from the Great Books . It mainly focuses on mastering the three R’s- Reading, Riting, Rithmetic. The second theory is Progressivism. Progressivism organizes schools around the concerns, curiosity and real world experiences of students. The progressive teacher facilitates learning by helping students formulate meaningful questions and devise strategies to answer those questions. Answers are not drawn from lists or even great books; they are discovered through real world experience. Walk into a progressive classroom and you will not find a teacher standing in front of the room talking to rows of seated students. Rather you will likely see children working in small groups, moving about and talking freely. Lastly, Existentialism asserts that the purpose of education is to help children find the meaning and direction in their lives, and it rejects the notion that adults should or could direct meaningful learning for children. This theory believes that each one of us must look within ourselves to discover our own truth, our own purpose in life. Existentialism in the classroom is a powerful rejection of traditional, and particular essentialist, thinking. In the existentialist classroom, subject matter takes second place to helping the students understand and appreciate themselves as unique individuals. All the three learning theories are different from each other. Every classroom will work on a different learning theory. Teachers should try all the theories in a classroom and then evaluate which theory gives a result of most learning. Then that learning theory should be used for the success of the students. The bottom line for all these theories is that the teacher should have all the knowledge of the content she is teaching and should know her students very well. Like what works for them and what not.

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I like the progressivism theory the best because it only teaches the basics they have to learn but also fits in ways to relate them with real life. In the end when school finishes the students have to live in the real world. Moving ahead to the in-depth assignments . The first paper talked about common core and testing and the problems with it. Common core was formed because many organizations, including the National Governors Association and the top ranking state education officials, were concerned that high school “exit” tests varied widely among states. Common Core State Standards identify the skills and content a student should master at each grade level from kindergarten to grade 12, offering “a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn.” The purpose is to graduate more competent students. Initially the focus was on core math concepts, as well as writing and nonfiction reading. Eventually, the standards will include many subjects. The common core is intended to bring more rigor to the curriculum. Standardized testing is used as a public policy strategy to establish stronger accountability measures for public education. While the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) has served as an educational barometer of some thirty years by administering standardized tests on a regular basis to random schools throughout the United States, efforts over the last decade at the state and federal levels have mandated annual standardized test administration for all public schools across the country. The idea behind the standardized testing policy movement is that testing is the first step to improving schools, teaching practice, and educational methods through data collection. Proponents argue that the data generated by the standardized tests act like a ‘report card’ for the community, demonstrating how well local schools are performing. There are many problems with both of these methods such as with common core the problems are: 1) Is there consensus on a single set of core standards for all states, and are these standards the best we could hope for? 2) All States are onboard? 3) Is a single set of Common Core Standards desirable ? Problems with standardized testing are : 1) Lower graduation rates 2) Standardized testing shrinks the curriculum 3) Teacher Stress Still there are many debates are going on these two topics and everyone has their own opinion which they support. Things are being improved in the school

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system’s so that learning can happen. But it takes time for things to change and be good for all. Little steps make a lot of difference. The second paper was about good teaching . Good teaching is a key influence on student learning. Teachers strive to meet the principles of good practice in an effort to provide the best learning experience for their students. There are various factors that help to achieve good teaching. Some of the few are : 1) Know who the student is, and what they care about. 2) Model how to learn really well. 3) Focus on students. 4) Establish a personal relationship with students to better engage them. 5) Be able to think on your feet and improvise. 6) Be reflective. There has always been a debate on what is good teaching ? But everyone has their own characteristics about a good teacher. According, to me a good teaching takes place when the teacher accepts each and every child in their classroom for who they are , creates a sense of belongingness in the classroom, has full knowledge about the content being taught, makes the effort to make relationships with the students and most importantly creates inclusion in the classroom. These are just a few traits of a teacher which I feel are important. According, to Jay Greene using test scores does not define whether a teacher is good or not . A teacher’s teaching does not predict whether the students will perform good in the state tests or not. If teacher effectiveness is to be measured then Greene says that student surveys and test scores should be measured leaving teaching observations aside. James Shuls says that a good teaching is defined when the teacher shows constructivist teaching where students discover how to solve a maths problem rather than learn it. The last paper was about school choice. School choice exists today in a variety of forms, from charter schools, magnet schools, private schools, and district and state open enrollment plans to publicly and privately financed voucher plans. Despite years of research and debate, the question of whether school choice improves student outcomes like test scores and rate of graduation persists. Choice proponents suggest that injecting greater competition into the education system can revolutionize education, while

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opponents argue that choice would help only a select few students and hurt the many who are left behind. With no doubt school choice creates a gap between the rich and the poor students. Because as always the rich can afford going to the best private schools and receive the best education whereas the poor kids are left behind in the schools as they do not have the opportunity to be a part of good education as they do not belong to a rich family. School choice can help these students opportunities to go to other schools which are better than their local public school. Charter schools and vouchers are an option which might open a door for better education for these students. Role of public education in US society : From the early days of the nation, public education has played a vital role in American democratic society. In addition to preparing young people for productive work and fulfilling lives, public education has also been expected to accomplish certain collective missions aimed at promoting the common good. These include, among others, preparing youth to become responsible citizens, forging a common culture from a nation of immigrants, and reducing inequalities in American society. The term “public education” means education that is publicly financed, tuition free, accountable to public authorities, and accessible to all students. It covers various types of public schools, including traditional schools, charter and magnet schools, vocational schools, and alternative schools. “The good education of youth has been esteemed by wise men in all ages, as the surest foundation of the happiness of both private families and of commonwealths. Almost all governments have therefore made it a principal object of their attention, to establish and endow with proper revenues, such seminaries of learning, as might supply the succeeding age with men qualified to serve the public with honour to themselves, and to their country.” — (Benjamin Franklin, U.S. statesman, inventor, and diplomat, Proposals Related to the Education of Youth in Pennsylvania, 1749) Diversity in a classroom : Looking at the real life its diverse and that’s where the students live and will continue to live when they finish school. So, why should the classrooms not be diverse? Having inclusion as well as diversity in a classroom is the best way to make learning possible as well as have a flow of new ideas. Diversity

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will allow new ideas and ways of learning float in a classroom which will be beneficial for the students as well as the teacher. Whenever a teacher allows inclusion in a classroom, wonders happen as students bring in their themselves and an open mind to learn as they are completed accepted for who they are. Like an ELL student can teach a different language to another student and even tell the class about their cultures . Gifted and special education students can help each other out not only in classroom subjects but also on the other stuff they deal with and how they work through it. A diverse classroom can be a team that learns and grows together as a family. Goals or Reasons to wanting to enter teaching : I never planned on going to school for being a teacher. Until high school I was not at all sure what i wanted to major in college. I started my college aiming towards a degree in Bachelor’s of Arts. During, my college I started to volunteer for a non-profit organisation Teach A Child. An organisation that taught mathematics and english to kids from the lower community who could not afford education or extra help. Teaching in a classroom for 1 year made me realize that this is what I really wanted to do. Watching the kids achieve their goals and grow in front of me made me happy. I felt that how important i was for these kids as they believed in me. Helping these kids change their lives was a great thing for me. After working in the classroom for 1 year I decided to move to States to continue my Bachelor’s in Elementary education. Personally, my school life was not super good. Being the shy student was never beneficial. I never had a role model as a kid who i could look upto. Being a teacher gives me an opportunity to change lives and be that role model in the students lives which I never had. Till now my plans are to join Teach for America after I graduate. I super excited to have my own classroom and look forward to building those relationships as well as providing a sense of belongingness to every child who walks in my classroom. After taking this class I am aware of the challenges that I would have to face but I am ready for it and be a part of changing lives. This course has taught me a lot. As, I have not done my schooling in States so I am not aware how it works in a school. This course provided me a window , how schools work and the problems that are being faced by students, teachers and parents. I feel that teachers are born with a gift and every

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single day that gift improves. A good teacher is the one who learns from her mistakes and asks for help and learns from others.

References 1) Sadker ,David.Miller, Zittleman, Karen.R ( 2007) Teachers, Schools and Society. 2Penn Plaza, New York: McGraw-Hill Education. 2) URLhttps://edexcellence.net/articles/why-some-charter-sectors-outpacetheir-local-district-schools-while-others-fall-behind Website TitleThe Thomas B. Fordham Institute

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Article TitleWhy some charter sectors outpace their local district schools while others fall behind Date AccessedApril 22, 2018 3) https://jaypgreene.com/2013/03/21/constructive-criticism-for-common-coreconstructivism-deniers/ 4) https://jaypgreene.com/2015/05/07/common-core-sophistry-is-fun/ 5) http://www.k12academics.com/standardized-testing#.WpSpAa2ZMdU Standardized Testing. February 5, 2014. February 27,2018. 6) URLhttps://www.cep-dc.org// ● Website TitleThe Center on Education Policy ● Article TitleCenter on Education Policy, national independent advocate for public education and more effective public schools Center on Education Policy ● Date AccessedMay 08, 2018 7) http://www.classcraft.com/blog/features/3-main-challenges-teachers-face/

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