Class+05+-+Feb+23

=** Class 5 **= **Class Notes** : __**Educational Philosophies**__ Different Philosophies – Why do we need to know them? 1. Writing curriculum 2. At the heart of what we do, decision making a. What philosophies are those decisions based on? b. Why is it important to understand the philosophies? c. Who is making the decisions? (District, State level) It is important to create teachers and teacher leaders __**5 Major Philosophies**__ 1. Idealism 2. Realism 3. Pragmatism 4. Existentialism & Phenomenology 5. NeoMarxism & Critical Theory __**Questions about Philosophies**__ 1. What are the roots? 2. To what extent is the philosophy traditional, liberal/progressive, transformative? 3. How is knowledge determined? Is there a distinction between knowledge and truth? 4. How does the philosophy play out in teaching and learning in today’s schools? __**NeoMarxism/ Critical Threory**__ -Against capitalism - Questions everything - Transformative

Roots - Karl Marx, Marxism – how workers were treated, distribution of wealth - Capitalism was all about maintaining the classes, keeping the high class high, and the low class low

Knowledge - Knowledge was measured by how much a student question - Truth may not exist

Teacher - Focal point of the lesson, students listening to instruction - Push dialectical teaching - Bring up all sides of an issue - Promotes change - Encouraging students to question all sides of an issue in the future - Doesn’t want students to simply accept what they see in front of them - Open ended questions -Question things over and over

Questions to ask - Should everything be status quo? - Could/ should we do things differently than how the state wants us to? - Is Neomarxism possible in public school? - Who has access to money, power in society? In schools?

__**Idealism**__ Roots - Plato (student of Socrates) - Theory is rooted in the past

Traditional philosophy - There is only one answer, the past Activate what is already in the student’s mind Problems with the senses because they are subjective Interpretation of the senses Reception and Interpretation (not the same) Eg. “Pickles will always smell like pickles.”
 * Dialectic: students question one another and examine logically all viewpoints. The goal is a synthesis of viewpoints that would be acceptable to both

Anti –Senses: The idealists were against using the senses to help us gather information because they can deceive us Pro-Senses: Non-idealists would say our senses help us gain information è Question: What do we really rely on? Idealists would say: We have to go with our thoughts and go through the dialectical process to have ideas. If the ideas withstand the dialogue, then it must be (or lead us to) the truth. Emotion and Knowledge è Where do they connect? Idealists: Don’t use emotion as a way to guide us to knowledge, use dialectical approach Non-idealists: Why are you separating emotion and knowledge? It is unnatural. Questions about Idealism - What happens if the wrong person gets the power position? - How do you set up a situation in school where students can question? And continue to question? (Laura Vagnini)

Educational Philosophies (continued)

-Uses senses unlike Idealists Roots: -A philosophy that follows in the same historical tradition as Idealism. -Systematic theory of logic -Associated with Plato and Aristotle -This philopsophy of Realism is traditional; deals with logic. -No distinction between knowledge & truth; knowledge is truth. -Determined through empirical research: Use of dialectic reasoning or speculation. -Syllogism= system of logic with 3 parts ( Major premise, minor premise, conclusion) -With regards to teaching, this can be applied through direct instruction like in math or science. -Realists believe that the scientific method will get us closer to the actual truth.
 * Realism**

-All students learn on their own individual basis -Adapting to different ways of learning (differentiated teaching) -This theory recognizes that one way of learning is different to another way of learning, and it is important to meet the needs of everyone. -Truth & Knowledge: No real connection -High focus on individual interpretation of the world. -Completely against Realism This theory also supports the notion that individuals have to honor cultural differences, moral differences, and so on. -Personal experience is an important factor to consider for the individual too.
 * Existentialism**

Uses all of ones known knowledge to figure out the unknown (the use of critical thinking and trial and error). Roots -Dewey (created a culture inside the class that went out into the community) Big argument; Did Dewey consider all the diversity amongst each and every single one of his students? -This philosophy of Pragmatism is progressive. -Not traditional because it isn't just looking at one view or perspective. -Not transformative because it technically isn't "chaning" much. -Regarding teaching and how to apply this in the schools, it is important to go through steps so student's can use previous knowledge for solutions.
 * Pragmatism**
 * (Mandy Lucente)**

Clarifications for the class notes this week :

Clarifications, points, and questions work pursuing for future weeks (Extend the discussion from this week's class):


 * Of all the "ism's" we talked about during this lecture when Realism was debated it got me thinking about the conflict I face at my job and maybe in my classroom one day. That is the issue of science and religion; prior to the discussion I completely agreed with the idea that "the scientific method will get us closer to the actual truth." How ever I have experienced first hand the battle between science and creationists and like Dr. Love said its a loosing battle. In the grand scheme of education it is important to look at all points of views whether you agree with them or not, in an argument either side will have great points but neither is going to persuade the other. As long as the conflict is kept professional arguments can lead to teachable moments. (Tim Walczak)

I responding to Tim’s response, I completely agree, as a Biology major it is hard to be able to get around the idea that the scientific method will not prove all. Going on the creationism and evolution debate… it is a losing battle. It is a simple fact that we must understand that these two issues are at the two opposite sides of the spectrum. I guess this disproves, or at least pokes some holes at realism in which it states there is one truth. Or is there only one truth for each side? How are we suppose to teach when we may not be teaching the only truth (depending on whose deciding what the truth is)? (Elisabeth dos Santos)

I agree with both Tim and Elisabeth's responses but would like to look at the subject in more of a neo-marxism side. I am a Earth Science major and believe in evolution and also support the mutual respect of both ideologies, but should the study of relegious beliefs be something that is taught in education? Springs makes it very clear how involved the government is in public education which makes me feel that, although we should respect both creationism and evoltuion, to teach creationism would be a blending of church and state. Modern science is backed by hundreds of years of study and research, where as to religon is backed by thousands of years of belief. As teachers I feel we should look respect and blend all the teaching styles learned in calss to conduct such a lesson and teach the logicical scientific side of the argument and allow society, family, culture, or the student personally to teach such a thing as religon. (Chris Kyle)

Overall, there are negative aspects to all of these philosophies. I was in the group that explored Idealism, and even after our discussion, I am still confused as to how this philosophy was practiced and even believed. While I was reading __I Won't Learn From you__ by Herbert Kohl for another class, I came across a passage where he actually talks a little about the different educational philosophies. He recalls the contol of legitimacy exerted by philosophy professors at Harvard. Kohl writes, "Any student who took existentialism, phenomenology, or Marxism seriously, for example was advised to find another major" (105). In both of these philosophies, some of the similarities are that truth may not actually exist, some form of individualism, and questioning or interpreting everything. I find it interesting that Kohl remembers the professors at Harvard at the time mentioning only these philosophies. I think there are aspects in each of the philosophies to cricize. I think that many teachers today do not believe in just one of these philosophies, I think they incorporate different aspects of each into their classroom. (Allie French)

I was also in Allie's group which took a closer look at the Idealism philosophy of teaching. As we were discussing the philosophy in small groups, we grew more and more confused as to how this Idealism was even possible where one thing seemed to contradict another. Even after whole class discussion, I still cannot understand how anyone can try to separate emotions from actions. To me, the two go hand in hand because how you feel about something will drive what you do about that issue. I guess what Plato was trying to say is that instead of letting emotions get the best of us, we should be doing what is right. Well, depending on how people feel about the issue, "doing what is right" means different things to different people. I have read __I Won't Learn From You__ by Kohl and I agree with his above quote. The book discusses how each child can be reached in different ways. If one child refuses to listen, it's not as if the teacher is going to pull out the book of philosophies and start trying each one, one by one. When it comes to these children, we as teachers need to find our own approaches, maybe even create new ones, because it is the child we need to worry about, not which philosophy we are using or believe in. That is why some teachers just cannot reach out to children no matter how hard they try and they give up too easily; because they refuse to think outside the box and would rather go to the "professional" philosophers for answers. Well, times have changed and new philosophies of teaching are arising every day. We cannot only rely on what has worked in the past. (Katya Lagun)

I agree with Katya in that in reality we won't be teaching strictly through one philosophy. We need to find what works not only for us but for our students as well. Just as we have to find different teaching techniques for different learners we may have to change what guides our teaching. The school we reach in may have a philosophy of their own, this will greatly effect how we approach our classrooms. As Katya also said, times are changing and so are the ways teachers think. We have new technology and information about our world that was not there when some of the philosophies we learned about were thought of. I believe we can learn from these and take some of the ideas from them and incorporate them into our teaching. Just as students are all different so are teachers and we need to find what works best for us. (Kelly Bates)

I agree with Kelly's statement that "Just as students are all different so are teachers and we need to find what works best for us". I think that sometimes we forget that we need to find a way to teach best for us because we are looking for one that fits best for the student as well. I also think its important that you incorporate different philosophies into your teaching because you land a job at a school that could use something you are not used to. Teaching should be open for you to choose an approach that works best for you, because by doing your best you are providing the best approach for your students to learn, which is ultimately the most important thing in school. (Emily Hungerford)

I agree with Kelly and Katya in their statements about teaching using the different philosophies. Incorporating philosophies into your teaching is a whole different idea then relying on them. You need to understand where all the ideas are coming from and why certain students may learn different ways and what types of things may help them but teaching is such a flexible and continuously changing thing that it would be hard to stick to one idea. If you are a successful teacher then you will know what works best for each of your students and you can use what you know about philosophy to make sure each student is getting what they need. I feel that Katya is also correct when she says that we can create our own approaches if necessary to make sure that each student walks out of the classroom knowing more about the world and about themselves then they did before. Successful teachers are not people who have one thought process and stays on it, teachers are people who can think on their feet and change things when it is appropriate for a student or a class as a whole. (Allie Beardsworth)

Of all the '-isms" discussed during the lecture, I started to think more about existentialism. I definitely agree that it is very important that students be able to develop their OWN ways of thinking and conclusions. The philosophy of existentialism requires that students make their own choices based on what learning outcomes the teacher lays out for them. Learning how each child is different and how not only ONE set of learning outcomes is appropriate to provide, it made me think back to learning of Liberal Progressive teachers in my EDTE class last semester. I learned that these types of teachers represent "faciliators" in the child's learning process. Similar to this, the large focus of the philsophy of existentialism is also one where the teacher can act as a //facilitator.// I think this philosophy goes hand in hand with the kind of teacher one becomes or wishes to become. It's extremely important when learning is not only focused on facts and skills but connected to the interests of the children. Also in my EDTE class, we worked with a large group of children from an elementary school and provided each of them with rainbow twist pens. These pens repsented imagination and how to get children interested in writing. I learned that the use of the pens fell under the category of //Liberal Progressive// teachers and this can provide a powerful motivation for the children; they begin to become curious about learning and were helped to realize that they can come to their own ways of thinking and understandings in the end. (Danielle Velodota)

I feel that existentialism is also a very important part of education. It is one of the things we hear in our classes all the time. Children learn in different ways, they think differently and recognize things in different ways. I feel that most teachers need to use this in their classrooms. That all students are different and existentialism is a way to adapt to this. Having differentiated instruction in class is necessary to reach all students at all of their different levels. I just feel as a future teacher this is one of the 'isms' that should be used in a classroom. (Kristie Fergusson)

I absolutely agree with Kristie that this is probably one of the most important aspects of education. It seems strange that this is a relatively new idea. Obviously not all children learn the same and they should be taught accordingly. I relate this to Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences. While it has been widely scrutinized, many of his beliefs and much of his research rings true in my ears. If we do not have an effective way to teach these ideals and skills to our children than none of them will really matter. In order to properly educate our students we must recognize and adapt to the ways in which they learn best. I also like Elizabeth's ideas about teaching the truth. I have mixed feelings about this but I know that I will want to lay everything on the line for my student's and teach them toi ask the questions so that they can find their own truths about their schooling and life in general. This is a critical skill that they will need to use for the rest of their lives. (Sarah Rousseau)

I feel the same way that both Sarah and Krisie do. Children learn in different ways, and I know that existentialsim is an important aspect of education. To what Danielle mentioned up above, I was also in her EDTE class and took part in that same Literacy through the arts program she referred too. It was here where I understood that teachers had to build and scaffold ideas from their learners. Using the rainbow pens, children were able to have fun, yet explore through using their senses: their ideas, feelings, and establish connections. I saw the children's learning process take place and it was amazing to see them expand their ideas further and futher as each week went by. Pushing them a little more each week out of their comfort zones into the use of their multiple intelligences I saw a difference in the enjoyment of the lesson and the thrill of returning again. In our Educational Foundations Anthaology, on pg 80 it refers to Gardner's proposal and how "when we think of students who are doing poorly in our classrooms, we typically focus on the things they cannot do, or we speculate about the kinds of difficulty we believe may account for their weak school performace". What I agree with is that one is able to explore their strengths using the Multiple intelligence theory, rather than looking at solely at their weaknesses. (Tara Gleason)

I agree with Katya as future teachers we are going to be using a combination of different teaching philosophies. We need to take the time to get to know our students and how they learn then teach accordingly to their needs. What works for one student may or may not work for another. We need to put the students needs first. I have observed one teacher who was incredibly book smart and was always over prepared. Her students however did not learn much throughout the semester. She taught only one way and did not adapt her teaching style and ultimately failed her students. (Kari Mancini)

Out of all the topic we discussed in class, I feel that existentialism was the most interesting. Like Danielle said I was also in the same EDTE class that gave out the rainbow twist pens. The student that I worked with loved the pen and would not write with anything else. It became a powerful motivator for her and her passion to write. I also feel that existentialism is interesting because it lets students make and think of their own choices depending on what the teachers tell them. This method was the most interesting to me because it let students think for themselves more than almost any method of teaching. (Jessica Morneault)**

Existentialism is based off of all students learn on their own individual basis, but how does this hold truth and be taken to account when teachers have to teach students the same information. When teachers are given the material directly from the state, they are also handed a set of directions on how they must achieve this goal; that means there cannot be any deviation in the teaching style, because first there is not enough time for each and every student to learn the information differently. Teachers have to use a teaching style that the majority of the class will accept and be able to learn from. Existentialism is what teachers should do more often to be successful and make the students successful as well. This is a very specific and important quality teachers should carry around with them to make connections with each student. This is an open minded philosophy and that the way teachers should be to student’s needs and wants. Greg Grochowski

I support the educational values of exitensialism and pragmatism because they seem the most open-minded. But I think all education, and teachers, have combined philosophies. It is impossible to practice only one view, the criticisms of one view may be corrected in another philosophy and so on. And the education practiced by U.S. does not only teach from one philosophy, they should teach all views since there are so many individuals in the classroom, and studetns should be allowed to conform their own views and values constructed from a wide range of perspectives. If we are the land of oppertunity and freedom, then all people should be given a choice. (Jessica Roberts)

Existentialism** -All students learn on their own individual basis -Adapting to different ways of learning (differentiated teaching) If you as a teacher aren't taking existentialism into your teaching toolbox, you will have a tough time being a successful teacher in todays society. Differentiated instruction and understanding individual differences to me are two key components of what it takes to be considered a good teacher. You have to be well rounded and you have to have had a wide variety of both good and bad experiences happen in your life to know what it is like for different students who have certain issues. The more you have experienced as an individual, the more you will be able understand a certain student's situation. My point kind of relates to that step forward, step backward game we played outside that day in class. I think that it is better to be in the middle in that game for reasons that I have already discussed. The more that you can understand your students, the easier it will be fo you to help. Most of the time, it will be difficult to understand what specific issue is, but the more we know and have experienced, the higher the possiblity for perscribing a remedy will be. As i have learned thus far during internships, students have different learning styles. Some are good auditory learners, some are better visual and in PE, some students are good kinestetic learners(learn by doing). To be a successful teacher, you need to identify which students learn best in what style, in most cases you will have to use all three to reach every student and to ensure that every child has the oppurtunity to learn. (Nick C.)

Just has everyone has mentioned especially the science department has mentioned the evolution theory how it has become such a delicate issues since they may impose and create a conflict between a student religion and beliefs. For example I my self was a student whom did not appreciate when the teacher spoke about biology since I don't believe in it. Some times teachers such as Dewey and it was mentioned in our class notes who he created a culture inside the class and brought it out to the community. THis take a lot of work, becuase students need to be willing to accept this culture and be willing to share it with others. Its like when a person becomes part of a religion you accept it and you are willing to share with others. But as for teachers this is a thing we must be careful in imposing our own philosophies, or using portion of the philosophies that we like, because we don't want to offend any of our students, but we want to also avoid being a traditional teacher. (Frances V)